On August 7, 2024, Genuine Parts Company (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) among the Company and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, PNC Capital Markets LLC and Santander US Capital Markets LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), pursuant to which the Company agreed to issue and sell to the Underwriters, and the Underwriters agreed to purchase, the Notes (as defined below). The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and customary conditions to closing, indemnification rights and obligations of the parties and termination provisions.
On August 9, 2024, the Company issued $750,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Company’s 4.950% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”), which mature on August 15, 2029, pursuant to an indenture dated as of October 29, 2020 (the “Indenture”), between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Trustee”). Pursuant to the Indenture, the Company executed an officer’s certificate, dated August 9, 2024, setting forth the terms of the Notes (the “Officer’s Certificate”). The Notes were offered and sold pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-275097) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on October 20, 2023, as supplemented by a prospectus supplement dated August 7, 2024, filed with the Commission on August 9, 2024.
The Company will pay interest on the Notes on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning February 15, 2025. The Notes will be unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations of the Company and will rank equally in right of payment with the Company’s other unsecured unsubordinated debt from time to time outstanding. The Notes will be structurally subordinated in right of payment to all existing and future indebtedness, liabilities and other obligations of the Company’s subsidiaries. The Notes are subject to customary covenants restricting the Company’s ability, subject to certain exceptions, to incur debt secured by liens and to enter into sale and leaseback transactions. These covenants are subject to a number of important exceptions and qualifications. The Indenture provides for customary events of default and further provides that the Trustee or the holders of 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding series of Notes may declare such Notes immediately due and payable upon the occurrence of any event of default after expiration of any applicable grace period.
The Company may, at its option, redeem the Notes at any time prior to July 15, 2029, in whole or in part, at the applicable make-whole redemption price specified in the Officer’s Certificate. If the Notes are redeemed on or after July 15, 2029, the redemption price will be equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the applicable redemption date.
If a change of control triggering event, as defined in the Officer’s Certificate, occurs, unless the Company has defeased the Notes as described in the Indenture or exercised its option to redeem the Notes, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase the Notes at a repurchase price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of repurchase.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes to repay the Company’s 1.40% Euro denominated Series J Senior Promissory Notes due October 30, 2024 and outstanding indebtedness under the Company’s commercial paper program, with any remaining amounts for general corporate purposes.
The above descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Officer’s Certificate and the Notes are qualified in their entirety by reference to the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture, the Officer’s Certificate and the forms of Notes, copies of which are attached hereto as Exhibits 1.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, respectively.