Vistra Operations may redeem either series of the notes if a Tax Credit Event occurs.
Vistra Operations may redeem either series of the notes, at its option, in whole, but not in part, if a Tax Credit Event occurs. A “Tax Credit Event” occurs with respect to a series of notes if, in the reasonable determination of Vistra Operations, there exists a material risk, due to the notes (considered on a standalone basis or together with other debt) having been issued, as part of an original issuance, to one or more “specified foreign entities,” as defined in Section 7701(a)(51)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), that Vistra Operations or any of its affiliates would be unable to utilize or otherwise ineligible to claim any tax credits otherwise allowed under Section 38 of the Code. “Specified foreign entities,” as further defined in Section 7701(a)(51)(B) of the Code, generally include, among other entities: (i) the governments of China, Iran, North Korea or Russia or their agencies or instrumentalities, (ii) certain citizens or nationals of such countries, (iii) entities organized under the laws of, or having their principal place of business in, such countries, (iv) entities controlled by any of the above, including subsidiaries, measured by more than 50% ownership of stock in a corporation, profits interests or capital interests in a partnership, or beneficial interest in another entity, (v) certain Chinese military companies described under Section 1260H of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, (vi) entities specified under section 154(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (which currently includes Contemporary Amperex Technology Company (CATL), BYD Company, Envision Energy, EVE Energy Company, Gotion High tech Company, Hithium Energy Storage Technology Company, or any successor company to the foregoing), (vii) certain companies that violate the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act of 2021, and (viii) entities that the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury (“OFAC”) has included on the list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by OFAC. A redemption of a series of notes for this reason would be at a redemption price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the notes being redeemed, in each case together with accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the date of such redemption.
If a Tax Credit Event occurs, such redemption may adversely affect your anticipated return. Vistra Operations may exercise such redemption rights when prevailing interest rates are relatively low. As a result, you may not be able to reinvest the redemption proceeds in a comparable security at an interest rate as high as that of the notes that are redeemed. See “Description of the Notes—Redemption—Right to Redeem for a Tax Credit Event.”
The terms of the Credit Agreement and the Commodity-Linked Credit Agreement restrict Vistra Operations’ current and future operations, particularly its ability to respond to changes or take certain actions.
That certain Credit Agreement, dated October 3, 2016 (as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time), among Vistra Operations, as borrower, Vistra Intermediate, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent and collateral agent, various lenders and letter of credit issuers party thereto, and the other parties named therein (the “Credit Agreement”), that certain Credit Agreement, dated February 4, 2022 (as amended, restated, modified, renewed, refunded, replaced or refinanced in whole or in part from time to time), among Vistra Operations, as borrower, Vistra Intermediate, the lenders party thereto, Citibank, N.A., as administrative agent and collateral agent, and the other parties named therein (the “Commodity-Linked Credit Agreement”), and certain other debt instruments each contain a number of restrictive covenants that impose operating and financial restrictions on Vistra Operations and may limit Vistra Operations’ ability to engage in acts that may be in its long-term best interest, including restrictions on the incurrence of additional debt, liens on property, investments, dividends, mergers, asset sales, prepayments of certain debt and modifications of organizational documents.
Any future indebtedness may include similar or other restrictive terms. These restrictions could materially and adversely affect Vistra Operations’ ability to finance its future operations and capital needs or its ability to pursue acquisitions or other business activities that may be in its interest.
A breach of the covenants under the Credit Agreement, the Commodity-Linked Credit Agreement or such other debt instrument from time to time could result in an event of default under the agreement governing the relevant indebtedness. Such a default may allow the creditors to accelerate the related debt and may result in the acceleration of any other debt to which a cross-acceleration or cross-default provision applies. If holders of the notes or Vistra Operations’ lenders accelerate the repayment of Vistra Operations’ capital markets indebtedness or bank borrowings, respectively, Vistra Operations and its subsidiaries may not have sufficient assets to repay that indebtedness.