Prospectus Supplement | Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5) |
(To Prospectus dated May 21, 2021) | Registration No. 333-256042 |
TDH HOLDINGS, INC.
15,000,000 Common Shares
Investor Warrants to Purchase 30,000,000 Common Shares
Pursuant to this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and a securities purchase agreement, we are offering up to 15,000,000 common shares, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Shares”) directly to selected investors. The purchasers in this offering will also receive warrants to initially purchase an aggregate of 30,000,000 Common Shares with a per share exercise price of $1.47. The warrants are exercisable immediately as of the date of issuance and expire twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance. A holder of the warrants also will have the right to exercise its warrants on a cashless basis. The public offering price for each Common Share and accompanying warrants to purchase two shares of Common Shares is $0.66. This prospectus supplement also covers the Common Shares that are issuable from time to time upon exercise of the warrants. We will not receive any proceeds from the Common Shares issuable under the warrants, unless the warrants are exercised for cash in exchange for Common Shares.
For a more detailed description of the Common Shares and warrants, see the section entitled “Description of Our Securities We Are Offering” beginning on page S-11. The Common Shares and the accompanying warrants can only be purchased together in this offering, but will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance. There is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any securities exchange. Without an active trading market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.
Our Common Shares trade on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PETZ.” On November 2, 2021, the closing sale price of our Common Shares was $1.79 per share. As of November 3, 2021, the aggregate market value of our outstanding Common Shares held by non-affiliates was approximately $52,592,429 based on 64,949,995 outstanding Common Shares, of which 29,381,245 shares are held by affiliates, and a price of $1.79 per share, which was the last reported trading price of our Common Shares on The Nasdaq Capital Market on November 2, 2021.
We have retained Boustead Securities, LLC to act as the exclusive placement agent to use its best efforts to solicit offers from investors to purchase the securities in this offering. The placement agent has no obligation to buy any securities from us or to arrange for the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any Common Shares or warrants in this offering. We will pay the placement agent a fee equal to the sum of 7% of the aggregate purchase price paid by investors placed by the placement agent and 1% of such aggregate purchase price as a non-accountable expense allowance.
We estimate the total expenses of this offering, excluding the placement agency fees, will be approximately $200,000. Because there is no minimum offering amount, the actual offering amount, the placement agency fees and net proceeds to us, if any, in this offering may be substantially less than the total offering amounts set forth above. We are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of the securities offered in this offering. Assuming we complete the maximum offering, the net proceeds to us from this offering will be approximately $8,908,000. We expect to deliver the Common Shares and warrants to the purchasers on or before November 3, 2021.
Per Share and accompanying warrant(1) | Total | |||||||
Public offering price | $ | 0.66 | 9,900,000 | |||||
Placement agent fees and expense allowance(2) | $ | 0.0528 | 792,000 | |||||
Offering proceeds to us, before expenses | $ | 0.6072 | 9,108,000 |
(1) | Includes $0.01 per warrant for the accompanying two warrants and $0.64 per Common Share. |
(2) | See “Plan of Distribution” for additional information regarding total compensation payable to the placement agent, including expenses for which we have agreed to reimburse the placement agent. |
Our business and holding our Common Shares involve a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement, on page 4 of the accompanying base prospectus and the risk factors described in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus for more information.
We are a holding company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”). As a holding company with no material operations of our own, we conduct a substantial majority of our operations through our subsidiaries established in the People’s Republic of China, or “PRC” or “China.” Investors in our Common Shares should be aware that they may never directly hold equity interests in the Chinese operating entities, but rather purchasing equity solely in TDH Holdings, Inc., our British Virgin Islands holding company. Our Common Shares offered in this offering are shares of our BVI holding company instead of shares of our subsidiaries in China.
Because all of our operations are conducted in China through our wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Chinese government may exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our Common Shares. The Chinese government could also significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to list and/or remain listed on an U.S. or other foreign exchange, and to offer future securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Recent statements by the Chinese government have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in China based issuers. Any future action by the Chinese government expanding the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to government review could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Recently, the PRC government initiated a series of regulatory actions and made a number of public statements on the regulation of business operations in China with little advance notice, including cracking down on illegal activities in the securities market, enhancing supervision over China-based companies listed overseas using a variable interest entity structure, adopting new measures to extend the scope of cybersecurity reviews, and expanding efforts in anti-monopoly enforcement. We do not believe that we are directly subject to these regulatory actions or statements, as we do not have a variable interest entity structure and our business does not involve the collection of user data, implicate cybersecurity, or involve any other type of restricted industry. Because these statements and regulatory actions are new, however, it is highly uncertain how soon legislative or administrative regulation making bodies in China will respond to them, or what existing or new laws or regulations will be modified or promulgated, if any, or the potential impact such modified or new laws and regulations will have on our daily business operations or our ability to accept foreign investments and list on an U.S. exchange. If we are subject to such a probe or if we are required to comply with stepped-up supervisory requirements, valuable time from our management and money may be expended in complying and/or responding to the probe and requirements, thus diverting valuable resources and attention away from our operations. This may, in turn, negatively impact our operations.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying base prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Boustead Securities, LLC.
The date of this prospectus supplement is November 3, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prospectus Supplement
Prospectus
You should rely only on the information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with additional or different information. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, Common Shares and warrants only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents or that any document incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than its filing date.
No action is being taken in any jurisdiction outside the United States to permit a public offering of the Common Shares or warrants or possession or distribution of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus in that jurisdiction. Persons who come into possession of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus in jurisdictions outside the United States are required to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions as to this offering and the distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus applicable to that jurisdiction.
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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
On May 12, 2021 we filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form F-3 (File No. 333-256042) utilizing a shelf registration process relating to the securities described in this prospectus supplement, which registration statement was declared effective on May 21, 2021. Under this shelf registration process, we may, from time to time, sell up to $75 million in the aggregate of our Common Shares, share purchase contracts, share purchase units, debt securities, warrants, rights and units, of which $56 million will remain available for sale following the offering and as of the date of this prospectus supplement, excluding the shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants issued in this offering.
The two parts of this document include: (1) this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific details regarding this offering; and (2) the accompanying base prospectus, which provides a general description of the securities that we may offer, some of which may not apply to this offering. Generally, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to both documents combined. If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying base prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus supplement together with the additional information described below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Documents by Reference.”
Any statement made in this prospectus supplement or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus supplement to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus supplement or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statements so modified or superseded will be deemed not to constitute a part of this prospectus supplement except as so modified or superseded. In addition, to the extent of any inconsistencies between the statements in this prospectus supplement and similar statements in any previously filed report incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, the statements in this prospectus supplement will be deemed to modify and supersede such prior statements.
The registration statement that contains this prospectus supplement, including the exhibits to the registration statement and the information incorporated by reference, contains additional information about the securities offered under this prospectus supplement. That registration statement can be read on the SEC’s website or at the SEC’s offices mentioned below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
We are responsible for the information contained and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus and any related free writing prospectus that we prepare or authorize. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with different or additional information, and we take no responsibility for any other information that others may give you. If you receive any other information, you should not rely on it.
This prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which this prospectus supplement relates, nor do this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction.
You should not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus is accurate at any date other than the date indicated on the cover page of this prospectus supplement or that any information that we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference. Our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects may have changed since that date.
You should not rely on or assume the accuracy of any representation or warranty in any agreement that we have filed in connection with this offering or that we may otherwise publicly file in the future because any such representation or warranty may be subject to exceptions and qualifications contained in separate disclosure schedules, may represent the applicable parties’ risk allocation in the particular transaction, may be qualified by materiality standards that differ from what may be viewed as material for securities law purposes or may no longer continue to be true as of any given date.
Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus to the “Company,” “TDH,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer to TDH Holdings, Inc.
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CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including the documents referred to or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or statements of our management referring to our summarizing the contents of this prospectus, include “forward-looking statements”. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project” and other similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations or other characterizations of future events or circumstances are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC include, but are not necessarily limited to, those relating to:
● | risks and uncertainties associated with the integration of the assets and operations we have acquired and may acquire in the future; | |
● | our possible inability to raise or generate additional funds that will be necessary to continue and expand our operations; |
● | our potential lack of revenue growth; |
● | our potential inability to add new products and services that will be necessary to generate increased sales; |
● | our potential lack of cash flows; |
● | our potential loss of key personnel; |
● | the availability of qualified personnel; |
● | international, national regional and local economic political changes; |
● | general economic and market conditions; |
● | increases in operating expenses associated with the growth of our operations; |
● | the potential for increased competition; and |
● | other unanticipated factors. |
The foregoing does not represent an exhaustive list of matters that may be covered by the forward-looking statements contained herein or risk factors that we are faced with that may cause our actual results to differ from those anticipate in our forward-looking statements. Please see “Risk Factors” in our reports filed with the SEC or in a prospectus supplement related to this prospectus for additional risks which could adversely impact our business and financial performance.
Moreover, new risks regularly emerge and it is not possible for our management to predict or articulate all risks we face, nor can we assess the impact of all risks on our business or the extent to which any risk, or combination of risks, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this prospectus are based on information available to us on the date of this prospectus. Except to the extent required by applicable laws or rules, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained above and throughout (or incorporated by reference in) this prospectus.
S-2
The following summary highlights selected information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This summary does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in the securities. Before making an investment decision, you should read the entire prospectus and any supplement hereto carefully, including the risk factors section as well as the financial statements and the notes to the financial statements incorporated herein by reference.
In this prospectus and any amendment or supplement hereto, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “TDH”, the “Company”, “we”, “us”, and “our” refer and relate to TDH Holdings, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Our Company
We started our company in 2002 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, PRC with a single mission of becoming a premier producer of high-quality pet food for pet owners in China and worldwide. Historically, our growth has been driven by two key factors: a significant increase in the number of pet owners and in the size of the pet food market in China which translated into expansion opportunities for us, and a fundamental change in Chinese society towards pets, pet ownership and care, such that the trends of pet humanization and consumer concerns for pet health and wellness have created a dynamically growing industry for pet food and products. We price our products to be accessible to the average consumer, providing us with broad demographic appeal and allowing us to penetrate multiple market segments.
The pet food market consists of dog food and cat food sales. Food sales are further categorized as dry food, wet food and treats:
● | Dry food is the primary food form for both dogs and cats, with the same formula typically purchased regularly. Veterinarians recommend dry food for healthy pets as the main meal, which is better for pets’ teeth, has better economic value and is more convenient to handle and store |
● | Wet food has higher penetration among cats as compared to dogs, as it helps to ensure that cats meet their required water intake. Most cat owners feed their cats a combination of dry and wet foods as main meals, while most dog owners feed their dogs wet foods as a treat or topper to provide variety |
● | Treats are typically impulse purchases by pet owners made alongside staple, main meal dry and wet food purchases. Many treats have dental and training benefits and also serve as nutritional supplements. Dog and cat treats have been growing rapidly over the last decade driven by the humanization trend with pet owners indulging their pets more, including by purchasing treats as gifts. |
Product research and innovation is pivotal to our growth strategy. Our experienced team of marketing and R&D professionals is in constant contact with our outside collaborators and experts. The success of our approach is evidenced by our broad product portfolio today. Although our R&D expense decreased in 2020, we strive to maintain a strong innovation pipeline that expands the breadth of our current product offerings.
We offer in excess of 200 products, including dry meat treats, pet biscuits, canned food and other products (including non-food items like dog leashes and pet toys) under multiple brands in various geographical markets. Currently, we offer 4 product lines including the following:
● | Pet chews represent approximately 20% of our production and include various bones, rawhide and similar products, |
● | Dried pet snacks represent approximately 66.6% of our production and include various fillets, strips and jerkies (chicken, duck, pork, lamb, etc.), |
● | Wet canned pet foods represent approximately 8.6% of our production and include various fillets, strips and jerkies (chicken, duck, pork, lamb, etc.), |
● | Dental health snacks foods account for approximately 4.8% of our production. |
We manufacture these products at our Pude facility with 4 production lines: dried meat, chews, wet canned, and dentifrice products.
These food products vary from those consisting of a single protein ingredient (e.g., duck jerky) to those consisting of a combination of protein and other ingredients (e.g., twisted cod and chicken sandwich roll that includes chicken, cod and Vitamin E). Our proprietary recipes include fresh meat (beef, chicken, lamb, and fish) and varying combinations of vitamin-rich vegetables, and anti-oxidant rich fruits. We believe our products appeal to diverse consumer needs and resonate across a broad cross-section of pet owner demographics. Our products are available in multiple forms, including slice and serve rolls, strips, tubs, etc.
● | The Pude facility maintains a production area of 30,565 sq. feet with a 20-year export processing history. We maintain ISO9001, hazard analysis critical Control Points (HACCP), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and International Characteristic Standards (IFS) certification, as well as EU and Japanese registered facilities. The daily production capacity for this facility is approximately 4.6 tons. |
● | The Jiaozhou facility has production area of 30,062 square feet. Our daily production capacity at this facility is approximately 0.8 ton. |
S-3
Corporate Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 2521 Tiejueshan Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86-532-8615-7918. Our Common Shares are traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PETZ.” Our Internet website, www.tiandihui.com, provides a variety of information about our Company. We do not incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information on, or accessible through, our website, and you should not consider it as part of this prospectus. Our annual reports on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) are available, as soon as practicable after filing, at the investors’ page on our corporate website, or by a direct link to its filings on the SEC’s free website.
Common Shares offered by us pursuant to this prospectus supplement | 15,000,000 | |
Common Shares to be outstanding after this offering | 79,949,995 | |
Common Shares to be outstanding after this offering and exercise of all the warrants and outstanding warrants |
129,949,995 | |
Warrants | Warrants to initially purchase 30,000,000 Common Shares will be offered to the investors in this offering. Each Common Share is being sold together with investor warrants to purchase two Common Shares. Each investor warrant may be exercised at any time on or after the date of issuance until the 24th month after the issuance of the warrants. Warrants to be offered to investors in this offering shall have a per share exercise price of $1.47. A holder of the warrants also will have the right to exercise its warrants on a cashless basis. The Common Shares and the accompanying warrants can only be purchased together in this offering but will be issued separately and will be immediately separable upon issuance | |
Use of proceeds | We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering on strategic acquisitions and investments in complementary business. However, we have no current understandings, agreements or commitments for any specific material acquisition at this time. See “Use of Proceeds” on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement. | |
Risk factors | Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk. For a discussion of factors you should consider carefully before deciding to invest in our Common Shares and warrants, see the information contained in or incorporated by reference under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-5 of this prospectus supplement, on page S-3 of the accompanying prospectus, in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and in the other documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. | |
Market for the Common Shares and warrants | Our Common Shares are quoted and traded on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PETZ.” However, there is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any securities exchange. |
Unless specifically stated otherwise, the information in this prospectus supplement excludes:
● | 30,000,000 Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of warrants to be issued in this offering, at a per share exercise price of $1.47 for warrants to be issued to the investors. |
S-4
Before you make a decision to invest in our securities, you should consider carefully the risks described below, together with other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the information incorporated by reference herein and therein. If any of the following events actually occur, our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. This could cause the trading price of our Common Shares to decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also significantly impair our business operations and could result in a complete loss of your investment.
RISKS RELATED TO THIS OFFERING
Since we have some discretion in how we use the proceeds from this offering, we may use the proceeds in ways with which you disagree.
We have not allocated specific amounts of the net proceeds from this offering for any specific purpose. Accordingly, subject to any agreed upon contractual restrictions under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, our management will have some flexibility in applying the net proceeds of this offering. You will be relying on the judgment of our management with regard to the use of these net proceeds, and subject to any agreed upon contractual restrictions under the terms of the purchase agreement, you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the proceeds are being used appropriately. It is possible that the net proceeds will be invested in a way that does not yield a favorable, or any, return for us. The failure of our management to use such funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operating results and cash flow.
There is no minimum offering amount required to consummate this offering.
There is no minimum offering amount which must be raised in order for us to consummate this offering. Accordingly, the amount of money raised may not be sufficient for us to meet our business objectives. Moreover, if only a small amount of money is raised, all or substantially all of the offering proceeds may be applied to cover the offering expenses and we will not otherwise benefit from the offering. In addition, because there is no minimum offering amount required, investors will not be entitled to a return of their investment if we are unable to raise sufficient proceeds to meet our business objectives.
You will experience immediate dilution in the book value per share you purchase.
Because the price per share being offered is substantially higher than the book value per share of our Common Shares, you will suffer substantial dilution in the net tangible book value of the Common Shares and accompanying warrants you purchase in this offering. After giving effect to the sale by us of 15,000,000 Common Shares and accompanying warrants in this offering, and based on a public offering price of $0.66 per share and accompanying warrants and a net tangible book value per share of $0.12 as of December 31, 2020, without giving effect to the potential exercise of the warrants being offered by this prospectus supplement, if you purchase securities in this offering, you will suffer immediate and substantial dilution of $0.54 per share in the net tangible book value of the Common Shares purchased. See “Dilution” on page S-10 a more detailed discussion of the dilution you will incur in connection with this offering.
A large number of shares may be sold in the market following this offering, which may significantly depress the market price of our Common Shares.
The Common Shares sold in the offering and the Common Shares issuable on exercise of the accompanying warrants will be freely tradable without restriction or further registration under the Securities Act. As a result, a substantial number of our Common Shares may be sold in the public market following this offering. If there are significantly more Common Shares offered for sale than buyers are willing to purchase, then the market price of our Common Shares may decline to a market price at which buyers are willing to purchase the offered Common Shares and sellers remain willing to sell our Common Shares.
S-5
The Warrants may be dilutive to holders of our Common Shares.
The ownership interest of the existing holders of our Common Shares will be diluted to the extent that the Warrants are exercised. The Common Shares underlying the warrants represented approximately 23% of our Common Shares outstanding as of November 3, 2021 (assuming that the total Common Shares outstanding includes the 15,000,000 Common Shares and the 30,000,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the 20,000,000 Common shares that are issuable upon the exercise of our outstanding warrants).
There is no public market for the warrants to purchase Common Shares in this offering.
There is no established public trading market for the warrants being offered in this offering, and we do not expect a market to develop. In addition, we do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any securities exchange. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.
Holders of warrants purchased in this offering will have no rights as common shareholders until such holders exercise their warrants and acquire our Common Shares.
Until holders of the warrants acquire shares of our Common Shares upon exercise of such warrants, the holders will have no rights with respect to the shares of our Common Shares underlying such warrants. Upon exercise of the warrants, the holders will be entitled to exercise the rights of a common shareholder only as to matters for which the record date occurs after the exercise.
The warrants being offered may not have value.
The warrants being offered by us in this offering have an exercise price of $1.47 per share, subject to certain adjustments, and expire twenty-four (24) months from the date of issuance, after which date any unexercised warrants will expire and have no further value. In the event that the market price of our Common Shares does not exceed the exercise price of the warrants during the period when they are exercisable, the warrants may not have any value.
We face risks related to health epidemics that could impact our sales and operating results.
Our business could be adversely affected by the effects of a widespread outbreak of contagious disease, including the recent outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Any outbreak of contagious diseases, and other adverse public health developments, particularly in China, could have a material and adverse effect on our business operations. These could include disruptions or restrictions on our ability to resume the general shipping agency services, as well as temporary closures of our facilities and ports or the facilities of our customers and third-party service providers. Any disruption or delay of our customers or third-party service providers would likely impact our operating results and the ability of the Company to continue as a going concern. In addition, a significant outbreak of contagious diseases in the human population could result in a widespread health crisis that could adversely affect the economies and financial markets of China and many other countries, resulting in an economic downturn that could affect demand for our services and significantly impact our operating results.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a significant impact on our operations since January 2020 and could materially adversely affect our business and financial results during the 2021 calendar year.
Our ability to manufacture and/or sell our products may be impaired by damage or disruption to our manufacturing, warehousing or distribution capabilities, or to the capabilities of our suppliers, logistics service providers or distributors as a result of the impact from the COVID-19. This damage or disruption could result from events or factors that are impossible to predict or are beyond our control, such as raw material scarcity, pandemics, government shutdowns, disruptions in logistics, supplier capacity constraints, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, fire, terrorism or other events. In December 2019, COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China. In compliance with the government mandates, the Company temporarily closed and its production operations were halted from February 2020 through May 2020. During this closure, employees had only limited access to the Company’s facilities, which led to delayed order manufacturing, assembly and fulfillment. While the spread of the disease has gradually returned under control in China, COVID-19 could adversely affect our business and financial results in 2021 due to the effect of COVID-19 in our customers’ jurisdictions. As a result, there is a possibility that the Company’s revenues and operating cash flows may be significantly lower than expected for fiscal year 2021.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON SHARES
Our Common Shares may be prohibited from being trading on a national exchange under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act if the PCAOB is unable to inspect our auditors for three consecutive years beginning in 2021. The delisting of our Common Shares, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.
The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCA Act, was enacted on December 18, 2020. The HFCA Act states if the SEC determines that a company has filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspection by the PCAOB for three consecutive years beginning in 2021, the SEC shall prohibit the company’s shares from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over the counter trading market in the U.S.
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On March 24, 2021, the SEC adopted interim final rules relating to the implementation of certain disclosure and documentation requirements of the HFCA Act. A company will be required to comply with these rules if the SEC identifies it as having a “non-inspection” year under a process to be subsequently established by the SEC. The SEC is assessing how to implement other requirements of the HFCA Act, including the listing and trading prohibition requirements described above.
Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this prospectus, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. Our auditor is currently subject to PCAOB inspections and PCAOB is able to inspect our auditor. However, the recent developments would add uncertainties to our offering and we cannot assure you whether Nasdaq or regulatory authorities would apply additional and more stringent criteria to us after considering the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures and quality control procedures, adequacy of personnel and training, or sufficiency of resources, geographic reach or experience as it relates to the audit of our financial statements.
The SEC may propose additional rules or guidance that could impact us if our auditor is not subject to PCAOB inspection. For example, on August 6, 2020, the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, or the PWG, issued the Report on Protecting United States Investors from Significant Risks from Chinese Companies to the then President of the United States. This report recommended the SEC implement five recommendations to address companies from jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfil its statutory mandate. Some of the concepts of these recommendations were implemented with the enactment of the HFCA Act. However, some of the recommendations were more stringent than the HFCA Act. For example, if a company’s auditor was not subject to PCAOB inspection, the report recommended that the transition period before a company would be delisted would end on January 1, 2022.
The SEC has announced that the SEC staff is preparing a consolidated proposal for the rules regarding the implementation of the HFCA Act and to address the recommendations in the PWG report. It is unclear when the SEC will complete its rulemaking and when such rules will become effective and what, if any, of the PWG recommendations will be adopted. The implications of this possible regulation in addition to the requirements of the HFCA Act are uncertain. Such uncertainty could cause the market price of our Common Shares to be materially and adversely affected, and our securities could be delisted or prohibited from being traded on the national securities exchange earlier than would be required by the HFCA Act. If our Common Shares are unable to be listed on another securities exchange by then, such a delisting would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Shares when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with a potential delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our Common Shares.
The recent joint statement by the SEC, proposed rule changes submitted by Nasdaq, and an act passed by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, all call for additional and more stringent criteria to be applied to emerging market companies. These developments could add uncertainties to our offering, business operations, share price and reputation.
U.S. public companies that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of intense scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity by investors, financial commentators and regulatory agencies, such as the SEC. Much of the scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity has centered on financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, a lack of effective internal controls over financial accounting, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud.
On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. On April 21, 2020, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton and PCAOB Chairman William D. Duhnke III, along with other senior SEC staff, released a joint statement highlighting the risks associated with investing in companies based in or have substantial operations in emerging markets including China, reiterating past SEC and PCAOB statements on matters including the difficulty associated with inspecting accounting firms and audit work papers in China and higher risks of fraud in emerging markets and the difficulty of bringing and enforcing SEC, Department of Justice and other U.S. regulatory actions, including in instances of fraud, in emerging markets generally.
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On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act requiring a foreign company to certify it is not owned or controlled by a foreign government if the PCAOB is unable to audit specified reports because the company uses a foreign auditor not subject to PCAOB inspection. If the PCAOB is unable to inspect the company’s auditors for three consecutive years, the issuer’s securities are prohibited to trade on a national exchange. On December 2, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act.
On May 21, 2021, Nasdaq filed three proposals with the SEC to (i) apply minimum offering size requirement for companies primarily operating in a “Restrictive Market”, (ii) prohibit Restrictive Market companies from directly listing on Nasdaq Capital Market, and only permit them to list on Nasdaq Global Select or Nasdaq Global Market in connection with a direct listing and (iii) apply additional and more stringent criteria to an applicant or listed company based on the qualifications of the company’s auditors.
As a result of these scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity, the publicly traded stock of many U.S. listed Chinese companies sharply decreased in value and, in some cases, has become virtually worthless. Many of these companies are now subject to shareholder lawsuits and SEC enforcement actions and are conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations. It is not clear what effect this sector-wide scrutiny, criticism and negative publicity will have on us, our offering, business and our share price. If we become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we will have to expend significant resources to investigate such allegations and/or defend our company. This situation will be costly and time consuming and distract our management from developing our growth. If such allegations are not proven to be groundless, we and our business operations will be severely affected and you could sustain a significant decline in the value of our share.
RISKS RELATED TO DOING BUSINESS IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
If the Chinese government chooses to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investment in China based issuers, such action could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
Recent statements by the Chinese government have indicated an intent to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas and/or foreign investments in China-based issuers. The PRC has recently proposed new rules that would require companies collecting or holding large amounts of data to undergo a cybersecurity review prior to listing in foreign countries, a move that would significantly tighten oversight over China based internet giants. Pursuant to Article 6 of the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (Draft for Comments), companies holding data on more than 1 million users must now apply for cybersecurity approval when seeking listings in other nations due to the risk that such data and personal information could be “affected, controlled, and maliciously exploited by foreign governments.”
Our business belongs to the pet food industry in China, which does not involve the collection of user data, implicate cybersecurity, or involve any other type of restricted industry. Based on the advice of our PRC counsel, Guo Rui Law Firm, and our understanding of currently applicable PRC laws and regulations, our registered public offering in the U.S. is not subject to the review or prior approval of the Cyberspace Administration of China (the “CAC”) or the China Securities Regulatory Commission (the “CRSC”). Uncertainties still exist, however, due to the possibility that laws, regulations, or policies in the PRC could change rapidly in the future. Any future action by the PRC government expanding the categories of industries and companies whose foreign securities offerings are subject to review by the CRSC or the CAC could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless.
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It may be difficult for overseas shareholders and/or regulators to conduct investigations or collect evidence within China.
Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigation initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, or Article 177, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the territory of the PRC. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase difficulties faced by you in protecting your interests.
Changes in the policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government may be quick with little advance notice and could have a significant impact upon our ability to operate profitably in the PRC.
We conduct all of our operations and all our revenue from pet food sales is generated in the PRC. Accordingly, economic, political and legal developments in the PRC will significantly affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Policies, regulations, rules, and the enforcement of laws of the PRC government can have significant effects on economic conditions in the PRC and the ability of businesses to operate profitably. Our ability to operate profitably in the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in policies by the PRC government, including changes in laws, regulations or their interpretation, particularly those dealing with the Internet, including censorship and other restriction on material which can be transmitted over the Internet, security, intellectual property, money laundering, taxation and other laws that affect our ability to operate our website.
We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares and accompanying warrants offered by this prospectus supplement, after deducting the Placement Agent fee and other estimated expenses of this offering payable by us, will be approximately $8,908,000.
We plan to use the net proceeds from this offering on strategic acquisitions and investments in complementary business. However, we have no current understandings, agreements or commitments for any specific material acquisition at this time. The precise amount and timing of the application of these proceeds will depend on our funding requirements and the availability and costs of other funds. Accordingly, we will retain broad discretion over the use of such proceeds.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our Common Shares. We anticipate that we will retain any earnings to support operations and to finance the growth and development of our business. Therefore, we do not expect to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Any future determination relating to our dividend policy will be made at the discretion of our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and will depend on a number of factors, including future earnings, capital requirements, financial conditions and future prospects and other factors the Board may deem relevant. Payments of dividends to our company are subject to restrictions including primarily the restriction that foreign invested enterprises may only buy, sell and/or remit foreign currencies at those banks authorized to conduct foreign exchange business after providing valid commercial documents.
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The following table sets forth our capitalization as of December 31, 2020:
● | on an actual basis; and |
● | on a pro forma basis to give effect to the sale of 15,000,000 Common Shares and accompanying warrants at the offering price of $0.66 per share and accompanying warrants, after deducting placement agent fees and expenses and estimated offering expenses payable by us. |
As of December 31, 2020 | ||||||||
Actual | Pro forma(1) | |||||||
(in US$) | ||||||||
(Unaudited) | ||||||||
Debts(2) | $ | 9,497,547 | $ | 9,497,547 | ||||
Shareholders’ equity: | ||||||||
Common Shares, $0.001 par value, 200,0000,000 shares authorized | 45,849,995 | 60,849,995 | ||||||
Common Shares, 45,849,995 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020; pro forma reflects 60,849,995 shares issued and outstanding(3) | $ | 45,850 | $ | 60,850 | ||||
Additional paid-in capital | $ | 21,963,570 | $ | 30,856,570 | ||||
Statutory reserve | $ | 160,014 | $ | 160,014 | ||||
Retained earnings | $ | (22,849,319 | ) | $ | (22,849,319 | ) | ||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | $ | (212,895 | ) | $ | (212,895 | ) | ||
Total TDH Holdings, Inc. shareholders’ equity | $ | (892,780 | ) | $ | 8,015,220 | |||
Total stockholders’ equity (deficit) | $ | (892,780 | ) | $ | 8,015,220 | |||
Total capitalization | $ | 8,604,767 | $ | 17,512,767 |
(1) | Does not include any potential proceeds from the exercise of warrants issued in this offering at an exercise price of $1.47. |
(2) | The Company was in default of debts in the amount of $9,377,206 as of December 31, 2020. |
(3) | The number of issued and outstanding shares as of December 31, 2020 in the table above excludes, as of such date: |
● | The 19,100,000 Common Shares that have been issued after December 31, 2020 and the 30,000,000 Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants offered in this offering, and the 20,000,000 Common shares issuable upon exercise of outstanding warrants. |
Your ownership interest, as a result of the issuance of the Common Shares in this offering, will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the offering price per Common Share and the pro forma net tangible book value per share of our Common Shares after this offering.
Our historical net tangible book value as of December 31, 2020 was a deficit of $1,901,785, or $(0.04) per Common Share. Historical net tangible book value per share represents the amount of our total tangible assets, less total liabilities, divided by the number of our Common Shares outstanding as of December 31, 2020.
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After giving effect to the sale by us in this offering of 15,000,000 Common Shares and accompanying warrants at a price per share and accompanying warrants of $0.66, after deducting estimated placement agent fees and estimated offering expenses payable by us, our pro forma net tangible book value as of December 31, 2020 would have been approximately $7,006,215, or approximately $0.12 per Common Share. This represents an immediate increase in pro forma net tangible book value of approximately $0.16 per Common Share to our existing Common Shareholders and an immediate dilution in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of approximately $0.54 per Common Share to purchasers in this offering, as illustrated by the following table:
Public offering price per share and accompanying warrant | $ | 0.66 | ||||||
Historical net tangible book value per share as of December 31, 2020 | $ | (0.04) | ||||||
Increase in pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share attributed to the investors purchasing shares issued in this offering | $ | 0.16 | ||||||
Pro forma, as adjusted, net tangible book value per share after giving effect to this offering | $ | 0.12 | ||||||
Dilution to pro forma, as adjusted, net tangible book value per share to new investors purchasing Shares in this offering | $ | 0.54 |
DESCRIPTION OF OUR SECURITIES WE ARE OFFERING
Common Shares
A description of our Common Shares we are offering pursuant to this prospectus supplement is set forth under the heading “Description of Share Capital,” starting on page 5 of the accompanying prospectus. As of November 3, 2021, we had 64,949,995 outstanding Common Shares.
Warrants
The material terms and provisions of the warrants being offered pursuant to this prospectus supplement and being issued to the investors (with some exceptions noted below) are summarized below. The form of warrant will be provided in this offering and will be filed as an exhibit to a Report of Foreign Issuer on Form 6-K with the SEC in connection with this offering.
The warrants to be issued to the investors will have an exercise price of $1.47 per Common Share. The warrants are exercisable on or after the date of issuance and will terminate twenty-four (24) months after the date of issuance. The exercise price and number of Common Shares issuable upon exercise is subject to appropriate adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events, including, but not limited to, stock dividends or splits, business combination, sale of assets, similar recapitalization transactions, or other similar transactions.
There is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any securities exchange. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited.
Holders of the warrants may exercise their warrants to purchase Common Shares on or before the termination date by delivering an exercise notice, appropriately completed and duly signed. Following each exercise of the warrants, the holder is required to pay the exercise price for the number of shares for which the warrant is being exercised in cash. A holder of the warrants also will have the right to exercise its warrants on a cashless basis. Warrants may be exercised in whole or in part, and any portion of a warrant not exercised prior to the termination date shall be and become void and of no value. The absence of an effective registration statement or applicable exemption from registration does not alleviate our obligation to deliver Common Shares issuable upon exercise of a warrant.
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Upon the holder’s exercise of a warrant, we will issue the Common Shares issuable upon exercise of the warrant within two trading days of our receipt of notice of exercise, subject to receipt of payment of the aggregate exercise price therefor.
The Common Shares issuable on exercise of the warrants are duly and validly authorized and will be, when issued, delivered and paid for in accordance with the warrants, issued and fully paid and non-assessable. We will authorize and reserve at least that number of Common Shares equal to 150% of the number of Common Shares issuable upon exercise of all outstanding warrants.
If, at any time a warrant is outstanding, we consummate any fundamental transaction, as described in the warrants and generally including any consolidation or merger into another corporation, or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets, or other transaction in which our Common Shares are converted into or exchanged for other securities or other consideration, the holder of any warrants will thereafter receive, the securities or other consideration to which a holder of the number of Common Shares then deliverable upon the exercise or exchange of such warrants would have been entitled upon such consolidation or merger or other transaction.
The exercisability of the warrants may be limited in certain circumstances if, after giving effect to such exercise, the holder or any of its affiliates would beneficially own (as determined pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) more than 9.99% (as applicable) of our Common Shares.
In the event the volume weighted average price per Common Share exceeds $6.00 for ten consecutive trading days, we may be eligible to required the investors to exercise the warrants by delivering an irrevocable notice of our intention to all of the warrant holders. The number of warrants subject to such demand may be limited by the trading volume of our Common Shares during the three Trading Days prior to delivery of a notice to the holders and by the percentages mentioned in the prior paragraph.
THE HOLDER OF A WARRANT WILL NOT POSSESS ANY RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER UNDER THAT WARRANT UNTIL THE HOLDER EXERCISES THE WARRANT. THE WARRANTS MAY BE TRANSFERRED INDEPENDENT OF THE COMMON SHARES WITH WHICH THEY WERE ISSUED, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE LAWS.
No Market for Warrants
There is no established public trading market for the warrants, and we do not expect a market to develop. We do not intend to apply to list the warrants on any securities exchange. Without an active market, the liquidity of the warrants will be limited. In addition, in the event our Common Share price does not exceed the per share exercise price of the warrants during the period when the warrants are exercisable, the warrants will not have any value.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the common shares is VStock Transfer, LLC, 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, NY 11598.
Listing
Our Common Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PETZ”.
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Placement Agency Agreement and Securities Purchase Agreement
Boustead Securities, LLC, which we refer to as the placement agent, has agreed to act as the exclusive placement agent in connection with this offering subject to the terms and conditions of a placement agency agreement dated as of November 3, 2021. The placement agent is not purchasing or selling any securities offered by this prospectus supplement, nor is it required to arrange the purchase or sale of any specific number or dollar amount of securities, but it has agreed to use its reasonable efforts to arrange for the sale of all of the securities offered hereby.
We will enter into a securities purchase agreement with the purchasers pursuant to which we will sell to the purchasers 15,000,000 Common Shares and warrants to initially purchase up to 30,000,0000 Common Shares, at a price of $0.66 per share and accompanying warrants. We negotiated the price for the securities offered in this offering with the purchasers. The factors considered in determining the price included the recent market price of our Common Shares, the general condition of the securities market at the time of this offering, the history of, and the prospects, for the industry in which we compete, our past and present operations, and our prospects for future revenues.
The placement agent may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, and any fees or commissions received by it and any profit realized on the resale of securities sold by it while acting as principal might be deemed to be underwriting discounts or commissions under the Securities Act. As an underwriter, the placement agent is required to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, Rule 415(a)(4) under the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 and Regulation M under the Exchange Act. These rules and regulations may limit the timing of purchases and sales of Common Shares and warrants by the placement agent. Under these rules and regulations, the placement agent:
● | may not engage in any stabilization activity in connection with our securities; and |
● | may not bid for or purchase any of our securities or attempt to induce any person to purchase any of our securities, other than as permitted under the Exchange Act, until it has completed its participation in the distribution. |
From time to time in the common course of their respective businesses, the placement agent or its affiliates have in the past or may in the future engage in investment banking and/or other services with us and our affiliates for which it has or may in the future receive customary fees and expenses.
Under the securities purchase agreement, we will be precluded from engaging in equity or equity-linked securities offerings for a period of 30 days from closing of the offering, subject to certain exceptions.
We also agreed to indemnify the purchasers against certain losses resulting from our breach of any of our representations, warranties, or covenants under agreements with the purchasers as well as under certain other circumstances described in the securities purchase agreement.
Fees and Expenses
We have agreed to pay the placement agent upon the closing of this offering a cash fee equal to 7% of the aggregate purchase price of the securities offered under this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. In addition, we have agreed to pay a non-accountable expense allowance equal to 1% of the aggregate purchase price of the securities offered under this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. Because there is no minimum offering amount in this offering, the actual total placement agent fees are not presently determinable.
We have agreed to indemnify the placement agent and certain other persons against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. We also have agreed to contribute to payments the placement agent may be required to make in respect of such liabilities.
After deducting fees due to the placement agent and our estimated offering expenses, we expect the net proceeds from this offering to be approximately $8,908,000 million assuming completion of the maximum offering.
Electronic Distribution
A prospectus supplement in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by the placement agent of the offering, or by its affiliates. Other than the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in electronic format, the information on the placement agent’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by the placement agent is not part of this prospectus supplement or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus form a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the placement agent in its capacity as a placement agent and
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Delivery of Common Shares and Warrants
Delivery of our Common Shares and warrants issued and sold in this offering will occur on or before November 3, 2021.
Certain legal matters relating to the offering of Common Shares and accompanying warrants under this prospectus supplement will be passed upon for us by Ogier with respect to matters of British Virgin Islands law, by Haneberg Hurlbert PLC, Richmond, Virginia, with respect to matters of U.S. law and by Guo Rui Law Firm, with respect to matters of PRC law. Certain legal matters in connection with this offering will be passed upon for the placement agent by Sichenzia Ross and Ference LLP, New York, N.Y., with respect to U.S. law.
The consolidated financial statements of our Company for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 appearing in our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 have been audited by MaloneBailey, LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such report given on the authority of such firm as an expert in accounting and auditing.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
All documents filed by the registrant after the date of filing the initial registration statement on Form F-3 of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the effectiveness of such registration statement pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. In addition, the documents we are incorporating by reference as of the date hereof are as follows:
(1) | Our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed on April 26, 2021; |
(2) | All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the end of the fiscal year covered by the Annual Report on Form 20-F referred to in the paragraph above; and |
(3) | The description of our common shares contained in the registration statement on Form 8-A, dated September 14, 2017, File No. 001-38206, and any other amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
Any statement contained in a document we incorporate by reference will be modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus (or in any other document that is subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and incorporated by reference herein prior to the termination of this offering) modifies or is contrary to that previous statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed a part of this prospectus except as so modified or superseded.
You may obtain a copy of these filings, without charge, by writing or calling us at:
TDH HOLDINGS, INC.
c/o Qingdao Tiandihui Foodstuffs Co. Ltd.,
2521 Tiejueshan Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao, Shandong Province
People’s Republic of China
Attention: Investor Relations
Tel: +86-532-8615-7918
You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front page of those documents.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We have filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, with respect to the Common Shares and warrants offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is part of that registration statement and does not contain all the information included in the registration statement.
For further information with respect to our Common Shares, warrants and us, you should refer to the registration statement, its exhibits and the material incorporated by reference therein. Portions of the exhibits have been omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements made in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract, agreement or other document referred to are not necessarily complete. In each instance, we refer you to the copy of the contracts or other documents filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, and these statements are hereby qualified in their entirety by reference to the contract or document.
The registration statement may be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission at Room 1024, Judiciary Plaza, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 and the Regional Offices at the Commission located in the Citicorp Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1400, Chicago, Illinois 60661, and at 233 Broadway, New York, New York 10279. Copies of those filings can be obtained from the Commission’s Public Reference Section, Judiciary Plaza, 100 F Fifth Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 at prescribed rates and may also be obtained from the web site that the Securities and Exchange Commission maintains at http://www.sec.gov. You may also call the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for more information. We file annual, quarterly and current reports and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You may read and copy any reports, statements or other information on file at the Commission’s public reference room in Washington, D.C. You can request copies of those documents upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
DISCLOSURE OF COMMISSION POSITION ON
INDEMNIFICATION FOR SECURITIES LAW VIOLATIONS
British Virgin Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any such provision may be held by the British Virgin Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Under our memorandum and articles of association, we may indemnify our directors, officers and liquidators against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with civil, criminal, administrative or investigative proceedings to which they are party or are threatened to be made a party by reason of their acting as our director, officer or liquidator. To be entitled to indemnification, these persons must have acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interest and, in the case of criminal proceedings, they must have had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling us pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
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PROSPECTUS
$75,000,000
Common Shares, Share Purchase Contracts, Share Purchase Units, Warrants, Debt Securities, Rights and Units
We may offer and sell, from time to time in one or more offerings on terms we may determine at the time of offering, any combination of common shares, warrants, debt securities, rights, share purchase contracts, share purchase units or units having an aggregate initial offering price of up to $75,000,000.
We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information in this prospectus. Before you invest, we urge you to read carefully this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as well as the documents incorporated by reference or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
These securities may be offered and sold in the same offering or in separate offerings; to or through underwriters, dealers, and agents; or directly to purchasers. The names of any underwriters, dealers, or agents involved in the sale of our securities, their compensation and any over-allotment options held by them will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. For a more complete description of the plan of distribution of these securities, see the section entitled “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 18 of this prospectus.
Our common shares are listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PETZ”. On May 11, 2021, the closing sale price of our common shares as reported by the NASDAQ Capital Market was $2.03. We have not offered any securities pursuant to General Instruction I.B.5 of Form F-3 during the prior 12 calendar month period that ends on and includes the date of this prospectus. We will provide information in any applicable prospectus supplement regarding any listing of securities other than our common shares on any securities exchange.
The aggregate market value of our outstanding common shares held by non-affiliates was approximately $85 million based on 54,949,995 shares of outstanding common shares as of the date of this filing, of which 25,568,750 shares are held by non-affiliates, and a per share price of $3.34 based on the closing sale price of our common shares as reported by the Nasdaq Capital Market on March 15, 2021.
This prospectus may not be used to offer or sell our securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement. The information contained or incorporated in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus, or such prospectus supplement, as applicable, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or any sale of our securities.
Investing in our securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully read and consider the risk factors beginning on page 4 of this prospectus and in the applicable prospectus supplement before you make your investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission, British Virgin Islands, nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is May 21, 2021
Table of Contents
We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which it relates, nor does this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on its front cover or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.
i
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) using a shelf registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer from time to time, in one or more offerings, securities having an aggregate initial offering price of up to $75,000,000 (or its equivalent in foreign or composite currencies). This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that may be offered. Each time we offer securities under this shelf registration statement, we will provide you with a prospectus supplement that describes the specific amounts, prices and terms of the securities being offered. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under the caption “Where You Can Find More Information,” before making an investment decision. We have incorporated exhibits into this registration statement. You should read the exhibits carefully for provisions that may be important to you.
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized any person to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus is not an offer to sell securities, and it is not soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, as well as information we have previously filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference, is accurate as of the date on the front of those documents only. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.
We may sell securities through underwriters or dealers, through agents, directly to purchasers or through a combination of these methods. We and our agents reserve the sole right to accept or reject, in whole or in part, any proposed purchase of securities. The prospectus supplement, which we will provide to you each time we offer securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, agents or others involved in the sale of securities and any applicable fee, commission or discount arrangements with them. See the information described below under the heading “Plan of Distribution.”
The terms “we,” “us,” “Company” “our company,” and “our” refers to TDH HOLDINGS, INC., a British Virginia Islands Company and its subsidiaries:
● | TDH HK Limited, a Hong Kong company wholly-owned by TDH HOLDINGS, INC.; |
● | TDH Foods Limited, a Hong Kong company wholly-owned by TDH HOLDINGS, INC.; |
● | TDH Group BVBA, a Belgium company wholly-owned by TDH HOLDINGS, INC., and is currently under bankruptcy proceeding as of the date of this filing; |
● | TDH JAPAN, a Japanese company wholly-owned by TDH HOLDINGS, INC. and has been deregistered and dissolved as of the date of this filing |
● | Qingdao Tiandihui Foodstuffs Co., Ltd., a Chinese limited liability company; |
● | Qingdao Tiandihui Pet Foodstuffs Co., Ltd., a Chinese limited liability company; |
● | Qingdao Tiandihui Foodstuffs Sales Co., Ltd., a Chinese limited liability company; |
● | TDH Petfood LLC, a Nevada limited liability company; and |
● | Beijing Chongai Jiujiu Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. |
● | “shares” “common shares” and “Common Shares” refer to our common shares, $0.001 par value per share; |
● | “China” and “PRC” refer to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purposes of this annual report only, Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong; and |
● | all references to “RMB,” and “Renminbi” are to the legal currency of China, and all references to “USD,” and “U.S. Dollars” are to the legal currency of the United States. |
For the sake of clarity, this annual report follows the English naming convention of first name followed by last name, regardless of whether an individual’s name is Chinese or English. For example, the name of our chief executive officer will be presented as “Dandan Liu”, even though, in Chinese, her name would be presented as “Liu Dandan”.
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Business Overview
We started our company in 2002 in Qingdao, Shandong Province, PRC with a single mission of becoming a premier producer of high-quality pet food for pet owners in China and worldwide. Historically, our growth has been driven by two key factors: a significant increase in the number of pet owners and in the size of the pet food market in China which translated into expansion opportunities for us, and a fundamental change in Chinese society towards pets, pet ownership and care, such that the trends of pet humanization and consumer concerns for pet health and wellness have created a dynamically growing industry for pet food and products. We price our products to be accessible to the average consumer, providing us with broad demographic appeal and allowing us to penetrate multiple market segments.
Our Products
The pet food market consists of dog food and cat food sales. Food sales are further categorized as dry food, wet food and treats:
● | Dry food is the primary food form for both dogs and cats, with the same formula typically purchased regularly. Veterinarians recommend dry food for healthy pets as the main meal, which is better for pets’ teeth, has better economic value and is more convenient to handle and store |
● | Wet food has higher penetration among cats as compared to dogs, as it helps to ensure that cats meet their required water intake. Most cat owners feed their cats a combination of dry and wet foods as main meals, while most dog owners feed their dogs wet foods as a treat or topper to provide variety |
● | Treats are typically impulse purchases by pet owners made alongside staple, main meal dry and wet food purchases. Many treats have dental and training benefits and also serve as nutritional supplements. Dog and cat treats have been growing rapidly over the last decade driven by the humanization trend with pet owners indulging their pets more, including by purchasing treats as gifts. |
Product research and innovation is pivotal to our growth strategy. Our experienced team of marketing and R&D professionals is in constant contact with our outside collaborators and experts. The success of our approach is evidenced by our broad product portfolio today. Although our R&D expense decreased in 2020, we strive to maintain a strong innovation pipeline that expands the breadth of our current product offerings.
We offer in excess of 200 products, including dry meat treats, pet biscuits, canned food and other products (including non-food items like dog leashes and pet toys) under multiple brands in various geographical markets. Currently, we offer 4 product lines including the following:
● | Pet chews represent approximately 20% of our production and include various bones, rawhide and similar products, |
● | Dried pet snacks represent approximately 66.6% of our production and include various fillets, strips and jerkies (chicken, duck, pork, lamb, etc.), |
● | Wet canned pet foods represent approximately 8.6% of our production and include various fillets, strips and jerkies (chicken, duck, pork, lamb, etc.), |
● | Dental health snacks foods account for approximately 4.8% of our production. |
We manufacture these products at our Pude facility with 4 production lines: dried meat, chews, wet canned, and dentifrice products.
These food products vary from those consisting of a single protein ingredient (e.g., duck jerky) to those consisting of a combination of protein and other ingredients (e.g., twisted cod and chicken sandwich roll that includes chicken, cod and Vitamin E). Our proprietary recipes include fresh meat (beef, chicken, lamb, and fish) and varying combinations of vitamin-rich vegetables, and anti-oxidant rich fruits. We believe our products appeal to diverse consumer needs and resonate across a broad cross-section of pet owner demographics. Our products are available in multiple forms, including slice and serve rolls, strips, tubs, etc.
● | The Pude facility maintains a production area of 30,565 sq. feet with a 20-year export processing history. We maintain ISO9001, hazard analysis critical Control Points (HACCP), British Retail Consortium (BRC) and International Characteristic Standards (IFS) certification, as well as EU and Japanese registered facilities. The daily production capacity for this facility is approximately 4.6 tons. |
● | The Jiaozhou facility has production area of 30,062 square feet. Our daily production capacity at this facility is approximately 0.8 ton. |
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SECURITIES WE MAY OFFER
We may offer our common shares, share purchase contracts, share purchase units, warrants, debt securities, rights or units, with a total value of up to $75,000,000 from time to time under this prospectus at prices and on terms to be determined by our board of directors and based on market conditions at the time of any offering. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we offer a type or series of securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will describe the specific amounts, prices and other important terms of the securities, including, to the extent applicable:
● | Designation or classification; |
● | Aggregate offering price; |
● | Rates and times of payment or dividends, if any; |
● | Redemption, conversion, exercise and exchange terms, if any; |
● | Restrictive covenants, if any; |
● | Voting or other rights, if any; |
● | Conversion price, if any; and |
● | Material U.S. federal income tax considerations. |
The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus that we may authorize to be provided to you may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus or in documents we have incorporated by reference. However, no prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.
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Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks described under “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement and in our then most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F, or included in any Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC after the date of this prospectus or Reports on Form 6-K furnished to the SEC after the date of this prospectus, together with all of the other information appearing in this prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement, in light of your particular investment objectives and financial circumstances. Please see “Where You Can Find More Information” on how you can view our SEC reports and other filings. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. When we offer and sell any securities pursuant to a prospectus supplement, we may include additional risk factors that you should carefully consider.
The risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we do not presently know about or that we currently believe are not material may also adversely affect our business. If any of the risks and uncertainties described in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The value of our securities could decline and you may lose some or all of your investment if one or more of these risks and uncertainties develop into actual events. Keep these risk factors in mind when you read forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus, any applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and any document incorporated by reference into this prospectus.
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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus, each prospectus supplement and the information incorporated into this prospectus contain certain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements contained in this prospectus, each prospectus supplement and the information incorporated into this prospectus other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, our business strategy and plans, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, short-term and long-term business operations and objectives, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those described in the “Risk Factors” section. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future events and trends discussed in this annual report may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. We are under no duty to update any of these forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report or to conform these statements to actual results or revised expectations.
The table below sets forth our capitalization as of December 31, 2020
As of | ||||
December 31, | ||||
2020 | ||||
Cash | ||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 6,566,549 | ||
Equity | ||||
Common stock ($0.001 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 45,849,995 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2020) | 45,850 | |||
Additional paid-in capital | 21,963,570 | |||
Statutory reserves | 160,014 | |||
Accumulated deficit | (22,849,319 | ) | ||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss | (212,895 | ) | ||
Total stockholders’ deficit | (892,780 | ) | ||
Total capitalization | $ | (892,780) |
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the five (5) most recently completed fiscal years and any required interim periods will each be specified in a prospectus supplement or in a document we file with the SEC and incorporate by reference pertaining to the issuance, if any, by us of debt securities in the future.
Except as otherwise provided in a prospectus supplement, we expect to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus for general corporate purposes, including for our research and development needs for current and future products, expansion of marketing efforts, and possible acquisitions of complementary assets or businesses. When a particular series of securities is offered, the prospectus supplement relating to that offering will set forth our intended use of the net proceeds received from the sale of those securities.
We were incorporated as an international business company under the International Business Companies Act, 1984, in the British Virgin Islands on September 30, 2015 under the name “TDH HOLDINGS, INC.”, company no. 1891463. As of the date of this prospectus, we have authorized 200,000,000 common shares, of $0.001 par value., of which 54,949,995 shares are issued and outstanding.
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Common Shares
General
All of our issued common shares are fully paid and non-assessable. Certificates representing the common shares are issued in registered form. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the British Virgin Islands may freely hold and vote their common shares.
Listing
Our common shares are listed on The NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “PETZ.”
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for the common shares is VStock Transfer, LLC, 18 Lafayette Place, Woodmere, NY 11598.
Distributions
The holders of our common shares are entitled to such dividends as may be declared by our board of directors subject to the BVI Act.
General meetings of shareholders
Any director of the Company may convene meetings of the Shareholders at such times and in such manner and places within or outside the British Virgin Islands as the director considers necessary or desirable.
Upon the written request of Shareholders entitled to exercise 30 percent or more of the voting rights in respect of the matter for which the meeting is requested the directors shall convene a meeting of Shareholders.
The director convening a meeting shall give not less than 7 days’ notice of a meeting of Shareholders to: (a) those Shareholders whose names on the date the notice is given appear as Shareholders in the register of members and are entitled to vote at the meeting; and (b) the other directors.
Quorum of a meeting of shareholders
A meeting of Shareholders is duly constituted if, at the commencement of the meeting, there are present in person or by proxy not less than one-third (1/3) of the votes of the Shares entitled to vote on Resolutions of Shareholders to be considered at the meeting. A quorum may comprise a single Shareholder or proxy and then such person may pass a Resolution of Shareholders and a certificate signed by such person accompanied where such person be a proxy by a copy of the proxy instrument shall constitute a valid Resolution of Shareholders.
Voting rights
Any action required or permitted to be taken by the shareholders must be effected at a duly called meeting of the shareholders entitled to vote on such action or may be effected by a resolution in writing. At each meeting of shareholders, each shareholder who is present in person or by proxy (or, in the case of a shareholder other than an individual, by its duly authorized representative) will have one vote for each common share that such shareholder holds.
Variation of rights
If at any time the Shares are divided into different classes, the rights attached to any class may only be varied, whether or not the Company is in liquidation, with the consent in writing of or by a resolution passed at a meeting by the holders of not less than 50 percent of the issued Shares in that class.
Rights not varied by the issue of shares pari passu
The rights conferred upon the holders of the Shares of any class shall not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the Shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation or issue of further Shares ranking pari passu therewith.
Liquidation
If we are wound up and the assets available for distribution among our shareholders are more than sufficient to repay all amounts paid to us on account of the issue of shares immediately prior to the winding up, the excess shall be distributable pari passu among those shareholders in proportion to the amount paid up immediately prior to the winding up on the shares held by them, respectively. If we are wound up and the assets available for distribution among the shareholders as such are insufficient to repay the whole of the amounts paid to us on account of the issue of shares, those assets shall be distributed so that, to the greatest extent possible, the losses shall be borne by the shareholders in proportion to the amounts paid up immediately prior to the winding up on the shares held by them, respectively. If we are wound up, the liquidator appointed by us may, in accordance with the BVI Act, divide among our shareholders in specie or kind the whole or any part of our assets (whether they shall consist of property of the same kind or not) and may, for such purpose, set such value as the liquidator deems fair upon any property to be divided and may determine how such division shall be carried out as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders.
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Calls on common shares and forfeiture of common shares
Our board of directors may, on the terms established at the time of the issuance of such shares or as otherwise agreed, make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their common shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified time of payment. The common shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.
Redemption of common shares
Subject to the provisions of the BVI Act, we may issue shares on terms that are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined by our memorandum and articles of association and subject to any applicable requirements imposed from time to time by, the BVI Act, the SEC, the NASDAQ Capital Market, or by any recognized stock exchange on which our securities are listed.
Indemnification of directors and executive officers and limitation of liability
British Virgin Islands law does not limit the extent to which a company’s articles of association may provide for indemnification of officers and directors, except to the extent any provision providing indemnification may be held by the British Virgin Islands courts to be contrary to public policy, such as to provide indemnification against civil fraud or the consequences of committing a crime. Under our memorandum and articles of association, we indemnify against all expenses, including legal fees, and against all judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonably incurred in connection with legal, administrative or investigative proceedings for any person who:
● | is or was a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceedings, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that the person is or was our director; or |
● | is or was, at our request, serving as a director or officer of, or in any other capacity is or was acting for, another body corporate or a partnership, join venture, trust or other enterprise. |
These indemnities only apply if the person acted honestly and in good faith with a view to our best interests and, in the case of criminal proceedings, the person had no reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.
This standard of conduct is generally the same as permitted under the Delaware General Corporation Law for a Delaware corporation. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers or persons controlling us under the foregoing provisions, we have been advised that in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.
Warrants
Description of Warrants
The following description, together with the additional information we may include in any applicable prospectus supplements, summarizes the material terms and provisions of the warrants that we may offer under this prospectus and the related warrant agreements and warrant certificates. While the terms summarized below will apply generally to any warrants that we may offer under this prospectus, we will describe the particular terms of any series of warrants that we may offer in more detail in the applicable prospectus supplement. If we indicate in the prospectus supplement, the terms of any warrants offered under that prospectus supplement may differ from the terms described below. However, no prospectus supplement shall fundamentally change the terms that are set forth in this prospectus or offer a security that is not registered and described in this prospectus at the time of its effectiveness. Specific warrant agreements will contain additional important terms and provisions and will be incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement that includes this prospectus or as an exhibit to a report filed under the Exchange Act.
General
We may issue warrants that entitle the holder to purchase our debt securities, common shares, preference shares, depositary shares or any combination thereof. We may issue warrants independently or together with common shares, preference shares, debt securities, depositary shares or any combination thereof, and the warrants may be attached to or separate from such securities.
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We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms of the series of warrants, including:
● | the offering price and aggregate number of warrants offered; |
● | the currency for which the warrants may be purchased, if not United States dollars; |
● | if applicable, the designation and terms of the securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each such security or each principal amount of such security; |
● | if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related securities will be separately transferable; |
● | in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one warrant and the price at, and currency, if not United States dollars, in which, this principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon such exercise; |
● | in the case of warrants to purchase common shares, preference shares, or depositary shares, the number of shares of common shares, preference shares or depositary shares purchasable upon the exercise of one warrant and the price at which these shares may be purchased upon such exercise; |
● | the effect of any merger, consolidation, sale or other disposition of our business on the warrant agreement and the warrants; |
● | the terms of any rights to redeem or call the warrants; |
● | any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price or number of securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; |
● | the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire; |
● | the manner in which the warrant agreement and warrants may be modified; |
● | federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising the warrants; |
● | the terms of the securities issuable upon exercise of the warrants; and |
● | any other specific terms, preferences, rights or limitations of or restrictions on the warrants. |
Before exercising their warrants, holders of warrants will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities purchasable upon such exercise, including:
● | in the case of warrants to purchase debt securities, the right to receive payments of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, the debt securities purchasable upon exercise or to enforce covenants in the applicable indenture; or |
● | in the case of warrants to purchase common shares, preference shares or depositary shares, the right to receive dividends, if any, or, payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise voting rights, if any. |
Exercise of Warrants
Each warrant will entitle the holder to purchase the securities that we specify in the applicable prospectus supplement at the exercise price that we describe in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we otherwise specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants at any time up to the specified time on the expiration date that we set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
Holders of the warrants may exercise the warrants by delivering the warrant certificate representing the warrants to be exercised together with specified information, and paying the required amount to the warrant agent in immediately available funds, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We will set forth on the reverse side of the warrant certificate and in the applicable prospectus supplement the information that the holder of the warrant will be required to deliver to the warrant agent.
Upon receipt of the required payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue and deliver the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If fewer than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate are exercised, then we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining amount of warrants. If we so indicate in the applicable prospectus supplement, holders of the warrants may surrender securities as all or part of the exercise price for warrants.
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Enforceability of Rights by Holders of Warrants
Each warrant agent will act solely as our agent under the applicable warrant agreement and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust with any holder of any warrant. A single bank or trust company may act as warrant agent for more than one issue of warrants. A warrant agent will have no duty or responsibility in case of any default by us under the applicable warrant agreement or warrant, including any duty or responsibility to initiate any proceedings at law or otherwise, or to make any demand upon us. Any holder of a warrant may, without the consent of the related warrant agent or the holder of any other warrant, enforce by appropriate legal action its right to exercise, and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of, its warrants.
Warrant Agreement Will Not Be Qualified Under Trust Indenture Act
No warrant agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no warrant agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of warrants issued under a warrant agreement will not have the protection of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their warrants
Modification of the Warrant Agreement
The warrant agreements may permit us and the warrant agent, if any, without the consent of the warrant holders, to supplement or amend the agreement in the following circumstances:
● | to cure any ambiguity; |
● | to correct or supplement any provision which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions; or |
● | to add new provisions regarding matters or questions that we and the warrant agent may deem necessary or desirable and which do not adversely affect the interests of the warrant holders. |
Description of Debt Securities
As used in this prospectus, debt securities means the debentures, notes, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness that we may issue from time to time. The debt securities may be either secured or unsecured and will either be senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under one or more separate indentures between us and a trustee to be specified in an accompanying prospectus supplement. Senior debt securities will be issued under a new senior indenture. Subordinated debt securities will be issued under a subordinated indenture. Together, the senior indentures and the subordinated indentures are sometimes referred to in this prospectus as the indentures. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, will describe the terms of a particular series of debt securities.
The statements and descriptions in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement regarding provisions of the indentures and debt securities are summaries thereof, do not purport to be complete and are subject to, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to, all of the provisions of the indentures (and any amendments or supplements we may enter into from time to time which are permitted under each indenture) and the debt securities, including the definitions therein of certain terms.
General
Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the debt securities will be direct unsecured obligations of the Company. The senior debt securities will rank equally with any of our other senior and unsubordinated debt. The subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any senior indebtedness.
Unless otherwise specified in a prospectus supplement, the indentures do not limit the aggregate principal amount of debt securities that we may issue and provide that we may issue debt securities from time to time at par or at a discount, and in the case of the new indentures, if any, in one or more series, with the same or various maturities. Unless indicated in a prospectus supplement, we may issue additional debt securities of a particular series without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series outstanding at the time of the issuance. Any such additional debt securities, together with all other outstanding debt securities of that series, will constitute a single series of debt securities under the applicable indenture.
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Each prospectus supplement will describe the terms relating to the specific series of debt securities being offered. These terms will include some or all of the following:
● | the title of the debt securities and whether they are subordinated debt securities or senior debt securities; |
● | any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities; |
● | the ability to issue additional debt securities of the same series; |
● | the price or prices at which we will sell the debt securities; |
● | the maturity date or dates of the debt securities on which principal will be payable; |
● | the rate or rates of interest, if any, which may be fixed or variable, at which the debt securities will bear interest, or the method of determining such rate or rates, if any; |
● | the date or dates from which any interest will accrue or the method by which such date or dates will be determined; |
● | the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such deferral period, including the maximum consecutive period during which interest payment periods may be extended; |
● | whether the amount of payments of principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on the debt securities may be determined with reference to any index, formula or other method, such as one or more currencies, commodities, equity indices or other indices, and the manner of determining the amount of such payments; |
● | the dates on which we will pay interest on the debt securities and the regular record date for determining who is entitled to the interest payable on any interest payment date; |
● | the place or places where the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest on the debt securities will be payable, where any securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer, exchange or conversion, as applicable, and notices and demands may be delivered to or upon us pursuant to the indenture; |
● | if we possess the option to do so, the periods within which and the prices at which we may redeem the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to optional redemption provisions, and the other terms and conditions of any such provisions; |
● | our obligation, if any, to redeem, repay or purchase debt securities by making periodic payments to a sinking fund or through an analogous provision or at the option of holders of the debt securities, and the period or periods within which and the price or prices at which we will redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and the other terms and conditions of such obligation; |
● | the denominations in which the debt securities will be issued, if other than denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000; |
● | the portion, or methods of determining the portion, of the principal amount of the debt securities which we must pay upon the acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities in connection with an event of default (as described below), if other than the full principal amount; |
● | the currency, currencies or currency unit in which we will pay the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the debt securities, if not United States dollars; |
● | provisions, if any, granting special rights to holders of the debt securities upon the occurrence of specified events; |
● | any deletions from, modifications of or additions to the events of default or our covenants with respect to the applicable series of debt securities, and whether or not such events of default or covenants are consistent with those contained in the applicable indenture; |
● | any limitation on our ability to incur debt, redeem shares, sell our assets or other restrictions; |
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● | the application, if any, of the terms of the indenture relating to defeasance and covenant defeasance (which terms are described below) to the debt securities; |
● | whether the subordination provisions summarized below or different subordination provisions will apply to the debt securities; |
● | the terms, if any, upon which the holders may convert or exchange the debt securities into or for our common shares or other securities or property; |
● | whether any of the debt securities will be issued in global form and, if so, the terms and conditions upon which global debt securities may be exchanged for certificated debt securities; |
● | any change in the right of the trustee or the requisite holders of debt securities to declare the principal amount thereof due and payable because of an event of default; |
● | the depository for global or certificated debt securities; |
● | any special tax implications of the debt securities; |
● | any foreign tax consequences applicable to the debt securities, including any debt securities denominated and made payable, as described in the prospectus supplements, in foreign currencies, or units based on or related to foreign currencies; |
● | any trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars, or other agents with respect to the debt securities; |
● | any other terms of the debt securities not inconsistent with the provisions of the indentures, as amended or supplemented; |
● | to whom any interest on any debt security shall be payable, if other than the person in whose name the security is registered, on the record date for such interest, the extent to which, or the manner in which, any interest payable on a temporary global debt security will be paid if other than in the manner provided in the applicable indenture; |
● | if the principal of or any premium or interest on any debt securities of the series is to be payable in one or more currencies or currency units other than as stated, the currency, currencies or currency units in which it shall be paid and the periods within and terms and conditions upon which such election is to be made and the amounts payable (or the manner in which such amount shall be determined); |
● | the portion of the principal amount of any securities of the series which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the debt securities pursuant to the applicable indenture if other than the entire principal amount; and |
● | if the principal amount payable at the stated maturity of any debt security of the series will not be determinable as of any one or more dates prior to the stated maturity, the amount which shall be deemed to be the principal amount of such securities as of any such date for any purpose, including the principal amount thereof which shall be due and payable upon any maturity other than the stated maturity or which shall be deemed to be outstanding as of any date prior to the stated maturity (or, in any such case, the manner in which such amount deemed to be the principal amount shall be determined). |
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not be listed on any securities exchange and will be issued in fully-registered form without coupons.
Debt securities may be sold at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount, bearing no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the federal income tax consequences and special considerations applicable to any such debt securities. The debt securities may also be issued as indexed securities or securities denominated in foreign currencies, currency units or composite currencies, as described in more detail in the prospectus supplement relating to any of the particular debt securities. The prospectus supplement relating to specific debt securities will also describe any special considerations and certain additional tax considerations applicable to such debt securities.
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Subordination
The prospectus supplement relating to any offering of subordinated debt securities will describe the specific subordination provisions. However, unless otherwise noted in the prospectus supplement, subordinated debt securities will be subordinate and junior in right of payment to any existing senior indebtedness.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, under the subordinated indenture, “senior indebtedness” means all amounts due on obligations in connection with any of the following, whether outstanding at the date of execution of the subordinated indenture, or thereafter incurred or created:
● | the principal of (and premium, if any) and interest due on our indebtedness for borrowed money and indebtedness evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements in respect thereof); |
● | all of our capital lease obligations or attributable debt (as defined in the indentures) in respect of sale and leaseback transactions; |
● | all obligations representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any property or services, which purchase price is due more than six months after the date of placing such property in service or taking delivery and title thereto, except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable or any similar obligation to trade creditors); |
● | all of our obligations in respect of interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements; other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk; and other agreements or arrangements designed to protect against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices; |
● | all obligations of the types referred to above of other persons for the payment of which we are responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and |
● | all obligations of the types referred to above of other persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of ours (whether or not such obligation is assumed by us). |
However, senior indebtedness does not include:
● | any indebtedness which expressly provides that such indebtedness shall not be senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities, or that such indebtedness shall be subordinated to any other of our indebtedness, unless such indebtedness expressly provides that such indebtedness shall be senior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities); |
● | any of our obligations to our subsidiaries or of a subsidiary guarantor to us or any other of our other subsidiaries; |
● | all any liability for federal, state, local or other taxes owed or owing by us or any subsidiary guarantor); |
● | any accounts payable or other liability to trade creditors arising in the ordinary course of business (including guarantees thereof or instruments evidencing such liabilities); |
● | any obligations with respect to any capital stock; |
● | any indebtedness incurred in violation of the indenture, provided that indebtedness under our credit facilities will not cease to be senior indebtedness under this bullet point if the lenders of such indebtedness obtained an officer’s certificate as of the date of incurrence of such indebtedness to the effect that such indebtedness was permitted to be incurred by the indenture; and |
● | any of our indebtedness in respect of the subordinated debt securities. |
Senior indebtedness shall continue to be senior indebtedness and be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions irrespective of any amendment, modification or waiver of any term of such senior indebtedness.
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Unless otherwise noted in an accompanying prospectus supplement, if we default in the payment of any principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any senior indebtedness when it becomes due and payable, whether at maturity or at a date fixed for prepayment or by declaration or otherwise, then, unless and until such default is cured or waived or ceases to exist, we will make no direct or indirect payment (in cash, property, securities, by set-off or otherwise) in respect of the principal of or interest on the subordinated debt securities or in respect of any redemption, retirement, purchase or other requisition of any of the subordinated debt securities.
In the event of the acceleration of the maturity of any subordinated debt securities, the holders of all senior debt securities outstanding at the time of such acceleration, subject to any security interest, will first be entitled to receive payment in full of all amounts due on the senior debt securities before the holders of the subordinated debt securities will be entitled to receive any payment of principal (and premium, if any) or interest on the subordinated debt securities.
If any of the following events occurs, we will pay in full all senior indebtedness before we make any payment or distribution under the subordinated debt securities, whether in cash, securities or other property, to any holder of subordinated debt securities:
● | any dissolution or winding-up or liquidation or reorganization of the Company whether voluntary or involuntary or in bankruptcy; |
● | insolvency or receivership; and |
● | any general assignment by us for the benefit of creditors; or |
● | any other marshaling of our assets or liabilities |
In such event, any payment or distribution under the subordinated debt securities, whether in cash, securities or other property, which would otherwise (but for the subordination provisions) be payable or deliverable in respect of the subordinated debt securities, will be paid or delivered directly to the holders of senior indebtedness in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders until all senior indebtedness has been paid in full. If any payment or distribution under the subordinated debt securities is received by the trustee of any subordinated debt securities in contravention of any of the terms of the subordinated indenture and before all the senior indebtedness has been paid in full, such payment or distribution will be received in trust for the benefit of, and paid over or delivered and transferred to, the holders of the senior indebtedness at the time outstanding in accordance with the priorities then existing among such holders for application to the payment of all senior indebtedness remaining unpaid to the extent necessary to pay all such senior indebtedness in full.
The subordinated indenture does not limit the issuance of additional senior indebtedness.
Events of Default, Notice and Waiver
Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, the following shall constitute “events of default” under the indentures with respect to each series of debt securities:
● | we default for 30 consecutive days in the payment when due of interest on the debt securities; |
● | we default in the payment when due (at maturity, upon redemption or otherwise) of the principal of, or premium, if any, on the debt securities; and |
● | our failure to observe or perform any other of our covenants or agreements with respect to such debt securities for 60 days after we receive notice of such failure; or |
● | certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of the Company; |
● | any other event of default provided with respect to securities of that series. |
Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, if an event of default with respect to any debt securities of any series outstanding under either of the indentures shall occur and be continuing, the trustee under such indenture or the holders of at least 25% (or at least 10%, in respect of a remedy (other than acceleration) for certain events of default relating to the payment of dividends) in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series outstanding may declare, by notice as provided in the applicable indenture, the principal amount (or such lesser amount as may be provided for in the debt securities of that series) of all the debt securities of that series outstanding to be due and payable immediately; provided that, in the case of an event of default involving certain events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, acceleration is automatic; and, provided further, that after such acceleration, but before a judgment or decree based on acceleration, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series may, under certain circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration if all events of default, other than the nonpayment of accelerated principal, have been cured or waived. Upon the acceleration of the maturity of original issue discount securities, an amount less than the principal amount thereof will become due and payable. Reference is made to the prospectus supplement relating to any original issue discount securities for the particular provisions relating to acceleration of maturity thereof.
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Any past default under either indenture with respect to debt securities of any series, and any event of default arising therefrom, may be waived by the holders of a majority in principal amount of all debt securities of such series outstanding under such indenture, except in the case of (1) default in the payment of the principal of (or premium, if any) or interest on any debt securities of such series or (2) certain events of default relating to the payment of dividends.
The trustee is required within 90 days after the occurrence of a default (which is known to the trustee and is continuing), with respect to the debt securities of any series (without regard to any grace period or notice requirements), to give to the holders of the debt securities of such series notice of such default.
The trustee, subject to its duties during default to act with the required standard of care, may require indemnification by the holders of the debt securities of any series with respect to which a default has occurred before proceeding to exercise any right or power under the indentures at the request of the holders of the debt securities of such series. Subject to such right of indemnification and to certain other limitations, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series under either indenture may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee with respect to the debt securities of such series, provided that such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with the applicable indenture and the trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.
No holder of a debt security of any series may institute any action against us under either of the indentures (except actions for payment of overdue principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such debt security or for the conversion or exchange of such debt security in accordance with its terms) unless (1) the holder has given to the trustee written notice of an event of default and of the continuance thereof with respect to the debt securities of such series specifying an event of default, as required under the applicable indenture, (2) the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series then outstanding under such indenture shall have requested the trustee to institute such action and offered to the trustee indemnity reasonably satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request; (3) the trustee shall not have instituted such action within 60 days of such request and (4) no direction inconsistent with such written request has been given to the trustee during such 60-day period by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of that series. We are required to furnish annually to the trustee statements as to our compliance with all conditions and covenants under each indenture.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
We may discharge or defease our obligations under the indenture as set forth below, unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may discharge certain obligations to holders of any series of debt securities issued under either the senior indenture or the subordinated indenture which have not already been delivered to the trustee for cancellation by irrevocably depositing with the trustee money in an amount sufficient to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on such debt securities not previously delivered to the trustee for cancellation, for principal and any premium and interest to the date of such deposit (in the case of debt securities which have become due and payable) or to the stated maturity or redemption date, as the case may be, and we or, if applicable, any guarantor, have paid all other sums payable under the applicable indenture.
If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may elect either (1) to defease and be discharged from any and all obligations with respect to the debt securities of or within any series (except in all cases as otherwise provided in the relevant indenture) (“legal defeasance”) or (2) to be released from our obligations with respect to certain covenants applicable to the debt securities of or within any series (“covenant defeasance”), upon the deposit with the relevant indenture trustee, in trust for such purpose, of money and/or government obligations which through the payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such debt securities to maturity or redemption, as the case may be, and any mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments thereon. As a condition to legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of such debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts and in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such opinion of counsel, in the case of legal defeasance under clause (i) above, must refer to and be based upon a ruling of the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable federal income tax law occurring after the date of the relevant indenture. In addition, in the case of either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance, we shall have delivered to the trustee (1) if applicable, an officer’s certificate to the effect that the relevant debt securities exchange(s) have informed us that neither such debt securities nor any other debt securities of the same series, if then listed on any securities exchange, will be delisted as a result of such deposit and (2) an officer’s certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent with respect to such legal defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with.
We may exercise our defeasance option with respect to such debt securities notwithstanding our prior exercise of our covenant defeasance option.
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Modification and Waiver
Under the indentures, unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, we and the applicable trustee may supplement the indentures for certain purposes which would not materially adversely affect the interests or rights of the holders of debt securities of a series without the consent of those holders. We and the applicable trustee may also modify the indentures or any supplemental indenture in a manner that affects the interests or rights of the holders of debt securities with the consent of the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each affected series issued under the indenture. However, the indentures require the consent of each holder of debt securities that would be affected by any modification which would:
● | reduce the principal amount of debt securities whose holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver; |
● | reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any debt security or, except as provided in any prospectus supplement, alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of the debt securities; |
● | reduce the rate of or change the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any debt security; |
● | waive a default or event of default in the payment of principal of or interest or premium, if any, on, the debt securities (except a rescission of acceleration of the debt securities by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the then outstanding debt securities and a waiver of the payment default that resulted from such acceleration); |
● | make any debt security payable in money other than that stated in the debt securities; |
● | make any change in the provisions of the applicable indenture relating to waivers of past defaults or the rights of holders of the debt securities to receive payments of principal of, or interest or premium, if any, on, the debt securities; |
● | waive a redemption payment with respect to any debt security (except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement); |
● | except in connection with an offer by us to purchase all debt securities, (1) waive certain events of default relating to the payment of dividends or (2) amend certain covenants relating to the payment of dividends and the purchase or redemption of certain equity interest; |
● | make any change to the subordination or ranking provisions of the indenture or the related definitions that adversely affect the rights of any holder; or |
● | make any change in the preceding amendment and waiver provisions. |
The indentures permit the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series issued under the indenture which is affected by the modification or amendment to waive our compliance with certain covenants contained in the indentures.
Payment and Paying Agents
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, payment of interest on a debt security on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name a debt security is registered at the close of business on the record date for the interest.
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Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, principal, interest and premium on the debt securities of a particular series will be payable at the office of such paying agent or paying agents as we may designate for such purpose from time to time. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at our option, payment of any interest may be made by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address appears in the security register.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, a paying agent designated by us will act as paying agent for payments with respect to debt securities of each series. All paying agents initially designated by us for the debt securities of a particular series will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may at any time designate additional paying agents or rescind the designation of any paying agent or approve a change in the office through which any paying agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.
All moneys paid by us to a paying agent for the payment of the principal, interest or premium on any debt security which remain unclaimed at the end of two years after such principal, interest or premium has become due and payable will be repaid to us upon request, and the holder of such debt security thereafter may look only to us for payment thereof.
Denominations, Registrations and Transfer
Unless an accompanying prospectus supplement states otherwise, debt securities will be represented by one or more global certificates registered in the name of a nominee for The Depository Trust Company, or DTC. In such case, each holder’s beneficial interest in the global securities will be shown on the records of DTC and transfers of beneficial interests will only be effected through DTC’s records.
A holder of debt securities may only exchange a beneficial interest in a global security for certificated securities registered in the holder’s name if:
● | we deliver to the trustee notice from DTC that it is unwilling or unable to continue to act as depository or that it is no longer a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act and, in either case, a successor depositary is not appointed by us within 120 days after the date of such notice from DTC; |
● | we in our sole discretion determine that the debt securities (in whole but not in part) should be exchanged for definitive debt securities and deliver a written notice to such effect to the trustee; or |
● | there has occurred and is continuing a default or event of default with respect to the debt securities. |
If debt securities are issued in certificated form, they will only be issued in the minimum denomination specified in the accompanying prospectus supplement and integral multiples of such denomination. Transfers and exchanges of such debt securities will only be permitted in such minimum denomination. Transfers of debt securities in certificated form may be registered at the trustee’s corporate office or at the offices of any paying agent or trustee appointed by us under the indentures. Exchanges of debt securities for an equal aggregate principal amount of debt securities in different denominations may also be made at such locations.
Governing Law
The indentures and debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, without regard to its principles of conflicts of laws, except to the extent the Trust Indenture Act is applicable or as otherwise agreed to by the parties thereto.
Trustee
The trustee or trustees under the indentures will be named in any applicable prospectus supplement.
Conversion or Exchange Rights
The prospectus supplement will describe the terms, if any, on which a series of debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for our common shares or other debt securities. These terms will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option. These provisions may allow or require the number of shares of our common shares or other securities to be received by the holders of such series of debt securities to be adjusted. Any such conversion or exchange will comply with applicable British Virgin Islands law and our Memorandum and Articles of Association.
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Description of Units
We may issue units comprising one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date or occurrence.
The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:
● | the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
● | any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
● | whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form. |
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any units. The preceding description and any description of units in the applicable prospectus supplement does not purport to be complete and is subject to and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the unit agreement and, if applicable, collateral arrangements and depository arrangements relating to such units.
Description of Share Purchase Contracts and Share Purchase Units
We may issue share purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to the holders, a specified number of Common Shares or other securities registered hereunder at a future date or dates, which we refer to in this prospectus as “share purchase contracts.” The price per share of the securities and the number of shares of the securities may be fixed at the time the share purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the share purchase contracts.
The share purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units consisting of a share purchase contract and debt securities, warrants, other securities registered hereunder or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities, securing the holders’ obligations to purchase the securities under the share purchase contracts, which we refer to herein as “share purchase units.” The share purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under the share purchase contracts in a specified manner. The share purchase contracts also may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the share purchase units or vice versa, and those payments may be unsecured or refunded on some basis.
The share purchase contracts, and, if applicable, collateral or depositary arrangements, relating to the share purchase contracts or share purchase units, will be filed with the SEC in connection with the offering of share purchase contracts or share purchase units. The prospectus supplement relating to a particular issue of share purchase contracts or share purchase units will describe the terms of those share purchase contracts or share purchase units, including the following:
● | if applicable, a discussion of material tax considerations; and | |
● | any other information we think is important about the share purchase contracts or the share purchase units. |
Description of Rights
We may issue rights to purchase Common Shares that we may offer to our security holders. The rights may or may not be transferable by the persons purchasing or receiving the rights. In connection with any rights offering, we may enter into a standby underwriting or other arrangement with one or more underwriters or other persons pursuant to which such underwriters or other persons would purchase any offered securities remaining unsubscribed for after such rights offering. Each series of rights will be issued under a separate rights agent agreement to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as rights agent, that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement. The rights agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the rights and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders of rights certificates or beneficial owners of rights.
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The prospectus supplement relating to any rights that we offer will include specific terms relating to the offering, including, among other matters:
● | the date of determining the security holders entitled to the rights distribution; | |
● | the aggregate number of rights issued and the aggregate number of Common Shares purchasable upon exercise of the rights; | |
● | the exercise price; | |
● | the conditions to completion of the rights offering; | |
● | the date on which the right to exercise the rights will commence and the date on which the rights will expire; and | |
● | applicable tax considerations. |
Each right would entitle the holder of the rights to purchase for cash the principal amount of debt securities or Common Shares at the exercise price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Rights may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date for the rights provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, all unexercised rights will become void.
If less than all of the rights issued in any rights offering are exercised, we may offer any unsubscribed securities directly to persons other than our security holders, to or through agents, underwriters or dealers or through a combination of such methods, including pursuant to standby arrangements, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may sell the securities described in this prospectus through underwriters or dealers, through agents, or directly to one or more purchasers or through a combination of these methods. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the offering of the securities, including:
● | the name or names of any underwriters, if any, and if required, any dealers or agents, and the amount of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them, if any; |
● | the public offering price or purchase price of the securities from us and the net proceeds to us from the sale of the securities; |
● | any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers; and |
● | any securities exchange or market on which the securities may be listed. |
We may distribute the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at:
● | a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
● | market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
● | varying prices determined at the time of sale related to such prevailing market prices; or |
● | negotiated prices. |
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Only underwriters named in the prospectus supplement will be underwriters of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement.
If we use underwriters in the sale, the underwriters will either acquire the securities for their own account and may resell the securities from time to time in one or more transactions at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or sell the Shares on a “best efforts, minimum/maximum basis” when the underwriters agree to do their best to sell the securities to the public. We may offer the securities to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters or by underwriters without a syndicate. Any public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may change from time to time.
If we use a dealer in the sale of the securities being offered pursuant to this prospectus or any prospectus supplement, the securities will be sold directly to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by the dealer at the time of resale.
Our Common Shares are listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Unless otherwise specified in the related prospectus supplement, all securities we offer, other than Common Shares, will be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriter may make a market in these securities, but will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We may apply to list any series of warrants or other securities that we offer on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. Therefore, there may not be liquidity or a trading market for any series of securities.
We may sell the securities directly or through agents we designate from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of securities and we will describe any commissions we may pay the agent in the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may authorize agents or underwriters to solicit offers by institutional investors to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in the future. We will describe the conditions to these contracts and the commissions we must pay for solicitation of these contracts in the applicable prospectus supplement.
In connection with the sale of the securities, underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities for whom they act as agents in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and those dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities, and any institutional investors or others that purchase securities directly and then resell the securities, may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
We may provide agents and underwriters with indemnification against particular civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or contribution with respect to payments that the agents or underwriters may make with respect to such liabilities. Agents and underwriters may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business.
In addition, we may enter into derivative transactions with third parties (including the writing of options), or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with such a transaction, the third parties may, pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement or in a post-effective amendment.
To facilitate an offering of a series of securities, persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than have been sold to them by us. In those circumstances, such persons would cover such over-allotments or short positions by purchasing in the open market or by exercising the over-allotment option granted to those persons. In addition, those persons may stabilize or maintain the price of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids, whereby selling concessions allowed to underwriters or dealers participating in any such offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. Such transactions, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time. We make no representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above, if implemented, may have on the price of our securities.
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Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of the securities registered and certain legal matters as to British Virgin Islands law in connection with this offering will be passed upon for us by Ogier, British Virgin Islands counsel to our Company. Additional legal matters may be passed on for us, or any underwriters, dealers or agents, by counsel that we will name in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The consolidated financial statements of our Company appearing in our annual report on Form 20-F for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 have been audited by MaloneBailey, LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in the reports thereon included therein and incorporated herein by reference.
Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
ENFORCEABILITY
OF CIVIL LIABILITIES UNDER UNITED STATES FEDERAL
SECURITIES LAWS AND OTHER MATTERS
We are incorporated under the laws of the British Virgin Islands with limited liability. We are incorporated in the British Virgin Islands because of certain benefits associated with being a British Virgin Islands business company, such as political and economic stability, an effective judicial system, a favorable tax system, the absence of exchange control or currency restrictions and the availability of professional and support services. However, the British Virgin Islands has a less developed body of securities laws as compared to the United States and provides protections for investors to a lesser extent. In addition, British Virgin Islands companies may not have standing to sue before the federal courts of the United States.
Substantially all of our assets are located outside the United States. In addition, a majority of our directors and officers are nationals and/or residents of countries other than the United States, and all or a substantial portion of such persons’ assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult for investors to effect service of process within the United States upon us or such persons or to enforce against them or against us, judgments obtained in United States courts, including judgments predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof.
Our agent for service of process in the United States is Puglisi & Associates, 850 Library Avenue, Suite 204, Newark, DE 19711.
Guo Rui Law Firm, our counsel as to Chinese law, has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of China would (1) recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or such persons predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof, or (2) be competent to hear original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction, against us or such persons predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state thereof.
Guo Rui Law Firm has advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the Chinese Civil Procedure Law. Chinese courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the Chinese Civil Procedure Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or in reciprocity between jurisdictions. China does not have any treaties or other agreements with the British Virgin Islands or the United States that provide for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Notwithstanding the absence of a bilateral agreement with the United States, a provincial intermediate court in China has recognized and enforced a US court judgment. As a result of the absence of treaties and recent changes in court rulings, it is uncertain whether a Chinese court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in either of these two countries.
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We have been advised by Ogier, our counsel as to British Virgin Islands law, that although there is no statutory enforcement in the British Virgin Islands of judgments obtained in U.S. federal or state courts, the courts of the British Virgin Islands will recognize such a foreign judgment and treat it as a cause of action in itself which may be sued upon as a debt at common law so that no retrial of the issues would be necessary if fresh proceedings are brought in the British Virgin Islands to enforce that judgment, provided however that such judgment: (i) is not in respect of penalties, fines, taxes or similar fiscal or revenue obligations of the Company; (ii) is final and for a liquidated sum; (iii) was not obtained in a fraudulent manner; (iv) is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to the public policy in the British Virgin Islands; (v) is not contrary to the principles of natural justice; and (vi) provided that the U.S. federal or state courts had jurisdiction in the matter and the Company either submitted to such jurisdiction or was resident or carrying on business within such jurisdiction and was duly served with process. Non-money judgments from a foreign court are not directly enforceable in the British Virgin Islands. However, it is possible for a non-money judgment from a foreign court to be indirectly enforced by means of a claimant bringing an identical action in the courts of the British Virgin Islands in respect of which a non-money judgment has been made by a foreign court. In appropriate circumstances, the courts of the British Virgin Islands may give effect to issues and causes of action determined by the foreign court, such that those matters need not be retried.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We are a reporting company and file annual, current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. This prospectus does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement or the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement. You may read and copy the registration statement and any document we file with the SEC at the public reference room maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public through the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus the information we file with them. The information we incorporate by reference into this prospectus is an important part of this prospectus. Any statement in a document we have filed with the SEC prior to the date of this prospectus and which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be considered to be modified or superseded to the extent a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. The modified or superseded statement will not be considered to be a part of this prospectus, except as modified or superseded.
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus the information contained in the following documents that we have filed with the SEC pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which is considered to be a part of this prospectus:
● | Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, filed on April 26, 2021; |
● | The description of our Common Shares contained in our Form 8A-12B, filed on September 14, 2017. |
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In addition, we may incorporate by reference into this prospectus our reports on Form 6-K filed after the date of this prospectus (and before the time that all of the securities offered by this prospectus have been sold or de-registered) if we identify in the report that it is being incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Certain statements in and portions of this prospectus update and replace information in the above listed documents incorporated by reference. Likewise, statements in or portions of a future document incorporated by reference in this prospectus may update and replace statements in and portions of this prospectus or the above listed documents.
We also incorporate by reference all additional documents that we file with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are filed (i) after the filing date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to effectiveness of that registration statement or (ii) after the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and prior to the termination of the offering of securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. We are not, however, incorporating, in each case, any documents or information that we are deemed to “furnish” and not file in accordance with SEC rules.
You may obtain a copy of these filings by accessing them pursuant to the directions described above in the section titled “Where You Can Find More Information.” You may also obtain a copy of these filings, without charge, by writing or calling us at:
TDH HOLDINGS, INC.
c/o Qingdao Tiandihui Foodstuffs Co. Ltd.,
2521 Tiejueshan Road, Huangdao District, Qingdao, Shandong Province
People’s Republic of China
Attention: Investor Relations
Tel: +86-532-8615-7918
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TDH HOLDINGS, INC.
$75,000,000
Common Shares, Share Purchase Contracts, Share Purchase Units, Warrants, Debt Securities, Rights and Units
PROSPECTUS
May 21, 2021
We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. This prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which it relates, nor does this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on its front cover or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus is delivered or securities are sold on a later date.