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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

May 25, 2021

(Date of report; date of earliest event reported)

May 25, 2021

Commission file number: 1-3754

 

 

Ally Financial Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   38-0572512
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
  (I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

Ally Detroit Center

500 Woodward Avenue, Floor 10

Detroit, Michigan 48226

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip Code)

(866) 710-4623

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

   Trading
symbols
   Name of each exchange
on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share    ALLY    NYSE
8.125% Fixed Rate/Floating Rate Trust Preferred Securities, Series 2 of GMAC Capital Trust I    ALLY PRA    NYSE

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

 


  Item 3.03

Material Modification to Rights of Security Holders.

On June 1, 2021, Ally Financial Inc. (“Ally”) filed a Certificate of Designation (the “Certificate”) with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, establishing the rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications, restrictions and limitations of Ally’s 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C (the “Series C Preferred Stock”). The Certificate was filed in connection with the Underwriting Agreement (as defined in Item 8.01 below).

The Series C Preferred Stock ranks, with respect to the payment of dividends and distributions upon Ally’s liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, respectively: (i) senior to Ally’s common stock and to any class or series of its capital stock it may issue in the future that is not expressly stated to be on parity with or senior to the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to such dividends and distributions; (ii) on parity with any class or series of Ally’s capital stock it has issued and may issue in the future that is expressly stated to be on parity with the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to such dividends and distributions, including Ally’s 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B (the “Series B Preferred Stock”); and (iii) junior to any class or series of Ally’s capital stock it may issue in the future that is expressly stated to be senior to the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to such dividends and distributions, if the issuance is approved by the holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock.

Under the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock, the ability of Ally to pay dividends on, make distributions with respect to, or to redeem, purchase or acquire Ally’s common stock or any other stock ranking junior to or on a parity with the Series C Preferred Stock, including the Series B Preferred Stock, is subject to restrictions in the event that Ally has not declared and either paid or set aside a sum sufficient for payment of full dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock for the most recently completed dividend period.

The terms of the Series C Preferred Stock are more fully described in the Certificate, which is included as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

 

  Item 5.03.

Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year

On June 1, 2021, Ally filed the Certificate with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, amending Ally’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation by establishing Ally’s Series C Preferred Stock, consisting initially of 1,000,000 authorized shares, $0.01 par value and $1,000 liquidation value per share.

Ally will pay dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock only when, as, and if declared by its board of directors (the “Board”) or a duly authorized committee of Ally’s board and to the extent that Ally has lawfully available funds to pay dividends. Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will accrue at a rate per annum equal to (i) 4.700% from the settlement date to, but excluding, May 15, 2028 (the “first reset date”); and (ii) for each reset period from, and including, May 15, 2028, the seven-year treasury rate, as defined in the Certificate, as of the most recent reset dividend determination date plus 3.481%. A “reset date” means the first reset date and each date falling on the seventh anniversary of the preceding reset date. Reset dates, including the first reset date, will not be adjusted for business days. A “reset period” means the period from and including the first reset date to, but excluding, the next following reset date and thereafter each period from and including each reset date to, but excluding, the next following reset date. A “reset dividend determination date” means, in respect of any reset period, the day falling three business days prior to the beginning of such reset period

The Series C Preferred Stock has a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends. Liquidating distributions will be made on the Series C Preferred Stock only to the extent Ally’s assets are available after satisfaction of all liabilities and obligations to creditors and subject to the rights of holders of any shares of capital stock ranking senior to the Series C Preferred Stock as to liquidation rights and pro rata as to any other shares of Ally’s capital stock ranking on a parity with the Series C Preferred Stock as to such distributions, including the Series B Preferred Stock. After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distribution, holders of the Series C Preferred Stock are not entitled to any further participation in any distribution of Ally’s assets.

The Series C Preferred Stock does not have a stated maturity date, will not be subject to any sinking fund or any other obligation of Ally for their repurchase, redemption or retirement and will be perpetual unless redeemed at Ally’s option. Ally may redeem the Series C Preferred Stock at its option at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per


share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends to, but excluding the date of redemption, without accumulation of undeclared dividends, (i) in whole or in part, from time to time, on any dividend payment date on or after May 15, 2028 or (ii) in whole but not in part, within 90 days following the occurrence of a “regulatory capital treatment event” (as described in the Certificate). Any redemption of the Series C Preferred Stock is subject to prior approval of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or any successor appropriate federal banking agency. The Series C Preferred Stock has no preemptive or conversion rights.

The Series C Preferred Stock has no voting rights except with respect to certain changes in the terms of the Series C Preferred Stock and in the case of certain dividend non-payments.

The terms of the Series C Preferred Stock are more fully described in the Certificate, which is included as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

 

  Item 8.01

Other Events.

On May 25, 2021, Ally entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with BofA Securities, Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (collectively, the “Underwriters”), relating to the offer and sale in an underwritten offering of 1,000,000 shares of the Series C Preferred Stock. The shares of Series C Preferred Stock were sold at a public offering price of $1,000 per share and the Underwriters agreed to purchase the shares from Ally at a discount of $10 per share. On June 2, 2021, Ally closed the public offering of the Series C Preferred Stock pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

The offering was made, and the Series C Preferred Stock was issued, pursuant to Ally’s effective registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-234810) (the “Registration Statement”) previously filed with the SEC, as supplemented by the final prospectus supplement relating to the offering of Series C Preferred Stock filed with the SEC on May 27, 2021.

In connection with the public offering of the Series C Preferred Stock, Ally is filing the Underwriting Agreement, a legal opinion and consent as, respectively, Exhibit No. 1.1, Exhibit No. 5.1 and Exhibit No. 23.1 to this Form 8-K, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety into the Registration Statement.

 

  Item 9.01

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

The following exhibits are filed as part of this Report.

 

Exhibit No.

  

Description of Exhibits

1.1    Underwriting Agreement, dated as of May 25, 2021, among Ally Financial Inc., and BofA Securities, Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (including Ally’s Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions (Preferred Stock)).
3.1    Certificate of Designation of 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C of Ally Financial Inc., dated June 1, 2021, filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and effective June 1, 2021.
5.1    Opinion of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.
23.1    Consent of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (included in Exhibits 5.1).
104    The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in Inline XBRL


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

    Ally Financial Inc.
          (Registrant)
Date:     June 2, 2021                         By:  

/s/ David J. DeBrunner

      Name:   David J. DeBrunner
      Title:   Controller and Chief Accounting Officer

Exhibit 1.1

ALLY FINANCIAL INC.

Underwriting Agreement

Standard Provisions (Preferred Stock)

Dated May 25, 2021

From time to time, Ally Financial Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), may enter into one or more underwriting agreements that provide for the sale of designated securities to the several underwriters named therein. The standard provisions set forth herein may be incorporated by reference in any such underwriting agreement (an “Underwriting Agreement”). The Underwriting Agreement, including the provisions incorporated therein by reference, is herein referred to as this Agreement. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting Agreement are used herein as therein defined.

I.

The Company proposes to issue from time to time shares of Preferred Stock of the Company (the “Preferred Shares” or the “Securities”). The Preferred Shares will have varying rights, powers and preferences to be set forth from time to time in a certificate of designation (the “Certificate of Designation”) to be filed by the Company with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware. Particular terms of any series of Preferred Shares will be contained in an Underwriting Agreement.

The Company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a registration statement on Form S-3 (the file number of which is contained in the Underwriting Agreement) relating to the Securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (together with the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, the “Securities Act”), and the offering thereof from time to time in accordance with Rule 415 of the Securities Act. Such registration statement (and any post-effective amendments thereto, if applicable), including the information, if any, deemed to be a part of the registration statement at the time of its effectiveness pursuant to Rule 430A, 430B or 430C under the Securities Act, is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement,” and the related prospectus covering the Securities in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with the confirmation of sales of the Securities is referred to herein as the “Basic Prospectus.” The Basic Prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement specifically relating to the Securities in the form first used (or made available upon request of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) in connection with the confirmation of sales of the Securities is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus” and the term “Preliminary Prospectus” means any preliminary form of the Prospectus. If the Company files a registration statement with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act (the “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”), then all references to “Registration Statement” shall also be deemed to include the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement. Any references to the “Registration Statement,” the “Preliminary Prospectus” and the “Prospectus” shall also be deemed to include all documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 which were filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (together with the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder, the “Exchange Act”) on or before the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case


may be, and references to “amend,” “amendment” or “supplement” with respect to the Registration Statement, any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the filing of any document under the Exchange Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement or the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be, that are deemed to be incorporated by reference therein. The term “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus” as used herein means the documents identified as such in the applicable Underwriting Agreement.

II.

The Company is advised by the Representative that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Securities as soon after this Agreement is entered into as in the Representative’s judgment is advisable. The terms of the public offering of the Securities are set forth in the Prospectus.

III.

Payment for the Securities shall be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds, to the account specified by the Company to the Representative, on the Closing Date at the time and place set forth in the Underwriting Agreement, upon delivery to the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters of the Securities registered in such names and in such denominations as the Representative shall request in writing not less than one full business day prior to the date of delivery. The time and date of such payment and delivery with respect to the Securities are herein referred to as the Closing Date. Delivery of the Securities shall be made through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) unless the Representative shall otherwise instruct.

IV.

The several obligations of the Underwriters hereunder are subject, in the discretion of the Representative, to the following conditions:

(a)    All representations, warranties and other statements of the Company contained in this Agreement are as of the date of this Agreement, and at all times during the offering of the Securities will be, true and correct in all material respects, disregarding any qualifications contained therein regarding materiality.

(b)    The statements contained in certificates delivered by the officers of the Company pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement will be accurate as of the date of such certificates.

(c)    The Representative shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of the Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer of the Company to the effect that: (i) the representations and warranties in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects, disregarding any qualifications contained herein regarding materiality, as if made on and as of the Closing Date and the Company has performed in all material respects all covenants and agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to such date (after giving effect to the offering of the Securities and the other transactions contemplated by the Disclosure Package), (ii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect, no proceedings for such purpose shall be pending before or, to such officer’s

 

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knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and (iii) subsequent to the date as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package (as amended or supplemented), as of the date of such certificate, there has not been any change in such information that would have a Material Adverse Effect. As used herein, “Material Adverse Effect” shall mean, with respect to the Company, a material adverse effect on the properties, business, results of operations, financial condition and stockholders’ equity of the Company and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole.

(d)    The Representative shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of Counsel of the Company, dated the Closing Date, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibit A.

(e)    The Representative shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and letter of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, counsel to the Company, each dated the Closing Date, substantially to the effect set forth in Exhibits B-1 and B-2, respectively.

(f)    The Representative shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

(g)    The Company shall at all times during the offering of the Securities have performed in all material respects all of its obligations hereunder and thereunder required to have been performed.

(h)    No restraining order shall have been issued and no litigation shall have been commenced or threatened with respect to the offering of the Securities or with respect to any of the transactions in connection with, or contemplated by, the offering of the Securities, the Disclosure Package, any other written communications furnished by or with the written consent of the Company to potential investors in the Securities (each a “Company Supplemental Communication”) (in each case, as amended or supplemented, if amended or supplemented), or this Agreement before any agency, court or other governmental body of any jurisdiction.

(i)    As of the execution of this Agreement and at the Closing Date, the Company shall have requested and caused Deloitte & Touche LLP to furnish to the Underwriters “comfort letters”, dated respectively as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representative.

(j)    The Prospectus, and any supplement thereto, have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b); any material required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act shall have been filed with the Commission within the applicable time periods prescribed for such filings by Rule 433; and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or any notice objecting to its use shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or threatened.

(k)    Subsequent to the earlier of (A) the Applicable Time and (B) the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (i) no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded the Company or any of its subsidiaries, the Securities or any other debt or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization,” as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act; and (ii) no such organization shall have publicly announced (other than an announcement with positive

 

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implications of a possible upgrading or otherwise in connection with any upgrade) that it has under surveillance or review its rating of the Securities or of any other debt securities or preferred stock issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (other than any asset-backed security or mortgage-backed security issued or guaranteed by the Company or any of its subsidiaries).

(l)    The Certificate of Designation shall have been duly filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.

(m)    At the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received an executed copy of this Agreement and the Certificate of Designation (collectively, the “Transaction Documents”), which all shall be in full force and effect.

V.

In further consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters contained in this Agreement, the Company covenants as follows:

(a)    During the period beginning with the Applicable Time and ending on the later of the Closing Date or such date as the Prospectus is no longer required by law to be delivered in connection with the initial offering or sale of the Securities (including in circumstances where such requirement may be satisfied pursuant to Rule 172) (the “Prospectus Delivery Period”), to furnish to the Representative as many copies of any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, any Company Supplemental Communication and the Prospectus, any documents incorporated by reference therein and any supplements and amendments thereto as the Representative may reasonably request.

(b)    During the Prospectus Delivery Period, before distributing any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus with respect to the Securities, to furnish the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of the proposed Prospectus, amendment or supplement for review, and not to distribute any such proposed Prospectus, amendment or supplement to which the Representative reasonably objects.

(c)    If during the Prospectus Delivery Period, either (i) any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus or the Disclosure Package, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or (ii) for any other reason, as determined by the Company, it shall be necessary to amend or supplement the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, in order to comply with applicable law, the Company will (A) notify the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters to suspend offers and sales of the Securities and if notified by the Company, each Underwriter shall forthwith suspend such solicitation and cease using the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented and (B) prepare and file with the Commission an amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance, and will provide to each Underwriter a copy thereof via electronic mail in “.pdf” format.

 

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(d)    To use its reasonable best efforts to cooperate with the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the qualification or registration of the Securities for offer and sale under the state securities, or “Blue Sky,” laws of such jurisdictions as the Representative may reasonably request and will maintain such qualification in effect for as long as may be necessary to complete the sale of the Securities pursuant to this Agreement; provided, however, that in connection therewith the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation to do business, or to file a general consent to service of process, in any jurisdiction, or to take any other action that would subject it to general service of process or to taxation in respect of doing business in any jurisdiction in which it is not otherwise so subject.

(e)    The Company will make generally available to its security holders and to the Underwriters as soon as practicable earning statements that satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder covering twelve month periods beginning, in each case, not later than the first day of the Company’s fiscal quarter next following the “effective date” (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act) of the Registration Statement with respect to each sale of Securities. If such fiscal quarter is the last fiscal quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, such earning statement shall be made available not later than 90 days after the close of the period covered thereby and in all other cases shall be made available not later than 45 days after the close of the period covered thereby.

(f)    During the Prospectus Delivery Period, to notify the Underwriters promptly of (i) the occurrence of any event which could cause the Company to modify, withdraw or terminate the offering of the Securities, (ii) any proposal or requirement to amend or supplement the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or any Company Supplemental Communications, (iii) the filing of any amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or Prospectus, (iv) the issuance of any order or the taking of any other action by any administrative or judicial tribunal or other governmental agency or instrumentality concerning the offering of the Securities, (v) the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or the initiation of any proceedings for that purpose or pursuant to Section 8A of the Securities Act, (vi) any litigation or administrative action or claim with respect to the offering of the Securities and (vii) any other information relating to the offering of the Securities which the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request.

(g)    The Company will (i) in respect of the Securities, promptly within the time periods specified therein, effect the filings required of it pursuant to Rule 424 and/or Rule 433 under the Securities Act, and (ii) take such steps as it deems necessary to ascertain promptly whether the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus transmitted for filing under Rule 433 of the Securities Act were received for filing by the Commission and, in the event that any was not, it will promptly file the relevant Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.

(h)    Before making, preparing, using, authorizing, approving or referring to any Company Supplemental Communications, the Company will furnish to the Representative and counsel for the Underwriters a copy of such written communication for review and will not make, prepare, use, authorize, approve or refer to any such written communication to which the Representative reasonably objects.

 

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(i)    During the period from the date hereof through and including the Closing Date, the Company will not, without prior written consent of the Representative, offer, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of in a capital markets transaction, any securities issued or guaranteed by the Company that are substantially similar to the Securities, including but not limited to any options or warrants to purchase Preferred Shares or any securities that are convertible or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, Preferred Shares or any such substantially similar securities.

(j)    The Company will cooperate with the Representative and use commercially reasonable efforts to, on the Closing Date, register the Preferred Shares in global book entry form in the name of Cede & Co., or such other nominee as DTC may designate, and cause DTC to credit the Preferred Shares to the account of the Representative at DTC or as the Representative may direct.

(k)    The Company will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Securities in the manner specified in the Prospectus under the caption “Use of Proceeds.”

(l)    The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, under the Exchange Act, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, except that the Company makes no agreement as to the activities of any Underwriter.

VI.

(a)    The Company represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement and as of the Closing Date that:

(i) the Company has been duly formed and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing in the State of Delaware with corporate power and authority to own, lease and operate its properties and to conduct its business as described in the Disclosure Package. The Company is duly qualified as a foreign corporation to transact business and is in good standing (or equivalent status) in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is required, whether by reason of the ownership or leasing of property or the conduct of business, except for such jurisdictions where the failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(ii) the Company has all necessary corporate power and authority and it has taken all necessary corporate action to authorize the issuance and sale of the Securities.

(iii) at the end of its most recently completed fiscal quarter, the Company had an authorized and outstanding capitalization as set forth in the consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2021, as set forth in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Commission on May 3, 2021, and except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, there has been no material change in such information since the end of such fiscal quarter (subject to the issuance of shares of common stock upon exercise of stock options, warrants and convertible securities disclosed as outstanding in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, the grant of options under existing stock option

 

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plans described in the Registration Statement (excluding the exhibits thereto), the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and the repurchase of shares of common stock pursuant to a share repurchase program disclosed in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus); all of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.

(iv) the Preferred Shares have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and delivered against payment therefor as provided herein, will be validly issued and fully paid and non-assessable; the Preferred Shares conform or will conform, in all material respects, to the description thereof contained in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and the issuance of the Preferred Shares is not subject to any preemptive or similar rights.

(v) the Certificate of Designation has been duly authorized by the Company; the Certificate of Designation sets forth the rights, preferences and priorities of the Preferred Shares, and the holders of the Preferred Shares will have the rights set forth in the Certificate of Designation.

(vi) the statements made in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus under the captions “Description of Preferred Stock” and “Description of Series C Preferred Stock,” insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the terms of the Securities and the Certificate of Designation, constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such documents in all material respects.

(vii) the Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and the receipt of the proceeds therefrom, will not be, an “investment company” or an entity “controlled” by an “investment company” as such terms are defined in the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

(viii) this Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

(ix) each document, if any, filed or to be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus complied or will comply when so filed in all material respects with the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

(x) as of the date hereof, at the respective effective date of the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto and at each deemed effective date with respect to underwriters relating to the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Securities Act (each a “Deemed Effective Date”), the Registration Statement did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading.

(xi) as of the date of the Prospectus and at the Closing Date, the Prospectus did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

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(xii) at the Applicable Time, the Disclosure Package did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

(xiii) no issuer free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) includes any information that conflicts in any material respect with the information contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus; notwithstanding the foregoing, the representations and warranties herein shall not apply to statements in or omissions from the Prospectus or an issuer free writing prospectus (a) made in reliance upon and in conformity with information relating to any Underwriter furnished to the Company in writing by any Underwriter expressly for use in such Prospectus or an issuer free writing prospectus, or (b) any information contained in any “free writing prospectus” (as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act) (including any issuer free writing prospectus) prepared by or on behalf of any Underwriter(s), except to the extent such information has been accurately extracted from the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Company, or otherwise provided in writing by the Company and included in such free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of any Underwriter(s).

(xiv) the Registration Statement has become effective upon filing; the Registration Statement is an automatic shelf registration statement as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, and the Company is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) eligible to use the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement for the offering and sale of the Securities, and the Company has not received notice that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement.

(xv) (A) (1) at the respective times the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto became effective, (2) at each Deemed Effective Date, (3) as of the Applicable Time and (4) at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the rules and regulations under the Securities Act; (B) the Preliminary Prospectus complied, at the time it was filed with the Commission and as of the Applicable Time, in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations under the Securities Act; and (C) the Prospectus will comply, as of the date that such document is filed with the Commission and as of the Closing Date, in all material respects with the Securities Act and the rules and regulations under the Securities Act.

(xvi) (A) (1) at the time of filing of the Registration Statement and (2) at the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act or form of prospectus), the Company was not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 of the

 

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Securities Act; and (B) (1) at the time of filing of the Registration Statement, (2) at the earliest time thereafter that the Company or another offering participant made a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) under the Securities Act) of the Securities and (3) at the date hereof, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act.

(xvii) (A) to the knowledge of the Company, there has not been threatened or instituted and there is not pending before any court, agency, authority or other tribunal any action, suit or proceeding by any government or governmental, regulatory or administrative agency or authority or by any other person, domestic or foreign, or any judgment, order or injunction entered, enforced or deemed applicable by any such court, authority, agency or tribunal which challenges or seeks to make illegal, directly or indirectly restrains or prohibits, the offer and sale of the Securities or the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement and (B) the Company has filed the Registration Statement with the Commission and such Registration Statement is effective under the Securities Act; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened by, the Commission.

(xviii) except as otherwise disclosed in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus, there has been no Material Adverse Effect or any development involving a prospective Material Adverse Effect.

(xix) no consent, approval, authorization or filing with or other order of any court, regulatory body administrative agency or other government body is required on the part of the Company, except such as may already have been obtained, taken or made and except for the filing of the Certificate of Designation, the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, any required filing with FINRA, compliance with the securities or “Blue Sky” laws of various jurisdictions, and such other consents, approvals, authorizations or filings with or other order of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body as are set forth in the Prospectus.

(xx) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is (A) in violation of its charter or by-laws or similar organizational documents; (B) in default, and no event had occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute such a default, in the due performance or observance of any term, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject, or (C) in violation of any law or statute or any judgment, order, rule or regulation of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, except in the case of either (B) or (C) for any such default or violation that would not, individually or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxi) the offer and sale of the Securities and all other actions and transactions contemplated in the Disclosure Package and the Company Supplemental Communications

 

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(in each case, as amended or supplemented, if amended or supplemented) and the execution, delivery of, and the performance of the Company’s obligations under the Transaction Documents, (x) will not require any consent, approval, authorization or filing with or other order of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental body, except such as may have already been obtained, taken or made; and (y) will not conflict with, result in a breach or violation or imposition of any material lien, charge or encumbrance upon, any property or assets of the Company pursuant to (i) the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Company, (ii) the terms of any indenture, contract, lease, mortgage, deed of trust, note agreement, loan agreement or other agreement, obligation, condition, covenant or instrument to which the Company is a party or to which its property is subject, or (iii) any statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree applicable to the Company of any court, regulatory body, administrative agency, governmental body, arbitrator or other authority having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its properties, which in the case of either (ii) or (iii) would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) the Company and its subsidiaries and their respective officers and directors are in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, including the rules and regulations of the Commission promulgated thereunder.

(xxiii) neither the Company, nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any of its affiliates, has taken or will take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to cause or result in, or which has constituted or which might reasonably be expected to constitute, under the Exchange Act, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities, except that the Company makes no representations or warranties as to the activities of any Underwriter.

(xxiv) the Company has not used any free writing prospectus other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus nor used a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus except in compliance with Rule 433 under the Securities Act and otherwise in compliance with the Securities Act.

(xxv) Deloitte & Touche LLP, which expressed its opinion with respect to the financial statements (which term as used in this Agreement includes the notes thereto) as of December 31 of the fiscal years ended 2020 and 2019, and for each of the years in the three-year periods ending December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package, are independent public or certified accountants within the meaning of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and the rules of The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, and any non-audit services provided by Deloitte & Touche LLP have been approved by the appropriate audit committee of the Company.

(xxvi) the financial statements, together with the related schedules and notes, included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus present fairly the consolidated financial position of the entities to which they relate as of and at the dates indicated and the results of their operations for the periods specified. Such financial

 

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statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles as applied in the United States applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as may be expressly stated in the related notes thereto. The financial data included or incorporated by reference from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year that has been filed with the Commission fairly present the information set forth therein on a basis consistent with that of the audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus. There are no financial statements (historical or pro forma) that are required to be included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus (including, without limitation, as required by Rules 3-12 or 3-05 or Article 11 of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act to the extent applicable) that are not included as required. The interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and are prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto.

(xxvii) (A) the Company and its subsidiaries maintain systems of “internal control over financial reporting” (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and have been designed by, or under the supervision of, their respective principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and (B) the Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements and (iv) provide reasonable assurance that the interactive data in eXtensible Business Reporting Language included or incorporated by reference in the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus fairly present the information called for in all material respects and are prepared in accordance with the Commission’s rules and guidelines applicable thereto; the Company’s auditors and the appropriate audit committee of the Company have been advised of: (i) any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial data; and (ii) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a role in the Company’s internal controls.

(xxviii) the Company has established and maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15 and 15d-14 under the Exchange Act); such disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that material information

 

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relating to the Company and its subsidiaries is made known to the chief executive officer and chief financial officer of the Company by others within the Company or any of its subsidiaries, and such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably effective to perform the functions for which they were established subject to the limitations of any such control system; and since the date of the most recent evaluation of such disclosure controls and procedures, there have been no significant changes in internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect internal controls, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

(xxix) the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance in all material respects with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(xxx) none of the Company, any of its subsidiaries or, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is currently subject to any sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

(xxxi) neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries nor, to the knowledge of the Company, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (the “FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in the FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA; and the Company, its subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance in all material respects with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith in all material respects.

(xxxii) the Company is a duly registered bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, and the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve Board”), and the deposit accounts of the Company’s subsidiary depository institutions are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) to the fullest extent permitted by law and the rules and regulations of the FDIC.

 

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(xxxiii) (A) to the knowledge of the Company, there has been no material security breach or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data (including the data of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third party data maintained, processed or stored by or on behalf of the Company and its subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”), and the Company and its subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; (B) the Company and its subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the commercially reasonable protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification, except as would not, in the case of each of clause (A) or (B) above, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (C) the Company and its subsidiaries have implemented backup and disaster recovery technology consistent in all material respects with standards and practices as issued by the Federal Reserve Board.

(xxxiv) each of the representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement will be true and correct on and as of the date hereof and the Closing Date, with the same effect as if made on each such date (except to the extent that a representation or warranty is by its terms made as of a specified date, in which case such representation shall be true and correct only on and as of such date).

The representations, warranties and covenants of the Company shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the issuance and sale of the Securities. The Company acknowledges that the Underwriters and, for purposes of the opinions to be delivered to the Underwriters pursuant to Article IV hereof, counsel to the Company and counsel for the Underwriters, will rely upon the accuracy and truth of the representations contained in this Agreement and hereby consent to such reliance.

(b)    Except as otherwise agreed by the Company and specified in an Underwriting Agreement with respect to the Securities, each of the Underwriters, severally and not jointly, represents, warrants and covenants to the Company that:

(i) it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Securities that would constitute a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, other than a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus or a free writing prospectus which is not required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act (including, for the avoidance of doubt, customary Bloomberg communications by the Underwriters to potential purchasers in connection with the preliminary pricing of the offering (or such other Bloomberg communications by the Underwriters as may be approved in advance by the Company)); provided, that, if so specified in the Underwriting Agreement or the Company shall otherwise so notify the Underwriters in writing, the Underwriter will make no offer relating to the Securities that will constitute a free writing prospectus as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act, other than (1) a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus

 

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and (2) customary Bloomberg communication by the Underwriters to potential purchasers in connection with the preliminary pricing of the offering or such other Bloomberg communications by the Underwriters as may be approved in advance by the Company (and not required to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 433 under the Securities Act), without the prior written consent of the Company. Any free writing prospectus or Permitted Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Underwriter will only be used by such Underwriter if it complies in all material respects with the requirement of the Securities Act.

(ii) this Agreement has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by such Underwriter.

(iii) the Underwriters shall make offers and sales of the Securities only to such persons and in such manner as is contemplated by the Prospectus. Offers and sales of the Securities will be made only by the Underwriters or affiliates thereof qualified to do so in the jurisdictions in which such offers or sales are made. Each of the Underwriters have and will comply with the applicable laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which it offers, sells or delivers the Securities or distributes any Prospectus or Disclosure Package.

(iv) each of the Underwriters will deliver to each subsequent purchaser who buys Securities directly from an Underwriter or an affiliate of an Underwriter, in connection with their original placement of the Securities, a copy of the Disclosure Package and the Prospectus, as amended and supplemented at the date of such delivery; and will not form contracts for sale with any prospective investor prior to the delivery to such prospective investor of the final pricing term sheet in the form set forth in Schedule I hereto and identified as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus; provided that the delivery obligations under this paragraph (iv) shall be deemed to be satisfied if the Disclosure Package and Prospectus are at such time filed with the Commission and available on the Commission’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”).

VII.

The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act) such Underwriter and each of such Underwriter’s and such person’s directors, officers, employees, agents and controlled affiliates (within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act) against any and all losses, liabilities, costs or claims (or actions in respect thereof) to which any of them may become subject (including all reasonable costs of investigating, disputing or defending any such claim or action), insofar as such losses, liabilities, costs or claims (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or in connection with any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) or the Disclosure Package, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading provided that the Company shall not be liable for any such loss, liability, cost, action or claim arising from any statements or omissions made in reliance on and in conformity with written information provided by an Underwriter to the Company expressly for use in the

 

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Registration Statement, the Prospectus, any issuer free writing prospectus or the Disclosure Package or any amendment or supplement thereto; provided, however, that the foregoing indemnity agreement with respect to the Disclosure Package shall not inure to the benefit of any Underwriter from whom the person asserting any such losses, claims, damages or liabilities purchased Securities, or any person controlling such Underwriter where (i) a reasonable period of time prior to the Applicable Time the Company shall have notified such Underwriter that the Disclosure Package (as it existed prior to the Applicable Time) contains an untrue statement of material fact or omits to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein in order to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) such untrue statement or omission of a material fact was corrected in the Disclosure Package or, where permitted by law, an issuer free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act) and such corrected Disclosure Package or issuer free writing prospectus was provided to such Underwriter a reasonable amount of time in advance of the Applicable Time such that the corrected Disclosure Package or issuer free writing prospectus could have been provided to such person prior to the Applicable Time, (iii) such corrected Disclosure Package or issuer free writing prospectus (excluding any document then incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by reference) was not conveyed to such person at or prior to the Applicable Time, and (iv) such loss, claim, damage or liability would not have occurred had the corrected Disclosure Package or issuer free writing prospectus (excluding any document then incorporated or deemed incorporated therein by reference) been conveyed to such person as provided for in clause (iii) above.

Each Underwriter severally, and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act), the Company, and the Company’s and such person’s officers and directors from and against any and all losses, liabilities, costs or claims (or actions in respect thereof) to which any of them may become subject (including all reasonable costs of investigating, disputing or defending any such claim or action), insofar as such losses, liabilities, costs or claims (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or in connection with any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement, any issuer free writing prospectus (as defined in Rule 433 under the Securities Act), the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case as to the Registration Statement, any issuer free writing prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement thereto, only to the extent that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Underwriting” or any amendment or supplement thereto, only with respect to the names of the underwriters appearing on the front and back cover page of the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, if any, the names of the Underwriters, amount of any selling concession and reallowance and any discussion of any stabilization activities, over allotment activities, penalty bids or similar types of activities appearing under the heading “Underwriting” in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, or was otherwise made in reliance on and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by or on behalf of the Underwriter through the Representative expressly for use in the Registration Statement, any issuer free writing prospectus, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus, or is contained in any free writing prospectus that is not a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Underwriter (except to the extent such information has been accurately extracted from the Prospectus or any issuer free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of the Company), or any amendment or supplement thereto.

 

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Each Underwriter severally, and not jointly, agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each director and officer of the Company and each person, if any, who controls (within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act) the Company against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, expenses, actions and demands to which they or any of them may become subject (including all reasonable costs of investigating, disputing or defending any such claim, action or demand) under the law of any jurisdiction, or which may be made against them arising out of, or in connection with, the breach of such Underwriter of any of the terms, conditions, agreements and representations of Section (b)(i) of Article VI of this Agreement.

If any claim, demand, action or proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be brought or alleged against an indemnified party in respect of which indemnity is to be sought against an indemnifying party pursuant to the preceding paragraphs, the indemnified party shall promptly notify the indemnifying party in writing, and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnified party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel related to such proceeding; provided, however, that in the event the indemnifying party shall not have employed counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party within a reasonable time after notice of any such proceeding, the indemnified party shall then be entitled to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to itself and the indemnifying party shall pay the reasonable fees and disbursements of such counsel relating to the proceeding. In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the indemnifying party has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to such indemnified party pursuant to the preceding sentence or (iii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential differing interests between them. It is agreed that the indemnifying party shall not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate law firm (in addition to local counsel where necessary) for all such indemnified parties. Such firm shall be designated in writing by the indemnified party. The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there be a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is entitled to indemnification hereunder, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include any statement as to, or any finding of fault, culpability or failure to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.

 

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If the indemnification provided for in this Article VII is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under this Article VII, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party thereunder as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the offering of the Securities or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds (before deducting expenses) received by the Company from the sale of the Securities and the total discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters in connection therewith, as provided in this Agreement, bear to the aggregate offering price of the Securities. The relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if such contribution were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to herein. The amount paid or payable by an indemnified person as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to herein shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses incurred by such indemnified person in connection with any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, in no event shall an Underwriter be required to contribute an amount in excess of the amount by which the total discounts and commissions received by such Underwriter with respect to the offering of the Securities exceeds to the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reasons of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations to contribute pursuant to this paragraph are several in proportion to their respective purchase obligations hereunder and not joint.

The indemnity agreements contained in this Article VII and the representations and warranties of the Company and the Underwriters in this Agreement, shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of: (i) any termination of this Agreement; (ii) any investigation made by an indemnified party or on such party’s behalf or any person controlling an indemnified party or by or on behalf of the indemnifying party, its directors or officers or any person controlling the indemnifying party; and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Securities.

 

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VIII.

The Representative on behalf of the Underwriters may terminate this Agreement (upon consultation with the Company) by notice to the Company, at any time prior to the time on the Closing Date at which payment would otherwise be due under this Agreement to the Company if, since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus, (i) there has occurred any event or development that, individually or in the aggregate, has or could be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect, except as described in the Disclosure Package (exclusive of any amendment or supplement thereto), which, in the sole judgment of the Representative, makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities as contemplated in the Prospectus, or (ii) any condition specified in Article IV hereof shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, or (iii) there has occurred any material adverse change in the financial markets in the United States, any outbreak of hostilities or escalation thereof or any other calamity or crisis, or any change or development in political, financial or economic conditions, in each case the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representative, impracticable to proceed with the offering, sale or delivery of the Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Securities, or (iv) trading in any securities of the Company has been suspended or limited by the Commission or the New York Stock Exchange, or if trading generally on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq Global Market has been suspended or limited, or minimum or maximum prices for trading have been fixed, or maximum ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system or by order of the Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or any other Governmental Entity, or (v) a banking moratorium has been declared by the United States or New York authorities or a material disruption has occurred in commercial banking or securities settlement and clearance services in the United States.

IX.

The Company and each Underwriter acknowledge and agree that, except to the extent expressly set forth herein, each Underwriter is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length contractual counterparty to the Company with respect to the offering of the Securities contemplated by this Agreement (including in connection with determining the terms of the offering) and not as a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Company or any other person. Each Underwriter represents and warrants to the Company that, except as previously disclosed in writing to the Company, neither the Underwriter nor any affiliate thereof, to the best of their respective knowledge, has any current arrangement with any third party which would permit such Underwriter or any such affiliate to benefit financially, directly or indirectly, from the Underwriter’s participation in the determination of the terms of the offering, including the pricing of the Securities. Additionally, each Underwriter is not advising the Company or any other person as to any legal, tax, investment, accounting or regulatory matters in any jurisdiction. The Company shall consult with its own advisors concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of the transactions contemplated hereby, and the Underwriters shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company with respect thereto. Any review by the Underwriters of the Company, the transactions contemplated hereby or other matters relating to such transactions will be performed solely for the benefit of the Underwriters and shall not be on behalf of the Company.

 

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X.

This Agreement shall be binding upon the Underwriters and the Company, and inure solely to the benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and any other person expressly entitled to indemnification hereunder and the respective personal representatives, successors and assigns of each, and no other person shall acquire or have any rights under or by virtue of this Agreement.

XI.

Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, all statements, requests, notices and advices hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative and shall be directed c/o the Representative at its address, or facsimile number set forth below by its signature. Notices to the Company shall be directed to the Company at Ally Detroit Center, 500 Woodward Ave., Floor 10, Detroit, Michigan 48226, Attn: General Counsel, with a copy to Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, 125 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, Attention: Catherine M. Clarkin. All such notices shall be effective on receipt.

XII.

If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters or any of them, because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters or such Underwriters as have so terminated this Agreement with respect to themselves, severally, for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) reasonably incurred by such Underwriters in connection with the Securities.

XIII.

(a)    If, at the Closing Date, any Underwriter defaults on its obligation to purchase the Securities that it has agreed to purchase hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters may in their discretion arrange for the purchase of such Securities by other persons satisfactory to the Company on the terms contained in this Agreement. If, within 36 hours after any such default by any Underwriter, the non-defaulting Underwriters do not arrange for the purchase of such Securities, then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of 36 hours within which to procure other persons reasonably satisfactory to the non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase such Securities on such terms. If other persons become obligated or agree to purchase the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter, either the non-defaulting Underwriters or the Company may postpone the Closing Date for up to five full business days in order to effect any changes that in the opinion of counsel for the Company or counsel for the Underwriters may be necessary in the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus or in any other document or arrangement, and the Company agrees to promptly prepare any amendment or supplement to the Disclosure Package or the Prospectus that effects any such changes. As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes, for all purposes of this Agreement unless the context otherwise requires, any person not listed in the Underwriting Agreement that, pursuant to this Article XIII, purchases Securities that a defaulting Underwriter agreed but failed to purchase.

 

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(b)    If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased does not exceed one-ninth of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder plus such Underwriter’s pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Securities that such Underwriter agreed to purchase hereunder) of the Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made.

(c)    If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by the non-defaulting Underwriters and the Company as provided in paragraph (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Securities that remains unpurchased exceeds one-ninth of the aggregate principal amount of all the Securities, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in paragraph (b) above, then this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of the non-defaulting Underwriters. Any termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Article XIII shall be without liability on the part of the Company, except that the Company will continue to be liable for the payment of expenses as and to the extent set forth in Article XIV hereof and except that the indemnification provisions hereof shall not terminate and shall remain in effect, provided that any defaulting Underwriter shall have no rights thereunder.

(d)    Nothing contained herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter of any liability it may have to the Company or any non-defaulting Underwriter for damages caused by its default.

XIV.

The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (i) all fees and expenses related to the preparation, printing, mailing and publishing of the Registration Statement, the Disclosure Package, the Prospectus and any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (in each case, as amended or supplemented, if amended or supplemented), (ii) all fees and expenses of the Company’s counsel and accountants, (iii) all advertising charges incurred with the prior consent of the Company, (iv) all expenses incident to the issuance and delivery of the Securities (including printing and engraving costs) and the registration of the Securities under the Securities Act, (v) all filing fees, including FINRA filing fees, attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the Company or the Underwriters in connection with qualifying or registering (or obtaining exemptions from the qualification or registration of) the Securities under the securities laws of the several states of the United States, the provinces of Canada or other jurisdictions reasonably designated by the Underwriters, (vi) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Securities with the rating agencies, (vii) any stock or transfer taxes and stamp or similar duties and the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar and (viii) all fees and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of counsel) of the Company in connection with the performance by the Company of its other obligations under this Agreement. In the event that any Underwriter is authorized to incur and does actually incur any such fees and expenses on behalf of the Company, the Company will reimburse such Underwriter for such fees, whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby are consummated.

 

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If (i) this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Article VIII, (ii) the Company for any reason fails to tender the Securities for delivery to the Underwriters, or (iii) the Underwriters decline to purchase the Securities for any reason permitted under this Agreement, the Company agrees to reimburse the Underwriters for all out of pocket costs and expenses (including the fees and expenses of their counsel) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement and the offering contemplated hereby.

XV.

The Representative represents and warrants that it has the power and authority to enter into this Agreement for and on behalf of each of the Underwriters not a direct signatory hereto. Any action by the Underwriters hereunder may be taken by the Representative on behalf of the Underwriters, and any such action taken by the Representative shall be binding upon the Underwriters.

XVI.

THIS AGREEMENT INCORPORATES THE ENTIRE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARTIES AND (EXCEPT AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED HEREIN) SUPERSEDES ALL PREVIOUS AGREEMENTS, AND SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AS APPLIED TO CONTRACTS MADE AND PERFORMED IN SUCH STATE. ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY WITH RESPECT TO ANY CLAIM OR PROCEEDING RELATED TO OR ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY TRANSACTION OR CONDUCT IN CONNECTION HEREWITH, IS WAIVED.

XVII.

In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

XVIII.

(a)    In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

(b)    In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

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For purposes of this Article XVIII: “BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k). “Covered Entity” means any of the following: (i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b); (ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or (iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b). “Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable. “U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

XIX.

This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts and by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, and signature pages may be delivered by facsimile, electronic mail (including any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transaction Act, the New York Electronic Signatures and Records Act (N.Y. State Tech. §§ 301-309), as amended from time to time, or other applicable law) or other transmission method, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

***

 

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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

May 25, 2021

Ally Financial Inc.

Ally Detroit Center

500 Woodward Ave., Floor 10

Detroit, Michigan 48226

Dear Ladies and Gentlemen:

We (the “Underwriters”) understand that Ally Financial Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), proposes to issue and sell an aggregate of 1,000,000 shares of the Company’s 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C, par value $0.01 per share, with a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (the “Preferred Shares” or the “Securities”). Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein or incorporated by reference herein, the Company hereby agrees to sell and we agree to purchase the number of Preferred Shares as set forth below opposite our names at a purchase price equal to $990.00 per Preferred Share:

 

Name of Underwriter

   Number of
Preferred Shares
 

BofA Securities, Inc.

     210,000  

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

     210,000  

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

     210,000  

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

     107,000  

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

     107,000  

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

     107,000  

Academy Securities, Inc.

     7,000  

AmeriVet Securities, Inc.

     7,000  

Bancroft Capital LLC

     7,000  

C.L. King & Associates, Inc.

     7,000  

Great Pacific Securities

     7,000  

Piper Sandler & Co.

     7,000  

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

     7,000  
  

 

 

 

Total

     1,000,000  
  

 

 

 

The Underwriters will pay for such Securities upon delivery thereof at the offices of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP, 51 West 52nd Street, New York, New York 10019 at 10:00 a.m. (New York time) on June 2, 2021, or such later time not later than June 9, 2021, as shall be designated by the Representative (the “Closing Date”).

The Securities shall have the terms set forth in the Company’s Prospectus Supplement dated May 25, 2021, related to the Securities and the Prospectus dated November 21, 2019, and the term sheet related to the Securities attached hereto as Schedule I. The File No. of the Registration Statement relating to the Securities is 333-234810.


“Applicable Time” shall mean 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time on the date of this Underwriting Agreement.

“Disclosure Package” shall mean the Preliminary Prospectus Supplement dated May 25, 2021, related to the Securities together with the Permitted Free Writing Prospectus (as defined pursuant to Rule 405 under the Securities Act) listed on Schedule II hereto.

All the provisions contained in the document entitled Underwriting Agreement Standard Provisions (Preferred Stock) dated May 25, 2021, a copy of which we have previously received, are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein. The term “Representative” as used therein, for purposes of this Agreement, means each of BofA Securities, Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC.

[Signature pages follow]

 

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Please confirm your agreement by having an authorized officer sign a copy of this Agreement in the space set forth below. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.

 

Very truly yours,

On behalf of itself and the other

Underwriters named heretofore

BOFA SECURITIES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Greg Venker

  Name:   Greg Venker
  Title:   Managing Director

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC.
By:  

/s/ Adam Raucher

  Name:   Adam Raucher
  Title:   Managing Director

 

By:  

/s/ Anguel Zaprianov

  Name:   Anguel Zaprianov
  Title:   Managing Director

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC
By:  

/s/ Ian Drewe

  Name:   Ian Drewe
  Title:   Executive Director

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


Accepted as of the date first written above,

 

  ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
  By:  

/s/ Bradley J. Brown

  Name:   Bradley J. Brown
  Title:   Corporate Treasurer

 

[Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement]


SCHEDULE I

Term Sheet

Final Pricing Term Sheet dated May 25, 2021

 

LOGO

1,000,000 Shares of

4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C

 

Issuer:    Ally Financial Inc. (“Ally”)
Security:    Shares of 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C of the Issuer (the “Preferred Shares”)
Expected Ratings*:    BB- (Stable) / B+ (Stable) (S&P / Fitch)
Size:    $1,000,000,000 (1,000,000 Preferred Shares)
Legal Format:    SEC Registered
Trade Date:    May 25, 2021
Settlement Date**:    June 2, 2021 (T+5)
Liquidation Preference:    $1,000 per Preferred Share
Term:    Perpetual
Public Offering Price:    $1,000 per Preferred Share
Gross Proceeds:    $1,000,000,000
Underwriting Discount:    $10.00 per Preferred Share
Net Proceeds to Ally before Estimated Expenses:    $990,000,000
First Reset Date:    May 15, 2028
Reset Date:    The First Reset Date and each date falling on the seventh anniversary of the preceding reset date.
Reset Period:    The period from and including the First Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Reset Date and thereafter each period from and including each Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Reset Date.
Reset Dividend Determination Date:    In respect of any Reset Period, the day falling three business days prior to the beginning of such Reset Period.
Dividend Rate (Non-Cumulative):    At a rate per annum equal to (i) 4.700% from the Settlement Date to, but excluding, May 15, 2028; and (ii) for each Reset Period from, and including, May 15, 2028, the “seven-year treasury rate,” as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement dated May 25, 2021, as of the most recent Reset Dividend Determination Date plus 3.481%.


Dividend Payment Dates:    If declared, quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on August 15, 2021.
Optional Redemption:   

Ally may, at its option, redeem the Preferred Shares (i) in whole or in part, on any dividend payment date on or after the First Reset Date or (ii) in whole, but not in part, at any time within 90 days following a “regulatory capital treatment event,” as defined in the preliminary prospectus supplement dated May 25, 2021, in each case at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends to, but excluding the date of redemption, without accumulation of undeclared dividends. The holders of Preferred Shares will not have the right to require Ally to redeem or repurchase their Preferred Shares.

 

Any redemption of the Preferred Shares is subject to prior approval of the Federal Reserve.

Day Count Convention:    30/360
Business Days:    New York
CUSIP/ISIN Numbers for Preferred Shares:   

CUSIP: 02005N BN9

ISIN: US02005NBN93

Joint Book-Running Managers:   

BofA Securities, Inc.

Deutsche Bank Securities Inc.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc.

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

Co-Managers:   

Academy Securities, Inc.

AmeriVet Securities, Inc.

Bancroft Capital LLC

C.L. King & Associates, Inc.

Great Pacific Securities

Piper Sandler & Co.

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.

 

*

Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.

**

It is expected that delivery of the Preferred Shares will be made in book-entry form only through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company against payment in New York, New York on or about the fifth business day following the date of this term sheet. Trades of securities in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, referred to as T+2, unless the parties to a trade agree otherwise. Accordingly, by virtue of the fact that the initial delivery of the Preferred Shares will not be made on a T+2 basis,


  investors who wish to trade the Preferred Shares before the second business day prior to the Settlement Date will be required to specify an alternative settlement cycle at the time of any such trade to prevent a failed settlement.

The Issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and related preliminary prospectus supplement for the offering) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the preliminary prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus in that registration statement and the other documents the Issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the Issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling BofA Securities, Inc. toll-free at 1-800-294-1322, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. toll-free at 1-800-503-4611 or Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC toll-free at 1-866-718-1649.

This communication should be read in conjunction with the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for the Preferred Shares. The information in this communication supersedes the information in the preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for the Preferred Shares to the extent it is inconsistent with the information in such preliminary prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.


SCHEDULE II

Permitted Free Writing Prospectus

The Term Sheet Included in Schedule I Hereto Relating to the Preferred Shares.

Exhibit 3.1

CERTIFICATE OF DESIGNATION

OF

4.700% FIXED-RATE RESET NON-CUMULATIVE

PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES C

OF

ALLY FINANCIAL INC.

Ally Financial Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (the “Corporation”), pursuant to Section 151 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, does hereby certify:

The Pricing Committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Pricing Committee”), duly authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation (the “Board”) by resolutions of the Board duly adopted on May 24, 2021 (the “Board Resolutions”) and acting in accordance with such resolutions, the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended to date, the Corporation’s Amended and Restated Bylaws, as amended to date, and applicable law, has adopted the following resolution on May 25, 2021, creating a series of Preferred Stock of up to 1,000,000 shares from the Corporation’s authorized Preferred Stock, which series of Preferred Stock is to be designated as “4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C” (the “Series C Preferred Stock”):

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority granted to and vested in the Pricing Committee by the Board Resolutions, the Series C Preferred Stock, established by the Board Resolutions, shall be designated as the “4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C,” and shall consist of 1,000,000 shares, and the terms, preferences, privileges, designations, rights, limitations and restrictions thereof are hereby established as set forth below:

1.    Definitions. The following terms used herein shall be defined as set forth below:

“Appropriate Federal Banking Agency” means the “appropriate Federal banking agency” with respect to the Corporation as defined in Section 3(q) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. Section 1813(q)), or any successor provision.

“Articles” means the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Corporation, as it may be amended or restated from time to time.

“Business Day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law or executive order to close in The City of New York.

“Bylaws” means the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, as they may be amended or restated from time to time.

“Common Stock” means the common stock of the Corporation, $0.01 par value per share.

“Preferred Stock” means the preferred stock of the Corporation, $0.01 par value per share.

2.    Designation and Number of Shares. A series of Preferred Stock designated the “4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C” (hereinafter called “Series C Preferred Stock”) is established hereby, and the authorized number of shares that shall constitute such series shall be 1,000,000 shares, $0.01 par value per share, and such shares shall have a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share. The number of shares constituting the Series C Preferred Stock may be increased from time to time by resolution of the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board in accordance with the Articles (as then in effect), the Bylaws (as then


in effect) and applicable law up to the maximum number of shares of Preferred Stock authorized to be issued under the Corporation’s Articles (as then in effect) less all shares at the time authorized of any other series of Preferred Stock or decreased from time to time by a resolution of the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board in accordance with the Articles (as then in effect), the Bylaws (as then in effect) and applicable law but not below the number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock then outstanding. Shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall be dated the date of issue, which date shall be referred to herein as the “original issue date.” Shares of outstanding Series C Preferred Stock that are redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation shall be cancelled and shall revert to authorized but unissued shares of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock, undesignated as to series.

3.    Ranking. The shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall rank:

(a)    senior, as to dividends and upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, to the Common Stock and to any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation now or hereafter authorized, issued or outstanding that, by its terms, does not expressly provide that such class or series ranks on parity with the Series C Preferred Stock or senior to the Series C Preferred Stock as to dividends and upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, as the case may be (collectively, “Series C Junior Securities”);

(b)    on parity, as to dividends and upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, with any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation now or hereafter authorized, issued or outstanding that, by its terms, expressly provides that such class or series ranks on parity with the Series C Preferred Stock as to dividends and upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, as the case may be, including the Corporation’s currently outstanding 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series B, par value $0.01 per share, liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (collectively, “Series C Parity Securities”);

(c)    junior, as to dividends and upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, to any other class or series of capital stock of the Corporation now or hereafter authorized, issued or outstanding that, by its terms, expressly provides that such class or series ranks senior to the Series C Preferred Stock as to dividends and upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, as the case may be; and

(d)    junior, upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, to all existing and future indebtedness and other non-equity claims against the Corporation.

The Corporation may authorize and issue additional shares of Series C Junior Securities and Series C Parity Securities from time to time without notice to or the consent of the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock.

4.    Dividends.

(a)    Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive, only when, as and if declared by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, on each Series C Dividend Payment Date, out of assets legally available for the payment of dividends thereof, non-cumulative cash dividends based on the liquidation preference of the Series C Preferred Stock of $1,000 per share at a rate equal to (i) from the date of original issue to, but excluding, May 15, 2028 (the “First Reset Date”), at a fixed rate of 4.700% per annum and (ii) from, and including, the First Reset Date, during each Reset Period, at a rate per annum equal to the seven-year treasury rate as of the most recent Reset Dividend Determination Date plus 3.481%. If the Corporation issues additional shares of the Series C Preferred Stock after the original issue date, dividends on such shares may accrue from the original issue or any other date specified by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board at the time such additional shares are issued.

(b)    If declared by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, dividends will be payable on the Series C Preferred Stock quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15

 

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of each year, beginning on August 15, 2021, each such day a “Series C Dividend Payment Date”; provided, however, that if any such Series C Dividend Payment Date is not a Business Day, then such date shall nevertheless be a Series C Dividend Payment Date but dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock shall be paid on the next succeeding Business Day (without any adjustment to the amount of the dividend per share of Series C Preferred Stock due on such Series C Dividend Payment Date).

(c)    A “Reset Date” means the First Reset Date and each date falling on the seventh anniversary of the preceding Reset Date. Reset Dates, including the First Reset Date, will not be adjusted for Business Days. A “Reset Period” means the period from and including the First Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Reset Date and thereafter each period from and including each Reset Date to, but excluding, the next following Reset Date. A “Reset Dividend Determination Date” means, in respect of any Reset Period, the day falling three Business Days prior to the beginning of such Reset Period. For the avoidance of doubt, the first Reset Period will be the period from, and including, the First Reset Date to, but excluding, May 15, 2035.

(d)    Dividends will be payable to holders of record of Series C Preferred Stock on the applicable record date (each such date being referred to as a “dividend record date”), which shall be the 15th calendar day before the applicable Series C Dividend Payment Date, or such other record date, not less than 10 calendar days nor more than 60 calendar days before the applicable Series C Dividend Payment Date, as such record date shall be fixed by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board. Such dividend record dates shall apply regardless of whether a particular dividend record date is a Business Day.

(e)    A “Series C Dividend Period” is the period from and including a Series C Dividend Payment Date to, but excluding, the next succeeding Series C Dividend Payment Date, except that the initial Series C Dividend Period will commence on and include the original issue date of Series C Preferred Stock and continue to but exclude August 15, 2021. Dividends payable on Series C Preferred Stock will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Dollar amounts resulting from that calculation will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent being rounded upward. Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock will cease to accrue on the redemption date, if any, with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock redeemed, unless the Corporation defaults in the payment of the redemption price of the Series C Preferred Stock called for redemption.

(f)    For any Reset Period commencing on or after the First Reset Date, the “seven-year treasury rate” will be:

(1)    The average of the yields on actively traded U.S. treasury securities adjusted to constant maturity, for seven-year maturities, for the five Business Days appearing (or, if fewer than five Business Days appear, such number of Business Days appearing) under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities” in the most recently published statistical release designated H.15 Daily Update or any successor publication which is published by the Federal Reserve as of 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) as of any date of determination, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion.

(2)    If no calculation is provided as described above, then the calculation agent, after consulting such sources as it deems comparable to any of the foregoing calculations, or any such source as it deems reasonable from which to estimate the seven-year treasury rate, shall determine the seven-year treasury rate in its sole discretion, provided that if the calculation agent determines there is an industry-accepted successor seven-year treasury rate, then the calculation agent shall use such successor rate. If the calculation agent has determined a substitute or successor base rate in accordance with the foregoing, the calculation agent in its sole discretion may determine the Business Day convention, the definition of Business Day and the Reset Dividend Determination Date to be used and any other relevant methodology for calculating such substitute or successor base rate, including any adjustment factor needed to make such substitute or successor base rate comparable to the seven-year treasury rate, in a manner that is consistent with industry-accepted practices for such substitute or successor base rate. If the calculation agent is unable to determine a substitute or successor base rate in accordance with the foregoing, then the seven-year treasury rate will be the same interest rate determined for the prior Reset Dividend Determination Date or, if this sentence is applicable with respect to the first Reset Dividend Determination Date, 1.219%.

 

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(g)    The seven-year treasury rate will be determined by the calculation agent on the third Business Day immediately preceding the applicable Reset Date.

(h)    Dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock are discretionary and will not be cumulative. If the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board does not declare a dividend, in full or otherwise, on the Series C Preferred Stock in respect of a Series C Dividend Period before the related Series C Dividend Payment Date, then such unpaid dividends shall cease to accrue, shall not be payable on the applicable Series C Dividend Payment Date or be cumulative, and the Corporation will have no obligation to pay (and the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock shall have no right to receive) dividends accrued for such Series C Dividend Period after the Series C Dividend Payment Date for such Series C Dividend Period, whether or not the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board declares a dividend for any future Series C Dividend Period with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock or, without limitation of the succeeding provisions of this Section 4, the Corporation’s Common Stock or any other class or series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock. No interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest shall be payable in respect of any dividend not declared.

(i)    Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock shall not be declared, paid or set aside for payment if the Corporation fails to comply, or if and to the extent such act would cause the Corporation to fail to comply, with the laws and regulations applicable thereto, including applicable capital adequacy rules of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) or, as and if applicable, the capital adequacy rules or regulations of any successor Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, applicable to the Corporation.

(j)    So long as any share of Series C Preferred Stock remains outstanding, unless the full dividends for the most recently completed Series C Dividend Period on all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock have been declared and paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof has been set aside for payment:

(1)    no dividend shall be declared or paid or set aside for payment, and no distribution shall be declared or made or set aside for payment, on any Series C Junior Securities, other than (i) a dividend payable solely in Series C Junior Securities or (ii) any dividend in connection with the implementation of a shareholders’ rights plan, or the issuance of rights, stock or other property under any such plan, or the redemption or repurchase of any rights under such plan;

(2)    no shares of Series C Junior Securities shall be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Corporation, directly or indirectly, other than (i) as a result of a reclassification of Series C Junior Securities for or into other Series C Junior Securities, (ii) the exchange or conversion of one share of Series C Junior Securities for or into another share of Series C Junior Securities, (iii) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of Series C Junior Securities, (iv) purchases, redemptions or other acquisitions of shares of Series C Junior Securities in connection with any employment contract, benefit plan or other similar arrangement with or for the benefit of employees, officers, directors or consultants, (v) purchases of shares of Series C Junior Securities pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy Series C Junior Securities existing prior to the most recently completed Series C Dividend Period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan, or (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of Series C Junior Securities pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged; nor shall any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such securities by the Corporation; and

(3)    no shares of Series C Parity Securities shall be repurchased, redeemed or otherwise acquired for consideration by the Corporation, directly or indirectly, other than (i) pursuant to pro rata offers to purchase all, or a pro rata portion, of Series C Preferred Stock and such Series C Parity Securities, (ii) as

 

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a result of a reclassification of Series C Parity Securities for or into other Series C Parity Securities, (iii) the exchange or conversion of one share of Series C Parity Securities for or into another share of Series C Parity Securities or Series C Junior Securities, (iv) through the use of the proceeds of a substantially contemporaneous sale of other shares of Series C Parity Securities, (v) purchases of shares of Series C Parity Securities pursuant to a contractually binding requirement to buy Series C Parity Securities existing prior to the most recently completed Series C Dividend Period, including under a contractually binding stock repurchase plan, or (vi) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of Series C Parity Securities pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions of such stock or the security being converted or exchanged; nor shall any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such securities by the Corporation;

(k)    Notwithstanding the foregoing, when dividends are not paid in full, or set aside for payment in full, on any dividend payment date, upon the shares of Series C Preferred Stock and any Series C Parity Securities, all dividends declared upon shares of Series C Preferred Stock and any Series C Parity Securities for such dividend payment date shall be declared on a pro rata basis in proportion to the respective amounts of undeclared and unpaid dividends for the Series C Preferred Stock and all Series C Parity Securities payable on such dividend payment date. To the extent a dividend period with respect to any Series C Parity Securities coincides with more than one Series C Dividend Period, for purposes of the immediately preceding sentence the Board (or a duly authorized committee of the Board) shall, to the extent permitted by the terms of each affected series, treat such dividend period as two or more consecutive dividend periods, none of which coincides with more than one Series C Dividend Period, or shall treat such dividend period(s) with respect to any Series C Parity Securities and Series C Dividend Period(s) for purposes of the immediately preceding sentence in any other manner that it deems to be fair and equitable in order to achieve ratable payments of dividends on such Series C Parity Securities and the Series C Preferred Stock. To the extent a Series C Dividend Period coincides with more than one dividend period with respect to any Series C Parity Securities, for purposes of the first sentence of this paragraph the Board (or a duly authorized committee of the Board) shall treat such Series C Dividend Period as two or more consecutive Series C Dividend Periods, none of which coincides with more than one dividend period with respect to such Series C Parity Securities, or shall treat such Series C Dividend Period(s) and dividend period(s) with respect to any Series C Parity Securities for purposes of the first sentence of this paragraph in any other manner that it deems to be fair and equitable in order to achieve ratable payments of dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock and such Series C Parity Securities. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “dividend period” as used with respect to any Series C Parity Securities means such dividend periods as are provided for in the terms of such Series C Parity Securities.

(l)    Subject to the foregoing, and not otherwise, dividends (payable in cash, stock or otherwise), as may be determined by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board, may be declared and paid on the Common Stock and any other class or series of capital stock ranking equally with or junior to Series C Preferred Stock from time to time out of any assets legally available for such payment, and the holders of Series C Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to participate in any such dividend.

5.    Liquidation.

(a)    Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation, holders of Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to receive out of assets of the Corporation available for distribution to stockholders, after satisfaction of liabilities or obligations to creditors, if any, and subject to the rights of holders of any securities then outstanding ranking senior to or on parity with Series C Preferred Stock with respect to distributions of assets upon the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation’s business or affairs, and before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Common Stock or any Series C Junior Securities, a liquidating distribution in the amount of the liquidation preference of $1,000 per share plus any declared and unpaid dividends prior to the payment of the liquidating distribution (but without accumulation of any dividends that have not been declared prior to the payment of the liquidating distribution). After payment of the full amount of such liquidating distribution, the holders of Series C Preferred Stock shall not be entitled to any further participation in any distribution of assets of the Corporation.

 

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(b)    In any such liquidating distribution, if the assets of the Corporation are not sufficient to pay the liquidation preferences (as defined below) in full to all holders of Series C Preferred Stock and all holders of any Series C Parity Securities, the amounts paid to the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and to the holders of all Series C Parity Securities will be paid pro rata in accordance with the respective aggregate liquidating preferences owed to those holders. In any such distribution, the “liquidation preference” of any holder of Series C Preferred Stock or any Series C Parity Securities means the amount otherwise payable to such holder in such distribution (assuming no limitation on the assets of the Corporation available for such distribution), including any declared but unpaid dividends (and, in the case of any holder of stock other than the Series C Preferred Stock on which dividends accrue on a cumulative basis, an amount equal to any unpaid, accrued, cumulative dividends, whether or not declared, as applicable). If the liquidation preference has been paid in full to all holders of Series C Preferred Stock and any Series C Parity Securities, the holders of the Corporation’s Series C Junior Securities shall be entitled to receive all remaining assets of the Corporation according to their respective rights and preferences.

(c)    For purposes of this Section 5, neither the sale, conveyance, exchange or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets or business of the Corporation for cash, securities or other property, nor the merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into any other entity or by another entity with or into the Corporation, including a merger or consolidation in which the holders of Series C Preferred Stock receive cash, securities or property for their shares, in each case, individually or as part of a series of transactions, shall constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation.

6.    Redemption.

(a)    Series C Preferred Stock is not subject to any mandatory redemption, sinking fund or other similar provisions. Series C Preferred Stock is not redeemable prior to the First Reset Date. On and after that date, shares of Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding will be redeemable at the option of the Corporation, subject to the approval of the Federal Reserve or any Appropriate Federal Banking Agency, in whole or in part, from time to time, on any Series C Dividend Payment Date, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the date of redemption, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends. Holders of Series C Preferred Stock will have no right to require the redemption or repurchase of Series C Preferred Stock. Notwithstanding the foregoing, within 90 days following the occurrence of a Regulatory Capital Treatment Event (as defined below), the Corporation, at its option, may redeem, at any time, all (but not less than all) of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, at a redemption price equal to $1,000 per share, plus any declared and unpaid dividends to, but excluding, the date of redemption, without accumulation of any undeclared dividends, upon notice given as provided in sub-section (b) below. Any declared but unpaid dividends payable on a redemption date that occurs subsequent to the applicable dividend record date for a Series C Dividend Period shall not be paid to the holder entitled to receive the redemption price on the redemption date, but rather shall be paid to the holder of record of the redeemed shares on such dividend record date relating to the Series C Dividend Payment Date as provided in Section 4(d) above. In all cases, the Corporation may not redeem shares of the Series C Preferred Stock without having received the prior approval of the Federal Reserve or any successor Appropriate Federal Banking Agency if then required under the capital adequacy rules or regulations applicable to the Corporation.

A “Regulatory Capital Treatment Event” means the good faith determination by the Board or a duly authorized committee of the Board that, as a result of (i) any amendment to, or change (including any announced prospective change) in, the laws, rules or regulations of the United States or any political subdivision of or in the United States (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any agency or instrumentality of the United States, including the Federal Reserve and other appropriate federal bank regulatory agencies) that is enacted or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of the Series C Preferred Stock; (ii) any proposed change in those laws, rules or regulations that is announced or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of the Series C Preferred Stock; or (iii) any official administrative decision or judicial decision or administrative action or other official pronouncement interpreting or applying those laws, rules or regulations or policies with respect thereto that is announced or becomes effective after the initial issuance of any share of the Series C Preferred Stock, there

 

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is more than an insubstantial risk that the Corporation will not be entitled to treat the full liquidation preference amount of $1,000 per share of the Series C Preferred Stock then outstanding as additional “Tier 1 Capital” (or its equivalent) for purposes of the capital adequacy rules or regulations of the Federal Reserve (or, as and if applicable, the capital adequacy rules or regulations of any successor Appropriate Federal Banking Agency), as then in effect and applicable, for as long as any share of the Series C Preferred Stock is outstanding.

(b)    If shares of Series C Preferred Stock are to be redeemed, the notice of redemption shall be given to the holders of record of Series C Preferred Stock to be redeemed by first class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the holders of record of such shares to be redeemed at their respective last addresses appearing on the Corporation’s stock register not less than 10 days nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption thereof (provided that, if the shares of Series C Preferred Stock or any depositary shares representing interests in the Series C Preferred Stock are held in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company, or “DTC”, the Corporation may give such notice in any manner permitted by DTC). Each notice of redemption shall include a statement setting forth: (i) the redemption date; (ii) the number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock to be redeemed and, if less than all the shares held by such holder are to be redeemed, the number of such shares to be redeemed from such holder; (iii) the redemption price; and (iv) the place or places where holders may surrender certificates evidencing shares of Series C Preferred Stock for payment of the redemption price. If notice of redemption of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock has been duly given and if the funds necessary for such redemption have been set aside by the Corporation for the benefit of the holders of any shares of Series C Preferred Stock so called for redemption, then, on and after the redemption date, dividends will cease to accrue on such shares of Series C Preferred Stock, such shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall no longer be deemed outstanding and all rights of the holders of such shares will terminate, except the right to receive the redemption price described in sub-section (a) above, without interest.

(c)    In case of any redemption of only part of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, the shares to be redeemed shall be selected either pro rata, by lot or in such other manner as the Corporation may determine to be equitable and permitted by DTC.

7.    Voting Rights.

(a)    Except as provided in this Section 7 or as expressly required by law, the holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall have no voting power, and no right to vote on any matter at any time, either as a separate series or class or together with any other series or class of shares of capital stock, and shall not be entitled to call a meeting of such holders for any purpose, nor shall they be entitled to participate in any meeting of the holders of the Common Stock.

(b)    So long as any shares of Series C Preferred Stock remain outstanding, in addition to any other vote or consent of the stockholders of the Corporation required by law or the Articles, the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of all of the shares of Series C Preferred Stock at the time outstanding, voting separately as a class, shall be required to:

(1)    authorize, create, issue shares of, or increase the authorized amount of, any class or series of capital stock of the Corporation ranking senior to the Series C Preferred Stock with respect to payment of dividends or as to the distribution of assets upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, or issue any obligation or security convertible into or exchangeable for or evidencing the right to purchase, any such class or series of the Corporation’s capital stock;

(2)    amend, alter or repeal the provisions of the Articles (including this Certificate of Designation), whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to materially and adversely affect the powers, preferences, privileges or rights of the Series C Preferred Stock, taken as a whole; provided, however, that any amendment to authorize, create or issue, or increase the authorized or issued amount of, any Series C Junior Securities or any Series C Parity Securities, or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for Series C Junior Securities or Series C Parity Securities, will not be deemed to materially and adversely affect the powers, preferences, privileges or rights of Series C Preferred Stock, and shall not require the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of any outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock; or

 

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(3)    consummate a binding share-exchange or reclassification involving the Series C Preferred Stock, or sale, conveyance, exchange or transfer of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s assets or business or a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another entity, unless in each case (i) the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock remain outstanding or, in the case of any such merger or consolidation with respect to which the Corporation is not the surviving or resulting entity, are converted into or exchanged for preference securities of the surviving entity or any entity controlling such surviving entity, and (ii) such shares remaining outstanding or such preference securities, as the case may be, have powers, preferences, privileges and rights that are not materially less favorable to the holders thereof than the powers, preferences, privileges and rights of the Series C Preferred Stock, taken as a whole.

If an amendment, alteration, repeal, share exchange, reclassification, merger or consolidation described above would adversely affect one or more but not all series of Special Voting Preferred Stock (as defined below) (including the Series C Preferred Stock for this purpose), then only the series affected and entitled to vote shall vote as a class in lieu of all such series of Preferred Stock.

The foregoing voting provisions will not apply if, at or prior to the time when the act with respect to which such vote would otherwise be required shall be effected, all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall have been redeemed or called for redemption upon proper notice and sufficient funds shall have been set aside by the Corporation for the benefit of the holders of Series C Preferred Stock to effect such redemption.

(c)    If the Corporation fails to declare and pay, or declare and set aside for payment, dividends on outstanding shares of the Series C Preferred Stock or any other series of Special Voting Preferred Stock for an aggregate amount equal to the amount of dividends payable on the Series C Preferred Stock as contemplated by this Certificate of Designation for any Series C Dividend Periods that, in aggregate, equal 18 months, whether or not for consecutive Series C Dividend Periods (a “Nonpayment Event”), the authorized number of directors then constituting the Corporation’s Board shall be automatically increased by two and the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock (along with holders of any Special Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding, voting together as a class based on respective liquidation preferences), shall have the right to elect two directors (hereinafter the “Preferred Directors” and each a “Preferred Director”) to fill such newly-created directorships; provided, however, that at no time shall the Board include more than two Preferred Directors; provided further that the election of any such Preferred Directors shall not cause the Corporation to violate the corporate governance requirement of the New York Stock Exchange (or any other exchange on which the Corporation’s securities may then be listed) that listed companies must have a majority of independent directors. In that event, at the request of holders of at least 20% of the Series C Preferred Stock or of any other series of Special Voting Preferred Stock, a special meeting of the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and any such Special Voting Preferred Stock for which the failure to pay dividends has given rise to a Nonpayment Event shall be called by the Corporation for the election of the Preferred Directors (provided, however, that if such request for special meeting is received less than 90 days before the date fixed for the next annual or special meeting of the Corporation’s stockholders, such election of Preferred Directors shall be held at such next annual or special meeting of stockholders), followed by such election of such Preferred Directors at each subsequent annual meeting of stockholders until all full dividends have been declared and paid (or declared and a sum sufficient for payment of such dividends has been set aside for payment) on the Series C Preferred Stock and such Special Voting Preferred Stock for Series C Dividend Periods after the Nonpayment Event that, in the aggregate, equal at least 12 consecutive months, subject to re-vesting in the event of each and every subsequent Nonpayment Event as described below.

“Special Voting Preferred Stock” means any other class or series of Preferred Stock ranking equally with the Series C Preferred Stock either as to dividends or the distribution of assets upon the liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of the Corporation and upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable.

 

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When dividends have been paid in full (or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment of such dividends have been set aside for payment) on the Series C Preferred Stock and any applicable series of Special Voting Preferred Stock for Series C Dividend Periods after a Nonpayment Event that, in the aggregate, equal at least 12 consecutive months, then the right of the holders of Series C Preferred Stock and such Special Voting Preferred Stock to elect the Preferred Directors shall be divested and shall cease (but subject in any case to re-vesting of such voting rights in the case of each and every subsequent Nonpayment Event), and the Preferred Directors shall cease to be qualified as directors, the term of office of all Preferred Directors then in office shall terminate immediately and the Corporation’s authorized number of directors shall be automatically reduced by the number of Preferred Directors elected pursuant hereto. Any Preferred Director may be removed at any time, with or without cause by a majority of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock (along with holders of any applicable series of Special Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding, voting together as a class based on respective liquidation preferences). If the office of any Preferred Director becomes vacant for any reason other than removal from office as aforesaid (other than prior to the initial election of the Preferred Directors following any Nonpayment Event), the remaining Preferred Director may choose, by means of written consent, a successor who shall hold office for the unexpired term in respect of which such vacancy occurred, or if none remains in office, such a successor may be chosen by a vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock (along with holders of any applicable series of Special Voting Preferred Stock then outstanding, voting together as a class based on respective liquidation preferences); provided that the filling of any such vacancy shall not cause the Corporation to violate the corporate governance requirement of the New York Stock Exchange (or any other exchange on which the Corporation’s securities may be listed) that listed companies must have a majority of independent directors. The Preferred Directors shall each be entitled to one vote per director on any matter on which directors of the Corporation are entitled to vote.

(d)    The rules and procedures for calling and conducting any meeting of the holders of Series C Preferred Stock (including, without limitation, the fixing of a record date in connection therewith), the solicitation and use of proxies at such a meeting, the obtaining of written consents and any other aspect or matter with regard to such meeting or such consents shall be governed by any rules that the Board or any duly authorized committee of the Board, in its discretion, may adopt from time to time, which rules and procedures shall conform to the requirements of the Articles (as then in effect), the Bylaws (as then in effect) and applicable law and the rules of any national securities exchange on which the Series C Preferred Stock is listed or traded at the time.

8.    Conversion Rights. The holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall not have any rights to convert such shares into, or exchange such shares for, shares of any other class or series of securities of the Corporation.

9.    Preemptive Rights. The holders of shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall not have any preemptive or subscription rights with respect to any shares of the Corporation’s capital stock or any of its other securities convertible into or carrying rights or options to purchase or otherwise acquire any such capital stock or any interest therein, regardless of how such securities, or such warrants, rights or options, may be designated, issued or granted.

10.    Certificates. The Corporation may at its option issue shares of Series C Preferred Stock without certificates. If certificated, the Corporation shall replace any mutilated certificate at the holder’s expense upon surrender of that certificate to the Corporation. The Corporation shall replace certificates that become destroyed, stolen or lost at the holder’s expense upon delivery to the Corporation of reasonably satisfactory evidence that the certificate has been destroyed, stolen or lost, together with any indemnity that may be reasonably required by the Corporation.

11.    Transfer Agent. The Corporation shall appoint a transfer agent for the Series C Preferred Stock. The Corporation may, in its sole discretion, remove the transfer agent in accordance with the agreement between the Corporation and the transfer agent; provided that the Corporation shall appoint a successor transfer agent who shall accept such appointment prior to the effectiveness of such removal.

 

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12.    Registrar. The Corporation shall appoint a registrar for the Series C Preferred Stock. The Corporation may, in its sole discretion, remove the registrar in accordance with the agreement between the Corporation and the registrar; provided that the Corporation shall appoint a successor registrar who shall accept such appointment prior to the effectiveness of such removal.

13.    Calculation Agent. The Corporation shall appoint a calculation agent for the Series C Preferred Stock. The Corporation may, in its sole discretion, remove the calculation agent in accordance with the agreement between the Corporation and the calculation agent; provided that the Corporation shall appoint a successor calculation agent who shall accept such appointment prior to the effectiveness of such removal. The Corporation may appoint itself or an affiliate of the Corporation as the calculation agent for the Series C Preferred Stock.

14.    No Other Rights. The shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall not have any rights, preferences, privileges or voting powers or relative, participating, optional or other special rights, or qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, other than as set forth herein or in the Articles, or as provided by applicable law.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused this Certificate of Designation to be signed by Bradley J. Brown, its Treasurer, on June 1, 2021.

 

ALLY FINANCIAL INC.
By:  

/s/ Bradley J. Brown

Name:   Bradley J. Brown
Title:   Treasurer

 

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Exhibit 5.1

[Letterhead of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP]

June 2, 2021

Ally Financial Inc.,

    500 Woodward Ave.,

        Floor 10, Detroit, Michigan 48226.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

In connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Act”) of 1,000,000 shares (the “Securities”) of 4.700% Fixed-Rate Reset Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C, par value $0.01 per share and liquidation preference $1,000 per share, of Ally Financial Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), we, as your counsel, have examined such corporate records, certificates and other documents, and such questions of law, as we have considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. Upon the basis of such examination, it is our opinion that the Securities have been validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable.

In rendering the foregoing opinion, we are not passing upon, and assume no responsibility for, any disclosure in any registration statement or any related prospectus or other offering material relating to the offer and sale of the Securities.

The foregoing opinion is limited to the Federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, and we are expressing no opinion as to the effect of the laws of any other jurisdiction.

We have relied as to certain matters on factual information obtained from public officials, officers of the Company and other sources believed by us to be responsible and we have assumed, without independent verification, that the notice required by Section 151(f) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware will be given to the holders of the Securities within a reasonable time following the issuance of the Securities and that the signatures on all documents examined by us are genuine, assumption which we have not independently verified.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the references to us under the heading “Validity of Securities” in the Prospectus Supplement relating to the Securities, dated May 25, 2021. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act.


Very truly yours,
/s/ SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP