Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.
On October 6, 2008, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (the
"Company") entered into a Transaction Agreement, dated as of October 6, 2008
(the "Transaction Agreement"), with Allianz SE ("Allianz") pursuant to which,
among other things, the Company agreed to issue and sell in a private placement
to Allianz for aggregate cash consideration of $2.5 billion: (i) $1.75 billion
of the Company's 10% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due
2068 (the "Debentures"); (ii) 24,193,548 preferred shares convertible into the
Company's common stock at an issue price of $31.00 per share (the "Common Stock
Investment"); and (iii) warrants (the "Warrants") that are structured to entitle
Allianz, upon receipt of necessary regulatory and other approvals, to purchase
69,115,324 shares of Common Stock at an initial exercise price of $25.32 per
share.
Completion of the transaction (the "Closing") is subject to execution and
delivery of an Investment Agreement and Registration Rights Agreement and other
customary closing conditions. The closing conditions do not include an "absence
of a material adverse change" condition between signing and Closing.
Debentures
The Debentures will be issued pursuant to a Junior Subordinated Indenture,
dated as of June 6, 2008, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon
Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (the "Trustee"), as supplemented by a Second
Supplemental Indenture between the Company and the Trustee to be entered into at
the Closing. The Debentures will rank pari passu with the Company's 8.125%
Fixed-to-Floating Rate Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2068. The Company will
also enter into a replacement capital covenant (the "RCC") at Closing, whereby
the Company will agree for the benefit of certain of its debtholders named
therein that it will not repay, redeem, defease or repurchase and will cause its
subsidiaries not to purchase, as applicable, all or any portion of the
Debentures at any time prior to the fortieth anniversary of the issue date,
except to the extent that the principal amount repaid or defeased or the
applicable redemption or purchase price does not exceed the applicable
percentage (as defined in the RCC) of the proceeds from the sale of certain
replacement capital securities as set forth in the RCC. The Debentures will not
be subject to any transfer restrictions other than those imposed under
applicable securities laws.
Common Stock
Allianz's Common Stock Investment will initially be in the form of
depositary shares ("Depositary Shares") representing a new series of non-voting
preferred stock (the "Preferred Stock") that will participate on a pari passu
basis with dividends paid on the Common Stock and will be convertible into
Common Stock upon receipt of certain regulatory approvals.
Warrants
In connection with its investment, Allianz will receive Warrants that,
after all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals and any required
approval from the Company's shareholders have been obtained, will be exercisable
to purchase 69,115,324 shares of Common Stock at an initial exercise price of
$25.32 per share. Until such approvals have been obtained, the Warrants will be
immediately exercisable for Preferred Stock represented by Depositary Shares.
The exercise price is subject to adjustment for, among other things, certain
anti-dilution events. In addition, if any such required shareholder approval is
not obtained within six months, the exercise price of the Warrants will be
permanently reduced by 5%. The Warrants have a term of seven years.
Until the third anniversary of the Closing Date, the Warrants and any
Preferred Stock or Common Stock received upon exercise of the Warrants are
subject to restrictions on transfer, except for transfers to its affiliates. In
addition to the foregoing limitation on transferability, Allianz may not
transfer such Warrants or Common Stock except in (x) an underwritten public
offering on customary terms and conditions or (y) one or more private
transactions, subject in the case of such private transactions, to a right of
first refusal on customary terms in favor of
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the Company if any such transaction would result in any person or group (within
the meaning of the federal securities laws) acquiring 5% or more of the
Company's Common Stock.
Standstill Provisions
Under the Transaction Agreement, Allianz has agreed to certain standstill
provisions for a ten-year period following the date of the Transaction
Agreement, including limitations or prohibitions, among other things, on the
acquisition of shares of Common Stock that would result in its beneficially
owning more than 25% of the outstanding Common Stock, making or proposing a
merger or change of control transaction or soliciting proxies, subject in each
case to certain exceptions for a change of control and other matters, as
specified in the Transaction Agreement.
Registration Rights
Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, the Company has also agreed to grant
Allianz certain demand registration rights with respect to the shares of the
Company's Common Stock that it acquires upon conversion of the Preferred Stock
and pursuant to exercise of the Warrants. Allianz will have the right to demand
registration of such shares of Common Stock for resale at any time after the
Closing Date on the basis of one occasion every six months, subject to customary
blackout and suspension periods. Allianz will also have customary piggyback
registration rights.
A copy of the Company's press release announcing the transaction is
attached as Exhibit 99.1, and the portion thereof under the heading "Terms of
Investment" and the legend appearing as the last paragraph of the release are
incorporated by reference herein.
Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
On October 6, 2008, the Company issued a press release that included
certain preliminary estimates of its financial results for the three months
ended September 30, 2008. A copy of the press release is furnished herewith as
Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.
As described under Item 1.01 above, pursuant to the Transaction Agreement,
the Company has agreed to sell to Allianz for cash in a private placement
pursuant to Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 24,193,548
shares of Common Stock (which investment will initially take the form of
Depositary Shares representing Preferred Stock convertible into Common Stock) at
an issue price of $31.00 per share and Warrants that, upon receipt of necessary
regulatory and other approvals, will be exercisable to purchase 69,115,324
shares of Common Stock at an initial price of $25.32 per share (or in certain
circumstances additional shares of Preferred Stock as described in Item 1.01
above).
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Press Release of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. dated
October 6, 2008
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