NYSE Euronext 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective October 27, 2010)
This agreement outlines the NYSE Euronext 2006 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended and restated, which allows the company to grant stock-based awards to eligible employees and non-employee directors. The plan is designed to attract, retain, and reward individuals by offering stock options and other equity incentives, aligning their interests with those of shareholders. It defines key terms, eligibility, and the roles of the Board and committees in administering the plan. The plan sets conditions for awards, including definitions of cause for termination and other critical terms.
(a) | to select the Eligible Employees and Non-Employee Directors to whom Awards may from time to time be granted hereunder; | ||
(b) | to determine whether and to what extent Awards, or any combination thereof, are to be granted hereunder to one or more Eligible Employees and Non-Employee Directors; | ||
(c) | to determine the number of shares of Common Stock to be covered by each Award granted hereunder; |
(d) | to determine the terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan, of any Award granted hereunder (including, but not limited to, the exercise or purchase price (if any), any restriction or limitation, any vesting schedule or acceleration thereof, or any forfeiture restrictions or waiver thereof, regarding any Award and the shares of Common Stock relating thereto, based on such factors, if any, as the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion); | ||
(e) | to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances grants of Options and other Awards under this Plan are to operate on a tandem basis and/or in conjunction with or apart from other awards made by the Company outside of this Plan; | ||
(f) | to determine whether and under what circumstances a Stock Option may be settled in cash, Common Stock and/or Restricted Stock under Section 6.3(d); | ||
(g) | to determine whether, to what extent and under what circumstances Common Stock and other amounts payable with respect to an Award under this Plan shall be deferred either automatically or at the election of the Participant in any case, subject to, and in accordance with, Section 409A of the Code; | ||
(h) | to determine whether a Stock Option is an Incentive Stock Option or Non-Qualified Stock Option; | ||
(i) | to determine whether to require a Participant, as a condition of the granting of any Award, to not sell or otherwise dispose of shares acquired pursuant to the exercise of an Award for a period of time as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, following the date of the acquisition of such Award; and | ||
(j) | to offer to buy out an Award previously granted, based on such terms and conditions as the Committee shall establish and communicate to the Participant at the time such offer is made; provided that any such purchase of an Award shall be limited to no more than the fair market value of the Award on the date of such purchase. |
(a) | The Committee may, in its sole discretion, designate employees of the Company and professional advisors to assist the Committee in the administration of this Plan and (to the extent permitted by applicable law and applicable exchange rules) may grant authority to officers to grant Awards and/or execute agreements or other documents on behalf of the Committee. | ||
(b) | The Committee may, in its sole discretion, employ such legal counsel, consultants and agents as it may deem desirable for the administration of this Plan and may rely upon any opinion received from any such counsel or consultant and any computation received from any such consultant or agent. Expenses incurred by the Committee or the Board in the engagement of any such counsel, consultant or agent shall be paid by the Company. The Committee, its members and any person designated pursuant to subsection (a) above shall not be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to this Plan. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, no officer of the Company or member or former member of the Committee or of the Board shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to this Plan or any Award granted under it. |
(a) | General Limitations. The aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued (including as dividends or dividend equivalents with respect to Awards granted under this Plan) or used for reference purposes or with respect to which Awards may be granted under this Plan shall not exceed 11,500,000 shares (subject to any increase or decrease pursuant to Section 4.2), which includes 3,000,000 shares reserved for future grant by the Board in the Merger Agreement. The aggregate number of shares of Common Stock may be either authorized and unissued Common Stock or Common Stock held in or acquired for the treasury of the Company or both. If any Option, Stock Appreciation Right or Other Stock-Based Award granted under this Plan expires, terminates or is canceled for any reason without having been exercised in full, the number of shares of Common Stock underlying any unexercised Award shall again be available for the purpose of Awards under the Plan. If a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right or a Limited Stock Appreciation Right is granted in tandem with an Option, such grant shall only apply once against the maximum number of shares of Common Stock which may be issued under this Plan. | ||
(b) | Individual Participant Limitations. (i) The maximum number of shares of Common Stock subject to any Award of Stock Options, Stock Appreciation Rights, Performance Shares or shares of Restricted Stock for which the grant of such Award or the lapse of the relevant Restriction Period is subject to the attainment of Performance Goals in accordance with Section 8.3(a)(ii) herein which may be granted under this Plan during |
any fiscal year of the Company to each Eligible Employee shall be 600,000 shares per type of Award (which shall be subject to any further increase or decrease pursuant to Section 4.2), provided that the maximum number of shares of Common Stock for all types of Awards does not exceed 600,000 (which shall be subject to any further increase or decrease pursuant to Section 4.2) during any fiscal year of the Company. If a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right is granted or a Limited Stock Appreciation Right is granted in tandem with a Stock Option, it shall apply against the Eligible Employees individual share limitations for both Stock Appreciation Rights and Stock Options; (ii) there are no annual individual Eligible Employee share limitations on Restricted Stock for which the grant of such Award or the lapse of the relevant Restriction Period is not subject to attainment of Performance Goals in accordance with Section 8.3(a)(ii) hereof; (iii) the maximum value at grant of Performance Shares which may be granted under this Plan during any fiscal year of the Company to each Eligible Employee shall be $10,000,000. Each Performance Share shall be referenced to one share of Common Stock and shall be charged against the available shares under this Plan at the time the unit value measurement is converted to a referenced number of shares of Common Stock in accordance with Section 10.1; or (iv) the individual Participant limitations set forth in this Section 4.1(b) shall be cumulative; that is, to the extent that shares of Common Stock for which Awards are permitted to be granted to an Eligible Employee during a fiscal year are not covered by an Award to such Eligible Employee in a fiscal year, the number of shares of Common Stock available for Awards to such Eligible Employee shall automatically increase in the subsequent fiscal years during the term of the Plan until used. |
(a) | The existence of this Plan and the Awards granted hereunder shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Board or the stockholders of the Company to make or authorize (i) any adjustment, recapitalization, reclassification, reorganization or other change in the Companys capital structure or its business, including, without limitation, any stock split, reverse stock split, stock dividend, cash dividend or dividend or distribution of cash, stock or other property, share combination, or similar event affecting the capital structure of the Company, (ii) any merger, consolidation, acquisition of property or shares, separation, spinoff, reorganization, stock rights offering, liquidation, disaffiliation, or similar event affecting the Company or any of its Affiliates (a Corporate Transaction), (iii) any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stock ahead of or affecting the Common Stock, (iv) the dissolution or liquidation of the Company or any Affiliate, (v) any sale or transfer of all or part of the assets or business of the Company or any Affiliate or (vi) any other corporate act or proceeding (Capital Change). |
(b) | Subject to compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, in the event of a Capital Change or Corporate Transaction, the Committee or the Board may in its discretion make such substitutions or adjustments as it deems appropriate and equitable to: (i) the aggregate number and kind of shares of Common Stock or other securities reserved for issuance and delivery under the Plan; (ii) the various maximum limitations set forth in Section 4.1 upon certain types of Awards and upon the grants to individuals of certain types of Awards; (iii) the number and kind of shares of Common Stock or other securities subject to outstanding Awards; and (iv) the exercise price of outstanding Options and Stock Appreciation Rights. In the case of Corporate Transactions, such adjustments may include, without limitation: (x) the cancellation of outstanding Awards in exchange for payments of cash, property or a combination thereof having an aggregate value equal to the value of such Awards, as determined by the Committee or the Board in its sole discretion (it being understood that in the case of a Corporate Transaction with respect to which shareholders of Common Stock receive consideration other than publicly-traded equity securities of the ultimate surviving entity, any such determination by the Committee or the Board that the value of an Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall for this purpose be deemed to equal the excess, if any, of the value of the consideration being paid for each share of Common Stock pursuant to such Corporate Transaction over the exercise price of such Option or Stock Appreciation Right shall conclusively be deemed valid); (y) the substitution of other property (including, without limitation, cash or other securities of the Company and securities of entities other than the Company) for the shares of Common Stock subject to outstanding Awards; and (z) in connection with any disaffiliation, arranging for the assumption of Awards, or replacement of Awards with new awards based on other property or other securities (including, without limitation, other securities of the Company and securities of entities other than the Company), by the affected Subsidiary, Affiliate, or division or by the entity that controls such Subsidiary, Affiliate, or division following such disaffiliation (as well as any corresponding adjustments to Awards that remain based upon Company securities). | ||
(c) | Fractional shares of Common Stock resulting from any adjustment in Awards pursuant to Section 4.2(a) or (b) shall be aggregated until, and eliminated at, the time of exercise by rounding-down for fractions less than one-half and rounding-up for fractions equal to or greater than one-half. No cash settlements shall be made with respect to fractional shares eliminated by rounding. Notice of any adjustment shall be given by the Committee to each Participant whose Award has been adjusted and such adjustment (whether or not such notice is given) shall be effective and binding for all purposes of this Plan. |
(a) | Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock subject to a Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant, provided that the per share exercise price of a Stock Option shall not be less than 100% (or, in the case of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder, 110%) of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant. | ||
(b) | Stock Option Term. The term of each Stock Option shall be fixed by the Committee, provided that no Stock Option shall be exercisable more than 10 years after the date the Option is granted; and provided further that the term of an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Ten Percent Stockholder shall not exceed five years. | ||
(c) | Exercisability. Stock Options shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee at grant. If the Committee provides, in its discretion, that any Stock Option is exercisable subject to certain limitations (including, without limitation, that such Stock Option is exercisable only in installments or within certain time periods), the Committee may waive such limitations on the exercisability at any time at or after grant in whole or in part (including, without limitation, waiver of the installment exercise provisions or acceleration of the time at which such Stock Option may be exercised), based on such factors, if any, as the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, the Option agreement shall provide that (i) in the event the Participant engages in Detrimental Activity prior to any exercise of the Stock Option, all Stock Options held by the Participant shall thereupon terminate and expire, (ii) as a condition of the exercise of a Stock Option, the Participant shall be required to certify (or shall be deemed to have certified) at the time of exercise in a manner acceptable to the Company that the Participant is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and that the Participant has not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, any Detrimental Activity, and (iii) in the event the Participant engages in Detrimental Activity during the one year period commencing on the later of the date the Stock Option is exercised or becomes vested, the Company shall be entitled to recover from the Participant at any time within one year after such exercise or vesting, and the Participant shall pay over to the Company, an amount equal to any gain realized as a result of the exercise (whether at the time of exercise or thereafter). | ||
(d) | Method of Exercise. Subject to whatever installment exercise and waiting period provisions apply under subsection (c) above, to the extent vested, Stock Options may be exercised in whole or in part at any time during the Option term, by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of shares of Common Stock to be purchased. Such notice shall be accompanied by payment in full of the purchase price as |
follows: (i) in cash or by check, bank draft or money order payable to the order of the Company; (ii) solely to the extent permitted by applicable law, if the Common Stock is traded on a national securities exchange, The New York Stock Exchange or quoted on a national quotation system sponsored by the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the Committee authorizes, through a procedure whereby the Participant delivers irrevocable instructions to a broker reasonably acceptable to the Committee to deliver promptly to the Company an amount equal to the purchase price; or (iii) on such other terms and conditions as may be acceptable to the Committee, including, without limitation, the relinquishment of Stock Options or by payment in full or in part in the form of Common Stock owned by the Participant based on the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the payment date as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion. No shares of Common Stock shall be issued until payment therefor, as provided herein, has been made or provided for. | |||
(e) | Non-Transferability of Options. No Stock Option shall be Transferable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution, and all Stock Options shall be exercisable, during the Participants lifetime, only by the Participant. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may determine, in its sole discretion, at the time of grant or thereafter that a Non-Qualified Stock Option that is otherwise not Transferable pursuant to this Section is Transferable to a Family Member in whole or in part and in such circumstances, and under such conditions, as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion. A Non-Qualified Stock Option that is Transferred to a Family Member pursuant to the preceding sentence (i) may not be subsequently Transferred otherwise than by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and (ii) remains subject to the terms of this Plan and the applicable Award agreement. Any shares of Common Stock acquired upon the exercise of a Non-Qualified Stock Option by a permissible transferee of a Non-Qualified Stock Option or a permissible transferee pursuant to a Transfer after the exercise of the Non-Qualified Stock Option shall be subject to the terms of this Plan and the applicable Award agreement. | ||
(f) | Termination by Death or Disability. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if Participants Termination is by reason of death or Disability, all Stock Options that are held by such Participant that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participants Termination may be exercised by the Participant (or, in the case of death, by the legal representative of the Participants estate) at any time within a period of one year from the date of such Termination, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options. |
(g) | Termination due to Retirement. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participants Termination is by Retirement, all unvested Stock Options held by such Participant that would have vested on the first scheduled vesting date next following the Participants Retirement shall immediately vest and become exercisable on the last day of the month immediately preceding the Participants Retirement and all unvested Stock Options shall be forfeited. All Stock Options that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participants Termination due to Retirement may be exercised by the Participant at any time within a period of one year from the date of such Termination due to Retirement, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options; provided, however, if the Participant dies within such exercise period, all unexercised Stock Options held by such Participant shall thereafter be exercisable, to the extent to which they were exercisable at the time of death, for a period of one year from the date of such death, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options. | ||
(h) | Involuntary Termination Without Cause. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participants Termination is by involuntary termination without Cause, all Stock Options that are held by such Participant that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participants Termination may be exercised by the Participant at any time within a period of 90 days from the date of such Termination, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options. | ||
(i) | Voluntary Termination. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participants Termination is voluntary (other than a voluntary termination described in subsection (j)(y) below), all Stock Options that are held by such Participant that are vested and exercisable at the time of the Participants Termination may be exercised by the Participant at any time within a period of 30 days from the date of such Termination, but in no event beyond the expiration of the stated term of such Stock Options. | ||
(j) | Termination for Cause. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, if a Participants Termination (x) is for Cause or (y) is a voluntary Termination (as provided in subsection (i) above) after the occurrence of an event that would be grounds for a Termination for Cause, all Stock Options, whether vested or not vested, that are held by such Participant shall thereupon terminate and expire as of the date of such Termination. | ||
(k) | Unvested Stock Options. Except as provided in Section 6.5(g) or as otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, or if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, Stock Options that are not vested as of |
the date of a Participants Termination for any reason shall terminate and expire as of the date of such Termination. | |||
(l) | Incentive Stock Option Limitations. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time of grant) of the Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options are exercisable for the first time by an Eligible Employee during any calendar year under this Plan and/or any other stock option plan of the Company, any Subsidiary or any Parent exceeds $100,000, such Options shall be treated as Non-Qualified Stock Options. Should any provision of this Plan not be necessary in order for the Stock Options to qualify as Incentive Stock Options, or should any additional provisions be required, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, amend this Plan accordingly, without the necessity of obtaining the approval of the stockholders of the Company. | ||
(m) | Form, Modification, Extension and Renewal of Stock Options. Subject to the terms and conditions and within the limitations of this Plan, Stock Options shall be evidenced by such form of agreement or grant as is approved by the Committee, and the Committee may, in its sole discretion (i) modify, extend or renew outstanding Stock Options granted under this Plan (provided that the rights of a Participant are not reduced without his or her consent and provided further that such action does not subject the Stock Option to Section 409A of the Code), and (ii) accept the surrender of outstanding Stock Options (up to the extent not theretofore exercised) and authorize the granting of new Stock Options in substitution therefor (to the extent not theretofore exercised). Notwithstanding the foregoing, an outstanding Option may not be modified to reduce the exercise price thereof nor may a new Option at a lower price be substituted for a surrendered Option (other than adjustments or substitutions in accordance with Section 4.2), unless such action is approved by the stockholders of the Company. | ||
(n) | Buyout and Settlement Provisions. The Committee may at any time offer to buy out an Option previously granted, based on such terms and conditions as the Committee shall establish and communicate to the Participant at the time that such offer is made; provided that such purchase of an Option shall be limited to no more than the fair market value of the Award on the date of such purchase. | ||
(o) | Early Exercise. The Committee may provide that a Stock Option include a provision whereby the Participant may elect at any time before the Participants Termination to exercise the Stock Option as to any part or all of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Stock Option prior to the full vesting of the Stock Option and such shares shall be subject to the provisions of Article VIII and treated as Restricted Stock. Any unvested shares of Common Stock so purchased may be subject to a repurchase |
option in favor of the Company or to any other restriction the Committee determines to be appropriate. | |||
(p) | Other Terms and Conditions. Stock Options may contain such other provisions, which shall not be inconsistent with any of the terms of this Plan, as the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, deem appropriate. |
(a) | Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock subject to a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant, provided that the per share exercise price of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant. | ||
(b) | Term. A Tandem Stock Appreciation Right or applicable portion thereof granted with respect to a Reference Stock Option shall terminate and no longer be exercisable upon the termination or exercise of the Reference Stock Option, except that, unless otherwise determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion, at the time of grant, a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right granted with respect to less than the full number of shares covered by the Reference Stock Option shall not be reduced until and then only to the extent the exercise or termination of the Reference Stock Option causes the number of shares covered by the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right to exceed the number of shares remaining available and unexercised under the Reference Stock Option. | ||
(c) | Exercisability. Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable only at such time or times and to the extent that the Reference Stock Options to which they relate shall be exercisable in accordance with the provisions of Article VI, and shall be subject to the provisions of Section 6.3(c). |
(d) | Method of Exercise. A Tandem Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised by the Participant by surrendering the applicable portion of the Reference Stock Option. Upon such exercise and surrender, the Participant shall be entitled to receive an amount determined in the manner prescribed in this Section 7.2. Stock Options which have been so surrendered, in whole or in part, shall no longer be exercisable to the extent the related Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights have been exercised. | ||
(e) | Payment. Upon the exercise of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, a Participant shall be entitled to receive up to, but no more than, an amount in cash and/or Common Stock (as chosen by the Committee in its sole discretion at grant, or thereafter if no rights of a Participant are reduced) equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock over the Option exercise price per share specified in the Reference Stock Option agreement, multiplied by the number of shares in respect of which the Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall have been exercised. | ||
(f) | Deemed Exercise of Reference Stock Option. Upon the exercise of a Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, the Reference Stock Option or part thereof to which such Stock Appreciation Right is related shall be deemed to have been exercised for the purpose of the limitation set forth in Article IV of the Plan on the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued under the Plan. | ||
(g) | Non-Transferability. Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be Transferable only when and to the extent that the underlying Stock Option would be Transferable under Section 6.3(e) of the Plan. |
(a) | Exercise Price. The exercise price per share of Common Stock subject to a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be determined by the Committee at the time of grant, provided that the per share exercise price of a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock at the time of grant. | ||
(b) | Term. The term of each Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right shall be fixed by the Committee, but shall not be greater than 10 years after the date the right is granted. |
(c) | Exercisability. Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be exercisable at such time or times and subject to such terms and conditions as shall be determined by the Committee at grant. If the Committee provides, in its discretion, that any such right is exercisable subject to certain limitations (including, without limitation, that it is exercisable only in installments or within certain time periods), the Committee may waive such limitations on the exercisability at any time at or after grant in whole or in part (including, without limitation, waiver of the installment exercise provisions or acceleration of the time at which such right may be exercised), based on such factors, if any, as the Committee shall determine, in its sole discretion. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant, the Award agreement shall provide that (i) in the event the Participant engages in Detrimental Activity prior to any exercise of the Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, all Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights held by the Participant shall thereupon terminate and expire, (ii) as a condition of the exercise of a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right, the Participant shall be required to certify (or shall be deemed to have certified) at the time of exercise in a manner acceptable to the Company that the Participant is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the Plan and that the Participant has not engaged in, and does not intend to engage in, any Detrimental Activity, and (iii) in the event the Participant engages in Detrimental Activity during the one-year period commencing on the later of the date the Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right is exercised or becomes vested, the Company shall be entitled to recover from the Participant at any time within one year after such exercise or vesting, and the Participant shall pay over to the Company, an amount equal to any gain realized as a result of the exercise (whether at the time of exercise or thereafter). | ||
(d) | Method of Exercise. Subject to whatever installment exercise and waiting period provisions apply under subsection (b) above, Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights may be exercised in whole or in part at any time in accordance with the applicable Award agreement, by giving written notice of exercise to the Company specifying the number of Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights to be exercised. | ||
(e) | Payment. Upon the exercise of a Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Right a Participant shall be entitled to receive, for each right exercised, up to, but no more than, an amount in cash and/or Common Stock (as chosen by the Committee in its sole discretion at grant, or thereafter if no rights of a Participant are reduced) equal in value to the excess of the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the date the right is exercised over the Fair Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the date the right was awarded to the Participant. | ||
(f) | Non-Transferability. No Non-Tandem Stock Appreciation Rights shall be Transferable by the Participant otherwise than by will or by the laws of |
descent and distribution, and all such rights shall be exercisable, during the Participants lifetime, only by the Participant. |
(a) | Purchase Price. The purchase price of Restricted Stock shall be fixed by the Committee. Subject to Section 4.3, the purchase price for shares of Restricted Stock may be zero to the extent permitted by applicable law, and, to the extent not so permitted, such purchase price may not be less than par value. |
(b) | Acceptance. Awards of Restricted Stock must be accepted within a period of 60 days (or such other period as the Committee may specify) after the grant date, by executing a Restricted Stock agreement and by paying whatever price (if any) the Committee has designated thereunder. | ||
(c) | Legend. Each Participant receiving Restricted Stock shall be issued a stock certificate in respect of such shares of Restricted Stock, unless the Committee elects to use another system, such as book entries by the transfer agent, as evidencing ownership of shares of Restricted Stock. Such certificate shall be registered in the name of such Participant, and shall, in addition to such legends required by applicable securities laws, bear an appropriate legend referring to the terms, conditions, and restrictions applicable to such Award, substantially in the following form: | ||
The anticipation, alienation, attachment, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge of the shares of stock represented hereby are subject to the terms and conditions (including forfeiture) of the NYSE Euronext (the Company) 2006 Stock Incentive Plan (the Plan) and an Agreement entered into between the registered owner and the Company evidencing the award under the Plan. Copies of such Plan and Agreement are on file at the principal office of the Company. | |||
(d) | Custody. If stock certificates are issued in respect of shares of Restricted Stock, the Committee may require that any stock certificates evidencing such shares be held in custody by the Company until the restrictions thereon shall have lapsed, and that, as a condition of any grant of Restricted Stock, the Participant shall have delivered a duly signed stock power, endorsed in blank, relating to the Common Stock covered by such Award. |
(a) | Restriction Period. The Participant shall not be permitted to Transfer shares of Restricted Stock awarded under this Plan during the period or periods set by the Committee (the Restriction Period) commencing on the date of such Award, as set forth in the Restricted Stock Award agreement and such agreement shall set forth a vesting schedule and any events which would accelerate vesting of the shares of Restricted Stock. Within these limits, based on service, attainment of Performance Goals pursuant to Section 8.3(a)(ii) below and/or such other factors or criteria as the Committee may determine in its sole discretion, the Committee may condition the grant or provide for the lapse of such restrictions in installments in whole or in part, or may accelerate the vesting of all or any part of any Restricted Stock Award and/or waive the deferral limitations for all or any part of any Restricted Stock Award. |
(ii) Objective Performance Goals, Formulae or Standards. If the grant of shares of Restricted Stock or the lapse of restrictions is based on the attainment of Performance Goals, the Committee shall establish the Performance Goals and the applicable vesting percentage of the Restricted Stock Award applicable to each Participant or class of Participants in writing prior to the beginning of the applicable fiscal year or at such later date as otherwise determined by the Committee and while the outcome of the Performance Goals are substantially uncertain. Such Performance Goals may incorporate provisions for disregarding (or adjusting for) changes in accounting methods, corporate transactions (including, without limitation, dispositions and acquisitions) and other similar type events or circumstances. The applicable Performance Goals shall be based on one or more of the performance criteria set forth in Exhibit A hereto. | |||
(b) | Rights as a Stockholder. Except as provided in this subsection (b) and subsection (a) above and as otherwise determined by the Committee, the Participant shall have, with respect to the shares of Restricted Stock, all of the rights of a holder of shares of Common Stock of the Company including, without limitation, the right to receive any dividends, the right to vote such shares and, subject to and conditioned upon the full vesting of shares of Restricted Stock, the right to tender such shares. The Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine at the time of grant that the payment of dividends shall be deferred until, and conditioned upon, the expiration of the applicable Restriction Period. | ||
(c) | Termination. Unless otherwise determined by the Committee at grant or, if no rights of the Participant are reduced, thereafter, subject to the applicable provisions of the Restricted Stock Award agreement and this Plan, upon a Participants Termination for any reason during the relevant Restriction Period, all Restricted Stock still subject to restriction will vest or be forfeited in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the Committee at grant or thereafter. | ||
(d) | Lapse of Restrictions. If and when the Restriction Period expires without a prior forfeiture of the Restricted Stock, the certificates for such shares shall be delivered to the Participant. All legends shall be removed from said certificates at the time of delivery to the Participant, except as otherwise required by applicable law or other limitations imposed by the Committee. |
(a) | Earning of Performance Share Award. At the expiration of the applicable Performance Period, the Committee shall determine the extent to which the performance goals established pursuant to Section 9.2(c) are achieved and the percentage of each Performance Share Award that has been earned. | ||
(b) | Non-Transferability. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Award agreement and this Plan, Performance Shares may not be Transferred during the Performance Period. | ||
(c) | Objective Performance Goals, Formulae or Standards. The Committee shall establish the objective Performance Goals for the earning of Performance Shares based on a Performance Period applicable to each Participant or class of Participants in writing prior to the beginning of the applicable Performance Period or at a later date while the outcome of the Performance Goals are substantially uncertain. Such Performance Goals may incorporate, provisions for disregarding (or adjusting for) changes in accounting methods, corporate transactions (including, without limitation, dispositions and acquisitions) and other similar type events or circumstances. The applicable Performance Goals shall be based on one or more of the performance criteria set forth in Exhibit A hereto. | ||
(d) | Dividend Equivalents. If any cash dividends (whether regular or extraordinary) are paid on shares of Common Stock during the Performance Period applicable to a Participants Award of Performance Shares, the Committee (or its delegate) shall determine, in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and the terms of this Plan and the |
applicable Award agreement, whether such Participant shall be eligible to receive any payments with respect to such dividends and, if so, the terms of such payments, including without limitation (i) the amounts of such payments, (ii) any vesting or forfeiture conditions to such payments and (iii) whether such payments shall be made (x) currently or on a deferred basis, (y) in cash or shares of Common Stock and (z) with respect to the period prior to the vesting of such Award. The Committee (or its delegate) may make such determination at the time of grant of such Award or at any time thereafter (but in all events not later than December 31 of the year prior to the year for which any such payments are made); provided that, if such determination is made after the time of grant, the Participant shall be provided with written notice of such determination, which notice shall constitute an amendment to the applicable Award agreement. | |||
(e) | Payment. Following the Committees determination in accordance with subsection (a) above, shares of Common Stock or, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion, the cash equivalent of such shares shall be delivered to the Eligible Employee or Non-Employee Director, or his legal representative, in an amount equal to such individuals earned Performance Share. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, award an amount less than the earned Performance Share and/or subject the payment of all or part of any Performance Share to additional vesting, forfeiture and deferral conditions as it deems appropriate. | ||
(f) | Termination. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Award agreement and this Plan, upon a Participants Termination for any reason during the Performance Period for a given Award, the Performance Shares in question will vest or be forfeited in accordance with the terms and conditions established by the Committee at grant. | ||
(g) | Accelerated Vesting. Based on service, performance and/or such other factors or criteria, if any, as the Committee may determine, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, at or after grant, accelerate the vesting of all or any part of any Performance Share Award and/or waive the deferral limitations for all or any part of such Award. |
(a) | Non-Transferability. Subject to the applicable provisions of the Award agreement and this Plan, shares of Common Stock subject to Awards made under this Article X may not be Transferred prior to the date on which the shares are issued, or, if later, the date on which any applicable restriction, performance or deferral period lapses. | ||
(b) | Dividend Equivalents. If any cash dividends (whether regular or extraordinary) are paid on shares of Common Stock during the period in which a Participants Award is outstanding, the Committee (or its delegate) shall determine, in accordance with Section 409A of the Code and the terms of this Plan and the applicable Award agreement, whether such Participant shall be eligible to receive any payments with respect to such dividends and, if so, the terms of such payments, including without limitation (i) the amounts of such payments, (ii) any vesting or forfeiture conditions to such payments and (iii) whether such payments shall be made (x) currently or on a deferred basis, (y) in cash or shares of Common Stock and (z) with respect to the period prior to the vesting of such Award. The Committee (or its delegate) may make such determination at the time of grant of such Award or at any time thereafter (but in all events not later than December 31 of the year prior to the year for which any such payments are made); provided that, if such determination is made after the time of grant, the Participant shall be provided with written notice of such determination, which notice shall constitute an amendment to the applicable Award agreement. |
(c) | Vesting. Any Award under this Article X and any Common Stock covered by any such Award shall vest or be forfeited to the extent so provided in the Award agreement, as determined by the Committee, in its sole discretion. | ||
(d) | Price. Common Stock issued on a bonus basis under this Article X may be issued for no cash consideration; Common Stock purchased pursuant to a purchase right awarded under this Article X shall be priced, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion. | ||
(e) | Payment. Form of payment for the Other Stock-Based Award shall be specified in the Award agreement. |
(a) | Grant of RSUs. In connection with the Merger Transaction, the Committee, in its sole discretion, shall authorize the grant of restricted stock units to Eligible Employees on the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 10.3. All such restricted stock units (hereinafter, Merger Transaction RSUs) will be granted on the closing date of the Merger Transaction or as soon as practicable thereafter (the Merger Transaction Grant Date). All Merger Transaction RSUs will be granted subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and each Award will be memorialized in a separate agreement between the Company and the Participant. | ||
(b) | Vesting. All Merger Transaction RSUs shall vest on a cumulative basis, as follows: (i) 50% shall vest immediately on the Merger Transaction Grant Date; (ii) an additional 25% shall vest on the first anniversary of the Merger Transaction Grant Date; and (iii) the balance of each Award (25%) shall vest on the second anniversary of the Merger Transaction Grant Date. | ||
(c) | Distribution. Subject to the provisions of Section 10.3(d), on or as soon as reasonably practicable following the applicable vesting date, the Company shall distribute one share of Common Stock with respect to each Merger Transaction RSU that vests on such date (subject to share adjustment pursuant to Article IV of the Plan, as applicable.) Upon delivery of such shares of Common Stock, all obligations of the Company with respect to each such Merger Transaction RSU shall be satisfied. | ||
(d) | Lock-Up Period. In no event shall any shares of Common Stock subject to a Merger Transaction RSU be distributed prior to the expiration of the Lock-Up Period, as defined in Section 5.1 of the Merger Agreement, which period shall end on the third anniversary of the Merger Transaction Grant Date. |
(e) | Employment Termination. Upon a Participants Termination, other than for Cause, all un-vested Merger Transaction RSUs shall automatically be forfeited and all vested Merger Transaction RSUs shall be distributed as soon as practicable following the expiration of the Lock-Up Period in the manner described in Section 10.3(c) or 10.3(f), as applicable. In the event of a Participants Termination for Cause, all Merger Transaction RSUs, whether or not vested and whether or not payable in Common Stock or cash, shall be forfeited. | ||
(f) | Transfer to NYSE Regulation, Inc. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained in this Article X, if a Participant transfers employment to NYSE Regulation, Inc., any Merger Transaction RSUs granted to such Participant prior to such employment transfer shall automatically be converted from a deferred stock award to a deferred cash award (Cash Award) but shall otherwise continue to be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, including this Article X and the vesting schedule set forth in Section 10.3(b) above and the forfeiture provisions in Section 10.3(e). The value of the Cash Award shall be calculated on the basis of 90% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the effective date of the Participants transfer of employment from the Company or Affiliate to NYSE Regulation, Inc. The Cash Award, which shall be payable from the general assets of the Company, subject to its creditors, shall be paid to the Participant as soon as practicable following the expiration of the Lock-Up Period. The Cash Award payable under this Section 10.3(f) shall be adjusted annually for earnings at a money market fund rate, or at the rate of return on another stable value investment vehicle designed for the preservation of principal, as determined by the Company. Upon payment of the Cash Award to the Participant, all obligations of the Company with respect to the Merger Transaction RSUs granted to such Participant shall be satisfied. | ||
(g) | Other Terms and Conditions. Merger Transaction RSUs may contain such other provisions, which shall not be inconsistent with any of the terms of this Plan, as the Committee shall, in its sole discretion, deem appropriate. Merger Transaction RSUs shall be memorialized in a written agreement between the Company and the Participant. |
(a) | The Awards to a Non-Employee Director shall be subject to Sections 4.2(a), (b) and (c) of the Plan and this Section 11.3. | ||
(b) | If the Company shall not be the surviving corporation in any merger or consolidation, or if the Company is to be dissolved or liquidated, then, unless the surviving corporation assumes the Stock Options or substitutes new Stock Options which are determined by the Board in its sole discretion to be substantially similar in nature and equivalent in terms and value for Stock Options then outstanding, upon the effective date of such merger, consolidation, liquidation or dissolution, any unexercised Stock Options shall expire without additional compensation to the holder thereof; provided, that, the Board shall deliver notice to each Non-Employee Director at least 30 days prior to the date of consummation of such merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation which would result in the expiration of the Stock Options and during the period from the date on which such notice of termination is delivered to the consummation of the merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation, such Participant shall have the right to exercise in full, effective as of such consummation, all Stock Options that are then outstanding (without regard to limitations on exercise otherwise contained in the Stock Options) but contingent on occurrence of the merger, consolidation, dissolution or liquidation, and, provided that, if the contemplated transaction does not take place within a 90 day period after giving such notice for any reason whatsoever, the notice, accelerated vesting and exercise shall be null and void and, if and when appropriate, new notice shall be given as aforesaid. |
(a) | Any individual, entity or group (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) or 14(d)(2) of the Exchange Act)) (a Person) becomes the beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act) of 50.1% or more of either (A) the then outstanding shares of common stock of the Company (the Outstanding Company Common Stock) or (B) the combined voting power of the then outstanding voting securities of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors (the Outstanding Company Voting Securities); provided, however, that, for purposes of this Section 12.2(a), the following acquisitions shall not constitute a Change in Control: (i) any acquisition directly from the Company, (ii) any acquisition by the Company, (iii) any acquisition by any employee benefit plan (or related trust) sponsored or maintained by the Company or any Affiliate or (iv) any acquisition by any corporation pursuant to a transaction that complies with Sections 12.2(c)(i), (ii) and (iii); | ||
(b) | Any time at which individuals who, as of the Effective Date, constitute the Board (the Incumbent Board) cease for any reason to constitute at least a majority of the Board; provided, however, that any individual becoming a director subsequent to the Effective Date whose election, or nomination for election by the Companys stockholders, was approved by a vote of at least a majority of the directors then comprising the Incumbent Board shall be considered as though such individual were a member of the Incumbent Board, but excluding, for this purpose, any such individual whose initial assumption of office occurs as a result of an actual or threatened election contest with respect to the election or removal of directors or other actual or threatened solicitation of proxies or consents by or on behalf of a Person other than the Board; | ||
(c) | Consummation of a reorganization, merger, statutory share exchange or consolidation or similar transaction involving the Company or any of its subsidiaries, a sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or the acquisition of assets or stock of another entity by the Company or any of its subsidiaries (each, a Business Combination), in each case unless, following such Business Combination, (i) all or substantially all of the individuals and entities that were the beneficial owners of the Outstanding Company Common Stock and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities immediately prior to such Business Combination beneficially own, directly or indirectly, more than 50% of the then-outstanding shares of common stock and the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, as the case may be, of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination (including, without limitation, a corporation that, as a result of such transaction, owns the Company or all or substantially all of the Companys assets either directly or through one or more subsidiaries) in substantially the same proportions as their ownership immediately prior to such Business Combination of the |
Outstanding Company Common Stock and the Outstanding Company Voting Securities, as the case may be, (ii) no Person (excluding any corporation resulting from such Business Combination or any employee benefit plan (or related trust) of the Company or such corporation resulting from such Business Combination) beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 50.1% or more of, respectively, the then-outstanding shares of common stock of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination or the combined voting power of the then-outstanding voting securities of such corporation, except to the extent that such ownership existed prior to the Business Combination, and (iii) at least a majority of the members of the board of directors of the corporation resulting from such Business Combination were members of the Incumbent Board at the time of the execution of the initial agreement or of the action of the Board providing for such Business Combination; or | |||
(d) | Approval by the stockholders of the Company of a complete liquidation or dissolution of the Company; |
(a) | increase the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under this Plan pursuant to Section 4.1 (except by operation of Section 4.2); | ||
(b) | increase the maximum individual Participant limitations for a fiscal year under Section 4.1(b) (except by operation of Section 4.2); | ||
(c) | change the classification of Eligible Employees eligible to receive Awards under this Plan; |
(d) | decrease the minimum option price of any Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right; | ||
(e) | extend the maximum option period under Section 6.3; | ||
(f) | alter the Performance Goals for the Award of Restricted Stock, Performance Shares or Other Stock-Based Awards subject to satisfaction of Performance Goals as set forth in Exhibit A; | ||
(g) | award any Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right in replacement of a canceled Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right with a higher exercise price, except in accordance with Section 6.3(m); or | ||
(h) | to the extent applicable to Incentive Stock Options, Section 422 of the Code. In no event may this Plan be amended without the approval of the stockholders of the Company in accordance with the applicable laws of the State of Delaware to increase the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under this Plan, decrease the minimum exercise price of any Stock Option or Stock Appreciation Right, or to make any other amendment that would require stockholder approval under the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, or the rules of any other exchange or system on which the Companys securities are listed or traded at the request of the Company. |
(a) | Unless otherwise determined by the Committee, as long as the Common Stock is listed on a national securities exchange or system sponsored by a |
national securities association, the issue of any shares of Common Stock pursuant to an Award shall be conditioned upon such shares being listed on such exchange or system. The Company shall have no obligation to issue such shares unless and until such shares are so listed, and the right to exercise any Option or other Award with respect to such shares shall be suspended until such listing has been effected. | |||
(b) | If at any time counsel to the Company shall be of the opinion that any sale or delivery of shares of Common Stock pursuant to an Option or other Award is or may in the circumstances be unlawful or result in the imposition of excise taxes on the Company under the statutes, rules or regulations of any applicable jurisdiction, the Company shall have no obligation to make such sale or delivery, or to make any application or to effect or to maintain any qualification or registration under the Securities Act or otherwise, with respect to shares of Common Stock or Awards, and the right to exercise any Option or other Award shall be suspended until, in the opinion of said counsel, such sale or delivery shall be lawful or will not result in the imposition of excise taxes on the Company. | ||
(c) | Upon termination of any period of suspension under this Section 15.6, any Award affected by such suspension which shall not then have expired or terminated shall be reinstated as to all shares available before such suspension and as to shares which would otherwise have become available during the period of such suspension, but no such suspension shall extend the term of any Award. | ||
(d) | A Participant shall be required to supply the Company with any certificates, representations and information that the Company requests and otherwise cooperate with the Company in obtaining any listing, registration, qualification, exemption, consent or approval the Company deems necessary or appropriate. |
PARTICIPANTS TRANSFERRED TO
EMPLOYMENT WITH NYSE REGULATION, INC.
(a) | Forfeiture. The portion of any Award that is not vested at the time of the Affected Participants transfer of employment to NYSE Regulation, Inc. shall automatically be forfeited effective as of such date of transfer. As soon as practicable following the Participants transfer of employment, NYSE Regulation, Inc. shall grant the Participant an award under its cash bonus plan (or other comparable plan then in effect) equal in value to 90% of the Fair Market Value of the forfeited portion of the Award determined as of the date of forfeiture. NYSE Regulation, Inc. shall set the terms and conditions of the new award; provided, however, that the vesting schedule applicable to the new award shall be the same as the vesting schedule that had been applicable to the Award (or portion thereof) required to be forfeited under this Section 19.3. | ||
(b) | Divestiture. An Affected Participant holding vested shares of Common Stock and/or vested but unexercised Awards acquired under the Plan shall be required to take either or both of the following actions, to the extent applicable, within the time periods prescribed herein: (i) the Participant shall sell all vested shares of Common Stock within six months following the effective date of the Participants transfer of employment to NYSE Regulation, Inc. and (ii) the Participant shall exercise the vested portion of all Awards and sell the underlying shares of Common Stock within six months following the effective date of the Participants transfer of employment to NYSE Regulation, Inc. Notwithstanding any contrary provision contained herein, any Participant required to exercise and/or divest shares of Common Stock pursuant to this Article XIX shall not be subject to the transfer and related restrictions in effect during the Lock-Up Period. | ||
(c) | Other Terms and Conditions. Individual Award agreements shall specify such other terms and conditions as the Committee may deem to be necessary to implement the provisions of this Article XIX. |
(a) | enterprise value or value creation targets; | ||
(b) | after-tax or pre-tax profits, including without limitation as attributable to continuing and/or other operations of the Company; | ||
(c) | operational cash flow or economic value added; | ||
(d) | specified objectives with regard to limiting the level of increase in all or a portion of, the Companys bank debt or other long-term or short-term public or private debt or other similar financial obligations of the Company, which may be calculated net of cash balances and/or other offsets and adjustments as may be established by the Committee in its sole discretion; | ||
(e) | earnings per share or earnings per share from continuing operations; | ||
(f) | sales, revenues, net income or earnings before income tax or other exclusions; | ||
(g) | return on capital employed or return on invested capital; | ||
(h) | after-tax or pre-tax return on stockholder equity; | ||
(i) | the fair market value of the shares of the Companys Common Stock; | ||
(j) | the growth in the value of an investment in the Companys Common Stock assuming the reinvestment of dividends; | ||
(k) | a transaction that results in the sale of stock or assets of the Company; | ||
(l) | earnings before interest, taxes plus amortization and depreciation; or | ||
(m) | reduction in expenses. |