EXECUTION COPY
COMMERCIAL
PAPER DEALER AGREEMENT
4(2) Program - Foreign Issuer and Guaranteed
Among:
AXA FINANCIAL, INC. ("AXA Financial"), as Issuer,
AXA SA ("AXA"), as Issuer and, with respect to Notes issued by AXA
Financial, as
Guarantor (in such capacity, the "Guarantor"), and
CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC. as Dealer.
Concerning Notes to be issued pursuant to an Issuing and Paying
Agency Agreement
dated as of June 3, 2009 among the Issuers, the Guarantor and
JPMorgan Chase
Bank, National Association, as Issuing and Paying Agent
Dated as of
June 3, 2009
COMMERCIAL PAPER DEALER AGREEMENT
4(2) PROGRAM
This agreement (the "Agreement") sets forth the understandings
among each of the
Issuers, the Guarantor and the Dealer, each named on the cover page
hereof, in
connection with the issuance and sale by each of the Issuers of its
short-term
promissory notes (the "Notes") through the Dealer.
AXA, in its capacity as Guarantor, has agreed unconditionally and
irrevocably to
guarantee payment in full of the principal of and interest (if any)
on all Notes
issued by AXA Financial (the "Guaranteed Notes"), pursuant to a
guarantee, dated
the date hereof, in the form of Exhibit D hereto (the
"Guarantee").
Certain terms used in this Agreement are defined in Section 6
hereof.
The Addendum to this Agreement, and any Annexes or Exhibits
described in this
Agreement or such Addendum, are hereby incorporated into this
Agreement and made
fully a part hereof.
1. OFFERS, SALES AND RESALES OF NOTES.
1.1. While
(i) neither of the Issuers has or shall have any obligation
to sell the Notes to the Dealer or to permit the Dealer to
arrange any sale of the Notes for the account of the relevant
Issuer, and (ii) the Dealer has and shall have no obligation to
purchase the Notes
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from any Issuer or to arrange any sale of the Notes for the
account of any Issuer, the parties hereto agree that in any
case
where the Dealer purchases Notes from an Issuer, or arranges
for
the sale of Notes by an Issuer, such Notes will be purchased or
sold by the Dealer in reliance on the representations,
warranties, covenants and agreements of such Issuer, and, in
the
case of Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor, contained herein or
made
pursuant hereto and on the terms and conditions and in the
manner
provided herein.
1.2. So long
as this Agreement shall remain in effect, and in addition
to the limitations contained in Section 1.7 hereof, none of the
Issuers, nor, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor,
shall, without the consent of the Dealer, offer, solicit or
accept offers to purchase, or sell, any Notes except (a) in
transactions with one or more dealers which may from time to
time
after the date hereof become dealers with respect to the Notes
by
executing with the Issuers and the Guarantor, one or more
agreements which contain provisions substantially identical to
those contained in Section 1 of this Agreement, of which each
of
the Issuers hereby undertakes to provide the Dealer prompt
notice
or (b) in transactions with the other dealers listed on the
Addendum hereto, which are executing agreements with each of
the
Issuers and the Guarantor which contain provisions
substantially
identical to Section 1 of this Agreement contemporaneously
herewith. In no event shall either of the Issuers or, in the
case
of Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor, offer, solicit or accept
offers to purchase, or sell, any Notes directly on its own
behalf
in
transactions with persons other than broker-dealers as
specifically permitted in this Section 1.2.
1.3. The
Notes shall be in a minimum denomination of $250,000 or
integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof, will bear such
interest rates, if interest bearing, or will be sold at such
discount from their face amounts, as shall be agreed upon by
the
Dealer and the relevant Issuer and, in the case of Guaranteed
Notes, the Guarantor, shall have a maturity not exceeding 397
days from the date of issuance and may have such terms as are
specified in Exhibit C hereto or the Private Placement
Memorandum. The Notes shall not contain any provision for
extension, renewal or automatic "rollover."
1.4. The
authentication and issuance of, and payment for, the Notes
shall be effected in accordance with the Issuing and Paying
Agency Agreement, and the Notes shall be either individual
physical certificates or book-entry notes evidenced by one or
more master notes (each, a "Master Note") registered in the
name
of The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its nominee, in the
form or forms annexed to the Issuing and Paying Agency
Agreement.
1.5. If the
relevant Issuer and, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the
Guarantor, and the Dealer shall agree on the terms of the
purchase of any Note by the Dealer or the sale of any Note
arranged by the Dealer (including, but not limited to,
agreement
with respect to the date of issue, purchase price, principal
amount, maturity and interest rate or interest rate index and
margin (in the case of interest-bearing Notes) or discount
thereof (in the case of Notes issued on a discount basis), and
appropriate compensation for the Dealer's services hereunder)
pursuant to this Agreement, the Issuer and, in the case of
Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor, shall cause such Note to be
issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of the
Issuing
and Paying Agency Agreement and payment for such Note shall be
made by the purchaser thereof, either directly or through the
Dealer, to the Issuing and
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Paying Agent, for the account of the Issuer. Except as
otherwise
agreed, in the event that the Dealer is acting as an agent and
a
purchaser shall either fail to accept delivery of or make
payment
for a Note on the date fixed for settlement, the Dealer shall
promptly notify the relevant Issuer and, in the case of
Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor, and if the Dealer has
theretofore paid such Issuer for the Note, such Issuer will
promptly return such funds to the Dealer against its return of
the Note to such Issuer, in the case of a certificated Note,
and
upon notice of such failure in
the case of a book-entry Note.
1.6. The
Dealer and each of the Issuers and, in the case of Guaranteed
Notes, the Guarantor, hereby establish and agree to observe the
following procedures in connection with offers, sales and
subsequent resales or other transfers of the Notes:
(a) Offers and sales of the Notes by or through the
Dealer
shall be made only to: (i) investors reasonably believed
by the Dealer to be Qualified Institutional Buyers,
Institutional Accredited Investors and (ii) non-bank
fiduciaries or agents that will be purchasing Notes for
one or more accounts,
each of which is reasonably believed
by the Dealer to be an Institutional Accredited Investor.
(b) Resales and other transfers of the Notes by the
holders
thereof shall be made only in accordance with the
restrictions in the legend described in clause (e) below.
(c) No general solicitation or general advertising shall
be
used in connection with the offering of the Notes. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, without the
prior written approval of the Dealer, none of the Issuers
or, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor shall
issue any press release or place or publish any
"tombstone" or other advertisement relating to the Notes.
(d) No sale of Notes to any one purchaser shall be for
less
than $250,000 principal or face amount, and no Note shall
be issued in a smaller principal or face amount. If the
purchaser is a non-bank fiduciary acting on behalf of
others, each person for whom such purchaser is acting must
purchase at least $250,000 principal or face amount of
Notes.
(e) Offers and sales of the Notes by an Issuer through
the
Dealer acting as agent for such Issuer shall be made in
accordance with Rule 506 under the Securities Act, and
shall be subject to the restrictions described in the
legend appearing on Exhibit A hereto. A legend
substantially to the effect of such Exhibit A shall appear
as part of the Private Placement Memorandum used in
connection with offers and sales of Notes hereunder, as
well as on each
individual certificate representing a Note
and each Master Note representing book-entry Notes offered
and sold pursuant to this Agreement.
(f) The Dealer shall furnish or shall have furnished to
each
purchaser of Notes for which it has acted as the dealer a
copy of the then-current Private Placement Memorandum
unless such purchaser has previously received a copy of
the Private Placement Memorandum as then in effect. The
Private Placement Memorandum shall expressly state that
any person to whom Notes are offered shall have an
opportunity to ask questions of, and receive
information
from AXA regarding the relevant Issuer and, in the case of
Guaranteed Notes, the
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Guarantor and the Dealer and shall provide the names,
addresses and telephone numbers of the persons from whom
information regarding the relevant Issuer and, in the case
of Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor may be obtained.
(g) Each of the Issuers agrees and, in the case of
Guaranteed
Notes, the Issuer and the Guarantor, jointly and
severally, agree for the benefit of the Dealer and each of
the holders and prospective purchasers from time to time
of the Notes that, if at any time such Issuer or, in the
case of Guaranteed Notes, the Issuer or the Guarantor,
shall not be subject to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Exchange Act, such Issuer or, in the case of Guaranteed
Notes, the Issuer and the Guarantor, will furnish, upon
request and at its or their expense, to the Dealer and to
holders and prospective purchasers of Notes information
required by Rule 144A(d)(4)(i) in compliance with Rule
144A(d).
(h) In the event that any Note of an Issuer offered or to
be
offered by the Dealer would be ineligible for resale under
Rule 144A, such Issuer shall immediately notify the Dealer
(by telephone, confirmed in writing) upon becoming aware
of such fact and shall promptly prepare and deliver to the
Dealer an amendment or supplement to the Private Placement
Memorandum describing the Notes
that are ineligible, the
reason for such ineligibility and any other relevant
information relating thereto.
(i) Each of the Issuers and the Guarantor, represents that
it
is not currently issuing commercial paper or guarantees in
the United States market in reliance upon the exemption
provided by Section 3(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Each of
the Issuers and the Guarantor, agrees that, if it shall
issue commercial paper or guarantees after the date hereof
in reliance upon such exemption (a) the proceeds from the
sale of the Notes will be segregated from
the proceeds of
the sale of any such commercial paper by being placed in a
separate account; (b) the relevant Issuer and, in the case
of Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor, will institute
appropriate corporate procedures to ensure that the offers
and sales of notes or guarantees issued by such Issuer or
the Guarantor, as the case may be, pursuant to the Section
3(a)(3) exemption are not integrated with offerings and
sales of Notes or the Guarantee hereunder; and (c) the
relevant Issuer and, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the
Guarantor, will comply with each of the requirements of
Section 3(a)(3) of the Securities Act in selling
commercial paper or other short-term debt securities other
than the Notes in the United States.
1.7. Each of the Issuers and, in the
case of Guaranteed Notes, the
Guarantor, hereby represents and warrants to the Dealer, in
connection with offers, sales and resales of Notes, as follows:
(a) Each of the Issuers and the Guarantor hereby
confirms to the
Dealer that (except as permitted by Section 1.6(i)) within the
preceding six months neither it nor any person other than the
Dealer or the other dealers referred to in
Section 1.2 hereof
acting on its behalf has offered or sold any Notes, or any
substantially similar security of such Issuer or the Guarantor
(including, without limitation, medium-term notes issued by
such Issuer or the Guarantor), to, or solicited offers to buy
any such security from, any person other than the Dealer or the
other dealers referred to in Section 1.2 hereof.
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Each of the Issuers and the Guarantor also agrees that (except
as permitted by Section 1.6(i)), as long as the Notes are being
offered for sale by the Dealer and the other dealers referred
to in Section 1.2 hereof as contemplated hereby and until at
least six months after the offer of Notes hereunder has been
terminated, neither such Issuer nor,
in the case of Guaranteed
Notes, the Guarantor, nor any person other than the Dealer or
the other dealers referred to in Section 1.2 hereof (except as
contemplated by Section 1.2 hereof) will offer the Notes or any
substantially similar security of such Issuer for sale to, or
solicit offers to buy any such security from, any person other
than the Dealer or the other dealers referred to in Section 1.2
hereof, it being understood that such agreement is made with a
view to bringing the offer and sale of the Notes within the
exemption provided by Section 4(2) of the Securities Act and
Rule 506 thereunder and shall survive any termination of this
Agreement. Each of the Issuers and the Guarantor, hereby
represents and warrants that it has not taken or omitted to
take, and will not take or omit
to take, any action that would
cause the offering and sale of Notes hereunder to be integrated
with any other offering of securities, whether such offering is
made by an Issuer or the Guarantor or some other party or
parties under circumstances or in a manner that would cause the
offering and sale of the Notes by an Issuer to fail to be
exempt under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act.
(b) In the event that the Dealer purchases Notes as
principal and
does not resell such Notes on the day of such purchase, to the
extent necessary to comply with Regulation T and the
interpretations
thereunder, the Dealer will sell such Notes
either (i) only to offerees it reasonably believes to be
Qualified Institutional Buyers or to Qualified Institutional
Buyers it reasonably believes are acting for other Qualified
Institutional Buyers, in each case in accordance with Rule 144A
or (ii) in a manner which would not cause a violation of
Regulation T and the interpretations thereunder.
2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE ISSUERS AND
THE GUARANTOR.
Each of the Issuers and, in the case of
Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor,
with respect to sections 2.1 through 2.12,
represents and warrants as to
itself, as applicable, and AXA, with
respect to sections 2.13 through 2.17,
further represents and warrants, that:
2.1 AXA has been duly
incorporated and is validly existing as a societe
anonyme a directoire et conseil et surveillance under French law
and
has
all the requisite power and authority to execute, deliver and
perform its obligations under the Notes, the Guarantee, this
Agreement and the Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement.
2.2 AXA Financial is a
corporation duly organized and validly existing
under
the laws of the State of Delaware and has all the requisite
power
and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations
under
the Notes, this Agreement and the Issuing and Paying Agency
Agreement.
2.3 The execution and delivery
of this Agreement and the Issuing and
Paying
Agency Agreement have been duly authorized by such Issuer and
the
Guarantor, and constitute legal, valid and binding obligations
of
the
Issuer and the Guarantor, enforceable against the Issuer and
the
Guarantor, in accordance with their terms, subject to the laws
of
bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights generally
from
time
to time in effect, and subject, as to enforceability, to
general
principles of equity including, without limitation, concepts of
materiality,
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reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of
whether
enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at law).
2.4 The Notes have been duly
authorized, and when issued as provided in
the
Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement, will be duly and validly
issued
and will constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of
such
Issuer enforceable against such Issuer in accordance with their
terms,
subject to the laws of bankruptcy, and other laws affecting
creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect, and
subject,
as to
enforceability, to general principles of equity including,
without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness,
good
faith
and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought
in a
proceeding in equity or at law).
2.5 The Guarantee has been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Guarantor and constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation
of
the
Guarantor enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with
its
terms subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or similar
laws
affecting creditors' rights generally, and subject, as to
enforceability, to general principles of equity (regardless of
whether enforcement is sought in a proceeding in equity or at
law).
2.6 Assuming compliance by the
Dealer with the procedures applicable to
it set
forth in Section 1 hereof, the offer and sale of the Notes in
the
manner contemplated hereby do not require registration of the
Notes
under the Securities Act, pursuant to the exemption from
registration contained in Section 4(2) thereof, and no
indenture in
respect of the Notes is required to be qualified under the
Trust
Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
2.7 The Notes and the
Guarantee will rank at least pari passu with all
other
unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of such Issuer or the
Guarantor, as the case may be (save in each case for certain
obligations required to be preferred by French law).
2.8 Assuming compliance by the
Dealer with the procedures applicable to
it set
forth in Section 1 hereof, no consent or action of, or filing
or
registration with, any governmental or public regulatory body
or
authority, including the SEC, is required to authorize, or is
otherwise required in connection with the execution, delivery
or
performance of, this Agreement, the Notes, the Guarantee or the
Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement, except as may be required by
the
securities or Blue Sky laws of the various states in connection
with
the
offer and sale of the Notes.
2.9 Neither the execution and
delivery of this Agreement, the Guarantee
and
the Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement, nor the issuance of
the
Notes
in accordance with the Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement, nor
the
fulfillment of or compliance with the terms and provisions
hereof
or
thereof by such Issuer or, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the
Guarantor, will violate or result in a breach or a default under
any
of the
terms of the constitutional documents of such Issuer or the
Guarantor, any contract or instrument to which such Issuer or
the
Guarantor is a party or by which it or its property is bound, or
any
law or
regulation, or any order, writ, injunction or decree of any
court
or government instrumentality, to which such Issuer or the
Guarantor is subject or by which it or its property is bound,
which
breach
or default might be material in the context of the commercial
paper
program contemplated by this Agreement or the issuance of
Notes.
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2.10 Except as disclosed in the
Company Information, there is no
litigation or governmental proceeding pending, or to the knowledge
of
such
Issuer or the Guarantor threatened, against or affecting such
Issuer
or the Guarantor or any of its respective subsidiaries, which
is
required to be described in the Issuer's or the Guarantor's SEC
filings.
2.11 Neither of such Issuer nor the
Guarantor is now, or will be as a
result
of the sale of any Notes or the receipt or application of the
proceeds thereof, an "investment company" registered or required
to
be
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
(as
such terms are used in the Investment Company Act).
2.12 Each (a) issuance of Notes by
such Issuer hereunder and (b) amendment
or
supplement of the Private Placement Memorandum shall be deemed
a
representation and warranty by such Issuer and, in the case of
Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor to the Dealer, as of the date
thereof, that, both before and after giving effect to such
issuance
and
after giving effect to such amendment or supplement, (i) the
representations and warranties given by such Issuer and, in the
case
of
Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor set forth in this Section 2
remain
true
and correct in all material respects on and as of such date as
if
made on and as of such date, (ii) in the case of an issuance of
Notes,
the Notes being issued on such date have been duly and validly
issued
and constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of such
Issuer, enforceable against such Issuer in accordance with
their
terms,
subject to the laws of bankruptcy, and other laws affecting
creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect, and
subject,
as to
enforceability, to general principles of equity including,
without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness,
good
faith
and fair dealing (regardless of whether enforcement is sought
in a
proceeding in equity or at law) and, in the case of Guaranteed
Notes,
are guaranteed pursuant to the Guarantee, (iii) in the case of
an
issuance of Notes, since the date of the most recent
consolidated
financial statements included in or incorporated in the Private
Placement Memorandum, there has been no change which has had or,
to
the
best of such Issuer's or, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the
Guarantor's knowledge is reasonably likely to have, a material
adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or the
consolidated operating results of such Issuer or such Issuer and
its
subsidiaries, taken as a whole, or, in the case of guaranteed
Notes
of the
Guarantor or the Guarantor and its consolidated subsidiaries
taken
as a whole or on the ability of such Issuer or, in the case of
Guaranteed Notes, the Guarantor to perform its obligations under
the
Notes,
this Agreement or the Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement,
which
has not been disclosed to the Dealer in writing and (iv)
neither such Issuer nor, in the case of Guaranteed Notes, the
Guarantor is in default of any of its obligations hereunder or
under
the
Notes, the Guarantee (in the case of Guaranteed Notes) or the
Issuing and Paying Agency Agreement.
2.13 Neither the Private Placement
Memorandum nor the Company Information
contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state
a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the
statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which
they
were
made, not misleading, provided that the AXA makes no
representation as to the
Dealer Information.
2.14 Under the laws of the Republic
of France neither AXA nor any of its
revenues, assets or properties has any right of immunity from
service
&n