AT&T INC. filed this 424B2 on Sep 11, 2025
AT&T INC. - 424B2 - 20250911 - SECURITIES_DESCRIPTION

Summary Description of the Securities We May Issue

We may use this prospectus to offer from time to time:

 

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Senior debt securities. These debt securities may be convertible or exchangeable into preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock of AT&T or equity securities of a third-party issuer. They will be unsecured and will rank equally with all of our other unsubordinated and unsecured debt.

 

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Subordinated debt securities. These debt securities may be convertible or exchangeable into preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock of AT&T or equity securities of a third-party issuer. They will be unsecured and will be subordinated in right of payment to all of our existing and future senior indebtedness.

 

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Preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share. The preferred stock may be convertible or exchangeable into other series of preferred stock, including depositary shares, or common stock of AT&T or equity securities of a third-party issuer. We can offer different series of preferred stock with different dividend, liquidation, redemption and voting rights.

 

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Depositary shares. We have the option of issuing depositary shares that would represent a fraction of a share of preferred stock.

 

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Common stock, par value $1.00 per share.

In the case of securities that are exchangeable for securities of a third-party issuer, the applicable prospectus supplement will give you more information about this issuer, the terms of its securities and the document in which they are described. Our securities include securities denominated in U.S. dollars, but we can choose to issue securities in any other currency, including the Euro.

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the specific types, amounts, prices and detailed terms of any of these securities. The applicable prospectus supplement may also contain information, where applicable, about material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to, and any securities exchange listing of, securities covered by such prospectus supplement.

 

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Description of Debt Securities We May Offer

As required by U.S. federal law for all bonds and notes of companies that are publicly offered, our senior debt securities and subordinated debt securities, which we collectively refer to as the “debt securities,” will be governed by two separate documents, each called an indenture. Each indenture is a contract between us and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., a national banking association, which acts as trustee for you. The trustee has two main roles:

 

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First, the trustee can enforce your rights against us if we default. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, described later under “— Default and Related Matters — Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs”.

 

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Second, the trustee performs administrative duties for us, such as sending you interest payments, transferring your securities to new buyers and sending you notices. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. will perform these administrative duties.

We may issue as many distinct series of securities under the applicable indenture as we wish. This section summarizes terms of the securities that are common to all series. Except for the subordination provisions included in the subordinated indenture, the indentures are substantially similar. Most of the financial terms and other specific terms of your series will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement which will be attached to the front of this prospectus. Those terms may vary from the terms described here. The prospectus supplement may also describe special federal income tax consequences of the debt securities.

This Section Is Only a Summary

This section and your prospectus supplement summarize all the material terms of the indentures and your debt securities. They do not, however, describe every aspect of the indentures and your debt securities.

The indentures and their associated documents, including your debt securities, contain the full text of the matters described in this section and your prospectus supplement. The indentures and the debt securities are governed by New York law. Copies of the indentures have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, as part of our registration statement. See “Where You Can Find More Information” below for information on how to obtain a copy. Section references in the description that follows relate to the indentures.

Legal Ownership of Debt Securities

We can issue debt securities in registered form or in the form of one or more global securities. We refer to those who have debt securities registered in their own names on the books that we or our agent maintain for this purpose as the “holders” of those debt securities. These persons are the legal holders of the debt securities. We refer to those who, indirectly through others, own beneficial interests in debt securities that are not registered in their own names as “indirect holders” of those debt securities. As we discuss below, indirect holders are not legal holders, and investors in debt securities issued in book-entry form or in street name will be indirect holders.

Book-Entry Holders

We may issue debt securities in book-entry form only, as we will specify in the applicable prospectus supplement. This means debt securities may be represented by one or more global securities registered in the name of a financial institution that holds them as depositary on behalf of other financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, in turn, hold beneficial interests in the debt securities on behalf of themselves or their customers.

 

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For registered debt securities, only the person in whose name a debt security is registered is recognized under the applicable indenture as the holder of that debt security. Debt securities issued in global form will be issued in the form of a global security registered in the name of the depositary or its participants. Consequently, for debt securities issued in global form, we will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the debt securities and we will make all payments on the debt securities to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the debt securities.

As a result, investors in a book-entry security will not own debt securities directly. Instead, they will own beneficial interests in a global security, through a bank, broker or other financial institution that participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an interest through a participant. As long as the debt securities are issued in global form, investors will be indirect holders, and not holders, of the debt securities.

Street Name Holders

In the future we may terminate a global security or issue debt securities initially in non-global form. In these cases, investors may choose to hold their debt securities in their own names or in “street name”. Debt securities held by an investor in street name would be registered in the name of a bank, broker or other financial institution that the investor chooses, and the investor would hold only a beneficial interest in those debt securities through an account he or she maintains at that institution.

For debt securities held in street name, we will recognize only the intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in whose names the debt securities are registered as the holders of those debt securities and we will make all payments on those debt securities to them. These institutions pass along the payments they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or because they are legally required to do so; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the debt securities. Investors who hold debt securities in street name will be indirect holders, not holders, of those debt securities.

Legal Holders

Our obligations, as well as the obligations of the trustee and those of any third parties employed by us or the trustee, run only to the legal holders of the debt securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor chooses to be an indirect holder of a debt security or has no choice because we are issuing the debt securities only in global form.

For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder, we have no further responsibility for the payment or notice even if that holder is required, under agreements with depositary participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the indirect holders but does not do so. Similarly, if we want to obtain the approval of the holders for any purpose — e.g., to amend the applicable indenture or to relieve us of the consequences of a default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision of the applicable indenture — we would seek approval only from the holders, and not the indirect holders, of the debt securities. Whether and how the holders contact the indirect holders is up to the holders.

When we refer to you, we mean those who invest in the debt securities being offered by this prospectus, whether they are the holders or only indirect holders of those debt securities. When we refer to your debt securities, we mean the debt securities in which you hold a direct or indirect interest.

Special Considerations for Indirect Holders

If you hold debt securities through a bank, broker or other financial institution, either in book-entry form or in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:

 

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how it handles securities payments and notices;

 

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whether it imposes fees or charges;

 

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how it would handle a request for the holders’ consent, if ever required;

 

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whether and how you can instruct it to send you debt securities registered in your own name so you can be a holder, if that is permitted in the future;

 

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how it would exercise rights under the debt securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to act to protect their interests; and

 

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if the debt securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary’s rules and procedures will affect these matters.

What Is a Global Security?

A global security is a security that represents one or more debt securities and is held by a depositary. Generally, all debt securities represented by the same global securities will have the same terms.

Each debt security issued in book-entry form will be represented by a global security that we deposit with and register in the name of a financial institution that we select or its nominees. The financial institution that we select for this purpose is called the depositary. Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, known as DTC, will be the depositary for all debt securities issued in book-entry form.

A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary, its nominee or a successor depositary, unless special termination situations arise. We describe those situations below under “— Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated”. As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and holder of all debt securities represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only beneficial interests in a global security. Beneficial interests must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn has an account with the depositary or with another institution that does. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a global security will not be a holder of the debt security, but only an indirect holder of a beneficial interest in the global security.

If the prospectus supplement for a particular debt security indicates that the debt security will be issued in global form only, then the debt security will be represented by a global security at all times unless and until the global security is terminated. We describe the situations in which this can occur below under “— Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated”. If termination occurs, we may issue the debt securities through another book-entry clearing system or decide that the debt securities may no longer be held through any book-entry clearing system.

Special Considerations for Global Securities

As an indirect holder, an investor’s rights relating to a global security will be governed by the account rules of the investor’s financial institution and of the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize this type of investor as a holder of debt securities and instead deal only with the depositary that holds the global security.

If debt securities are issued only in the form of a global security, an investor should be aware of the following:

 

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An investor cannot cause the debt securities to be registered in his or her name, and cannot obtain non-global certificates for his or her interest in the debt securities, except in the special situations we describe below;

 

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An investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the debt securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the debt securities, as we describe under “— Legal Ownership of Debt Securities” above;

 

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An investor may not be able to sell interests in the debt securities to some insurance companies and to other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form;

 

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An investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in a global security in circumstances where certificates representing the debt securities must be delivered to the lender or other beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be effective;

 

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The depositary’s policies, which may change from time to time, will govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to an investor’s interest in a global security. We and the trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s actions or for its records of ownership interests in a global security. We and the trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any way;

 

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The depositary may (and we understand that DTC will) require that those who purchase and sell interests in a global security within its book-entry system use immediately available funds and your broker or bank may require you to do so as well; and

 

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Financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system, and through which an investor holds its interest in a global security, may also have their own policies affecting payments, notices and other matters relating to the debt securities. There may be more than one financial intermediary in the chain of ownership for an investor. We do not monitor and are not responsible for the actions of any of those intermediaries.

Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated

In a few special situations described below, the global security will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing those interests. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold securities directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own bank or brokers to find out how to have their interests in securities transferred to their own name, so that they will be direct holders. We have described the rights of holders and street name investors above under “— Legal Ownership of Debt Securities”.

The global security will terminate when the following special situations occur:

 

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if the depositary notifies us that it is unwilling, unable or no longer qualified to continue as depositary for that global security and we do not appoint another institution to act as depositary within 90 days;

 

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if we notify the trustee that we wish to terminate that global security; or

 

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if an event of default has occurred with regard to debt securities represented by that global security and has not been cured or waived. We discuss defaults later under “— Default and Related Matters”.

The prospectus supplement may also list additional situations for terminating a global security that would apply only to the particular series of securities covered by the prospectus supplement. When a global security terminates, the depositary — and not we or the trustee — is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct holders. (Sections 2.08(f) and (g))

In the remainder of this section, “you” means direct holders and not “street name” or other indirect holders of securities, including holders of any securities that we issue as global securities. Indirect holders should read the previous subsection entitled “Legal Ownership of Debt Securities”.

Overview of Remainder of This Section

The remainder of this section summarizes:

 

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Additional mechanics relevant to the securities under normal circumstances, such as how you transfer ownership and where we make payments;

 

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Your rights under several special situations, such as if we merge with another company, or if we want to change a term of the securities; and

 

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Your rights if we default or experience other financial difficulties.

Additional Mechanics

Form, Exchange and Transfer

The securities will be issued:

 

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in fully registered form or as global securities as described above; and

 

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in denominations that are even multiples of $1,000 (Section 2.02(a)(8)), provided, however, that the securities will be issued in minimum denominations of $2,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 thereafter if so required by the securities exchange on which such securities are listed or traded or as we may otherwise determine.

You may have your securities broken into more securities of smaller denominations (but not into denominations smaller than any minimum denomination applicable to the securities) or combined into fewer securities of larger denominations, as long as the total principal amount is not changed. This is called an “exchange.” (Section 2.08(a))

You may exchange or transfer your securities at the office of the registrar. The registrar acts as our agent for registering securities in the names of holders and for transferring and exchanging securities, as well as maintaining the list of registered holders. The paying agent acts as the agent for paying interest, principal and any other amounts on securities and for exchanging securities. We have appointed The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. to perform the roles of registrar and paying agent. We may change these appointments to another entity or perform them ourselves. (Section 2.08(b))

We can designate additional registrars or paying agents, acceptable to the trustee, and they would be named in the prospectus supplement. We may cancel the designation of any particular registrar or paying agent. We may also approve a change in the office through which any registrar or paying agent acts. We must maintain a registrar and paying agent office in the Borough of Manhattan in New York City. If at any time we do not maintain a registrar or paying agent, the trustee will act as such. (Section 2.04)

There is no charge for exchanges and transfers. You will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange securities, but you may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the exchange or transfer. The transfer or exchange will only be made if the registrar is satisfied with your proof of ownership. (Section 2.08)

At certain times, you may not be able to transfer or exchange your securities. If we redeem any series of securities, or any part of any series, then we may prevent you from transferring or exchanging these securities. We may do this during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice of redemption and ending on the day of that mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders so we can prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers or exchanges of securities selected for redemption, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unredeemed portion of any security being partially redeemed. (Section 2.08(d))

Replacing Your Lost or Destroyed Certificates

If you bring a mutilated certificate or coupon to the trustee, we will issue a new certificate or coupon to you in exchange for the mutilated one. Please note that the trustee may have additional requirements that you must meet in order to do this. (Section 2.09)

 

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If you claim that a certificate or coupon has been lost, completely destroyed, or wrongfully taken from you, then the trustee will give you a replacement certificate or coupon if you meet the trustee’s requirements. Also, we may require you to provide reasonable security or indemnity to protect us from any loss we may incur from replacing your certificates or coupons. We may also charge you for our expenses in replacing your security. (Section 2.09)

Payment and Paying Agents

We will pay interest to you if you are a direct holder listed in the registrar’s records at the close of business on a particular day in advance of each due date for interest, even if you no longer own the security on the interest due date. That particular day, usually about two weeks in advance of the interest due date, is called the “record date” and is stated in the prospectus supplement. (Section 2.05) Holders buying and selling securities must work out between them how to compensate for the fact that we will pay all the interest for an interest period to the one who is the registered holder on the record date. The most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the securities to prorate interest fairly between buyer and seller. This prorated interest amount is called “accrued interest.”

We will pay interest, principal and any other money due on the securities at the corporate trust office of the trustee in New York City. That office is currently located at The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., c/o The Bank of New York Mellon, 240 Greenwich Street, New York, New York 10007, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration. You must make arrangements to have your payments picked up at or wired from that office. We may also choose to pay interest by mailing checks. (Section 2.05)

“Street name” and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how they will receive payments.

We may also arrange for additional payment offices, and may cancel or change these offices, including our use of the trustee’s corporate trust office. These offices are called “paying agents”. We may also choose to act as our own paying agent. We must notify you if we change the paying agents for any particular series of securities. (Section 2.04)

Notices

We and the trustee will send notices regarding the securities only to direct holders, using their addresses as listed in the trustee’s records. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where a notice of any event or any other communication is to be given to a holder of a global security, such notice shall be sufficiently given if given to the depository (or its designee) pursuant to the standing instructions from the depository or its designee, including by electronic mail in accordance with accepted practices at the depository. (Section 10.02)

Regardless of who acts as paying agent, all money we forward to a paying agent that remains unclaimed will, at our request, be repaid to us at the end of two years after the amount was due to the direct holder. After that two-year period, you may look only to us for payment and not to the trustee, any other paying agent or anyone else. (Section 8.03)

Special Situations Covered by Our Indentures

Mergers and Similar Transactions

We are generally permitted to consolidate or merge with another company. We are also permitted to sell substantially all of our assets to another company. However, we may not take any of these actions unless all the following conditions are met:

 

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Where we merge out of existence or sell our assets, the company we merge into or sell to may not be organized under the laws of a foreign country. It must be a corporation organized under the laws of the United States, any State thereof, or the District of Columbia.

 

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The company we merge into or sell to must agree to be legally responsible for our debt securities.

 

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The merger, sale of assets or other transaction must not cause a default on the securities, and we must not already be in default, unless the merger or other transaction would cure the default. For purposes of this no-default test, a default would include an event of default that has occurred and not been cured, as described below under “— Default and Related Matters — Events of Default — What Is an Event of Default?” A default for this purpose would also include any event that would be an event of default if the requirements for giving us default notice or our default having to exist for a specific period of time were disregarded. (Section 5.01)

Further, we may buy substantially all of the assets of another company without complying with any of the foregoing conditions.

Modification and Waiver of Your Contractual Rights

Under certain circumstances, we can make changes to the indentures and the securities. Some types of changes require the approval of each security holder affected, some require approval by a majority vote, and some changes do not require any approval at all. (Sections 9.01-9.06)

Changes Requiring Your Approval. First, there are changes that cannot be made to your securities without your specific approval. The following is a list of those types of changes:

 

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to reduce the percentage of holders of securities who must consent to a waiver or amendment of the applicable indenture;

 

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to reduce the rate of interest on any security or change the time for payment of interest;

 

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to reduce the principal due on any security or change the fixed maturity of any security;

 

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to waive a default in the payment of principal or interest on any security;

 

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to change the currency of payment on a security, unless the security provides for payment in a currency that ceases to exist;

 

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in the case of convertible or exchangeable securities, to make changes to your conversion or exchange rights that would be adverse to your interests;

 

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to change the right of holders to waive an existing default by majority vote;

 

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to reduce the amount of principal or interest payable to you following a default or change your conversion or exchange rights, or impair your right to sue for payment;

 

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to make any change to this list of changes that requires your specific approval (Section 9.02(a)); and

 

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to modify any of the provisions of the subordinated indenture in a manner that adversely affects the superior position of the holders of senior indebtedness then outstanding. (subordinated indenture, Section 9.08)

Changes Requiring a Majority Vote. The second type of change to the indentures and the securities is the kind that requires a vote in favor by security holders owning a majority of the principal amount of the particular series affected. Most changes fall into this category, except as set forth in the following paragraph. The same vote would be required for us to obtain a waiver of an existing default. However, we cannot obtain a waiver of a payment default unless we obtain your individual consent to the waiver. (Section 9.02(a))

Changes Not Requiring Your Approval. The third type of change does not require any vote by holders of securities. This type includes, among others, clarifications of ambiguous contract terms, changes to make securities payable in U.S. dollars (if the stated denomination ceases to exist) and other changes that would not materially adversely affect holders of the securities. (Section 9.01)

 

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Further Details Concerning Voting. When taking a vote, we will use the following rules to decide how much principal amount to attribute to a security:

 

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For original issue discount securities, we will use the principal amount that would be due and payable on the voting date if the maturity of the securities were accelerated to that date because of a default.

 

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For securities denominated in one or more foreign currencies or currency units, we will use the U.S. dollar equivalent determined on the date of original issuance of these securities.

Securities will not be considered outstanding, and therefore not eligible to vote, if we have deposited or set aside in trust for you money for their payment or redemption. A security does not cease to be outstanding because we or an affiliate of us is holding the security. (Section 2.10)

We will generally be entitled to set any day as a record date for the purpose of determining the holders of outstanding securities that are entitled to vote or take other action under the indentures. However, the indentures do not oblige us to fix any record date at all. If we set a record date for a vote or other action to be taken by holders of a particular series, that vote or action may be taken only by persons who are holders of outstanding securities of that series on the record date and must be taken within 90 days following the record date. (Section 9.02(b))

Holders who hold in “street name” and other indirect holders, including holders of any securities issued as global securities, should consult their banks or brokers for information on how approval may be granted or denied if we seek to change the indentures or the securities or request a waiver.

Discharge of Our Obligations

We can fully discharge ourselves from any payment or other obligations on the securities of any series if we make a deposit for you with the trustee and certain other conditions are met. The deposit must be held in trust for your benefit and the benefit of all other direct holders of the securities and must be a combination of money and U.S. government or U.S. government agency notes or bonds that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the securities on their various due dates.

However, we cannot discharge ourselves from the obligations under any convertible or exchangeable securities, unless we provide for it in the terms of these securities and the prospectus supplement.

If we accomplish full discharge, as described above, you will have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment of the securities. You could not look to us for repayment in the unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other creditors if we ever become bankrupt or insolvent.

We will indemnify the trustee and you against any tax, fee or other charge imposed on the U.S. government obligations we deposited with the trustee or against the principal and interest received on these obligations. (Sections 8.01-8.04)

Redemption

We May Choose to Redeem Your Securities

We may be able to pay off your securities before their normal maturity. If we have this right with respect to your specific securities, the right will be mentioned in the prospectus supplement. It will also specify when we can exercise this right and how much we will have to pay in order to redeem your securities.

If we choose to redeem your securities, we will mail written notice to you not less than 30 days prior to redemption, and not more than 60 days prior to redemption, or not less than or more than such number of days as

 

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described in the prospectus supplement. Also, you may be prevented from exchanging or transferring your securities when they are subject to redemption, as described under “— Additional Mechanics — Form, Exchange and Transfer” above. (Article 3)

Liens on Assets

The indentures do not restrict us from pledging or otherwise encumbering any of our assets and those of our subsidiaries.

Default and Related Matters

Ranking Compared to Other Creditors

The securities are not secured by any of our property or assets. Accordingly, your ownership of securities means you are one of our unsecured creditors. The senior debt securities are not subordinated to any of our other debt obligations and therefore they rank equally with all our other unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. The subordinated debt securities are subordinated to the senior indebtedness and will rank junior in right of payment, under the terms contained in the subordinated indenture, and will be subject to our prior payment in full of our senior indebtedness, all as described under “— Subordination” below. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the trustee under each indenture has a right to receive payment for its administrative services prior to any payment to security holders after a default.

Events of Default

You will have special rights if an event of default occurs and is not cured, as described later in this subsection.

What Is an Event of Default? The term “event of default” with respect to any series of securities means any of the following:

 

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We fail to make any interest payment on a security when it is due, and we do not cure this default within 90 days.

 

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We fail to make any payment of principal when it is due at the maturity of any security or upon redemption.

 

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We fail to comply with any of our other agreements regarding a particular series of securities or with a supplemental indenture, and after we have been notified of the default by the trustee or holders of 25% in principal amount of the series, we do not cure the default within 90 days.

 

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We file for bankruptcy, or other events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur.

 

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Any other event of default described in the prospectus supplement occurs.

Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs

You and the trustee will have the following remedies if an event of default occurs:

Acceleration. If an event of default has occurred and has not been cured or waived, then the trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the securities of the affected series may declare the entire principal amount of and any accrued interest on all the securities of that series to be due and immediately payable. An acceleration of maturity may be cancelled by the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the securities of the affected series, if all events of default have been cured or waived. (Section 6.02)

 

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Special Duties of Trustee. If an event of default occurs, the trustee will have some special duties. In that situation, the trustee will be obligated to use those of its rights and powers under the applicable indenture, and to use the same degree of care and skill in doing so, that a prudent person would use in that situation in conducting his or her own affairs. (Section 7.01)

Other Remedies of Trustee. If an event of default occurs, the trustee is authorized to pursue any available remedy to collect defaulted principal and interest and to enforce other provisions of the securities and the applicable indenture, including bringing a lawsuit. (Section 6.03)

Majority Holders May Direct the Trustee to Take Actions to Protect Their Interests. The trustee is not required to take any action under the applicable indenture at the request of any holders unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable protection from expenses and liability. This is called an “indemnity”. If the trustee is provided with an indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the relevant series of debt securities may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. These majority holders may also direct the trustee in performing any other action under the applicable indenture. (Section 6.05)

Individual Actions You May Take if the Trustee Fails to Act. Before you bypass the trustee and bring your own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce your rights or protect your interests relating to the securities, the following must occur:

 

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You must give the trustee written notice that an event of default has occurred and remains uncured.

 

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The holders of 25% in principal amount of all outstanding securities of the relevant series must make a written request that the trustee take action because of the default, and must offer indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee against the cost and other liabilities of taking that action.

 

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The trustee must not have taken action for 60 days after receipt of the above notice and offer of indemnity.

 

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During the 60-day period, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the securities of that series do not give the trustee a direction inconsistent with the request. (Section 6.06)

However, you are entitled at any time to bring an individual lawsuit for the payment of the money due on your security on or after its due date. (Section 6.07)

Waiver of Default

The holders of a majority in principal amount of the relevant series of debt securities may waive a default for all the relevant series of debt securities. If this happens, the default will be treated as if it had not occurred. No one can waive a payment default on your debt security, however, without your individual approval. (Section 6.04)

We Will Give the Trustee Information About Defaults Annually

Every year we will give to the trustee a written statement of one of our officers certifying that to the best of his or her knowledge we are in compliance with the indentures and all the securities under it, or else specifying any default. (Section 4.03)

The trustee may withhold from you notice of any uncured default, except for payment defaults, if it determines that withholding notice is in your interest. (Section 7.05)

Holders who hold in “street name” and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how to give notice or direction to or make a request of the trustee and how to make or cancel a declaration of acceleration.

 

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Original Issue Discount Securities

The debt securities may be issued as original issue discount securities, which will be offered and sold at a substantial discount from their principal amount. Only a discounted amount will be due and payable when the trustee declares the acceleration of the maturity of these debt securities after an event of default has occurred and continues, as described under “— Default and Related Matters — Remedies if an Event of Default Occurs” above.

Conversion of Convertible Debt Securities

Your debt securities may be convertible into our preferred stock, including depositary shares representing preferred stock, or common stock, or they may be exchangeable for equity securities of another issuer if the prospectus supplement so provides. If your debt securities are convertible or exchangeable, the prospectus supplement will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at your option or at our option. The prospectus supplement would also include provisions regarding the adjustment of the number of shares of common stock or other securities you will receive upon conversion or exchange. In addition, the prospectus supplement will contain the conversion price or exchange price and mechanisms for adjusting this price. In the case of exchangeable debt securities, the prospectus supplement will set forth information about the issuer for whose securities you would exchange your debt, or where that information can be found.

We may not adjust the exchange or conversion price

Unless it is specified in the prospectus supplement, we will not adjust the exchange or conversion price of your debt securities for interest on your securities or for any dividends payable on the new securities you will receive. However, if you convert or exchange your securities between a regular record date for the payment of interest and the next following interest payment date, you must include funds equal to the interest that would be payable on your securities on this following interest payment date. We are not required to issue fractional shares of preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock, but, unless we otherwise specify in the prospectus supplement, we will pay you a cash adjustment calculated on the basis of the following:

 

  •  

for debt securities convertible into preferred stock or depositary shares, the liquidation preference of the series of preferred stock;

 

  •  

for common stock, the market value of the common stock; and

 

  •  

for exchangeable debt securities, the market value of the securities for which you will exchange your securities.

Regarding the Trustee

We maintain banking relationships in the ordinary course of business with the trustee. The trustee is also the trustee under indentures with certain of our subsidiaries.

Subordination

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement for a particular series of subordinated debt securities, the following subordinated provisions will apply to the subordinated debt securities.

The subordinated debt securities will be unsecured and subordinated in right of payment to all of our existing and future senior indebtedness. As a result, upon any distribution to our creditors in a liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the payment of the principal of and interest on the subordinated debt securities will be subordinated to the extent provided in the subordinated indenture in right of payment to the prior payment in full of all our senior indebtedness. Our obligation to make payments of the principal of and interest on the subordinated debt securities will not otherwise be affected.

 

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We may not make payments of principal or interest on the subordinated debt securities at any time we are in default on any payment with respect to our senior indebtedness, or we have defaulted on any of our senior indebtedness resulting in the acceleration of the maturity of the senior indebtedness beyond any applicable grace period, or if there is a judicial proceeding pending with respect to our default on our senior indebtedness and we have received notice of the default. We may resume payments on the subordinated debt securities when the default is cured or waived if the subordination provisions of the subordinated indenture will permit us to do so at that time. After we have paid all of our senior indebtedness in full, holders of subordinated debt securities will still be subrogated to the rights of holders of our senior indebtedness for the amount of distributions otherwise payable to holders of the subordinated debt securities until the subordinated debt securities are paid in full.

Even if the subordination provisions prevent us from making any payment when due on the subordinated debt securities of any series, we will be in default on our obligations under that series if we do not make the payment when due. This means that the trustee under the subordinated indenture and the holders of that series can take action against us, but they will not receive any money until the claims of the holders of senior indebtedness have been fully satisfied.

If payment or distribution on account of the subordinated debt securities of any character or security, whether in cash, securities or other property, is received by a holder of any subordinated debt securities, including any applicable trustee, in contravention of any of the terms of the applicable indenture and before all our senior indebtedness has been paid in full, that payment or distribution or security will be received in trust for the benefit of, and must be paid over or delivered and transferred to, holders of our senior indebtedness at the time outstanding in accordance with the priorities then existing among those holders for application to the payment of all senior indebtedness remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay all senior indebtedness in full.

Upon payment or distribution of assets to creditors upon insolvency, receivership, conservatorship, reorganization, readjustment of debt, marshalling of assets and liabilities or similar proceedings or any liquidation or winding up of or relating to our company as a whole, whether voluntary or involuntary, the holders of all senior debt securities will first be entitled to receive payment in full before holders of the outstanding subordinated debt securities will be entitled to receive any payment in respect of the principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the outstanding subordinated debt securities.

After we have paid in full all sums we owe on our senior indebtedness, the holders of the subordinated debt securities, if so issued, together with the holders of our obligations ranking on a parity with the subordinated debt securities, will be entitled to be paid from our remaining assets the amounts at the time due and owing on the subordinated debt securities and the other obligations.

By reason of this subordination, if we become insolvent, holders of senior indebtedness, as well as certain of our general creditors, may receive more, and holders of subordinated debt securities may receive less, than our other creditors, including holders of any of our senior debt securities. This subordination will not prevent the occurrence of any event of default under the subordinated debt securities. (subordinated indenture, Article 11)

Senior indebtedness is defined in the subordinated indenture as the principal, premium, if any, unpaid interest (including interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to us whether or not a claim for post-filing interest is allowed in such proceeding), fees, charges, expenses, reimbursement and indemnification obligations, and all other amounts payable under or in respect of the types of indebtedness generally described below:

 

  (1)

debt for money we have borrowed;

 

  (2)

debt evidenced by a bond, note, debenture, or similar instrument (including purchase money obligations) whether or not given in connection with the acquisition of any business, property or assets, whether by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise, but not any account payable or other obligation created or assumed in the ordinary course of business in connection with the obtaining of materials or services;

 

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  (3)

debt which is a direct or indirect obligation which arises as a result of banker’s acceptances or bank letters of credit issued to secure our obligations, whether contingent or otherwise;

 

  (4)

any debt of others described in the preceding clauses (1) through (3) which in any manner we have guaranteed or for which we are otherwise liable or that we in effect guarantee through an agreement to purchase, whether contingent or otherwise;

 

  (5)

indebtedness secured by any mortgage, pledge, lien, charge, encumbrance or any security interest existing on our property;

 

  (6)

our obligation as lessee under any lease of property which is reflected on our balance sheet as a finance lease (provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, in no event will any lease that would have been categorized as an operating lease as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles prior to giving effect to Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842 (or any other Accounting Standards Codification having a similar result or effect), or any modification or interpretative change to generally accepted accounting principles subsequent to the date hereof, be considered a finance lease);

 

  (7)

any deferral, amendment, renewal, extension, supplement, modification or refunding of any liability of the kind described in any of the preceding clauses (1) through (6); and

 

  (8)

our obligations to make payments under the terms of financial instruments, such as securities contracts and foreign currency exchange contracts and derivative instruments;

provided, however, that, in computing our indebtedness, any particular indebtedness will be excluded if:

 

  •  

upon or prior to the maturity thereof, we have deposited in trust with a depository, money (or evidence of indebtedness if permitted by the instrument creating such indebtedness) in the necessary amount to pay, redeem or satisfy that indebtedness as it becomes due, and the amount so deposited will not be included in any computation of our assets; and

 

  •  

we have delivered an officers’ certificate to the trustee that certifies that we have deposited in trust with the depository the sufficient amount.

Senior indebtedness will exclude the following:

 

  •  

any indebtedness referred to in clauses (1) through (6) above as to which, in the instrument creating or evidencing the indebtedness or under which the indebtedness is outstanding, it is provided that the indebtedness is not superior in right of payment to our subordinated debt securities, or ranks equal with the subordinated debt securities; and

 

  •  

our subordinated debt securities. (subordinated indenture, Section 1.01)

There is no limit on the amount of senior indebtedness or other indebtedness that we may incur under the indentures.

 

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Description of Preferred Stock We May Offer

The following briefly summarizes the material terms of our preferred stock other than pricing and related terms which will be disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement. You should read the particular terms of any series of preferred stock we offer, which will be described in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to that series. The applicable prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the terms summarized below do not apply to the series of preferred stock being offered. In addition, for each series of preferred stock, we will file a certificate of designations containing the specific terms of the series as an exhibit to the registration statement or we will incorporate it by reference before we issue any preferred stock.

General

We are authorized to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share. As of the date of this prospectus, there were 48,000 shares of Series A preferred stock outstanding, 20,000 shares of Series B preferred stock outstanding and 70,000 shares of Series C preferred stock outstanding. Under our restated certificate of incorporation, our board of directors is authorized to issue additional shares of preferred stock in one or more series. To establish a series of preferred stock, our board must set the following terms:

 

  •  

the number of shares to be included in the series;

 

  •  

the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of the series;

 

  •  

the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of the series; and

 

  •  

the variations, if any, as between each series.

Before we issue any series of preferred stock, our board of directors will adopt resolutions creating and designating the series as a series of preferred stock. Stockholders will not need to approve these resolutions.

Terms Contained in Prospectus Supplement

A prospectus supplement will contain the dividend, liquidation, redemption and voting rights of a series of preferred stock. The prospectus supplement will describe the following terms of a series of preferred stock:

 

  •  

the designation and stated value per share of the preferred stock and the number of shares offered;

 

  •  

the amount of liquidation preference per share;

 

  •  

the initial public offering price at which we will issue the preferred stock;

 

  •  

the dividend rate or method of calculation, the payment dates for dividends and the dates from which dividends will start to cumulate;

 

  •  

any redemption or sinking fund provisions;

 

  •  

any conversion or exchange rights;

 

  •  

whether we have elected to offer depositary shares, as described below under “Description of Depositary Shares”; and

 

  •  

any additional voting, dividend, liquidation, redemption, sinking fund and other rights or restrictions.

No Preemptive Rights

The holders of preferred stock will have no preemptive rights to buy any additional shares. The preferred stock will be, when issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Neither the par value nor the liquidation preference can show you the price at which the preferred stock will actually trade on or after the date of issuance. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe some of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase and ownership of the series of preferred stock.

 

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Description of Depositary Shares We May Offer

We may offer depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts. Each depositary receipt represents a fraction of a share of the particular series of preferred stock issued and deposited with a depositary. The fraction of a share of preferred stock which each depositary share represents will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to those depositary shares. As of the date of this prospectus, there were 48,000,000 depositary shares outstanding, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of Series A preferred stock, and 70,000,000 depositary shares outstanding, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of Series C preferred stock.

We will describe the transfer agent for each series of preferred stock in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Description of Depositary Shares

The following briefly summarizes the material provisions of the deposit agreement and of the depositary shares and depositary receipts, other than pricing and related terms disclosed in the accompanying prospectus supplement. You should read the particular terms of any depositary shares and any depositary receipts that we offer. You should also read the deposit agreement relating to the particular series of preferred stock and the more detailed description of the deposit agreement in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the generalized provisions summarized below do not apply to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered.

General

We will deposit the shares of any series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares according to the provisions of a deposit agreement between us and a bank or trust company which we will select as our preferred stock depositary. The depositary must have its principal office in the United States and have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. Each owner of a depositary share will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the underlying preferred stock in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by the depositary share. These rights include dividend, voting, redemption, conversion and liquidation rights. The depositary will send you all reports and communications which we will deliver to the depositary and which we have to furnish to you.

The following is a summary of the deposit agreement. For more complete information, you should read the entire agreement and the depositary receipt. Directions on how to obtain copies of these are provided under “Where You Can Find More Information” below.

Depositary Receipts

The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to anyone who is buying the fractional shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the applicable prospectus supplement. We will either file the forms of deposit agreement and depositary receipt as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, or we will incorporate them by reference into that registration statement.

While definitive engraved depositary receipts (certificates) are being prepared, we may instruct the depositary to issue temporary depositary receipts, which will entitle you to all the rights of the definitive depositary receipts and be substantially in the same form. The depositary will prepare definitive depositary receipts without unreasonable delay, and we will pay for the exchange of your temporary depositary receipts for definitive depositary receipts.

 

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