As used in Regulation S, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(a) Debt securities. “Debt securities” of an issuer is defined to mean any security other than an equity security as defined in § 230.405, as well as the following:

(1) Non-participatory preferred stock, which is defined as non-convertible capital stock, the holders of which are entitled to a preference in payment of dividends and in distribution of assets on liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the issuer, but are not entitled to participate in residual earnings or assets of the issuer; and

(2) Asset-backed securities, which are securities of a type that either:

(i) Represent an ownership interest in a pool of discrete assets, or certificates of interest or participation in such assets (including any rights designed to assure servicing, or the receipt or timeliness of receipt by holders of such assets, or certificates of interest or participation in such assets, of amounts payable thereunder), provided that the assets are not generated or originated between the issuer of the security and its affiliates; or

(ii) Are secured by one or more assets or certificates of interest or participation in such assets, and the securities, by their terms, provide for payments of principal and interest (if any) in relation to payments or reasonable projections of payments on assets meeting the requirements of paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section, or certificates of interest or participations in assets meeting such requirements.

(iii) For purposes of paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the term “assets” means securities, installment sales, accounts receivable, notes, leases or other contracts, or other assets that by their terms convert into cash over a finite period of time.

(b) Designated offshore securities market. “Designated offshore securities market” means:

(1) The Eurobond market, as regulated by the International Securities Market Association; the Alberta Stock Exchange; the Amsterdam Stock Exchange; the Australian Stock Exchange Limited; the Bermuda Stock Exchange; the Bourse de Bruxelles; the Copenhagen Stock Exchange; the European Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation; the Frankfurt Stock Exchange; the Helsinki Stock Exchange; The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited; the Irish Stock Exchange; the Istanbul Stock Exchange; the Johannesburg Stock Exchange; the London Stock Exchange; the Bourse de Luxembourg; the Mexico Stock Exchange; the Borsa Valori di Milan; the Montreal Stock Exchange; the Oslo Stock Exchange; the Bourse de Paris; the Stock Exchange of Singapore Ltd.; the Stockholm Stock Exchange; the Tokyo Stock Exchange; the Toronto Stock Exchange; the Vancouver Stock Exchange; the Warsaw Stock Exchange and the Zurich Stock Exchange; and

(2) Any foreign securities exchange or non-exchange market designated by the Commission. Attributes to be considered in determining whether to designate an offshore securities market, among others, include:

(i) Organization under foreign law;

(ii) Association with a generally recognized community of brokers, dealers, banks, or other professional intermediaries with an established operating history;

(iii) Oversight by a governmental or self-regulatory body;

(iv) Oversight standards set by an existing body of law;

(v) Reporting of securities transactions on a regular basis to a governmental or self-regulatory body;

(vi) A system for exchange of price quotations through common communications media; and

(vii) An organized clearance and settlement system.

(c) Directed selling efforts. (1) “Directed selling efforts” means any activity undertaken for the purpose of, or that could reasonably be expected to have the effect of, conditioning the market in the United States for any of the securities being offered in reliance on this Regulation S (§ 230.901 through § 230.905, and Preliminary Notes). Such activity includes placing an advertisement in a publication “with a general circulation in the United States” that refers to the offering of securities being made in reliance upon this Regulation S.

(2) Publication “with a general circulation in the United States”:

(i) Is defined as any publication that is printed primarily for distribution in the United States, or has had, during the preceding twelve months, an average circulation in the United States of 15,000 or more copies per issue; and

(ii) Will encompass only the U.S. edition of any publication printing a separate U.S. edition if the publication, without considering its U.S. edition, would not constitute a publication with a general circulation in the United States.

(3) The following are not “directed selling efforts”:

(i) Placing an advertisement required to be published under U.S. or foreign law, or under rules or regulations of a U.S. or foreign regulatory or self-regulatory authority, provided the advertisement contains no more information than legally required and includes a statement to the effect that the securities have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States (or to a U.S. person, if the advertisement relates to an offering under Category 2 or 3 (paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3)) in § 230.903) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements;

(ii) Contact with persons excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to paragraph (k)(2)(vi) of this section or persons holding accounts excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section, solely in their capacities as holders of such accounts;

(iii) A tombstone advertisement in any publication with a general circulation in the United States, provided:

(A) The publication has less than 20% of its circulation, calculated by aggregating the circulation of its U.S. and comparable non-U.S. editions, in the United States;

(B) Such advertisement contains a legend to the effect that the securities have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States (or to a U.S. person, if the advertisement relates to an offering under Category 2 or 3 (paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3)) in § 230.903) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements; and

(C) Such advertisement contains no more information than:

(1) The issuer’s name;

(2) The amount and title of the securities being sold;

(3) A brief indication of the issuer’s general type of business;

(4) The price of the securities;

(5) The yield of the securities, if debt securities with a fixed (non-contingent) interest provision;

(6) The name and address of the person placing the advertisement, and whether such person is participating in the distribution;

(7) The names of the managing underwriters;

(8) The dates, if any, upon which the sales commenced and concluded;

(9) Whether the securities are offered or were offered by rights issued to security holders and, if so, the class of securities that are entitled or were entitled to subscribe, the subscription ratio, the record date, the dates (if any) upon which the rights were issued and expired, and the subscription price; and

(10) Any legend required by law or any foreign or U.S. regulatory or self-regulatory authority;

(iv) Bona fide visits to real estate, plants or other facilities located in the United States and tours thereof conducted for a prospective investor by an issuer, a distributor, any of their respective affiliates or a person acting on behalf of any of the foregoing;

(v) Distribution in the United States of a foreign broker-dealer’s quotations by a third-party system that distributes such quotations primarily in foreign countries if:

(A) Securities transactions cannot be executed between foreign broker-dealers and persons in the United States through the system; and

(B) The issuer, distributors, their respective affiliates, persons acting on behalf of any of the foregoing, foreign broker-dealers and other participants in the system do not initiate contacts with U.S. persons or persons within the United States, beyond those contacts exempted under § 240.15a-6 of this chapter;

(vi) Publication by an issuer of a notice in accordance with § 230.135 or § 230.135c;

(vii) Providing any journalist with access to press conferences held outside of the United States, to meetings with the issuer or selling security holder representatives conducted outside the United States, or to written press-related materials released outside the United States, at or in which a present or proposed offering of securities is discussed, if the requirements of § 230.135e are satisfied; and

(viii) Publication or distribution of a research report by a broker or dealer in accordance with Rule 138(c) (§ 230.138(c)) or Rule 139(b) (§ 230.139(b)).

(d) Distributor. “Distributor” means any underwriter, dealer, or other person who participates, pursuant to a contractual arrangement, in the distribution of the securities offered or sold in reliance on this Regulation S (§ 230.901 through § 230.905, and Preliminary Notes).

(e) Domestic issuer/Foreign issuer. “Domestic issuer” means any issuer other than a “foreign government” or “foreign private issuer” (both as defined in § 230.405). “Foreign issuer” means any issuer other than a “domestic issuer.”

(f) Distribution compliance period. “Distribution compliance period” means a period that begins when the securities were first offered to persons other than distributors in reliance upon this Regulation S (§ 230.901 through § 230.905, and Preliminary Notes) or the date of closing of the offering, whichever is later, and continues until the end of the period of time specified in the relevant provision of § 230.903, except that:

(1) All offers and sales by a distributor of an unsold allotment or subscription shall be deemed to be made during the distribution compliance period;

(2) In a continuous offering, the distribution compliance period shall commence upon completion of the distribution, as determined and certified by the managing underwriter or person performing similar functions;

(3) In a continuous offering of non-convertible debt securities offered and sold in identifiable tranches, the distribution compliance period for securities in a tranche shall commence upon completion of the distribution of such tranche, as determined and certified by the managing underwriter or person performing similar functions; and

(4) That in a continuous offering of securities to be acquired upon the exercise of warrants, the distribution compliance period shall commence upon completion of the distribution of the warrants, as determined and certified by the managing underwriter or person performing similar functions, if requirements of § 230.903(b)(5) are satisfied.

(g) Offering restrictions. “Offering restrictions” means:

(1) Each distributor agrees in writing:

(i) That all offers and sales of the securities prior to the expiration of the distribution compliance period specified in Category 2 or 3 (paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3)) in § 230.903, as applicable, shall be made only in accordance with the provisions of § 230.903 or § 230.904; pursuant to registration of the securities under the Act; or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the Act; and

(ii) For offers and sales of equity securities of domestic issuers, not to engage in hedging transactions with regard to such securities prior to the expiration of the distribution compliance period specified in Category 2 or 3 (paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3)) in § 230.903, as applicable, unless in compliance with the Act; and

(2) All offering materials and documents (other than press releases) used in connection with offers and sales of the securities prior to the expiration of the distribution compliance period specified in Category 2 or 3 (paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3)) in § 230.903, as applicable, shall include statements to the effect that the securities have not been registered under the Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (other than distributors) unless the securities are registered under the Act, or an exemption from the registration requirements of the Act is available. For offers and sales of equity securities of domestic issuers, such offering materials and documents also must state that hedging transactions involving those securities may not be conducted unless in compliance with the Act. Such statements shall appear:

(i) On the cover or inside cover page of any prospectus or offering circular used in connection with the offer or sale of the securities;

(ii) In the underwriting section of any prospectus or offering circular used in connection with the offer or sale of the securities; and

(iii) In any advertisement made or issued by the issuer, any distributor, any of their respective affiliates, or any person acting on behalf of any of the foregoing. Such statements may appear in summary form on prospectus cover pages and in advertisements.

(h) Offshore transaction. (1) An offer or sale of securities is made in an “offshore transaction” if:

(i) The offer is not made to a person in the United States; and

(ii) Either:

(A) At the time the buy order is originated, the buyer is outside the United States, or the seller and any person acting on its behalf reasonably believe that the buyer is outside the United States; or

(B) For purposes of:

(1) Section 230.903, the transaction is executed in, on or through a physical trading floor of an established foreign securities exchange that is located outside the United States; or

(2) Section 230.904, the transaction is executed in, on or through the facilities of a designated offshore securities market described in paragraph (b) of this section, and neither the seller nor any person acting on its behalf knows that the transaction has been pre-arranged with a buyer in the United States.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (h)(1) of this section, offers and sales of securities specifically targeted at identifiable groups of U.S. citizens abroad, such as members of the U.S. armed forces serving overseas, shall not be deemed to be made in “offshore transactions.”

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (h)(1) of this section, offers and sales of securities to persons excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to paragraph (k)(2)(vi) of this section or persons holding accounts excluded from the definition of “U.S. person” pursuant to paragraph (k)(2)(i) of this section, solely in their capacities as holders of such accounts, shall be deemed to be made in “offshore transactions.”

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (h)(1) of this section, publication or distribution of a research report in accordance with Rule 138(c) (§ 230.138(c)) or Rule 139(b) (§ 230.139(b)) by a broker or dealer at or around the time of an offering in reliance on Regulation S (§§ 230.901 through 230.905) will not cause the transaction to fail to be an offshore transaction as defined in this section.

(i) Reporting issuer. “Reporting issuer” means an issuer other than an investment company registered or required to register under the 1940 Act that:

(1) Has a class of securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. § 78l(b) or 78l(g)) or is required to file reports pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. § 78o(d)); and

(2) Has filed all the material required to be filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. § 78m(a) or 78o(d)) for a period of at least twelve months immediately preceding the offer or sale of securities made in reliance upon this Regulation S (§ 230.901 through § 230.905, and Preliminary Notes) (or for such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such material).

(j) Substantial U.S. market interest. (1) “Substantial U.S. market interest” with respect to a class of an issuer’s equity securities means:

(i) The securities exchanges and inter-dealer quotation systems in the United States in the aggregate constituted the single largest market for such class of securities in the shorter of the issuer’s prior fiscal year or the period since the issuer’s incorporation; or

(ii) 20 percent or more of all trading in such class of securities took place in, on or through the facilities of securities exchanges and inter-dealer quotation systems in the United States and less than 55 percent of such trading took place in, on or through the facilities of securities markets of a single foreign country in the shorter of the issuer’s prior fiscal year or the period since the issuer’s incorporation.

(2) “Substantial U.S. market interest” with respect to an issuer’s debt securities means:

(i) Its debt securities, in the aggregate, are held of record (as that term is defined in § 240.12g5-1 of this chapter and used for purposes of paragraph (j)(2) of this section) by 300 or more U.S. persons;

(ii) $1 billion or more of: The principal amount outstanding of its debt securities, the greater of liquidation preference or par value of its securities described in § 230.902(a)(1), and the principal amount or principal balance of its securities described in § 230.902(a)(2), in the aggregate, is held of record by U.S. persons; and

(iii) 20 percent or more of: The principal amount outstanding of its debt securities, the greater of liquidation preference or par value of its securities described in § 230.902(a)(1), and the principal amount or principal balance of its securities described in § 230.902(a)(2), in the aggregate, is held of record by U.S. persons.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (j)(2) of this section, substantial U.S. market interest with respect to an issuer’s debt securities is calculated without reference to securities that qualify for the exemption provided by Section 3(a)(3) of the Act (15 U.S.C. § 77c(a)(3)).

(k) U.S. person. (1) “U.S. person” means:

(i) Any natural person resident in the United States;

(ii) Any partnership or corporation organized or incorporated under the laws of the United States;

(iii) Any estate of which any executor or administrator is a U.S. person;

(iv) Any trust of which any trustee is a U.S. person;

(v) Any agency or branch of a foreign entity located in the United States;

(vi) Any non-discretionary account or similar account (other than an estate or trust) held by a dealer or other fiduciary for the benefit or account of a U.S. person;

(vii) Any discretionary account or similar account (other than an estate or trust) held by a dealer or other fiduciary organized, incorporated, or (if an individual) resident in the United States; and

(viii) Any partnership or corporation if:

(A) Organized or incorporated under the laws of any foreign jurisdiction; and

(B) Formed by a U.S. person principally for the purpose of investing in securities not registered under the Act, unless it is organized or incorporated, and owned, by accredited investors (as defined in § 230.501(a)) who are not natural persons, estates or trusts.

(2) The following are not “U.S. persons”:

(i) Any discretionary account or similar account (other than an estate or trust) held for the benefit or account of a non-U.S. person by a dealer or other professional fiduciary organized, incorporated, or (if an individual) resident in the United States;

(ii) Any estate of which any professional fiduciary acting as executor or administrator is a U.S. person if:

(A) An executor or administrator of the estate who is not a U.S. person has sole or shared investment discretion with respect to the assets of the estate; and

(B) The estate is governed by foreign law;

(iii) Any trust of which any professional fiduciary acting as trustee is a U.S. person, if a trustee who is not a U.S. person has sole or shared investment discretion with respect to the trust assets, and no beneficiary of the trust (and no settlor if the trust is revocable) is a U.S. person;

(iv) An employee benefit plan established and administered in accordance with the law of a country other than the United States and customary practices and documentation of such country;

(v) Any agency or branch of a U.S. person located outside the United States if:

(A) The agency or branch operates for valid business reasons; and

(B) The agency or branch is engaged in the business of insurance or banking and is subject to substantive insurance or banking regulation, respectively, in the jurisdiction where located; and

(vi) The International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the United Nations, and their agencies, affiliates and pension plans, and any other similar international organizations, their agencies, affiliates and pension plans.

(l) United States. “United States” means the United States of America, its territories and possessions, any State of the United States, and the District of Columbia.

[63 FR 9642, Feb. 25, 1998, as amended at 70 FR 44819, Aug. 3, 2005]