UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
Commission File Number: |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code) |
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
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:
| 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 Exchange Act:
| Title of each class |
Trading |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
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 1.01. | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement |
Indenture and Notes
On February 14, 2023, WisdomTree, Inc. (the “Company”) issued $130.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2028 (the “Notes”) pursuant to an Indenture (the “Indenture”), dated February 14, 2023, between the Company and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”), in a private offering to qualified institutional buyers (the “Notes Offering”) pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The sale of the Notes to an investment bank (the “Initial Purchaser”) pursuant to the Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), dated February 9, 2023, by and between the Company and the Initial Purchaser, resulted in approximately $126.4 million in net proceeds to the Company. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, the Company granted the Initial Purchaser an option to purchase, for settlement during a period of 13 days from, and including, February 14, 2023, up to an additional $20.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes. As of the date of this Current Report on Form 8-K, the Initial Purchaser has not exercised its option to purchase additional Notes.
The Notes are the Company’s senior unsecured obligations and rank equal in right of payment to the Company’s 4.25% convertible senior notes due 2023 and the Company’s 3.25% convertible senior notes due 2026, but are subordinated in right of payment to the Company’s obligations to make certain redemption payments (if and when due) in respect of its Series A preferred stock. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 5.75% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning on August 15, 2023. The Notes will mature on August 15, 2028, unless earlier converted, repurchased or redeemed. Upon conversion, the Company will pay cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the Notes to be converted. At its election, the Company will also settle its conversion obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes being converted in either cash, shares of its common stock or a combination of cash and shares of its common stock.
Holders may convert their Notes at their option at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding May 15, 2028 only under the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on June 30, 2023 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business day period after any ten consecutive trading day period (the “measurement period”) in which the trading price per $1,000 principal amount of Notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock and the conversion rate on each such trading day; (3) upon the occurrence of a notice of redemption delivered by the Company in accordance with the terms of the Indenture but only with respect to the Notes called (or deemed called) for redemption; or (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events. On or after May 15, 2028 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, holders may convert their Notes at any time, regardless of the foregoing circumstances.
The Notes will be convertible at an initial conversion rate of 104.8658 shares of the Company’s common stock, per $1,000 principal amount of Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $9.54 per share), subject to adjustment. In certain circumstances, conversions in connection with a “make-whole fundamental change” (as defined in the Indenture) or conversions of Notes called (or deemed called) for redemption may result in an increase to the conversion rate, provided that the conversion rate will not exceed 167.7853 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, subject to adjustment.
The Company may not redeem the Notes prior to August 20, 2025. The Company may redeem for cash all or any portion of the Notes, at its option, on or after August 20, 2025 and on or prior to the 55th scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date, if the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive), including the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides notice of redemption, during any 30 consecutive trading day period ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides notice of redemption, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the Notes.
If the Company undergoes a “fundamental change” (as defined in the Indenture), subject to certain conditions, holders may require the Company to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their Notes at a fundamental change repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date.
The Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including that upon certain events of default occurring and continuing, either the Trustee or the holders of not less than 25% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding may declare the entire principal amount of all the Notes plus accrued special interest, if any, to be immediately due and payable.
A copy of the Indenture and form of Note are filed as Exhibit 4.1 and Exhibit 4.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated by reference herein. The foregoing description of the Indenture and Notes does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibits.
| Item 2.03 | Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant |
The information provided in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 2.03.
| Item 3.02 | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities |
The information set forth under Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference into this Item 3.02.
The Company offered and sold the Notes to the Initial Purchaser in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, and for resale by the Initial Purchaser to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to the exemption from registration provided by Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The Company relied on these exemptions from registration based in part on representations made by the Initial Purchaser in the Purchase Agreement, pursuant to which the Company sold the Notes to the Initial Purchaser. The shares of the common stock issuable upon conversion of the Notes, if any, have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. Initially, a maximum of 21,812,089 shares of the Company’s common stock may be issued upon conversion of the Notes (or an aggregate of 25,167,795 shares, if the Initial Purchaser exercises its option to purchase additional Notes), in each case based on the initial maximum conversion rate of 167.7853 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of Notes, which is subject to customary anti-dilution adjustment provisions.
To the extent that any shares of common stock are issued upon conversion of the Notes, they will be issued in transactions anticipated to be exempt from registration under the Securities Act by virtue of Section 3(a)(9) thereof, because no commission or other remuneration is expected to be paid in connection with conversion of the Notes, and any resulting issuance of shares of the common stock.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit Number |
Description | |
| 4.1 | Indenture, dated as of February 14, 2023, by and between WisdomTree, Inc. and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as Trustee. | |
| 4.2 | Form of Global Note, representing WisdomTree, Inc.’s 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2028 (included as Exhibit A to the Indenture filed as Exhibit 4.1). | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as 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.
| WisdomTree, Inc. | ||||||
| Date: February 14, 2023 | By: | /s/ Bryan Edmiston | ||||
| Bryan Edmiston | ||||||
| Chief Financial Officer | ||||||