Equity (Deficit)

3 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2023

Equity (Deficit)

Equity (Deficit)

G.    Equity (Deficit)

Ferrellgas Partners

Class B Units

On March 30, 2021, Ferrellgas Partners issued 1.3 million Class B Units to the holders of the $357.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 8.625% senior unsecured notes due June 2020 (the “Ferrellgas Partners Notes”) in exchange for such holders’ contribution of the Ferrellgas Partners Notes to Ferrellgas Partners as a capital contribution and in satisfaction of such holders’ claims in respect of the Ferrellgas Partners Notes. The terms of the Class B Units are set forth in the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA entered into by the general partner on March 30, 2021.

Ferrellgas Partners may, subject to certain conditions, issue additional Class A Units to such parties as determined at the discretion of Ferrellgas Partners, upon consent by the holders of the requisite percentage of Class B Units as specified in the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA (the “Requisite Class B Units”), which refers to: (i) if the initial majority holder of Class B Units holds at least 50% of Class B Units, holders of at least 50% of the outstanding Class B Units, or (ii) if the initial majority holder of Class B Units holds less than 50% of Class B Units, holders of at least one-third of the outstanding Class B Units.

Pursuant to the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA, while any Class B Units remain outstanding, any distributions by Ferrellgas Partners to its partners must be made such that the ratio of (i) the amount of distributions made to holders of Class B Units to (ii) the amount of distributions made to holders of Class A Units and the general partner is not less than 6:1.

Once holders of Class B Units receive distributions in the aggregate amount of $357.0 million (which was the outstanding principal amount of the Ferrellgas Partners Notes), the Class B Units will be (i) convertible into Class A Units at the option of Ferrellgas Partners, if that distribution threshold is reached prior to March 30, 2026, the fifth anniversary post-emergence, or (ii) converted automatically into Class A Units, if the distribution threshold is reached on or after March 30, 2026, in each case at the applicable conversion rate set forth in the following table:

Period	Conversion Factor
March 31, 2023 through March 30, 2024	3.50x
March 31, 2024 through March 30, 2025	4.00x
March 31, 2025 through March 30, 2026	5.00x
March 31, 2026 through March 30, 2027	6.00x
March 31, 2027 through March 30, 2028	7.00x
March 31, 2028 through March 30, 2029	10.00x
March 31, 2029 through March 30, 2030	12.00x
March 31, 2030 through March 30, 2031	25.00x

Ferrellgas Partners may redeem the Class B Units through March 30, 2026, in full, at a price equal to an amount that will result in an internal rate of return with respect to the Class B Units equal to the sum of (i) 300 basis points and (ii) the internal rate of return for the Preferred Units as specified in the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA, subject to the minimum redemption price of $302.08 per unit. The total internal rate of return required to redeem the Class B Units is 15.85%, but that amount increases under certain circumstances, including if the operating partnership paid distributions on the Preferred Units in-kind rather than in cash for a certain number of quarters. There have not been any in-kind distributions through October 31, 2023.

During the period through March 30, 2026, after Ferrellgas Partners has distributed $356 million in distributions to holders of the Class B Units, Ferrellgas Partners will have the option to hold cash for six months at either Ferrellgas Partners or Ferrellgas Partners Finance Corp. for the sole purpose of redeeming the Class B Units. However, if the funds held are not used to redeem the Class B Units, the funds must either be distributed to holders of the Class B Units and, if applicable, holders of the Class A Units and the general partner or returned to the operating partnership.

Ferrellgas Partners will only be able to redeem the Class B Units to the extent it receives sufficient distributions from the operating partnership, and the operating partnership is limited in its ability to make distributions by the indentures that govern the 2026 Notes and the 2029 Notes, the Credit Agreement and the OpCo LPA Amendment governing the Preferred Units.

The holders of the Class B Units will have the right to acquire the general partner interests in Ferrellgas Partners and the operating partnership, without the approval of the general partner, Ferrellgas Partners, the holders of the Class A Units or the operating partnership, if the Class B Units are still outstanding and have not been converted to Class A Units by the earlier of (i) a material breach of the covenants in favor of the Class B Units under the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA or the Amended OpCo LPA that is not cured within the time period specified therein and (ii) March 30, 2031.

Board Rights

The holders of Class B Units will be permitted to designate one independent director to the Board of the general partner in accordance with a voting agreement among the general partner, Ferrell Companies, Inc. (“FCI”), the sole stockholder of the general partner, and the holders of the Class B Units and the general partner's bylaws.

Class A Units

As of October 31, 2023 and July 31, 2023, Class A Units were beneficially owned by the following:

	October 31, 2023	July 31, 2023
Public Class A Unitholders (1)	3,480,621	3,480,621
James E. Ferrell (2)	238,172	238,172
Ferrell Companies (3)	1,126,468	1,126,468
FCI Trading Corp. (4)	9,784	9,784
Ferrell Propane, Inc. (5)	2,560	2,560
Total	4,857,605	4,857,605

(1) These Class A Units are traded on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol “FGPR”.

(2) James E. Ferrell was the Chief Executive Officer and President of our general partner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of our general partner through July 31, 2023. Effective August 1, 2023, he became the Executive Chairman of our general partner and the Board of Directors of our general partner. He is a related party. JEF Capital Management owns 237,942 of these Class A Units and is owned by the James E. Ferrell Revocable Trust Two and other family trusts, all of which James E. Ferrell and/or his family members are the trustees and beneficiaries. James E. Ferrell holds all voting common stock of JEF Capital Management. The remaining 230 Class A Units are held by Ferrell Resources Holdings, Inc., which is wholly-owned by the James E. Ferrell Revocable Trust One, for which James E. Ferrell is the trustee and sole beneficiary.

(3) Ferrell Companies is the owner of the general partner and an approximate 23% direct owner of Ferrellgas Partners’ Class A Units and thus a related party. Ferrell Companies also beneficially owns 9,784 and 2,560 Class A Units of Ferrellgas Partners held by FCI Trading Corp. (“FCI Trading”) and Ferrell Propane, Inc. (“Ferrell Propane"), respectively, bringing Ferrell Companies’ total beneficial ownership of Class A Units to 23.4%.

(4) FCI Trading is an affiliate of the general partner and thus a related party.

(5) Ferrell Propane is controlled by the general partner and thus a related party.

Together these Class A Units represent (i) a 99% limited partner economic interest in Ferrellgas Partners, excluding the economic interest attributable to the Class B Units, and (ii) an effective 98% economic interest in the operating partnership, excluding the economic interests attributable to the Class B Units and the Preferred Units. In liquidation, allocations and distributions will be made in accordance with each Class A Unitholder’s positive capital account.

The Class A Units of Ferrellgas Partners represent limited partner interests in Ferrellgas Partners, which give the holders thereof the right to participate in distributions made by Ferrellgas Partners, subject to the rights of holders of Class B Units, and to exercise the other rights or privileges available to such holders under the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA. Under the terms of the Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA, holders of Class A Units have limited voting rights on matters affecting the business of Ferrellgas Partners. Generally, persons or groups owning 20% or more of Ferrellgas Partners’ outstanding Class A Units cannot vote any of their Class A Units in excess of the 20% threshold. However, this limitation does not apply under certain circumstances and does not apply to Class A Units owned by Ferrell Companies, our general partner and its affiliates, and this limitation expires on the later of (a) March 30, 2026 and (b) the conversion of the Class B Units to Class A Units.

The Amended Ferrellgas Partners LPA allows the general partner to issue an unlimited number of additional general and limited partner interests of Ferrellgas Partners for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by the general partner without the approval of any Class A Unitholders.

Partnership distributions

Ferrellgas Partners did not declare or pay any distributions to its Class A Unitholders, Class B Unitholders or the general partner during the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2022. Ferrellgas Partners made aggregate cash distributions of approximately $49.9 million and $100.0 million to its Class B Unitholders during the years ended July 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. See Note M “Net loss per unitholders’ interest” for additional information.

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (“AOCI”)

See Note J “Derivative instruments and hedging activities” for details regarding changes in fair value on risk management financial derivatives recorded within AOCI for the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2022.

Ferrellgas Partners

General partner’s commitment to maintain its capital account

Ferrellgas’ partnership agreements allow the general partner to have an option to maintain its effective 2% general partner interest (excluding the interest attributable to the Class B Units and the Preferred Units) concurrent with the issuance of other additional equity.

During the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2022, the general partner made non-cash contributions of $14.0 thousand to Ferrellgas to maintain its effective 2% general partner interest.

The operating partnership

Partnership distributions

Ferrellgas Partners did not declare or pay any distributions to its Class A Unitholders, Class B Unitholders or the general partner during the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2022.

See additional discussions about transactions with related parties in Note K “Transactions with related parties.”

General partner’s commitment to maintain its capital account

Ferrellgas, L.P.’s partnership agreement allows the general partner to have an option to maintain its 1.0101% general partner interest (excluding the interest attributable to the Preferred Units) concurrent with the issuance of other additional equity.

During the three months ended October 31, 2023 and 2022, the general partner made non-cash contributions of $7.0 thousand to the operating partnership to maintain its 1.0101% general partner interest.