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filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 22, 2006
Registration Statement No. 333-
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
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Comerica Capital Trust II |
Comerica Incorporated
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Comerica Capital Trust III |
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) |
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Delaware
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Delaware |
(State or other jurisdiction of
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(State or other jurisdiction of |
incorporation or organization)
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incorporation or organization) |
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38-6786258 |
38-1998421
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Applied For |
(I.R.S. Employer
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(I.R.S. Employer |
Identification Number)
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Identification Numbers) |
Comerica Tower at Detroit Center
500 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 222-6317
(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of registrants principal executive offices)
Jon W. Bilstrom
Executive Vice President-Governance, Regulatory
Relations and Legal Affairs, and Secretary
Comerica Incorporated
Comerica Tower at Detroit Center
500 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 222-6317
(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
area code, of agent for service)
Copies to:
Edward S. Best, Esq.
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP
71 South Wacker Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 782-0600
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale of the securities to the public: At such
time (from time to time) after the effective date of this registration statement as agreed upon by
Comerica Incorporated (Comerica) and the Underwriters in light of market conditions.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or
interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. o
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or
continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities
offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.
þ
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule
462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same
offering. o
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities
Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the
earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. o
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a
post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. þ
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to
General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of
securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. o
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Amount to be registered/ |
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Proposed maximum offering price per |
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unit/ Proposed maximum offering |
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Title of each class of securities |
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price(1)(2)/Amount of |
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to be registered* |
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Registration Fee |
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Common Stock of Comerica (3) |
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Preferred Stock of Comerica (4) |
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Depositary Shares of Comerica (5) |
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Debt Securities of Comerica (6) |
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(1 |
)(2) |
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Warrants to Purchase Common Stock, |
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Preferred Stock or Debt Securities of
Comerica |
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Stock Purchase Contracts of Comerica |
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Stock Purchase Units of Comerica (7) |
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Capital Securities of: |
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Comerica Capital Trust II |
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Comerica Capital Trust III |
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Comerica Guarantees of Capital
Securities of Comerica Capital Trust
II and Comerica Capital Trust III (8) |
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* |
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Additional securities (including securities to be issued by additional registrants) may be added by
automatically effective post-effective amendments pursuant to Rule 413. |
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(1) |
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An unspecified aggregate initial offering price and number of the securities of each identified class is being
registered as may from time to time be offered at unspecified prices. Separate consideration may or may not be
received for securities that are issuable on exercise, conversion or exchange of other securities. In
accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r), the Registrants are deferring payment of all of the registration fee.
In connection with the securities offered hereby, the Registrants will pay pay-as-you-go registration fees
in accordance with Rule 456(b) and 457(r). |
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(2) |
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Includes an unspecified number of securities that may be offered or sold by affiliates of the Registrants in
market-making transactions. |
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(3) |
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Also includes the presently indeterminate number of shares of common stock as may be issued by Comerica
Incorporated (a) upon conversion of or exchange for any debt securities or preferred shares that provide for
conversion or exchange into common stock, (b) upon exercise of
warrants to purchase common stock or (c)
pursuant to stock purchase contracts. |
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Also includes the presently indeterminate number of shares of preferred stock as may be issued by Comerica
Incorporated (a) upon conversion of or exchange for any debt securities that provide for conversion or
exchange into preferred stock, (b) upon exercise of warrants to purchase preferred stock or (c) pursuant to
stock purchase contracts. |
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To be represented by depositary receipts representing an interest in all or a specified portion of a shares of
common or preferred stock. |
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Subject to note (1), an indeterminate principal amount of debt securities, which may be senior or subordinated. |
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Each stock purchase unit consists of (a) a stock purchase contract and (b) a beneficial interest in debt
securities, capital securities or debt obligations of third parties. |
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(8) |
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No separate consideration will be received for the guarantees of the capital securities issued by Comerica
Capital Trust II or Comerica Capital Trust III. |
PROSPECTUS
Comerica Incorporated
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Depositary Shares
Debt Securities
Warrants to Purchase Common Stock, Preferred Stock and Debt Securities
Stock Purchase Contracts
Stock Purchase Units
Comerica Capital Trust II
Comerica Capital Trust III
Capital Securities Guaranteed to the Extent Provided in this Prospectus by
Comerica Incorporated
Comerica or the applicable Comerica Capital Trust will provide the specific terms of
these securities in supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the
applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in any of these securities.
Comericas common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CMA.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has
approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or
complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
These securities are not deposits or savings accounts but are unsecured obligations of
Comerica. These securities are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any
other governmental agency or instrumentality.
November 22, 2006
TABLE OF CONTENTS
You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this
prospectus or any supplement. Neither Comerica nor the Comerica Capital Trusts has authorized
anyone else to provide you with different information. Comerica and the Comerica Capital Trusts are
offering these securities only in states where the offer is permitted. You should not assume that
the information in this prospectus or any supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date
on the front of those documents. Comericas business, financial condition, results of operations
and prospects may have changed since that date.
In this prospectus, references to Comerica,, we, us or our are to Comerica
Incorporated and its consolidated subsidiaries.
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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
This summary provides a brief overview of the key aspects of
Comerica, the Comerica Capital Trusts and all material terms of the
offered securities that are known as of the date of this
prospectus. For a more complete understanding of the terms of the
offered securities, before making your investment decision, you
should carefully read:
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this prospectus, which explains the general terms of the securities
that Comerica and the Comerica Capital Trusts may offer; and |
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the documents referred to in Where You Can Find More Information on
page for information on Comerica, including its financial statements. |
Comerica Incorporated
Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company incorporated
under the laws of the State of Delaware and headquartered in
Detroit, Michigan. As of December 31, 2005, it was among the 21
largest commercial banking companies in the United States. Comerica
was formed in 1973 to acquire the outstanding common stock of
Comerica Bank (formerly Comerica Bank-Detroit), one of Michigans
oldest banks (Comerica Bank). As of December 31, 2005, Comerica
owned directly or indirectly all the outstanding common stock of 3
active banking and 48 non-banking subsidiaries. At December 31,
2005, Comerica had total assets of approximately $53.0 billion,
total deposits of approximately $42.4 billion, total loans (net of
unearned income) of approximately $43.2 billion and common
shareholders equity of approximately $5.1 billion.
Comericas principal executive office is at Comerica Tower at
Detroit Center, 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226,
and its telephone number is (313) 222-6317.
Comerica Capital Trusts
Each
of the trusts is a statutory trust recently organized under
Delaware law by us solely for the purposes of issuing to us, in
exchange for our junior subordinated debentures, preferred and
common securities that represent undivided beneficial ownership
interests in the assets of each trust and engaging in other
activities that are directly related to the activities described
above, such as registering the transfer of the capital securities.
The executive office of each trust is c/o Comerica Incorporated,
Comerica Tower at Detroit Center, 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit,
Michigan 48226, and its telephone number is (313) 222-6317.
Use of Proceeds
Unless otherwise disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement,
Comerica will use the net proceeds it receives from any offering of
these securities for general corporate purposes, which may include
funding the business of its operating units; funding investments
in, or extensions of credit or capital contributions to, its
subsidiaries; financing possible acquisitions or business
expansion; and refinancing outstanding indebtedness or refunding
maturing indebtedness. Each Comerica Capital Trust will invest all
proceeds received from the sale of its capital securities and
common securities in a particular series of subordinated debt
securities of Comerica. Comerica will use these funds as specified
above.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus include
forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All
statements regarding Comericas expected financial position, strategies and growth prospects and
general economic conditions Comerica expects to exist in the future are forward-looking statements.
The words, anticipates, believes, feels, expects, estimates, seeks, strives, plans,
intends, outlook, forecast, position, target, mission, assume, achievable,
potential, strategy, goal, aspiration, outcome, continue, remain, maintain,
trend, objective and variations of such words and similar expressions, or future or conditional
verbs such as will, would, should, could, might, can, may or similar expressions, as
they relate to Comerica or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Comerica cautions that forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks
and uncertainties, which change over time. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the
statement is made, and Comerica does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect
facts, circumstances, assumptions or events that occur after the date the forward-looking
statements are made. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in
forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from historical performance.
Information regarding important factors that could cause actual results to differ, perhaps
materially, from those in our forward-looking statements is contained under Item 1A Risk
Factors in Comericas Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 which is incorporated herein
by reference in this prospectus. Comerica does not have any intention or obligation to update
forward-looking statements after it distributes this prospectus.
COMERICA INCORPORATED
Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company incorporated under the laws of the State
of Delaware and headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. As of December 31, 2005, it was among the 21
largest commercial banking companies in the United States. Comerica was formed in 1973 to acquire
the outstanding common stock of Comerica Bank (formerly Comerica Bank-Detroit), one of Michigans
oldest banks (Comerica Bank). As of September 30, 2006, Comerica owned directly or indirectly all
the outstanding common stock of 2 active banking and 64 non-banking subsidiaries. At September 30,
2006, Comerica had total assets of approximately $58.5 billion, total deposits of approximately
$44.9 billion, total loans (net of unearned income) of approximately $46.5 billion and common
shareholders equity of approximately $5.2 billion.
Comericas principal executive office is at 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226, and
its telephone number is (313) 222-6317.
COMERICA CAPITAL TRUSTS
Purpose and Ownership of the Trusts
Each
of the trusts is a statutory trust organized under Delaware law by us and the trustees of
the trusts. The trusts are being established solely for the following purposes:
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to issue to us, in exchange for our junior subordinated debentures, the capital
securities, which represent undivided beneficial ownership interests in the assets of each
trust; |
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to issue the common securities to us in exchange for our junior subordinated debentures
in a total liquidation amount equal to at least 3% of the total capital of each trust; and |
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to engage in other activities that are directly related to the activities described
above, such as registering the transfer of the capital securities. |
Because each trust is being established only for the purposes listed above, the applicable
series of junior subordinated debentures will be the sole assets of the applicable trust, and
payments under the junior subordinated debentures will be the sole source of income to that trust.
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As issuer of the junior subordinated debentures, we will pay: |
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all fees, expenses and taxes related to each trust and the offering of each trusts
capital securities and common securities; and |
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all ongoing costs, expenses and liabilities of the trusts, except obligations to make
distributions and other payments on the common securities and the capital securities. |
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For so long as the capital securities remain outstanding, we will promise to: |
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cause each trust to remain a business trust and not to voluntarily dissolve, wind-up,
liquidate or be terminated, except as permitted by the relevant declaration of trust; |
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own directly or indirectly all of the common securities; |
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use our commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that each trust will not be an
investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the
Investment Company Act); and |
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take no action that would be reasonably likely to cause either trust to be classified as
an association or a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for United States
federal income tax purposes. |
The Trustees
Each of the trusts business and affairs will be conducted by its five trustees. In each case,
the three administrative trustees of each trust will be individuals who are our employees. The
property trustee of each trust will hold title to the junior subordinated debentures for the
benefit of the holders of the capital securities of each trust and will have the power to execute
all rights and powers of a registered holder of junior subordinated debentures under the indenture
for the junior subordinated debentures. The Delaware trustee will maintain its principal place of
business in Delaware and meet the requirements of Delaware law for Delaware business trusts.
We have the sole right to appoint, remove and replace any of the trustees of each trust unless
an event of default occurs under the indenture. In that event, the holders of a majority in
liquidation amount of the applicable capital securities will have the sole right to remove and
appoint the property trustee and the Delaware trustee.
Additional Information
For additional information concerning the particular trust issuing a series of capital
securities, see The Trust in the applicable prospectus supplement. We anticipate that the trusts
will not be required to file any reports with the SEC after the issuance of the capital securities.
As discussed below under the caption Accounting Treatment, we will provide certain information
concerning each of the trusts and the capital securities in the footnotes to our financial
statements included in our own periodic reports to the SEC.
Offices of the Trusts
The executive office of each trust is c/o Comerica Incorporated, Comerica Tower at Detroit
Center, 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48226, and its telephone number is (313) 222-6317.
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USE OF PROCEEDS
General. Comerica will use the proceeds it receives from the sale of the offered securities
for general corporate purposes, which may include:
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funding the business of its operating units; |
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funding investments in, or extensions of credit or capital contributions to, its subsidiaries; |
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financing possible acquisitions or business expansion; and |
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refinancing outstanding indebtedness or refunding maturing indebtedness. |
Each Comerica Capital Trust will invest all proceeds received from the sale of its capital
securities and common securities in a particular series of subordinated debt securities of
Comerica. Comerica will use these funds as specified above.
CONSOLIDATED RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
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Nine Months Ended |
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Year Ended December 31, |
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September 30, 2006 |
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2005 |
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2004 |
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2003 |
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2002 |
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2001 |
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Consolidated ratio of earnings to fixed charges: |
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Excluding interest on Deposits |
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3.51 |
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6.05 |
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9.30 |
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7.94 |
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5.78 |
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3.87 |
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Including interest on Deposits |
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1.81 |
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2.54 |
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3.45 |
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2.87 |
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2.42 |
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1.92 |
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Consolidated ratio of earnings to
combined fixed charges and
preferred share dividends: |
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Excluding interest on Deposits |
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3.51 |
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6.05 |
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9.30 |
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7.94 |
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5.78 |
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3.87 |
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Including interest on Deposits |
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1.81 |
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2.54 |
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3.45 |
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2.87 |
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2.42 |
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1.92 |
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For purposes of computing these ratios, earnings represent income before income taxes and
fixed charges. Fixed charges, excluding interest on deposits, include interest (other than on
deposits), whether expensed or capitalized, and that portion of rental expense (generally
one-third) deemed representative of the interest factor. Fixed charges, including interest on
deposits, consist of the foregoing items plus interest on deposits.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
General
As of the date of this prospectus, Comericas authorized capital stock consists of 325,000,000
shares of common stock, par value $5.00 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock,
without value. The following briefly summarizes the material terms of Comericas common stock and
outstanding preferred stock. You should read the more detailed provisions of Comericas certificate
of incorporation and the certificate of designation relating to a series of preferred stock for
provisions that may be important to you.
Common Stock
As of October 13, 2006, Comerica had outstanding 158,855,234 shares of its common stock.
Holders of Comerica common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as and if declared by the
Comerica board of directors out of any funds legally available for dividends. Holders of Comerica
common stock are also entitled, upon the liquidation of Comerica, and after claims of creditors and
preferences of Comerica preferred stock, and any other class or series of Comerica preferred stock
outstanding at the time of liquidation, to receive pro rata the net assets of
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Comerica. Comerica
pays dividends on Comerica common stock only if it has paid or provided for all dividends on the
outstanding series of Comerica preferred stock, and any other class or series of preferred stock at
the time outstanding, for the then-current period and, in the case of any cumulative Comerica
preferred stock, all prior periods.
Comerica preferred stock has, or upon issuance will have, preference over Comerica common
stock with respect to the payment of dividends and the distribution of assets in the event of the
liquidation or dissolution of Comerica. Comerica preferred stock also has such other preferences as
may be fixed by the Comerica board of directors.
Holders of Comerica common stock are entitled to one vote for each share that they hold and
are vested with all of the voting power except as the Comerica board of directors has provided, or
may provide in the future, with respect to Comerica preferred stock or any other class or series of
Comerica preferred stock that it may authorize in the future. See Preferred Stock. Shares of
Comerica common stock are not redeemable and have no subscription, conversion or preemptive rights.
The affirmative vote of not less than 75% of Comericas outstanding shares of capital stock
entitled to vote may be required for certain business combinations between Comerica or its
subsidiaries and persons owning 10% or more of the outstanding shares of any class or series of
Comericas capital stock. See Selected Provisions in the Articles of Comerica Business
Combinations With Related Persons.
Comerica common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CMA. The
outstanding shares of Comerica common stock are, and any shares to be issued pursuant to a
prospectus supplement will be, validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable. The holders of
Comerica common stock are not, and will not be, generally subject to any liability as stockholders;
however, if the Comerica board of directors approves, and Comerica makes, a distribution when
Comerica is insolvent, or that renders Comerica insolvent, and any of Comericas directors is found
liable for the distribution, then Comerica stockholders may be required to pay back the amount of
the distribution made to them or the portion of the distribution that caused Comerica to become
insolvent.
The Transfer Agent and Registrar for Comerica common stock is Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., P.O. Box
64854, St. Paul, Minnesota 55164-0854.
The Change in Bank Control Act prohibits a person or group of persons from acquiring control
of a bank holding company unless the Federal Reserve Board has been notified and has not objected
to the transaction. Under a rebuttable presumption established by the Federal Reserve Board, the
acquisition of 10% or more of a class of voting stock of a bank holding company with a class of
securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act, such as Comerica, would, under the
circumstances set forth in the presumption, constitute acquisition of control of the bank holding
company.
In addition, a company is required to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board under
the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 before acquiring 25% (5% in the case of an acquiror that is a
bank holding company) or more of any class of outstanding voting stock of a bank holding company,
or otherwise obtaining control or a controlling influence over that bank holding company.
Preferred Stock
The following briefly summarizes the material terms of Comericas preferred stock, other than
pricing and related terms disclosed in the accompanying prospectus supplement. You should read the
particular terms of any series of preferred stock offered by Comerica, which will be described in
more detail in any prospectus supplement relating to such series, together with the more detailed
provisions of Comericas restated certificate of incorporation and the certificate of designation
relating to each particular series of preferred stock for provisions that may be important to you.
The certificate of incorporation, as amended and restated, is incorporated by reference into the
registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The certificate of designation
relating to the particular series of preferred stock offered by the accompanying prospectus
supplement and this prospectus will be filed as an exhibit to a document incorporated by reference
in the registration statement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the terms
summarized below do not apply to the series of preferred stock being offered.
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Under Comericas certificate of incorporation, the board of directors of Comerica is
authorized to issue up 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series. As of the date
of this prospectus, there were no series of preferred authorized or outstanding. Comericas Board
of Directors is expressly authorized to provide for the issuance of shares of Preferred Stock in
one or more series, with such voting powers, full or limited but not to exceed one vote per share,
or without voting powers, and with such designations, preferences and relative, participating,
optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as the
Board of Directors may determine.
Prior to the issuance of any series of preferred stock, the board of directors of Comerica
will adopt resolutions creating and designating the series as a series of preferred stock, and the
resolutions will be filed in a certificate of designation as an amendment to the certificate of
incorporation. The term board of directors of Comerica includes any duly authorized committee.
The rights of holders of the preferred stock offered may be adversely affected by the rights
of holders of any shares of preferred stock that may be issued in the future. The board of
directors may cause shares of preferred stock to be issued in public or private transactions for
any proper corporate purpose. Examples of proper corporate purposes include issuances to obtain
additional financing in connection with acquisitions or otherwise and issuances to officers,
directors and employees of Comerica and its subsidiaries pursuant to benefit plans or otherwise.
Shares of preferred stock issued by Comerica may have the effect of rendering more difficult or
discouraging an acquisition of Comerica deemed undesirable by the board of directors of Comerica.
Under existing interpretations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, if the
holders of the preferred stock become entitled to vote for the election of directors because
dividends on the preferred stock are in arrears as described below, preferred stock may then be
deemed a class of voting securities, and a holder of 25% or more of the preferred stock or a
holder of 5% or more of the preferred stock that is otherwise a bank holding company may then be
regulated as a bank holding company with respect to Comerica in accordance with the Bank Holding
Company Act. In addition, at such time:
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any bank holding company or foreign bank with a U.S. presence generally would be
required to obtain the approval of the Federal Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company
of 1956 to acquire or retain 5% or more of the preferred stock; and |
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any person other than a bank holding company may be required to obtain the approval of
the Federal Reserve Board under the Change in Bank Control Act to acquire or retain 10% or
more of the preferred stock. |
Before exercising its option to redeem any shares of preferred stock, Comerica will obtain the
approval of the Federal Reserve Board if then required by applicable law.
The preferred stock will be, when issued, fully paid and non-assessable. Holders of preferred
stock will not have any preemptive or subscription rights to acquire more stock of Comerica.
The transfer agent, registrar, dividend disbursing agent and redemption agent for shares of
each series of preferred stock will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such series.
Rank
Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular offering of preferred stock, such
shares will rank on an equal basis with each other series of preferred stock and prior to the
common stock as to dividends and distributions of assets.
Dividends
Holders of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive cash dividends when, as
and if declared by the board of directors of Comerica out of funds legally available for dividends.
The rates and dates of payment of dividends will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating
to each series of preferred stock. Dividends will be payable to holders of record of preferred
stock as they appear on the books of Comerica or, if applicable, the records of the depositary
referred to below under Description of Depositary Shares, on the record dates fixed by the board
of directors. Dividends on a series of preferred stock may be cumulative or noncumulative.
8
Comerica may not declare, pay or set apart for payment dividends on the preferred stock unless
full dividends on other series of preferred stock that rank on an equal or senior basis have been
paid or sufficient funds have been set apart for payment for
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all prior dividend periods of other series of preferred stock that pay dividends on a
cumulative basis; or |
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the immediately preceding dividend period of other series of preferred stock that pay
dividends on a non-cumulative basis. |
Partial dividends declared on shares of preferred stock and each other series of preferred
stock ranking on an equal basis as to dividends will be declared pro rata. A pro rata declaration
means that the ratio of dividends declared per share to accrued dividends per share will be the
same for each series of preferred stock.
Similarly, Comerica may not declare, pay or set apart for payment non-stock dividends or make
other payments on the common stock or any other stock of Comerica ranking junior to the preferred
stock until full dividends on the preferred stock have been paid or set apart for payment for
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all prior dividend periods if the preferred stock pays dividends on a cumulative basis;
or |
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the immediately preceding dividend period if the preferred stock pays dividends on a
noncumulative basis. |
Conversion and Exchange
The prospectus supplement for a series of preferred stock will state the terms, if any, on
which shares of that series are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of Comericas common
stock.
Redemption
If so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, a series of preferred stock may be
redeemable at any time, in whole or in part, at the option of Comerica or the holder thereof and
may be mandatorily redeemed.
Any partial redemptions of preferred stock will be made in a way that the board of directors
decides is equitable.
Unless Comerica defaults in the payment of the redemption price, dividends will cease to
accrue after the redemption date on shares of preferred stock called for redemption, and all rights
of holders of such shares will terminate except for the right to receive the redemption price.
Liquidation Preference
Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of Comerica, holders
of each series of preferred stock will be entitled to receive distributions upon liquidation in the
amount set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such series of preferred stock, plus an
amount equal to any accrued and unpaid dividends. Such distributions will be made before any
distribution is made on any securities ranking junior relating to liquidation, including common
stock.
If the liquidation amounts payable relating to the preferred stock of any series and any other
securities ranking on a parity regarding liquidation rights are not paid in full, the holders of
the preferred stock of such series and such other securities will share in any such distribution of
available assets of Comerica on a ratable basis in proportion to the full liquidation preferences.
Holders of such series of preferred stock will not be entitled to any other amounts from Comerica
after they have received their full liquidation preference.
9
Voting Rights
The holders of shares of preferred stock will have no voting rights except:
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as otherwise stated in the prospectus supplement; |
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as otherwise stated in the certificate of designation establishing such series; and |
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as required by applicable law. |
Selected Provisions in the Certificate of Incorporation of Comerica
The following discussion sets forth material provisions of the Comerica certificate of
incorporation.
Business Combinations With Related Persons
The Comerica certificate provides that certain transactions known as business combinations
involving persons known as related persons must be approved by the affirmative vote of the
holders of 75% of the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote and by the holders of a
majority of the outstanding capital stock not beneficially owned by related persons, unless:
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the transaction is approved by a 75% vote of Comericas continuing directors either
before or after the time the related person became a related person; or |
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each of the following conditions is met: |
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the consideration to be paid for each share of any class or series of Comerica
capital stock is not less that the highest per share price or the highest equivalent
price paid or to be paid by the related person in acquiring any shares of the same
class or series; and |
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a proxy statement, complying with the requirements of the Exchange Act, has been
mailed to all Comerica stockholders to solicit their approval. The proxy statement must
contain prominently the recommendation of the continuing directors as to the
advisability of the business combination and, if a majority of the continuing directors
deem it advisable, it must also contain the opinion of an investment banking firm
regarding the fairness of the terms of the combination from the perspective of the
stockholders who are not related persons. |
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A Business Combination includes: |
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any merger or consolidation of Comerica or any of its subsidiaries with a related person
or any of its affiliates or associates; |
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any sale, lease, exchange, transfer or other disposition to or with a related person of
all, substantially all or any substantial part (defined as assets having a value of more
than 10% of the total consolidated assets of Comerica, as determined by the continuing
directors) of the assets of Comerica or any of its subsidiaries; |
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any purchase, exchange, lease or other acquisition by Comerica or any of its
subsidiaries of all or any substantial part of the assets or business of a related person
or any of its affiliates or associates; |
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any acquisition by Comerica or any of its subsidiaries of any securities of a related
person; |
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any issuance or transfer of securities of Comerica or any of its subsidiaries to any
related person, other than an issuance or transfers that is made on a pro rata basis to all
stockholders of the corporation; and |
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any agreement, contract or other arrangement providing for any of the transactions
described in the five bullets points above. |
10
A Related Person means any person or group who, together with any affiliates or
associates (as each is defined in the Exchange Act), is the beneficial owner of 10% or more of
the outstanding shares of any class or series of Comerica capital stock as of the record date for
the determination of those stockholders entitled to vote on any business combination or immediately
prior to the completion of a business combination.
Continuing Directors are those individuals who were members of the Comerica board of
directors prior to the time a related person became the beneficial owner of 10% or more of a class
or series of Comerica stock or those individuals designated as continuing directors (prior to their
initial election as directors) by a majority of the then-continuing directors.
Highest Per Share Price is the highest price that the related person paid at any time for a
share of Comerica capital stock when there is only one class or series of Comerica capital stock
outstanding.
Highest Equivalent Price means the price of any class or series of Comerica stock that 75%
of the
continuing directors determine to be the equivalent to the highest price paid by the related person
for any share of another class or series of outstanding stock. The continuing directors may make
this determination on any basis they believe is appropriate.
Any amendment to these provisions requires the affirmative vote of (1) the holders of 75% of
the outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote and (2) a majority of the outstanding
shares of capital stock entitled to vote that is not beneficially owned by a related person.
However, if the amendment is recommended to the stockholders by 75% of the continuing directors,
only the vote provided under the Delaware General Corporation Law is required.
Directors
The Comerica certificate contains a number of additional provisions that are intended to delay
an outside partys ability to take control of the Comerica board of directors, even after the
outside party has obtained majority ownership of Comerica common stock. The Comerica certificate
provides for a classified board of directors, consisting of three classes of directors serving
staggered three-year terms. Directors of Comerica may only be removed for cause by a vote of the
holders of a majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote. Vacancies on the Comerica board of
directors may only be filled by the Comerica board of directors. A vacancy that results from an
increase in the number of directors may be filled by a majority of the board of directors then in
office. Any other vacancy, including those resulting from removal, may be filled by a majority of
the directors then in office, although less than a quorum, or by a sole remaining director.
If Comerica repeatedly fails to pay quarterly dividends on its nonvoting preferred stock, the
holders of that preferred stock, voting separately as a class, will be entitled to elect two
additional directors. See Description of
Comerica Capital Stock Preferred Stock.
Any amendment to the provisions summarized above requires a favorable vote, at a meeting of
stockholders, of the holders of 75% of the then outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to
vote. However, if the amendment is recommended to the shareholders by an affirmative vote of 75% of
the board of directors, the amendment may be approved by an affirmative vote of a majority of the
shares of entitled to vote.
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
The following briefly summarizes the material provisions of the deposit agreement and of the
depositary shares and depositary receipts, other than pricing and related terms disclosed in the
accompanying prospectus supplement. You should read the particular terms of any depositary shares
and any depositary receipts that are offered by Comerica and any deposit agreement relating to a
particular series of preferred stock, which will be described in more detail in a prospectus
supplement. The prospectus supplement will also state whether any of the generalized provisions
summarized below do not apply to the depositary shares or depositary receipts being offered. A copy
of the form of deposit agreement, including the form of depositary receipt, is incorporated by
reference as an exhibit in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You
should read the more detailed
provisions of the deposit agreement and the form of depositary
receipt for provisions that may be important to you.
11
General
Comerica may, at its option, elect to offer fractional shares of preferred stock, rather than
full shares of preferred stock. In such event, Comerica will issue receipts for depositary shares,
each of which will represent a fraction of a share of a particular series of preferred stock.
The shares of any series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares will be deposited
under a deposit agreement between Comerica and a bank or trust company selected by Comerica having
its principal office in the United States and having a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000, as preferred stock depositary. Each owner of a depositary share will be entitled to
all the rights and preferences of the underlying preferred stock, including dividend, voting,
redemption, conversion and liquidation rights, in proportion to the applicable fraction of a share
of preferred stock represented by such depositary share.
The depositary shares will be evidenced by depositary receipts issued pursuant to the deposit
agreement. Depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing the fractional
shares of preferred stock in accordance with the terms of the applicable prospectus supplement.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The preferred stock depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions
received in respect of the deposited preferred stock to the record holders of depositary shares
relating to such preferred stock in proportion to the number of such depositary shares owned by
such holders.
The preferred stock depositary will distribute any property received by it other than cash to
the record holders of depositary shares entitled thereto. If the preferred stock depositary
determines that it is not feasible to make such distribution, it may, with the approval of
Comerica, sell such property and distribute the net proceeds from such sale to such holders.
Redemption of Preferred Stock
If a series of preferred stock represented by depositary shares is to be redeemed, the
depositary shares will be redeemed from the proceeds received by the preferred stock depositary
resulting from the redemption, in whole or in part, of such series of preferred stock. The
depositary shares will be redeemed by the preferred stock depositary at a price per depositary
share equal to the applicable fraction of the redemption price per share payable in respect of the
shares of preferred stock so redeemed.
Whenever Comerica redeems shares of preferred stock held by the preferred stock depositary,
the preferred stock depositary will redeem as of the same date the number of depositary shares
representing the shares of preferred stock so redeemed. If fewer than all the depositary shares are
to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by the preferred stock
depositary by lot or ratably or by any other equitable method as the preferred stock depositary may
decide.
Withdrawal of Preferred Stock
Unless the related depositary shares have previously been called for redemption, any holder of
depositary shares may receive the number of whole shares of the related series of preferred stock
and any money or other property represented by such depositary receipts after surrendering the
depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the preferred stock depositary. Holders of
depositary shares making such withdrawals will be entitled to receive whole shares of preferred
stock on the basis set forth in the related prospectus supplement for such series of preferred
stock.
However, holders of such whole shares of preferred stock will not be entitled to deposit such
preferred stock under the deposit agreement or to receive depositary receipts for such preferred
stock after such withdrawal. If the depositary shares surrendered by the holder in connection with
such withdrawal exceed the number of depositary shares that represent the number of whole shares of
preferred stock to be withdrawn, the preferred stock depositary will deliver to such holder at the
same time a new depositary receipt evidencing such excess number of depositary shares.
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Voting Deposited Preferred Stock
Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of any series of deposited
preferred stock are entitled to vote, the preferred stock depositary will mail the information
contained in such notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares relating to such
series of preferred stock. Each record holder of such depositary shares on the record date will be
entitled to instruct the preferred stock depositary to vote the amount of the preferred stock
represented by such holders depositary shares. The preferred stock depositary will try to vote the
amount of such series of preferred stock represented by such depositary shares in accordance with
such instructions.
Comerica will agree to take all reasonable actions that the preferred stock depositary
determines are necessary to enable the preferred stock depositary to vote as instructed. The
preferred stock depositary will vote all shares of any series of preferred stock held by it
proportionately with instructions received if it does not receive specific instructions from the
holders of depositary shares representing such series of preferred stock.
Amendment and Termination of the Deposit Agreement
The form of depositary receipt evidencing the depositary shares and any provision of the
deposit agreement may at any time be amended by agreement between Comerica and the preferred stock
depositary. However, any amendment that imposes additional charges or materially and adversely
alters any substantial existing right of the holders of depositary shares will not be effective
unless such amendment has been approved by the holders of at least a majority of the affected
depositary shares then outstanding. Every holder of an outstanding depositary receipt at the time
any such amendment becomes effective, or any transferee of such holder, shall be deemed, by
continuing to hold such depositary receipt, or by reason of the acquisition thereof, to consent and
agree to such amendment and to be bound by the deposit agreement, that has been amended thereby.
The deposit agreement automatically terminates if:
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all outstanding depositary shares have been redeemed; |
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each share of preferred stock has been converted into or exchanged for common stock; or |
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a final distribution in respect of the preferred stock has been made to the holders of
depositary shares in connection with any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of
Comerica. |
The deposit agreement may be terminated by Comerica at any time, and the preferred stock
depositary will give notice of such termination to the record holders of all outstanding depositary
receipts not less than 30 days prior to the termination date. In such event, the preferred stock
depositary will deliver or make available for delivery to holders of depositary shares, upon
surrender of such depositary shares, the number of whole or fractional shares of the related series
of preferred stock as are represented by such depositary shares.
Charges of Preferred Stock Depositary; Taxes and Other Governmental Charges
No fees, charges and expenses of the preferred stock depositary or any agent of the preferred
stock depositary or of any registrar shall be payable by any person other tha Comerica, except for
any taxes and other governmental charges and except as provided in the deposit agreement. If the
preferred stock depositary incurs fees, charges or expenses for which it is not otherwise liable
hereunder at the election of a holder of a depositary receipt or other person, such holder or other
person will be liable for such fees, charges and expenses.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
The preferred stock depositary may resign at any time by delivering to Comerica notice of its
intent to do so, and Comerica may at any time remove the preferred stock depositary, any such
resignation or removal to take effect upon the appointment of a successor preferred stock
depositary and its acceptance of such appointment. Such successor preferred stock depositary must
be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal and must be a
bank or trust company having its principal office in the United States and having a combined
capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000.
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Miscellaneous
The preferred stock depositary will forward all reports and communications from Comerica that
are delivered to the preferred stock depositary and that Comerica is required to furnish to the
holders of the deposited preferred stock.
Neither the preferred stock depositary nor Comerica will be liable if it is prevented or
delayed by law or any circumstances beyond its control in performing its obligations under the
deposit agreement. The obligations of Comerica and the preferred stock depositary under the deposit
agreement will be limited to performance with honest intentions of their duties thereunder, and
they will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary
shares, depositary receipts or shares of preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is
furnished. Comerica and the preferred stock depositary may rely upon written advice of counsel or
accountants or upon information provided by holders of depositary receipts or other persons
believed to be competent and on documents believed to be genuine.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
The debt securities offered by this prospectus will be unsecured obligations of Comerica and
will be either senior or subordinated debt. The following briefly summarizes the material
provisions of the debt securities, other than pricing and related terms disclosed in the
accompanying prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be. You should read the
particular terms of an offering of debt securities, which will be described in more detail in the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.
General
United States federal income tax consequences and other special considerations applicable to
any debt securities issued by Comerica at a discount or a premium will be described in the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.
The applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement relating to any offering of debt
securities will describe the following terms, where applicable:
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the title of the debt securities; |
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whether the debt securities will be senior or subordinated debt; |
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the total principal amount of the debt securities; |
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the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities will be sold and, if applicable, the method
of determining the price; |
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the maturity date or dates; |
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the interest rate or the method of computing the interest rate; |
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the date or dates from which any interest will accrue, or how such date or dates will be determined, and the
interest payment date or dates and any related record dates; |
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if other than in United States dollars, the currency or currency unit in which payment will be made; |
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if the amount of any payment may be determined with reference to an index or formula based on a currency or
currency unit other than that in which the debt securities are payable, the manner in which the amounts will be
determined; |
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if the amount of any payment may be determined with reference to an index or formula based on securities,
commodities, intangibles, articles or goods, or any other financial, economic or other measure or instrument,
including the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event or circumstance, the manner in which the amount will be
determined; |
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if any payments may be made at the election of Comerica or a holder of debt securities in a currency or
currency unit other than that in which the debt securities are stated to be payable, the periods within which,
and the terms upon which, such election may be made; |
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if other than the principal amount, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities payable if the
maturity is accelerated; |
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the date of any global security if other than the original issuance of the first debt security to be issued; and |
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any other specific terms of the debt securities. |
The terms on which debt securities may be convertible into or exchangeable for common stock or
other securities of Comerica will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such
offering. Such terms will include provisions as to whether conversion or exchange is mandatory, at
the option of the holder or at the option of Comerica. The terms may include provisions pursuant to
which the number of shares of common stock or other securities of Comerica to be received by the
holders of such debt securities may be adjusted.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities are
not redeemable prior to maturity, except upon the occurrence of certain tax events described below
under Redemption for Tax Purposes. The redemption price for the debt securities upon the
occurrence of certain tax events will be 100% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued interest
to the date of the redemption.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities are
not subject to any sinking fund.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, debt securities
denominated in U.S. dollars will be issued only in denominations of $250,000 and whole multiples of
$1,000 in excess thereof. The prospectus supplement relating to debt securities denominated in a
foreign currency will specify the denomination of such debt securities.
The currency for payment for book-entry debt securities denominated in a foreign currency will
be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. However, when interests in such debt
securities are held through The Depositary Trust Company (DTC), all payments in respect of such
debt securities will be made in U.S. dollars, unless the holder of a beneficial interest in the DTC
debt securities elects to receive payment in the foreign currency specified in the applicable
prospectus supplement. See Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement and Currency Conversions and
Foreign Exchange Risks Affecting Debt Securities Denominated in a Foreign Currency Currency
Conversion below.
Comerica may, without notice to or consent of the holders or beneficial owners of a series of
debt securities, issue additional debt securities having the same ranking, interest rate, maturity
and other terms as the debt securities initially issued. Any such debt securities could be
considered part of the same series of debt securities as the debt securities initially issued.
The senior debt securities will be issued only in registered form. The subordinated debt
securities may be issued in registered form, bearer form or both; however, unless otherwise
specified in connection with a particular offering of subordinated debt securities, the
subordinated debt securities will be issued in registered form. If bearer securities are issued,
the United States federal income tax consequences and other special considerations, procedures and
limitations applicable to such bearer securities will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement. As currently anticipated, debt securities of a series will trade in book-entry form,
and global notes will be issued in physical (paper) form, as described below under Book-Entry
Procedures and Settlement.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities may be
presented for exchange, and debt securities other than a global security may be presented for
registration of transfer, at the principal trust office of the relevant trustee in Detroit,
Michigan. Holders may not have to pay any service charge for any registration of transfer or
exchange of debt securities, but Comerica may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax
or other governmental charge payable in connection with such registration of transfer. Debt
securities in bearer form will be transferable by delivery. Provisions with respect to the exchange
of debt securities in bearer form will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
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Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement denominated in a foreign
currency, a fiscal agency agreement will be entered into in relation to the debt securities between
Comerica and a registrar, fiscal agent and/or principal paying agent. The terms registrar,
fiscal agent and principal paying agent shall include any successors appointed from time to
time in accordance with the provisions of the fiscal agency agreement, and any reference to an
agent or agents shall mean any or all (as applicable) of such persons. The holders of the debt
securities are bound by, and are deemed to have notice of, the provisions of the fiscal agency
agreement.
Payments of Principal and Interest
Payments of principal and interest on debt securities issued in book-entry form will be made
as described below under Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement. Payments of principal and
interest on debt securities issued in definitive form, if any, will be made as described below
under Definitive Notes and Paying Agents.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, interest on the debt
securities will be paid as follows:
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Interest Payment Frequency |
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Interest Payment Dates |
Monthly
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Fifteenth day of each calendar month, beginning
in the first calendar month following the month
the debt security was issued. |
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Quarterly
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Fifteenth day of every third month, beginning
in the third calendar month following the month
the debt security was issued. |
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Semi-annually
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Fifteenth day of every sixth month, beginning
in the sixth calendar month following the month
the debt security was issued. |
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Annually
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Fifteenth day of every twelfth month, beginning
in the twelfth calendar month following the
month the debt security was issued. |
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, all payments of interest
on debt securities paying a fixed rate of interest (fixed rate notes) will be made to the persons
in whose names the fixed rate notes are registered at the close of business on the first Business
Day of the month in which payment is to be made, and all payments of interest on debt securities
paying a floating rate of interest (floating rate notes) will be made to the persons in whose
names the floating rate notes are registered at the close of business on the Business Day preceding
an interest payment date.
If an interest payment date for a fixed rate note or the maturity date of the debt securities
falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the payment due on such interest payment date or on the
maturity date will be postponed to the next succeeding Business Day, and no further interest will
accrue in respect of such postponement. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus
supplement, if an interest payment date for a floating rate note falls on a day that is not a
Business Day, such interest payment date will be the next following Business Day unless that day
falls in the next calendar month, in which case the interest payment date will be the first
preceding Business Day.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, in this section, Business
Day shall mean any day that is a day on which commercial banks settle payments and are open for
general business (a) in New York, in the case of U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities; (b) in
New York, London and Tokyo, in the case of Yen-denominated debt securities; or (c) in New York and
London and that is also a day on which the Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement
Express Transfer (TARGET) system is open, in the case of Euro-denominated debt securities. Unless
otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, in the case of Canadian
dollar-denominated debt securities, Business Day shall mean any Toronto business day that is a
day on which commercial banks and foreign exchange markets settle payments and are open for general
business (including dealings in foreign currency deposits and foreign exchange) in Toronto.
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If a date for payment of interest or principal on the debt securities falls on a day that is
not a business day in the place of payment, such payment will be made on the next succeeding
business day in such place of payment as if made on the date the payment was due. No interest will
accrue on any amounts payable for the period from and after the due date for payment of such
principal or interest.
Interest Rate Determination
Fixed Rate Notes
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each fixed rate note will
bear interest from its original issue date, or from the last interest payment date to which
interest has been paid or duly provided for, at the rate per annum stated in the applicable
prospectus supplement or pricing supplement until its principal amount is paid or made available
for payment.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, interest on each fixed
rate note will be payable semi-annually in arrears on the dates set forth in the applicable
prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, with each such day being an interest payment date, and
at maturity. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, interest on U.S.
dollar-denominated fixed rate notes will be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year comprised of
twelve 30-day months or, in the case of an incomplete month, the number of days elapsed. The
day-count for fixed rate notes denominated in any other currency will be set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement. All U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar and Euro
amounts resulting from this calculation will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent
being rounded upward. All Yen amounts resulting from this calculation will be rounded to the
nearest Yen, with five-tenths or more of ¥1 to be rounded upward to the nearest ¥1 per debt
security. The rounding convention for any other currency will be set forth in the applicable
prospectus supplement.
Floating Rate Notes
Each floating rate note will bear interest at the interest rate specified in the prospectus
supplement or pricing supplement relating to a particular series of debt securities. Unless
otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, interest on each floating rate note
will be payable quarterly in arrears on the dates set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement
or pricing supplement, with each such day being an interest payment date, and at maturity. Unless
otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, interest on floating rate notes will
be calculated on the basis of the actual number of days in an interest period and a 360-day year.
An interest period is the period commencing on an interest payment date and ending on the day
preceding the next following interest payment date. The first interest period will commence on the
day the floating rate notes are issued and will end on the day preceding the next following
interest payment date.
The interest rate for each offering of floating rate notes for a particular interest period
will be a per annum rate equal to the base rate specified in the applicable prospectus supplement
or pricing supplement, as determined on the relevant interest determination date (defined below for
each base rate), plus or minus any spread or multiplied by any spread multiplier. A basis point, or
bp, equals one-hundredth of a percentage point. The spread is the number of basis points specified
in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, and the spread multiplier is the
percentage specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
Each floating rate note will bear interest for each interest period at a rate determined by
the calculation agent named in the applicable prospectus supplement. Promptly upon determination,
the calculation agent will inform the trustee and Comerica of the interest rate for the next
interest period. Absent manifest error, the determination of the interest rate by the calculation
agent shall be binding and conclusive on the holders of such floating rate notes, the trustee and
Comerica. As long as the floating rate notes are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, the
Luxembourg Stock Exchange shall be notified of the interest rate, the amount of the interest
payment and the interest payment date for a particular interest period not later than the first day
of such interest period. Upon request from any noteholder, the calculation agent will provide the
interest rate in effect on the notes for the current interest period and, if it has been
determined, the interest rate to be in effect for the next interest period.
17
The applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement will designate one of the following
base rates as applicable to an offering of floating rate notes:
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LIBOR; |
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the Treasury Rate; |
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the Prime Rate; |
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EURIBOR; |
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CDOR; or |
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such other base rate as is set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing
supplement and in the note. |
The following terms are used in describing the various base rates:
The index maturity is the period of maturity of the instrument or obligation from which the
base rate is calculated.
H.15(519) means the publication entitled Statistical Release H.15(519), Selected Interest
Rates, or any successor publication, published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System.
H.15 Daily Update means the daily update of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System at http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/ H15/update/ or any successor site or publication.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, in this section, business
day means:
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for any floating rate note, any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday
and that is not a day on which banking institutions generally are
authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close in New York
City, London, or the place in which the floating rate note or its
coupon is to be presented for payment; |
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for LIBOR floating rate notes only, a London business day, which shall
be any day on which dealings in deposits in the specified currency are
transacted in the London interbank market; |
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for floating rate notes having a specified currency other than U.S.
dollars only, other than Euro-denominated floating rate notes, any day
that, in the principal financial center (as defined below) of the
country of the specified currency, is not a day on which banking
institutions generally are authorized or obligated by law to close;
and |
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for EURIBOR floating rate notes and Euro-denominated floating rate
notes, a TARGET business day, which will be any day on which the
Trans-European Automated Real-Time Gross Settlement Express Transfer
System is open. |
As used above, a principal financial center means the capital city of the country issuing
the specified currency. However, for Australian dollars, Canadian dollars and Swiss francs, the
principal financial center will be Sydney, Toronto and Zurich, respectively.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, each of the following base
rates will be determined by the calculation agent as described below. Unless otherwise specified in
the applicable prospectus supplement, all percentages resulting from any calculation of the rate of
interest on a floating rate note will be rounded, if necessary, to the nearest 1/100,000 of 1%
(.0000001), with five one-millionths of a percentage point rounded upward. All currency amounts
used in, or resulting from, the calculation on floating rate notes will be rounded to the nearest
one-hundredth of a unit. For purposes of rounding, .005 of a unit shall be rounded upward.
LIBOR Notes. Each LIBOR note will bear interest for each interest period at an
interest rate equal to LIBOR and any spread or spread multiplier specified in the note and the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
The calculation agent will determine LIBOR on each interest determination date. The interest
determination date is the second London business day prior to each interest period.
18
On an interest determination date, the calculation agent will determine LIBOR for each
interest period as follows:
The calculation agent will determine the offered rates for deposits in a principal amount
equal to at least $1,000,000 or the approximate equivalent in the specified currency for the period
of the index maturity specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement
commencing on the interest determination date, which appear on the designated LIBOR page at
approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on that date.
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If LIBOR Moneyline Telerate is designated, or if neither LIBOR
Reuters nor LIBOR Moneyline Telerate is specified as the method for
calculating LIBOR, designated LIBOR page means the display
designated as page 3750 on the Moneyline Telerate Service, and LIBOR
will be the relevant offered rate determined by the calculation agent.
If page 3750 on the Moneyline Telerate Service is replaced by
another page or ceases to exist, or if the Moneyline Telerate Service
is replaced by a successor service or ceases to exist, then LIBOR
Moneyline Telerate means the replacement page or service selected by
the British Bankers Association for the purpose of displaying the
London interbank offered rates of major banks. |
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If LIBOR Reuters is designated, designated LIBOR page means the
display designated as page LIBO on the Reuters Monitor Money Rates
Service and LIBOR will be the arithmetic means of the offered rates,
calculated by the calculation agent, or the offered rate, if the
designated LIBOR page by its terms provides only for a single rate. If
the LIBO page on that service is replaced by another page or ceases to
exist, or if the Reuters Monitor Money Rates Service is replaced by a
successor service or ceases to exist, then LIBOR Reuters means the
replacement page or service selected by the British Bankers
Association for the purpose of displaying the London interbank offered
rates of major banks. |
If LIBOR cannot be determined on an interest determination date as described above, then the
calculation agent will determine LIBOR as follows:
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The calculation agent (after consultation
with Comerica) will select four major banks
in the London interbank market. |
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The calculation agent will request that the
principal London offices of those four
selected banks provide their offered
quotations to prime banks in the London
interbank market at approximately 11:00 a.m.,
London time, on the interest determination
date. These quotations shall be for deposits
in the specified currency for the period of
the specified index maturity, commencing on
the interest determination date. Offered
quotations must be based on a principal
amount equal to at least $1,000,000 or the
approximate equivalent in the specified
currency that is representative of a single
transaction in such market at that time. |
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(1) |
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If two or more quotations are provided, LIBOR for the
interest period will be the arithmetic average of those
quotations. |
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(2) |
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If less than two quotations are provided, the calculation
agent (after consultation with Comerica) will select three
major banks in New York City and follow the steps in the two
bullet points below. |
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The calculation agent will then determine LIBOR for the interest
period as the arithmetic average of rates quoted by those three major
banks in New York City to leading European banks at approximately
11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the interest determination date.
The rates quoted will be for loans in the specified currency, for the
period of the specified index maturity, commencing on the interest
determination date. Rates quoted must be based on a principal amount
of at least $1,000,000 or the approximate equivalent in the specified
currency that is representative of a single transaction in such market
at that time. |
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If fewer than three New York City banks selected by the calculation
agent are quoting rates, LIBOR for the interest period will be the
same as for the immediately preceding interest period. |
Treasury Rate Notes. Each Treasury Rate note will bear interest for each interest
period at an interest rate equal to the Treasury Rate and any spread or spread multiplier,
specified in the note and the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
19
The calculation agent will determine the Treasury Rate on each interest determination date.
The interest determination date for each interest period will be the day of the week in which the
beginning of that interest period falls on which treasury securities are normally auctioned.
Treasury securities are normally sold at auction on Monday of each week unless that day is a legal
holiday. In that case the auction is normally held on the following Tuesday, except that the
auction may be held on the preceding Friday. If, as the result of a legal holiday, an auction is
held on the Friday of the week preceding an interest period, that Friday will be the interest
determination date pertaining to the interest period commencing in the next succeeding week. If an
auction date falls on any day that would otherwise be an interest determination date for a Treasury
Rate note, then that interest determination date will instead be the business day immediately
following the auction date.
On an interest determination date, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus
supplement, the Treasury Rate for each interest period will be the rate for the auction held on the
interest determination date for the interest period of treasury securities as that rate appears on
Moneyline Telerate (or any successor service) on page 56 (or any other page as may replace page 56)
or on page 57 (or any other page as may replace page 57) under the heading INVESTMENT RATE.
Treasury securities are direct obligations of the United States that have the index maturity
specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
If the Treasury Rate cannot be determined as described above, the following procedures will be
followed in the order set forth below:
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(1) |
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If the Treasury rate is not published prior to 3:00 p.m., New York
City time on the earlier of 1) the tenth calendar day after the
interest determination date or, if that day is not a business day, the
next succeeding business day, or 2) the business day immediately
preceding the applicable interest payment date or maturity date, as
the case may be (the calculation date), then the Treasury Rate will
be the Bond Equivalent Yield (as defined below) of the rate for the
applicable treasury securities as published in H.15 Daily Update, or
another recognized electronic source used for the purpose of
displaying the applicable rate, under the heading U.S. Government
Securities/ Treasury Bills/ Auction High on the interest
determination date. |
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(2) |
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If the rate referred to in clause (1) is not so published by 3:00
p.m., New York City time, on the calculation date, the Treasury Rate
will be the Bond Equivalent Yield of the auction rate of the
applicable treasury securities as announced by the United States
Department of the Treasury on the interest determination date. |
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(3) |
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If the rate referred to in clause (2) above is not so announced by the
United States Department of the Treasury, or if the auction is not
held, then the Treasury Rate will be the Bond Equivalent Yield of the
rate on the interest determination date of the applicable treasury
securities published in H.15(519) under the heading U.S. Government
Securities/ Treasury Bills/ Secondary Market. |
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(4) |
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If the rate referred to in clause (3) is not so published by 3:00
p.m., New York City time, on the calculation date, then the Treasury
Rate will be the rate on the calculation date of the applicable
treasury securities as published in H.15 Daily Update, or another
recognized electronic source used for the purpose of displaying the
applicable rate, under the heading U.S. Government
Securities/Treasury Bills/Secondary Market on the interest
determination date. |
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(5) |
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If the rate referred to in clause (4) is not so published by 3:00
p.m., New York City time, on the calculation date, then the Treasury
Rate will be the rate calculated by the calculation agent as the Bond
Equivalent Yield of the arithmetic mean of the secondary market bid
rates, as of approximately 3:30 p.m., New York City time, on the
interest determination date, of three primary United States government
securities dealers selected by the calculation agent (after
consultation with Comerica), for the issue of treasury securities with
a remaining maturity closest to the index maturity specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement. |
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(6) |
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If the dealers selected by the calculation agent are not quoting bid
rates as mentioned in (5) above, then the Treasury Rate for such
interest period will be the same as the Treasury Rate for the
immediately preceding interest period. If there was no preceding
interest period, the Treasury Rate will be the initial interest rate. |
20
Bond Equivalent Yield will be calculated as follows:
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Bond Equivalent Yield
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=
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D × N
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× 100 |
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360 - (D × M) |
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where D refers to the applicable per annum rate for treasury securities quoted on a bank discount
basis and expressed as a decimal, N refers to 365 or 366, as the case may be, and M refers to
the actual number of days in the applicable interest period.
Prime Rate Notes. Prime Rate notes will bear interest at a rate equal to the Prime
Rate and any spread or spread multiplier specified in the Prime Rate notes and the applicable
prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
The calculation agent will determine the Prime Rate for each interest period on each interest
determination date. The interest determination date is the second business day prior to each
interest period. The Prime Rate will be the rate made available and subsequently published on that
date in H.15(519) under the heading Bank Prime Loan.
The following procedures will be followed if the Prime Rate cannot be determined as described
above.
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If the rate is not published prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time,
on the calculation date, then the Prime Rate will be the rate on the
interest determination date that is published in the H.15 Daily Update
other recognized electronic source used for the purpose of displaying
that rate, under the heading Bank Prime Loan. |
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If the rate referred to above is not published prior to 3:00 p.m., New
York City time, on the calculation date, then the Prime Rate will be
the arithmetic mean of the rates of interest that appear on the
Reuters Screen USPRIME1 page as such banks prime rate or base lending
rate as of 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on the interest
determination date. |
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If fewer than four such rates appear on the Reuters Screen USPRIME1
page, then the calculation agent will select three major banks in New
York City (after consultation with Comerica). The Prime Rate will be
the arithmetic average of the prime rates quoted by those three banks
on the basis of the actual number of days in the year divided by a
360-day year as of the close of business on the interest determination
date. |
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If the banks that the calculation agent selects do not provide
quotations as described above, then the Prime Rate will remain the
same as the Prime Rate for the immediately preceding interest period,
or if there was no interest period, the rate of interest payable will
be the initial interest rate. |
Reuters Screen USPRIME1 page means the display designated as page USPRIME1 on the Reuters
Monitor Money Rates Service, or any successor service or page, for the purpose of displaying prime
rates or base lending rates of major United States banks.
EURIBOR Notes. Each EURIBOR note will bear interest for each interest period at an
interest rate equal to EURIBOR and any spread or spread multiplier specified in the note and the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
The calculation agent will determine EURIBOR on each interest determination date. The interest
determination date is the second TARGET business day prior to each interest period.
On an interest determination date, the calculation agent will determine EURIBOR for each
interest period as follows.
The calculation agent will determine the offered rates for deposits in euros for the period of
the index maturity specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, in
amounts of at least 1,000,000, commencing on the interest determination date, which appears on
page 248 (or any other page as may replace such page) on the Telerate Service (or any successor
service) as of 11:00 a.m., Brussels time, on that date.
21
If EURIBOR cannot be determined on an interest determination date as described above, then the
calculation agent will determine EURIBOR as follows:
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The calculation agent (after consultation with Comerica) will select
four major banks in the Euro-zone interbank market. |
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The calculation agent will request that the principal Euro-zone
offices of those four selected banks provide their offered quotations
to prime banks in the Euro-zone interbank market at approximately
11:00 a.m., Brussels time, on the interest determination date. These
quotations shall be for deposits in Euros for the period of the
specified index maturity, commencing on the interest determination
date. Offered quotations must be based on a principal amount equal to
at least 1,000,000 that is representative of a single transaction
in such market at that time. |
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(1) |
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If two or more quotations are provided, EURIBOR will be the arithmetic average of those quotations. |
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(2) |
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If less than two quotations are provided, the calculation agent (after consultation with Comerica)
will select three major banks in the Euro-zone and follow the steps in the two bullet points
below. |
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The calculation agent will then determine EURIBOR for the interest
period as the arithmetic average of rates quoted by those three major
banks in the Euro-zone to leading European banks at approximately
11:00 a.m., Brussels time, on the interest determination date. The
rates quoted will be for loans in Euros, for the period of the
specified index maturity, commencing on the interest determination
date. Rates quoted must be based on a principal amount of at least
1,000,000 that is representative of a single transaction in such
market at that time. |
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If the banks so selected by the calculation agent are not quoting
rates as described above, EURIBOR for the interest period will be the
same as for the immediately preceding interest period. |
Euro-zone means the region comprised of member states of the European Union that adopted the
Euro as their single currency.
CDOR Rate Notes. Each CDOR note will bear interest for each interest period at an
interest rate equal to the Canadian dollar three-month Bankers Acceptance Rate (CDOR) and any
spread or spread multiplier specified in the note and the applicable prospectus supplement or
pricing supplement.
The calculation agent will determine CDOR on each interest determination date. The interest
determination date is the first day of such interest period. CDOR will be the offered rate for
Canadian dollar bankers acceptances having a maturity of three months, as such rate appears on the
Reuters Screen CDOR page, or such other replacing service or such other service that may be
nominated by the person sponsoring the information appearing there for the purpose of displaying
offered rates for Canadian dollar bankers acceptances having a maturity of three months, at
approximately 10:00 a.m., Toronto time, on such interest determination date.
The following procedures will be followed if CDOR cannot be determined as described above.
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If the rate is not published prior to 10:00 a.m., Toronto time, on the
interest determination date, then CDOR will be the average of the bid
rates of interest for Canadian dollar bankers acceptances with
maturities of three months for same day settlement as quoted by such
of the Schedule I banks (as defined in the Bank Act (Canada)) as may
quote such a rate as of 10:00 a.m., Toronto time, on such interest
determination date. |
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If no offered rate appears on Reuters Screen CDOR page on an interest
determination date at approximately 10:00 a.m., Toronto time, then
CDOR will be the average of the bid rates of interest for Canadian
dollar bankers acceptances with maturities of three months for same
day settlement as quoted by such of the Schedule I banks (as defined
in the Bank Act (Canada)) as may quote such a rate as of 10:00 a.m.,
Toronto time, on such interest determination date. If at least two
quotations are provided, CDOR will be the arithmetic average of the
quotations provided. |
22
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If the Schedule I banks so selected by the calculation agent are not
quoting as mentioned above, CDOR for the next interest period will be
the rate in effect for the preceding interest period. |
Floating/ Fixed Rate Notes The applicable prospectus supplement may provide that a debt
security will be a floating rate note for a specified portion of its term and a fixed rate note for
the remainder of its term. In such an event, the interest rate on the debt security will be
determined as if it were a floating rate note and a fixed rate note for each respective period, all
as specified herein and in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
Dual Currency Debt Securities
Comerica may from time to time offer dual currency debt securities on which it has the option
of making all payments of principal and interest on such debt securities that are issued on the
same day and have the same terms, the payments on which would otherwise be made in the specified
currency of those debt securities, in the optional payment currency specified in the applicable
prospectus supplement or pricing supplement. This option will be exercisable in whole but not in
part on an option election date, which will be any of the dates specified in the applicable
prospectus supplement. Information as to the relative value of the specified currency compared to
the optional payment currency will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing
supplement.
The prospectus supplement or pricing supplement for each issuance of dual currency debt
securities will specify, among other things, the specified currency; the optional payment currency;
and the designated exchange rate. The designated exchange rate will be a fixed exchange rate used
for converting amounts denominated in the specified currency into amounts denominated in the
optional payment currency. The prospectus supplement or pricing supplement will also specify the
option election dates and interest payment dates for the related issuance of dual currency debt
securities. Each option election date will be a particular number of days before an interest
payment date or maturity, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each option
election date will be the date on which Comerica may select whether to make all scheduled payments
due thereafter in the optional payment currency rather than in the specified currency.
If Comerica makes such an election, the amount payable in the optional payment currency will
be determined using the designated exchange rate specified in the applicable prospectus supplement
or pricing supplement. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, if such
an election is made, notice of the election will be provided in accordance with the terms of the
dual currency debt securities within two business days of the option election date. The notice will
state (1) the first date, whether an interest payment date and/or maturity, on which scheduled
payments in the optional payment currency will be made and (2) the designated exchange rate. Unless
otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, any such notice
by Comerica, once given, may not be withdrawn. The equivalent value in the specified currency of
payments made after such an election may be less, at the then current exchange rate, than if
Comerica had made the payment in the specified currency.
For United States federal income tax purposes, holders of dual currency debt securities may
need to comply with rules that differ from the general rules applicable to holders of other types
of debt securities offered by this prospectus. The United States federal income tax consequences of
the purchase, ownership and disposition of dual currency debt securities will be set forth in the
applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
Extension of Maturity
If so stated in the prospectus supplement or pricing supplement relating to a particular
offering of debt securities, Comerica may extend the stated maturity of those debt securities for
an extension period. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, such an
extension period will be one or more periods of one to five whole years, up to but not beyond the
final maturity date set forth in the prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica may exercise its
option for a particular offering of debt securities by notifying the trustee for that series at
least 45 but not more than 60 days prior to the original stated maturity of the debt security. Not
later than 40 days prior to the original stated maturity of the debt security, the trustee for the
debt securities will provide notice of the extension to the holder, in accordance with
Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement Notices below. The extension notice will set forth among
other items: the election of Comerica to extend the stated maturity of the debt security; the new
stated maturity; in the case of a fixed rate note, the interest rate applicable to the extension
period; in the case of a floating rate note, the spread,
23
spread multiplier or method of calculation
applicable to the extension period; and any provisions for redemption during the extension period,
including the date or dates on which, or the period or periods during which, and the price or
prices at which, a redemption may occur during the extension period.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplment, upon the provision by such
trustee of an extension notice in accordance with Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement Notices
below, the stated maturity of the debt security will be extended automatically, and, except as
modified by the extension notice and as described in the next paragraph, the debt security will
have the same terms as prior to the extension notice.
Despite the foregoing and unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement,
not later than 20 days prior to the original stated maturity of the debt security, Comerica may, at
its option, revoke the interest rate, or the spread or spread multiplier, as the case may be,
provided for in the extension notice for the debt security and establish for the extension period a
higher interest rate, in the case of a fixed rate note, or a higher spread or spread multiplier, in
the case of a floating rate note. Comerica may so act by causing the trustee for the debt security
to provide notice of the higher interest rate or higher spread or spread multiplier, as the case
may be, in accordance with Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement Notices below, to the holder
of the debt security. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the
notice will be irrevocable. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, all
debt securities for which the stated maturity is extended will bear the higher interest rate, in
the case of fixed rate notes, or higher spread or spread multiplier, in the case of floating rate
notes, for the extension period, whether or not tendered for repayment.
If so stated in the prospectus supplement or pricing supplement relating to a particular
offering of debt securities, the holder of a debt security of which Comerica elects to extend
maturity may have the option of early redemption, repayment or repurchase.
Listing
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, application will be made
to list and trade the debt securities on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
The European Commission has adopted a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council
(2004/109/EC), the Transparency Directive) on the harmonization of transparency requirements
relating to financial information of issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on a
regulated market in the European Union, such as the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. If the Transparency
Directive is implemented in Luxembourg in a manner that would require Comerica to publish its
financial statements according to accounting principles or standards that are materially different
from U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or that would otherwise impose requirements on
Comerica that it in good faith determines are unduly burdensome, Comerica may seek to de-list the
debt securities. Comerica will use its reasonable best efforts to obtain an alternative admission
to listing, trading and/or quotation for the debt securities by another listing authority, exchange
and/or system within or outside the European Union, as it may decide. If such an alternative
admission is not available to Comerica or is, in Comericas opinion, unduly burdensome, an
alternative admission may not be obtained. Notice of any de-listing and/or alternative admission
will be given as described under Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement Notices below.
Payment of Additional Amounts
Obligation to Pay Additional Amounts
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica will pay
additional amounts to the beneficial owner of any debt security that is a non-United States person
in order to ensure that every net payment on such debt security will not be less, due to payment of
U.S. withholding tax, than the amount then due and payable. For this purpose, a net payment on a
debt security means a payment by Comerica or a paying agent, including payment of principal and
interest, after deduction for any present or future tax, assessment or other governmental charge of
the United States. These additional amounts will constitute additional interest on the debt
security.
24
Exceptions
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica will not be
required to pay additional amounts, however, in any of the circumstances described in items (1)
through (13) below.
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(1) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security
is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment or other governmental
charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the beneficial
owner: |
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having a relationship with the United States as a citizen, resident or otherwise; |
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having had such a relationship in the past or |
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being considered as having had such a relationship. |
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(2) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security
is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment or other governmental
charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the beneficial
owner: |
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being treated as present in or engaged in a trade or business in the United States; |
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being treated as having been present in or engaged in a trade or business in
the United States in the past; or |
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having or having had a permanent establishment in the United States. |
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(3) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security
is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment or other governmental
charge that is imposed or withheld in whole or in part by reason of
the beneficial owner being or having been any of the following (as
these terms are defined in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended): |
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personal holding company; |
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foreign personal holding company; |
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foreign private foundation or other foreign tax-exempt organization; |
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passive foreign investment company; |
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controlled foreign corporation; or |
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corporation which has accumulated earnings to avoid United States federal income tax. |
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(4) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security
is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment or other governmental
charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the beneficial
owner owning or having owned, actually or constructively, 10 percent
or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of
Comerica entitled to vote or by reason of the beneficial owner being a
bank that has invested in a debt security as an extension of credit in
the ordinary course of its trade or business. |
For purposes of items (1) through (4) above, beneficial owner means a fiduciary, settlor,
beneficiary, member or shareholder of the holder if the holder is an estate, trust, partnership,
limited liability company, corporation or other entity, or a person holding a power over an estate
or trust administered by a fiduciary holder.
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Additional amounts will not be payable to any beneficial owner of a debt security that is a: |
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fiduciary; |
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partnership; |
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limited liability company; or |
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other fiscally transparent entity |
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or that is not the sole beneficial owner of the debt security, or any portion of the debt security. However, this
exception to the obligation to pay additional amounts will only apply to the extent that a beneficiary or settlor in
relation to the fiduciary, or a beneficial owner or member of the partnership, limited liability company or other
fiscally transparent entity, would not have been entitled to the payment of an additional amount had the
beneficiary, settlor, beneficial owner or member received directly its beneficial or distributive share of the
payment. |
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(6) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment
or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the failure of the beneficial owner or
any other person to comply with applicable certification, identification, documentation or other information
reporting requirements. This exception to the obligation to pay additional amounts will only apply if compliance
with such reporting requirements is required by statute or regulation of the United States or by an applicable
income tax treaty to which the United States is a party as a precondition to exemption from such tax, assessment or
other governmental charge. |
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(7) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment
or other governmental charge that is collected or imposed by any method other than by withholding from a payment on
a debt security by Comerica or a paying agent. |
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(8) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment
or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld by reason of a hange in law, regulation, or administrative
or judicial interpretation that becomes effective more than 15 days after the payment becomes due or is duly
provided for, whichever occurs later. |
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(9) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment
or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld by reason of the presentation by the beneficial owner of a
debt security for payment more than 30 days after the date on which such payment becomes due or is duly provided
for, whichever occurs later. |
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(10) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt security is reduced as a result of any: |
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estate tax; |
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inheritance tax; |
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gift tax; |
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sales tax; |
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excise tax; |
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transfer tax; |
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wealth tax; |
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personal property tax; or |
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any similar tax, assessment, withholding, deduction or other governmental charge. |
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(11) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt
security is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment, or other
governmental charge required to be withheld by any paying agent from
a payment of principal or interest on a note if such payment can be
made without such withholding by any other paying agent. |
26
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(12) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt
security is reduced as a result of any tax, assessment or other
governmental charge that is required to be made pursuant to any
European Union directive on the taxation of savings income or any law
implementing or complying with, or introduced to conform to, any such
directive. See EU Directive on the Taxation of Savings Income
below. |
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(13) |
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Additional amounts will not be payable if a payment on a debt
security is reduced as a result of any combination of items (1)
through (12) above. |
Except as specifically provided in this section (Payment of Additional Amounts) and under
Redemption for Tax Purposes below, Comerica will not be required to make any payment of any tax,
assessment or other governmental charge imposed by any government or a political subdivision or
taxing authority of such government.
Relevant Definitions
As used in this prospectus, United States person means:
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any individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States; |
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any corporation, partnership or other entity treated as a corporation
or a partnership created or organized in or under the laws of the
United States or any political subdivision thereof; |
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any estate if the income of such estate falls within the federal
income tax jurisdiction of the United States regardless of the source
of such income and |
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any trust if a United States court is able to exercise primary
supervision over its administration and one or more United States
persons have the authority to control all of the substantial decisions
of the trust. |
Additionally, non-United States person means a person who is not a United States person, and
United States means the United States of America, including the states of the United States of
America and the District of Columbia, but excluding its territories and possessions.
Redemption for Tax Purposes
Redemption Procedure
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica may, at its
option, redeem a series of debt securities as a whole, but not in part, on not less than 30 nor
more than 60 days prior notice, only in the circumstances described in items (1) or (2) below
under Redemption Circumstances. To redeem, Comerica must pay a redemption price equal to 100%
of the principal amount of the debt securities, together with accrued interest to the redemption
date.
Redemption Circumstances
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, there are two sets of
circumstances in which Comerica may redeem the debt securities in the manner described above under
Redemption Procedure:
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Comerica may redeem a series of debt securities if: |
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Comerica becomes or will become obligated to pay additional amounts as
described under Payment of Additional Amounts above; |
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the obligation to pay additional amounts arises as a result of any
change in the laws, regulations or rulings of the United States, or an
official position regarding the application or interpretation of such
laws, regulations or rulings, which change is announced or becomes
effective on or after the date of the applicable prospectus supplement
relating to the original issuance of notes that form a series, or the
pricing supplement, as the case may be; and |
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Comerica determines, in its business judgment, that the obligation to
pay such additional amounts cannot be avoided by the use of reasonable
measures available to it, other than substituting the obligor under
the notes or taking any action that would entail a material cost to
Comerica. |
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(2) |
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Comerica may also redeem a series of debt securities if: |
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any act is taken by a taxing authority of the United States on or
after the date of the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the
original issuance of notes which form a series, or the pricing
supplement, as the case may be, whether or not such act is taken in
relation to Comerica or any subsidiary, that results in a substantial
probability that Comerica will or may be required to pay additional
amounts as described under Payment of Additional Amounts above; |
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Comerica determines, in its business judgment, that the obligation to
pay such additional amounts cannot be avoided by the use of reasonable
measures available to it, other than substituting the obligor under
the notes or taking any action that would entail a material cost to
Comerica and |
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Comerica receives an opinion of independent counsel to the effect that
an act taken by a taxing authority of the United States results in a
substantial probability that Comerica will or may be required to pay
the additional amounts described under Payment of Additional
Amounts above, and delivers to the trustee a certificate, signed by a
duly authorized officer, stating that based on such opinion Comerica
is entitled to redeem a series of debt securities pursuant to their
terms. |
Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica will issue debt
securities under a book-entry system in the form of one or more global securities. Comerica will
register the global securities in the name of a depositary or its nominee and deposit the global
securities with that depositary. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus
supplement, the Depository Trust Company (DTC), New York, New York, or DTC, will be the
depositary if Comerica uses a depositary.
Following the issuance of a global security in registered form, the depositary will credit the
accounts of its participants with the debt securities upon our instructions. Only persons who hold
directly or indirectly through financial institutions that are participants in the depositary can
hold beneficial interests in the global securities. Because the laws of some jurisdictions require
certain types of purchasers to take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form, you
may encounter difficulties in your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in a
global security.
So long as the depositary or its nominee is the registered owner of a global security,
Comerica and the relevant trustee will treat the depositary as the sole owner or holder of the debt
securities. Therefore, except as set forth below, you will not be entitled to have debt securities
registered in your name or to receive physical delivery of certificates representing the debt
securities. Accordingly, you will have to rely on the procedures of the depositary and the
participant in the depositary through whom you hold your beneficial interest in order to exercise
any rights of a holder. Comerica understands that under existing practices, the depositary would
act upon the instructions of a participant or authorize that participant to take any action that a
holder is entitled to take.
You may elect to hold interests in the global securities either in the United States through
DTC or outside the United States through Clearstream Banking, société anonyme (Clearstream) or
Euroclear Bank, S.A./N.V., or its successor, as operator of the Euroclear System, (Euroclear) if
you are a participant of such system, or indirectly through organizations that are participants in
such systems. Interests held through Clearstream and Euroclear will be recorded on DTCs books as
being held by the U.S. depositary for each of Clearstream and Euroclear, which U.S. depositaries
will in turn hold interests on behalf of their participants customers securities accounts.
28
As long as the debt securities are represented by the global securities, Comerica will pay
principal of and interest and premium, if any, on those securities to or as directed by DTC as the
registered holder of the global securities. Payments to DTC will be in immediately available funds
by wire transfer. DTC, Clearstream or Euroclear, as applicable, will credit the relevant accounts
of their participants on the applicable date. Neither Comerica nor the relevant trustee will be
responsible for making any payments to participants or customers of participants or for maintaining
any records relating to the holdings of participants and their customers, and you will have to rely
on the procedures of the depositary and its participants.
If an issue of debt securities is denominated in a currency other than the U.S. dollar,
Comerica will make payments of principal and any interest in the foreign currency in which the debt
securities are denominated or in U.S. dollars. DTC has elected to have all payments of principal
and interest paid in U.S. dollars unless notified by any of its participants through which an
interest in the debt securities is held that it elects, in accordance with, and to the extent
permitted by, the applicable prospectus supplement and the relevant debt security, to receive
payment of principal or interest in the foreign currency. On or prior to the third business day
after the record date for payment of interest and 12 days prior to the date for payment of
principal, a participant will be required to notify DTC of (a) its election to receive all, or the
specified portion, of payment in the foreign currency and (b) its instructions for wire transfer of
payment to a foreign currency account. See Currency Conversions and Foreign Exchange Risks
Affecting Debt Securities Denominated in a Foreign Currency Currency Conversion below.
Comerica has been advised by DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, as follows:
DTC
DTC has advised us that it is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the New York
Banking Law, a banking organization within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of
the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of the New York Uniform
Commercial Code, and a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of
the Exchange Act. DTC holds securities deposited with it by its participants and facilitates the
settlement of transactions among its participants in such securities through electronic
computerized book-entry changes in accounts of the participants, thereby eliminating the need for
physical movement of securities certificates. DTCs participants include securities brokers and
dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of
whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. Access to DTCs book-entry system is also available to
others, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a
custodial relationship with a participant, either directly or indirectly. According to DTC, the
foregoing information with respect to DTC has been provided to the financial community for
informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a representation, warranty or contract
modification of any kind.
Clearstream
Clearstream has advised us that it was incorporated as a limited liability company under
Luxembourg law. Clearstream is owned by Cedel International, société anonyme, and Deutsche Börse
AG. The shareholders of these two entities are banks, securities dealers and financial
institutions. Clearstream holds securities for its customers and facilitates the clearance and
settlement of securities transactions between Clearstream customers through electronic book-entry
changes in accounts of Clearstream customers, thus eliminating the need for physical movement of
certificates. Transactions may be settled by Clearstream in many currencies, including United
States dollars. Clearstream provides to its customers, among other things, services for
safekeeping, administration, clearance and settlement of internationally traded securities,
securities lending and borrowing. Clearstream also deals with domestic securities markets in over
30 countries through established depository and custodial relationships. Clearstream interfaces
with domestic markets in a number of countries. Clearstream has established an electronic bridge
with Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., the operator of Euroclear, or the Euroclear operator, to facilitate
settlement of trades between Clearstream and Euroclear.
As a registered bank in Luxembourg, Clearstream is subject to regulation by the Luxembourg
Commission for the Supervision of the Financial Sector. Clearstream customers are recognized
financial institutions around the world, including underwriters, securities brokers and dealers,
banks, trust companies and clearing corporations. In the United States, Clearstream customers are
limited to securities brokers and dealers and banks, and may include the underwriters for the debt
securities. Other institutions that maintain a custodial relationship with a Clearstream customer
may obtain indirect access to Clearstream. Clearstream is an indirect participant in DTC.
Distributions with respect to the debt securities held beneficially through Clearstream will
be credited to cash accounts of Clearstream customers in accordance with its rules and procedures,
to the extent received by Clearstream.
29
Euroclear
Euroclear has advised us that it was created in 1968 to hold securities for participants of
Euroclear and to clear and settle transactions between Euroclear participants through simultaneous
electronic book-entry delivery against payment, thus eliminating the need for physical movement of
certificates and risk from lack of simultaneous transfers of securities and cash. Transactions may
now be settled in many currencies, including United States dollars and Japanese Yen. Euroclear
provides various other services, including securities lending and borrowing and interfaces with
domestic markets in several countries generally similar to the arrangements for cross-market
transfers with DTC described below.
Euroclear is operated by the Euroclear operator, under contract with Euroclear plc, a U.K.
corporation. The Euroclear operator conducts all operations, and all Euroclear securities clearance
accounts and Euroclear cash accounts are accounts with the Euroclear operator, not Euroclear plc.
Euroclear plc establishes policy for Euroclear on behalf of Euroclear participants. Euroclear
participants include banks (including central banks), securities brokers and dealers and other
professional financial intermediaries and may include the underwriters for the debt securities.
Indirect access to Euroclear is also available to other firms that clear through or maintain a
custodial relationship with a Euroclear participant, either directly or indirectly. Euroclear is an
indirect participant in DTC.
The Euroclear operator is a Belgian bank. The Belgian Banking Commission and the National Bank
of Belgium regulate and examine the Euroclear operator.
The Terms and Conditions Governing Use of Euroclear and the related Operating Procedures of
the Euroclear System, or the Euroclear Terms and Conditions, and applicable Belgian law govern
securities clearance accounts and cash accounts with the Euroclear operator. Specifically, these
terms and conditions govern:
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transfers of securities and cash within Euroclear; |
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withdrawal of securities and cash from Euroclear; and |
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receipt of payments with respect to securities in Euroclear. |
All securities in Euroclear are held on a fungible basis without attribution of specific
certificates to specific securities clearance accounts. The Euroclear operator acts under the terms
and conditions only on behalf of Euroclear participants and has no record of or relationship with
persons holding securities through Euroclear participants.
Distributions with respect to debt securities held beneficially through Euroclear will be
credited to the cash accounts of Euroclear participants in accordance with the Euroclear Terms and
Conditions, to the extent received by the Euroclear operator.
Settlement
You will be required to make your initial payment for the debt securities in immediately
available funds. Secondary market trading between DTC participants will occur in the ordinary way
in accordance with DTC rules and will be settled in immediately available funds using DTCs
Same-Day Funds Settlement System. Secondary market trading between Clearstream customers and/or
Euroclear participants will occur in the ordinary way in accordance with the applicable rules and
operating procedures of Clearstream and Euroclear and will be settled using the procedures
applicable to conventional eurobonds in immediately available funds.
Cross-market transfers between persons holding directly or indirectly through DTC, on the one
hand, and directly or indirectly through Clearstream customers or Euroclear participants, on the
other, will be effected in DTC in accordance with DTC rules on behalf of the relevant European
international clearing system by U.S. depositary; however, such cross-market transactions will
require delivery of instructions to the relevant European international clearing system by the
counterparty in such system in accordance with its rules and procedures and within its established
deadlines (based on European time). The relevant European international clearing system will, if
the transaction meets its settlement requirements, deliver instructions to the U.S. depositary to
take action to effect final
30
settlement on its behalf by delivering or receiving debt securities in
DTC, and making or receiving payment in accordance with normal procedures for same-day funds
settlement applicable to DTC. Clearstream customers and Euroclear participants may not deliver
instructions directly to their respective U.S. depositaries.
Because of time-zone differences, credits of debt securities received in Clearstream or
Euroclear as a result of a transaction with a DTC participant will be made during subsequent
securities settlement processing and dated the business day following the DTC settlement date. Such
credits or any transactions in such debt securities settled during such processing will be reported
to the relevant Clearstream customers or Euroclear participants on such business day. Cash received
in Clearstream or Euroclear as a result of sales of debt securities by or through a Clearstream
customer or a Euroclear participant to a DTC participant will be received with value on the DTC
settlement date but will be available in the relevant Clearstream or Euroclear cash account only as
of the business day following settlement in DTC.
Although DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear have agreed to the foregoing procedures in order to
facilitate transfers of debt securities among participants of DTC, Clearstream and Euroclear, they
are under no obligation to perform or continue to perform such procedures and such procedures may
be discontinued at any time.
Definitive Notes and Paying Agents
A beneficial owner of book-entry securities represented by a global security may exchange the
securities for definitive (paper) securities only if:
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the depositary is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for
such global security and Comerica is unable to find a qualified
replacement for the depositary within 90 days; |
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at any time the depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or |
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Comerica in its sole discretion decides to allow some or all
book-entry securities to be exchangeable for definitive securities in
registered form. |
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, any global security that
is exchangeable will be exchangeable in whole for definitive securities in registered form, with
the same terms and of an equal aggregate principal amount, in denominations of $250,000 and whole
multiples of $1,000. Definitive notes will be registered in the name or names of the person or
persons specified by the depositary in a written instruction to the registrar of the securities.
The Depositary may base its written instruction upon directions it receives from its participants.
If any of the events described above occurs, then the beneficial owners will be notified
through the chain of intermediaries that definitive debt securities are available and notice will
be published as described below under Notices. Beneficial owners of book-entry debt securities
will then be entitled (1) to receive physical delivery in certificated form of definitive debt
securities equal in principal amount to their beneficial interest and (2) to have the definitive
debt securities registered in their names. Thereafter, the holders of the definitive debt
securities will be recognized as the holders of the debt securities.
In the event definitive debt securities are issued, the holders of definitive debt securities
will be able to receive payments of principal and interest on their debt securities at the office
of Comericas paying agent maintained in the Borough of Manhattan (in the case of holders of U.S.
dollar-denominated debt securities or holders of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency
electing to receive payments in U.S. dollars) and in London (in the case of holders of debt
securities denominated in a foreign currency not electing to receive payments in U.S. dollars) and,
if the definitive debt securities are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, at the offices of
the paying agent in Luxembourg. Payment of principal of a definitive debt security may be made only
against surrender of the debt security to one of Comericas paying agents. Comerica also has the
option of making payments of interest by mailing checks to the registered holders of the debt
securities.
Comericas paying agent in the Borough of Manhattan, in London and paying agent and transfer
agent in Luxembourg will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement. As long as the debt
securities are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, Comerica will maintain a paying agent and
transfer agent in Luxembourg. Any change in the Luxembourg paying agent and transfer agent will be
published in London and Luxembourg. See Notices below.
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In the event definitive debt securities are issued, the holders of definitive debt securities
will be able to transfer their securities, in whole or in part, by surrendering the debt securities
for registration of transfer at the office of Comerica, listed above and, so long as definitive
debt securities are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, at the offices of the transfer agent
in Luxembourg, duly endorsed by or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form
satisfactory to Comerica and the securities registrar. A form of such instrument of transfer will
be obtainable at the relevant office of Comerica and the Luxembourg transfer agent. Upon surrender,
Comerica will execute, and the trustee will authenticate and deliver, new debt securities to the
designated transferee in the amount being transferred, and a new debt security for any amount not
being transferred will be issued to the transferor. Such new securities will be delivered free of
charge at the relevant office of Comerica or the Luxembourg transfer agent, as requested by the
owner of such new debt securities. Comerica will not charge any fee for the registration of
transfer or exchange, except that it may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any
applicable tax or other governmental charge payable in connection with the transfer.
Notices
So long as the global securities are held on behalf of DTC or any other clearing system,
notices to holders of securities represented by a beneficial interest in the global securities may
be given by delivery of the relevant notice to DTC or the alternative clearing system, as the case
may be. In addition, so long as the securities are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, notices
will also be made by publication in a leading newspaper of general circulation in Luxembourg, which
is expected to be the dWort. Any notice will be deemed to have been given on the date of
publication or, if published more than once, on the date of the first publication.
Events of Default, Waiver
An Event of Default with respect to a series of debt securities is defined in the Indenture
as:
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default for 30 days in the payment of interest on any debt securities of that series; |
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default in payment of principal or other amounts payable on any debt securities of that
series when due, at maturity, upon redemption, by declaration, or otherwise; |
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failure by us for 90 days after notice to perform any other covenants or warranties
contained in the Indenture applicable to that series; |
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certain events of bankruptcy or reorganization of Comerica; and |
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any other event of default provided in the applicable supplemental indentures or form of security. |
If a default in the payment of principal, interest or other amounts payable on the debt
securities, or in the performance of any covenant or agreement, or in a manner provided in the
applicable supplemental indenture or form of security, with respect to one or more series of debt
securities occurs and is continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal
amount of the debt securities of such series then outstanding, treated as one class, may declare
the principal of all outstanding debt securities of such series and any interest accrued thereon,
to be due and payable immediately. If a default arising out of certain events of bankruptcy or
reorganization of Comerica occurs, the principal of all outstanding debt securities and any
interest accrued thereon shall become due and payable immediately without any further action on the
part of the trustee or the holders of the debt securities. In the case of Original Issue Discount
Securities, only a specified portion of the principal amount may be accelerated. If a default in
the performance of any covenant or agreement with respect to all series of debt securities, or due
to specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency of Comerica, occurs and is continuing, either the
trustee or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of all debt securities then outstanding,
voting as a single class, may declare the principal of all outstanding debt securities and any
interest accrued thereon, to be due and payable immediately. In the case of Original Issue Discount
Securities, only a specified portion of the principal amount may be accelerated. Subject to certain
conditions such declarations may be annulled and past defaults, except for uncured payment defaults
on the debt securities, may be waived by the holders of a majority in principal amount of the
outstanding debt securities of the series affected.
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An Event of Default with respect to one series of debt securities does not necessarily
constitute an Event of Default with respect to any other series of debt securities. The Indenture
provides that the trustee may withhold notice to the holders of the debt securities of any default
if the trustee considers it in the interest of the holders of the debt securities to do so. The
trustee may not withhold notice of a default in the payment of principal of, interest on or any
other amounts due under, such debt securities.
The Indenture provides that the holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt
securities of any series may direct the time, method, and place of conducting any proceeding for
any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust or other power conferred on the
trustee. The trustee may decline to act if the direction is contrary to law and in certain other
circumstances set forth in the Indenture. The trustee is not obligated to exercise any of its
rights or powers under the Indenture at the request or direction of the holders of debt securities
unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable indemnity against expenses and liabilities.
No holder of any debt security of any series has the right to institute any action for remedy
unless such holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of default and the trustee
has failed to take action for 60 days after the holders of not less than 25% in principal amount of
the debt securities of such series make written request upon the trustee to institute such action.
The Indenture requires us to file annually with the trustee a written statement of no default,
or specifying any default that exists.
Whenever the Indenture provides for an action by, or the determination of any of the rights
of, or any distribution to, holders of debt securities, in the absence of any provision to the
contrary in the form of debt security, any amount in respect of any debt security denominated in a
currency or currency unit other than U.S. dollars may be treated for any such action or
distribution as the amount of U.S. dollars that could reasonably be exchanged for such non U.S.
dollar amount. This amount will be calculated as of a date that we specify to the trustee or, if we
fail to specify a date, on a date that the trustee may determine.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
Discharge of Indenture. The Indenture will cease to be of further effect with respect to debt
securities of any series, except as to rights of registration of transfer and exchange,
substitution of mutilated or defaced debt securities, rights of holders to receive principal,
interest or other amounts payable under the debt securities, rights and immunities of the trustee
and rights of holders with respect to property deposited pursuant to the following
provisions, if at any time:
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Comerica has paid the principal, interest or other amounts payable under the debt
securities of such series; |
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Comerica has delivered to the trustee for cancellation all debt securities of such
series; or |
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the debt securities of such series not delivered to the trustee for cancellation have
become due and payable, or will become due and payable within one year, or are to be called
for redemption within one year under arrangements satisfactory to the trustee, and Comerica
has irrevocably deposited with the trustee as trust funds the entire amount in cash or U.S.
government obligations sufficient to pay all amounts due with respect to such debt
securities on or after the date of such deposit, including at maturity or upon redemption
of all such debt securities, including principal, interest and other amounts. |
The trustee, on demand of Comerica accompanied by an Officers Certificate and an Opinion of
Counsel and at the cost and expense of Comerica, will execute proper instruments acknowledging such
satisfaction of and
discharging the Indenture with respect to such series.
Defeasance of a Series of Securities at Any Time. We may also discharge all of our
obligations, other than as to transfers and exchanges, under any series of debt securities at any
time, which we refer to as defeasance.
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We may be released with respect to any outstanding series of debt securities from the
obligations imposed by Article 9 of the Indenture, that contains the covenant described below
limiting consolidations, mergers and asset sales, and elect not to comply with that provision
without creating an event of default. Discharge under these procedures is called covenant
defeasance.
Defeasance or covenant defeasance may be effected only if, among other things:
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we irrevocably deposit with the trustee cash or, in the case of debt securities payable
only in U.S. dollars, U.S. government obligations, as trust funds in an amount certified to
be sufficient to pay on each date that they become due and payable, the principal of,
interest on, other amounts due under, and any mandatory sinking fund payments for, all
outstanding debt securities of the series being defeased; |
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we deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that: |
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the beneficial owners of the series of debt securities being defeased will not
recognize income, gain or loss for United States federal income tax purposes as a
result of the defeasance or covenant defeasance; and |
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the defeasance or covenant defeasance will not otherwise alter those beneficial
owners United States federal income tax treatment of principal or interest payments or
other amounts due under the series of debt securities being defeased; |
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in the case of a defeasance, this opinion must be based on a ruling of the Internal
Revenue Service or a change in United States federal income tax law occurring after the
date of this prospectus, since that result would not occur under current tax law; and |
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such defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of,
or constitute a default under, the Indenture or any other agreement or instrument to
which we are a party or by which we are bound. |
Modification of the Indenture; Waiver of Compliance
The Indenture contains provisions permitting us and the trustee to modify the Indenture or the
rights of the holders of debt securities with the consent of the holders of not less than a
majority in principal amount of each
outstanding series of debt securities affected by the modification. Each holder of an affected debt
security must consent to a modification that would:
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change the stated maturity date of the principal of, or of any installment of principal
of or interest on, any debt security; |
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reduce the principal amount of, interest on, or any other amounts due under any debt security; |
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change the currency or currency unit of payment of any debt security; |
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change the method in which amounts of payments of principal, interest or other amounts
are determined on any debt security; |
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reduce the portion of the principal amount of an Original Issue Discount Security
payable upon acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
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reduce any amount payable upon redemption of any debt security; |
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impair the right of a holder to institute suit for the payment of or, if the debt
securities provide, any right of repayment at the option of the holder of a debt security;
or |
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reduce the percentage of debt securities of any series, the consent of the holders of
which is required for any modification. |
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The Indenture also permits us and the trustee to amend the Indenture in certain circumstances
without the consent of the holders of debt securities to evidence our merger, the replacement of
the trustee, to effect changes that do not affect any outstanding series of debt security, and for
certain other purposes.
Consolidations, Mergers and Sales of Assets
We may not merge or consolidate with any other corporation or sell or convey all or
substantially all of our assets to any other corporation, unless either:
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we are the continuing corporation or the successor corporation is a United States
corporation that expressly assumes the payment of the principal of, any interest on, or any
other amounts due under the debt securities and the performance and observance of all the
covenants and conditions of the Indenture binding upon us, and |
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we or the successor corporation shall not, immediately after the merger or
consolidation, sale or conveyance, be in default in the performance of any covenant or
condition. (Article 9 of the Indenture) |
There are no covenants or other provisions in the Indenture that would afford holders of debt
securities additional protection in the event of a recapitalization transaction, a change of
control of Comerica or a highly leveraged transaction. The merger covenant described above would
only apply if the recapitalization transaction, change of control or highly leveraged transaction
were structured to include a merger or consolidation of Comerica. or a sale or conveyance of all or
substantially all of our assets. However, we may provide specific protections, such as a put right
or increased interest, for particular debt securities, that we would describe in the applicable
prospectus supplement.
Governing Law
The debt securities for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York.
Unclaimed Funds
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, all funds deposited with
the relevant trustee or any paying agent for the payment of principal, interest, premium or
additional amounts in respect of the debt securities that remain unclaimed for two years after the
maturity date of the debt securities will be repaid to Comerica upon its request. Thereafter, any
right of any noteholder to such funds shall be enforceable only against Comerica, and the trustee
and paying agents will have no liability therefor.
Prescription
Under New Yorks statute of limitations, any legal action to enforce Comericas payment
obligations evidenced by the debt securities must be commenced within six years after payment is
due. Thereafter Comericas payment obligations will generally become unenforceable.
EU Directive on the Taxation of Savings Income
As of the date of this prospectus, under the European Council Directive 2003/48/EC on the
taxation of savings income, Member States of the European Union are required to provide to the tax
authorities of another Member State details of payments of interest (or similar income) paid by a
person within its jurisdiction to an individual resident in that other Member State. However, for a
transitional period, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria are instead required (unless during that
period they elect otherwise) to operate a withholding system in relation to such payments (the
ending of such transitional period being dependent upon the conclusion of certain other agreements
relating to information exchange with certain other countries). A number of non-EU countries and
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territories have agreed to adopt similar measures (some of which involve a withholding
system). As indicated above under Payment of Additional Amounts Exceptions, no additional
amounts will be payable with respect to a debt security if a payment on a debt security is reduced
as a result of any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is required to be made
pursuant to any European Union directive on the taxation of savings income or any law implementing
or complying with, or introduced in order to conform to, any such directive. Holders should consult
their tax advisers regarding the implications of the directive in their particular circumstances.
Senior Debt
The senior debt securities will be unsecured obligations of Comerica and will rank on an equal
basis with all other unsecured senior indebtedness of Comerica, whether existing at the time of
issuance or created thereafter.
Subordinated Debt
The subordinated debt securities will be unsecured obligations of Comerica, will rank
subordinated and junior in right of payment to all Senior Indebtedness (as defined below) of
Comerica and will rank equally with all other unsecured and subordinated indebtedness of Comerica,
whether existing at the time of issuance or created thereafter, other than subordinated
indebtedness which is designated as junior to the subordinated debt securities.
If Comerica defaults in the payment of any principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on
any Senior Indebtedness when it becomes due and payable after any applicable grace period, then,
unless and until the default is cured or waived or ceases to exist, Comerica cannot make a payment
on account of or redeem or otherwise acquire the subordinated debt securities. Nevertheless,
holders of subordinated debt securities may still receive and retain:
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securities of Comerica or any other corporation provided for by a plan
of reorganization or readjustment that are subordinate, at least to
the same extent that the subordinated debt securities are subordinate
to Senior Indebtedness; and |
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payments made from a defeasance trust as described below. |
If there is any insolvency, bankruptcy, liquidation or other similar proceeding relating to
Comerica, its creditors or its property, then all Senior Indebtedness must be paid in full before
any payment may be made to any holders of subordinated debt securities. Holders of subordinated
debt securities must return and deliver any payments received by them, other than in a plan of
reorganization or through a defeasance trust as described below, directly to the holders of Senior
Indebtedness until all Senior Indebtedness is paid in full.
Senior Indebtedness means:
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the principal, premium, if any, and interest in respect of (A)
indebtedness for money borrowed and (B) indebtedness evidenced by
securities, notes, debentures, bonds or other similar instruments
issued by Comerica, including all indebtedness (whether now or
hereafter outstanding);
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all capital lease obligations of Comerica;
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all obligations of Comerica issued or assumed as the deferred purchase
price of property, all conditional sale obligations of Comerica and
all obligations of Comerica under any conditional sale or title
retention agreement, but excluding trade accounts payable in the
ordinary course of business;
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all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of Comerica in respect of
any letters of credit, bankers acceptance, security purchase
facilities and similar credit transactions;
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all obligations of Comerica in respect of interest rate swap, cap or
other agreements, interest rate future or option contracts, currency
swap agreements, currency future or option contracts and other similar
agreements;
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all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (1) through (5)
above of other persons for the payment of which Comerica is
responsible or liable as obligor, guarantor or otherwise; and |
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all obligations of the type referred to in clauses (1) through (6)
above of other persons secured by any lien on any property or asset of
Comerica whether or not such obligation is assumed by Comerica; |
but Senior Indebtedness does not include any indebtedness or any guarantee that is by its terms
subordinated to, or ranks equally with the subordinated debt securities and the issuance of which
(x) has received the concurrence or approval of the staff of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
or the staff of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or (y) does not at the time of
issuance prevent the subordinated debt securities from qualifying for Tier 2 capital treatment
(irrespective of any limits on the amount of Comericas Tier 2 capital) under the applicable
capital adequacy guidelines, regulations, policies or published interpretations of the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
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CURRENCY CONVERSIONS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISKS
AFFECTING DEBT SECURITIES DENOMINATED IN A FOREIGN CURRENCY
Currency Conversions
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, debt securities
denominated in a foreign currency that are offered and sold in the United States (DTC debt
securities) will be represented by beneficial interests in fully registered permanent global debt
securities (DTC global debt securities) that will be
deposited with , as custodian for, and
registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for, DTC. While interests in the DTC debt
securities are held through the DTC global debt securities, all payments in respect of such debt
securities will be made in U.S. dollars, except as otherwise provided in this section, in
Description of Debt Securities Book-Entry Procedures and Settlement above or in the applicable
prospectus supplement.
As determined by the exchange agent under the terms of the fiscal agency agreement, in
accordance with reasonable market practice, the amount of U.S. dollars payable in respect of any
particular payment under the DTC debt securities will be equal to the amount of the relevant
foreign currency/ U.S.$ rate of exchange prevailing as of 11:00 a.m. (London time) on the day that
is two Business Days prior to the relevant payment date, less any costs incurred by the exchange
agent for such conversion (to be shared pro rata among the holders of DTC debt securities accepting
U.S. dollar payments in the proportion of their respective holdings), all in accordance with the
fiscal agency agreement. If an exchange rate bid quotation is not available, the exchange agent
shall obtain a bid quotation from a leading foreign exchange bank in London selected by the
exchange agent for such purpose after consultation with Comerica. If no bid quotation from a
leading foreign exchange bank is available, payment will be in the relevant foreign currency to the
account or accounts specified by DTC to the exchange agent. For purposes of this paragraph, a
Business Day is a day on which commercial banks and foreign exchange markets settle payments in
each of New York City and London.
Notwithstanding the above and unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus
supplement, the holder of a beneficial interest in the DTC debt securities may elect to receive
payments under such DTC debt securities in the relevant foreign currency by notifying the DTC
participant through which its debt securities are held on or prior to the applicable record date of
(1) such investors election to receive all or a portion of such payment in the relevant foreign
currency and (2) wire instructions to a relevant foreign currency account outside the United
States. DTC must be notified of such election and wire transfer instructions on or prior to the
third New York business day after such record date for any payment of interest and on or prior to
the twelfth day prior to the payment of principal. DTC will notify the fiscal agent and the paying
agent of such election and wire transfer instructions on or prior to 5:00 p.m. New York City time
on the fifth New York business day after such record date for any payment of interest and on or
prior to 5:00 p.m. New York City time on the tenth day prior to the payment of principal. For
purposes of this paragraph, New York business day means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or
executive order to close.
If complete instructions are forwarded to DTC through DTC participants and by DTC to the
fiscal agent and the paying agent on or prior to such dates, such holder will receive payment in
the relevant foreign currency outside DTC; otherwise, only U.S. dollar payments will be made by the
fiscal agent to DTC, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. All costs
of such payment by wire transfer will be borne by holders of beneficial interests receiving such
payments by deduction from such payments.
Although DTC has agreed to the foregoing procedures, it is under no obligation to perform or
continue to perform these procedures, and these procedures may be modified or discontinued at any
time.
Holders of the debt securities will be subject to foreign exchange risks as to payments of
principal and interest that may have important economic and tax consequences to them. For further
information as to such consequences, see Foreign Exchange Risks below.
Judgments in a Foreign Currency
The debt securities will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the
State of New York. Courts in the United States customarily have not rendered judgments for money
damages denominated in any currency other than the U.S. dollar. A 1987 amendment to the Judiciary
Law of New York State provides, however,
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that an action based upon an obligation denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars will
be rendered in the foreign currency of the underlying obligation. Any judgment awarded in such an
action will be converted into U.S. dollars at the rate of exchange prevailing on the date of the
entry of the judgment or decree.
Foreign Exchange Risks
An investment in debt securities that are denominated in, and all payments in respect of which
are to be made in, a currency other than the currency of the country in which the purchaser is a
resident or the currency in which the purchaser conducts its business or activities (the home
currency) entails significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a
security denominated in the home currency. Such risks include, without limitation, the possibility
of significant changes in the rates of exchange between the home currency and the relevant foreign
currency and the possibility of the imposition or modification of foreign exchange controls with
respect to the relevant foreign currency. Such risks generally depend on economic and political
events over which Comerica has no control. In recent years, rates of exchange for foreign
currencies have been volatile and such volatility may be expected to continue in the future.
Fluctuations in any particular exchange rate that have occurred in the past are not necessarily
indicative, however, of fluctuations in such rate that may occur during the term of the debt
securities. Depreciation of the relevant foreign currency against the relevant home currency could
result in a decrease in the effective yield of such relevant foreign denominated debt security
below its coupon rate and, in certain circumstances, could result in a loss to the investor on a
home currency basis.
This description of foreign currency risks does not describe all the risks of an investment in
debt securities denominated in a currency other than the home currency. Prospective investors
should consult with their financial and legal advisors as to the risks involved in an investment in
a particular offering of debt securities.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WARRANTS TO PURCHASE
COMMON STOCK OR PREFERRED STOCK
The following summary sets forth the material terms and provisions of the common stock
warrants and preferred stock warrants, that would be issued pursuant to a stock warrant agreement
between Comerica and a stock warrant agent to be selected at the time of issue. The stock warrant
agreement may include or incorporate by reference standard warrant provisions substantially in the
form of the standard stock warrant provisions, that is filed as an exhibit to the registration
statement of which this prospectus forms a part.
General
The stock warrants may be issued under the stock warrant agreement independently or together
with any other securities offered by a prospectus supplement. If stock warrants are offered, the
applicable prospectus supplement will describe the designation and terms of the stock warrants,
including, without limitation, the following:
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the offering price, if any; |
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the designation and terms of the common stocks or preferred stocks purchasable upon
exercise of the stock warrants; |
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if applicable, the date on and after which the stock warrants and the related offered
securities will be separately transferable; |
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the number of common stocks or preferred stocks purchasable upon exercise of one stock
warrant and the initial price at which shares may be purchased upon exercise of the stock
warrant; |
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the date on which the right to exercise the stock warrants shall commence and the date
on which these rights shall expire; |
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a discussion of the material U.S. Federal income tax considerations; |
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any call provisions; |
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the currency in which the offering price, if any, and exercise price are payable; |
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the anti-dilution provisions of the stock warrants; and |
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any other terms of the stock warrants. |
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The shares of common stock or preferred stock issuable upon exercise of the stock warrants
will, when issued in accordance with the stock warrant agreement, be fully paid and non-assessable.
This means that the shares will be paid for in full at the time they are issued, and, once they are
paid for in full, there will be no further liability for further assessments or taxation.
Exercise of Stock Warrants
You may exercise your stock warrants by surrendering to the stock warrant agent your stock
warrant certificate with the form of election to purchase on the reverse of the certificate
properly completed and executed by you, or your authorized agent, which signature must be
guaranteed by a bank or trust company, by a broker or dealer which is a member of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., which we refer to in this prospectus as the NASD, or by a
member of a national securities exchange. You must indicate on the form of election whether you are
electing to exercise all or a portion of the stock warrants evidenced by the certificate. You must
also submit a payment of the aggregate exercise price of the stock warrants to be exercised in
lawful money of the United States along with your stock warrant certificates, unless otherwise set
forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon receipt of the stock warrant certificate, form
of election and aggregate payment, if applicable, by the stock warrant agent, the stock warrant
agent will requisition from the transfer agent for the common stocks or the preferred stocks, as
the case may be, a certificate representing the number of common stocks or preferred stocks
purchased for issuance and delivery to you or upon your written order. If you exercise less than
all of the stock warrants evidenced by any stock warrant certificate, the stock warrant agent shall
deliver to you a new stock warrant certificate representing your unexercised stock warrants.
Anti-Dilution and Other Provisions
The exercise price payable, the number of common stocks or preferred stocks purchasable upon
the exercise of each stock warrant, and the number of stock warrants outstanding are subject to
adjustment if specified events occur. These events include:
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the issuance of a stock dividend to holders of shares of common stock or preferred stock; and |
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a combination, subdivision or reclassification of our common stock or preferred stock. |
In lieu of adjusting the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock purchasable upon
exercise of each stock warrant, we may elect to adjust the number of stock warrants. No adjustment
in the number of shares purchasable upon exercise of the stock warrants will be required until
cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in the number of shares purchasable. We
may also, at its option, reduce the exercise price at any time. No fractional shares will be issued
upon exercise of stock warrants, but we will pay the cash value of any fractional shares otherwise
issuable. Notwithstanding the preceding sentences, in case of any consolidation, merger, or sale
or conveyance of our property we as an entirety or substantially as an entirety, you, as a stock
warrant holder, shall have the right to the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities
and property, including cash, receivable by a holder of the number of common stocks or preferred
stocks into which your stock warrants were exercisable immediately prior to this event.
No Rights as Shareholders
You will not be entitled, by virtue of being a stock warrant holder, to vote, to consent, to
receive dividends, to receive notice as shareholders with respect to any meeting of shareholders
for the election of our directors or any other matter, or to exercise any rights whatsoever as
shareholders of ours.
DESCRIPTION OF THE WARRANTS TO PURCHASE DEBT SECURITIES
The following summary sets forth the material terms and provisions of the debt warrants, which
would be issued pursuant to a debt warrant agreement between Comerica and a debt warrant agent to
be selected at the time of issue. The debt warrant agreement may include or incorporate by
reference standard warrant provisions substantially in the form of the standard debt warrant
provisions, which is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus
forms a part.
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General
The debt warrants may be issued under the debt warrant agreement independently or together
with any other securities offered by a prospectus supplement. If debt warrants are offered, the
applicable prospectus supplement will describe the designation and terms of the debt warrants,
including, without limitation, the following:
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the offering price, if any; |
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the designation, aggregate principal amount and terms of the debt securities purchasable
upon exercise of the debt warrants; |
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if applicable, the date on and after which the debt warrants and the related offered
securities will be separately transferable; |
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the principal amount of debt securities purchasable upon exercise of one debt warrant
and the price at which the principal amount of debt securities may be purchased upon
exercise of the debt warrant; |
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the date on which the right to exercise the debt warrants shall commence and the date on
which this right shall expire; |
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a discussion of the material U.S. Federal income tax considerations; |
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whether the warrants represented by the debt warrant certificates will be issued in
registered or bearer form; |
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the currency, currencies or currency units in which the offering price, if any, and
exercise price are payable; |
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the anti-dilution provisions of the debt warrants; and |
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any other terms of the debt warrants. |
You, as a debt warrant holder, will generally not have any of the rights of holders of
Comerica debt securities, including the right to receive the payment of principal of, any premium
or interest on, or any additional amounts with respect to, the Comerica debt securities or to
enforce any of the covenants of the Comerica debt securities or the applicable Comerica indenture.
Exercise of Debt Warrants
You may exercise your debt warrants by surrendering at the office of the debt warrant agent
your debt warrant certificate with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side of the
certificate properly completed and signed by you, which signature must be guaranteed by a bank or
trust company, by a broker or dealer which is a member of the NASD or by a member of a national
securities exchange. You must also submit a payment in full of the exercise price, as set forth in
the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon the exercise of debt warrants, Comerica will issue the
debt securities in authorized denominations in accordance with your instructions. If you exercise
less than all of the debt warrants evidenced by your debt warrant certificate, a new debt warrant
certificate will be issued for the remaining number of debt warrants.
DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND STOCK PURCHASE UNITS
Comerica may issue stock purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to
purchase from or sell to Comerica, and Comerica to sell to or purchase from the holders, a
specified number of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock or depositary shares at a
future date or dates. The consideration per share of common stock, preferred stock or depositary
shares and the number of shares of each may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are
issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the stock purchase
contracts. The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units, often known
as stock purchase units, consisting of a stock purchase contract and any combination of:
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debt securities, |
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capital securities issued by trusts, all of whose common securities are owned by
Comerica or by one of its subsidiaries, |
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junior subordinated debt securities; or |
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which may secure the holders obligations to purchase the common stock, preferred stock or
depositary shares under the stock purchase contracts. The stock purchase contracts may require
Comerica to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or vice versa, and
these payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The stock purchase contracts may
require holders to secure their obligations under those contracts in a specified manner.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the stock purchase contracts
and stock purchase units, including, if applicable, collateral or depositary arrangements.
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL SECURITIES AND GUARANTEES
Each Comerica Capital Trust will be governed by an amended and restated trust agreement, which
we refer to in this prospectus as a trust agreement, a form of which is an exhibit to the
registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Under each trust agreement, the
Comerica Capital Trust may issue, from time to time, only one series of capital securities with the
terms set forth in the trust agreement or made a part of the trust agreement by the Trust Indenture
Act, which terms we will set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The terms of the
Comerica Capital Trust capital securities will generally mirror the terms of the subordinated debt
securities, which the Comerica Capital Trust will purchase with the proceeds from the sale of its
capital securities and its common securities. The subordinated debt securities issued to a Comerica
Capital Trust will be guaranteed by Comerica on a subordinated basis and are referred to in this
prospectus as the corresponding subordinated debt securities relating to that Comerica Capital
Trust.
Capital Securities
The following is a summary of the material terms and provisions of each trust agreement and
the capital securities. You should refer to the form of amended and restated trust agreement and to
the Trust Indenture Act for complete information regarding the terms and provisions of the trust
agreement and of the capital securities.
Issuance, Status and Guarantee of Capital Securities
The capital securities will represent preferred beneficial interests in a Comerica Capital
Trust and you, as holders of the capital securities, will be entitled to a preference in specified
circumstances, including as regards distributions and amounts payable on redemption or liquidation
over the common securities of the applicable Comerica Capital Trust. The capital securities of each
Comerica Capital Trust will rank equally, and payments will be made on the capital securities pro
rata, with the common securities of that Comerica Capital Trust, except as described under
Subordination of Common Securities below. The property trustee will hold legal title to the
corresponding subordinated debt securities in trust for your benefit and for the benefit of the
holder of the Comerica Capital Trusts common securities. In this prospectus, we refer to the
common securities and the capital securities of a Comerica Capital Trust collectively as the trust
securities of that Comerica Capital Trust.
Comerica will guarantee, which we refer to in this prospectus as the capital securities
guarantee, the capital securities. Under each capital securities guarantee, Comerica will
guarantee, on a subordinated basis, payment of distributions on the related capital securities and
amounts payable on redemption or liquidation of the related capital securities, but only to the
extent that the related Comerica Capital Trust has funds to make these payments.
Distributions
Distributions on the capital securities will accumulate from the original issue date and will
be payable on the dates specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. If any date on which
these distributions are payable is not a business day, payment of the distribution payable on that
date will be made on the next succeeding business day without any additional distributions or other
payment in respect of the delay. However, if the next succeeding business day is in the next
succeeding calendar year, payment of the distribution will be made on the immediately preceding
business day, in each case as if made on the date the payment was originally payable. We refer to
each
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date on which distributions are payable in this prospectus as a distribution date. A business
day is any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in The
City of New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on
which the corporate trust office of the property trustee or the trustee for the corresponding
subordinated debt securities is closed for business.
Distributions on each preferred security will be payable at the rate specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement and the amount of distributions payable for any period will be
computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months unless otherwise specified in the
applicable prospectus supplement. Distributions to which you are entitled will accumulate
additional distributions at the rate per annum if and as specified in the applicable prospectus
supplement. References to distributions include any accumulated or additional distributions
unless otherwise stated.
If set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica will have the right under the
subordinated indenture to defer the payment of interest on any series of corresponding subordinated
debt securities for the period specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. However, no
extension period may extend beyond the stated maturity of the corresponding subordinated debt
securities. As a consequence of any extension, distributions on the corresponding capital
securities would be deferred but would continue to accumulate additional distributions at the rate
set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, which rate will match the interest rate payable
on the corresponding subordinated debt securities during the extension period, by the Comerica
Capital Trust which issued the capital securities during any extension period.
The funds of each Comerica Capital Trust available for distribution to you will be limited to
payments under the corresponding subordinated debt securities in which the Comerica Capital Trust
will invest the proceeds from the issuance and sale of its trust securities. If Comerica does not
make interest payments on those corresponding subordinated debt securities, the property trustee
will not have funds available to pay distributions on the related capital securities. The payment
of distributions, if and to the extent the Comerica Capital Trust has funds legally available for
the payment of the distributions and cash sufficient to make the payments, is guaranteed by
Comerica as set forth below.
Distributions on the capital securities will be payable to the holders of the capital
securities as they appear on the register of the applicable Comerica Capital Trust on the relevant
record dates. As long as the capital securities remain in book-entry form, the record dates will be
one business day prior to the relevant distribution dates. Generally, each distribution payment
will be made as described under Global Capital Securities. If any capital securities are not in
book-entry form, the relevant record date will be the date at least 15 days prior to the relevant
distribution date, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Redemption or Exchange
Mandatory Redemption. Upon any repayment or redemption, in whole or in part, of any
corresponding subordinated debt securities held by a Comerica Capital Trust, the property trustee
will simultaneously apply the proceeds from the repayment or redemption, upon not less than 30 nor
more than 60 days notice to holders of trust securities, to redeem, on a pro rata basis, trust
securities having an aggregate stated liquidation amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of
the corresponding subordinated debt securities repaid or redeemed. The redemption price per trust
security will be equal to its stated liquidation amount, plus any accumulated and unpaid
distributions on the trust security to the redemption date, plus the related amount of premium, if
any, and any additional amounts paid by Comerica upon the concurrent repayment or redemption of the
corresponding subordinated debt securities. The amount described in the preceding sentence is
referred to in this prospectus as the redemption price. If less than all of the corresponding
subordinated debt securities are to be repaid or redeemed on a redemption date, then the property
trustee shall allocate the proceeds from the repayment or redemption to the redemption pro rata of
the related trust securities.
Generally, Comerica will have the right to redeem any series of corresponding subordinated
debt securities at any time, in whole but not in part, upon the occurrence of a special event and
subject to the conditions described in the prospectus supplement.
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Special Event Redemption or Distribution of Corresponding Comerica Subordinated Debt
Securities. If a special event relating to the trust securities of a Comerica Capital Trust
occurs and is continuing, within 90 days following the occurrence of the special event, Comerica
has the right to redeem the corresponding subordinated debt securities, in whole but not in part,
and, in doing so, cause a mandatory redemption of the related trust securities, in whole but not in
part, at the redemption price. At any time, Comerica has the right to dissolve the Comerica Capital
Trust and, after satisfaction of the liabilities of creditors of the Comerica Capital Trust, cause
the corresponding subordinated debt securities to be distributed to the holders of the trust
securities in liquidation of the Comerica Capital Trust. If Comerica does not elect to redeem the
corresponding subordinated debt securities upon the occurrence of a special event, the applicable
trust securities will remain outstanding. If a tax event has occurred and is continuing, additional
sums may be payable on the corresponding subordinated debt securities. For purposes of this
section, additional sums means the additional amounts as may be necessary in order that the
amount of distributions then due and payable by a Comerica Capital Trust on its outstanding trust
securities shall not be reduced as a result of any additional taxes, duties and other governmental
charges to which it has become subject as a result of a tax event.
On and from the date fixed for any distribution of corresponding subordinated debt securities
upon dissolution of a Comerica Capital Trust:
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the depositary or its nominee, as the record holder of the related capital securities,
will receive a registered global certificate or certificates representing the corresponding
subordinated debt securities to be delivered upon the distribution, upon surrender of the
related capital securities certificates for exchange; and |
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any certificates representing the capital securities, which is not surrendered for
exchange will be deemed to represent beneficial interests in the corresponding subordinated
debt securities having an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate stated
liquidation amount of the capital securities and accruing interest at the rate provided for
in the debt securities, which rate will equal the distribution rate on the capital
securities, until the certificates are presented to the administrative trustees or their
agent for exchange. |
There can be no assurance as to the market prices for the capital securities or the
corresponding subordinated debt securities that may be distributed in exchange for capital
securities if a dissolution and liquidation of a Comerica Capital Trust were to occur. Accordingly,
the capital securities that you may purchase, and the corresponding subordinated debt securities
that you may receive on dissolution and liquidation of a Comerica Capital Trust, may trade at a
discount to the price that you paid to purchase the capital securities.
Redemption Procedures
The property trustee shall redeem the capital securities on each redemption date at the
redemption price with the applicable proceeds from the contemporaneous redemption of the
corresponding subordinated debt securities. The property trustee will redeem the capital
securities, and shall pay the redemption price, on each redemption date only to the extent that the
applicable Comerica Capital Trust has funds on hand available for the payment of the redemption
price. See also Subordination of Common Securities.
If a Comerica Capital Trust gives a notice of redemption, which notice will be irrevocable, in
respect of its capital securities, then, by 12:00 noon, New York City time, on the redemption date,
to the extent funds are available, the property trustee will deposit irrevocably with the
depositary for the capital securities funds sufficient to pay the applicable redemption price. The
property trustee will also give the depositary irrevocable instructions and authority to pay the
redemption price to you, as a holder of the capital securities. If the capital securities are no
longer in book-entry form, the property trustee, to the extent funds are available, will
irrevocably deposit with the paying agent for the capital securities funds sufficient to pay the
applicable redemption price and will give the paying agent irrevocable instructions and authority
to pay the redemption price to you upon surrender of your certificates evidencing the capital
securities. Notwithstanding the preceding sentences, distributions payable on or prior to the
redemption date for any capital securities called for redemption shall be payable to you on the
relevant record date for the related distribution dates. If notice of redemption shall have been
given and funds deposited as required, then, immediately prior to the close of business on the date
of the deposit, all of your rights, as a holder of capital securities so called for redemption,
will cease, except your right to receive the redemption price, but without
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interest, and your capital securities will cease to be outstanding. If any date on which any
redemption price is payable is not a business day, then payment of the redemption price payable on
that date will be made on the next succeeding business day without any interest or other payment in
respect of the delay. However, if the next succeeding business day falls in the next calendar year,
the payment will be made on the immediately preceding business day, in each case with the same
force and effect as if made on the proper payment date. If that payment of the redemption price is
improperly withheld or refused and not paid either by the Comerica Capital Trust or by Comerica
pursuant to the capital securities guarantee as described under Description of Capital Securities
Guarantees, distributions on the capital securities will continue to accumulate interest at the
then applicable rate, from the redemption date originally established by the Comerica Capital Trust
for the capital securities to the date the redemption price is actually paid, in which case the
actual payment date will be the date fixed for redemption for purposes of calculating the
redemption price.
Generally, Comerica or its subsidiaries, including Comerica, may purchase outstanding capital
securities.
Payment of the redemption price on the capital securities will be made to the record holders
as they appear on the register for the capital securities on the relevant record date, which will
be one business day prior to the relevant redemption date. If any capital securities are not in
book-entry form, the relevant record date for the capital securities will be a date at least 15
days prior to the redemption date, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The property trustee will allocate the aggregate liquidation amount pro rata to the trust
securities based upon the relative liquidation amounts of the classes if less than all of the trust
securities issued by a Comerica Capital Trust are to be redeemed on a redemption date. The property
trustee will select on a pro rata basis not more than 60 days prior to the redemption date from the
outstanding capital securities not previously called for redemption the particular capital
securities to be redeemed by any method, including without limitation by lot, as it shall deem fair
and appropriate. The property trustee will promptly notify the trust registrar in writing of the
capital securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any capital securities selected for
partial redemption, the liquidation amount of the capital securities to be redeemed. Generally, for
purposes of each trust agreement, all provisions relating to the redemption of capital securities
will relate, in the case of any capital securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the
portion of the liquidation amount of capital securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
Notice of any redemption will be mailed at least 30 days but not more than 60 days before the
redemption date to each holder of trust securities to be redeemed at its registered address. Unless
each of Comerica and Comerica defaults in payment of the redemption price on the corresponding
subordinated debt securities, on and after the redemption date interest will cease to accrue on the
subordinated debt securities or portions of the subordinated debt securities, and distributions
will cease to accrue on the related capital securities or portions of the related capital
securities, called for redemption.
Subordination of Common Securities
Payment on each Comerica Capital Trusts trust securities will be made pro rata based on the
liquidation amount of the trust securities. However, if an event of default under the corresponding
subordinated debt securities occurs and is continuing on any distribution date or redemption date,
no payment of any distribution on, or redemption price of, any of the Comerica Capital Trusts
common securities, and no other payment on account of the redemption, liquidation or other
acquisition of the common securities, will be made unless payment in full in cash of all
accumulated and unpaid distributions on all of the Comerica Capital Trusts outstanding capital
securities for all distribution periods terminating on or prior to that date, or in the case of
payment of the redemption price the full amount of the redemption price on all of the Comerica
Capital Trusts outstanding capital securities then called for redemption, have been made or
provided for, and all funds available to the property trustee will first be applied to the payment
in full in cash of all distributions on, or redemption price of, the Comerica Capital Trusts
capital securities then due and payable.
If any event of default under the trust agreement resulting from a event of default under the
corresponding subordinated debt securities occurs, the holder of the Comerica Capital Trusts
common securities will be deemed to have waived any right to act with respect to that event of
default until the effect of all of the events of default with
45
respect to the capital securities have been cured, waived or otherwise eliminated. Until these
events of default have been so cured, waived or otherwise eliminated, the property trustee shall
act solely on behalf of the holders of the capital securities and not on behalf of the holder of
the Comerica Capital Trusts common securities, and only the holders of the capital securities will
have the right to direct the property trustee to act on their behalf.
Liquidation Distribution Upon Dissolution of Comerica Capital Trust
Pursuant to each trust agreement, each Comerica Capital Trust will automatically dissolve upon
expiration of its term and will dissolve on the first to occur of:
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bankruptcy, dissolution or liquidation of Comerica; |
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the written direction to the property trustee from Comerica, as depositor, at any time,
which direction is optional and wholly within the discretion of Comerica, to dissolve the
Comerica Capital Trust and distribute corresponding subordinated debt securities having an
aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate stated liquidation amount of the trust
securities to the holders of the trust securities in exchange for the trust securities; |
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the redemption of all of the Comerica Capital Trusts trust securities following a
special event; |
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the redemption of all of the Comerica Capital Trusts capital securities as described
under Redemption or ExchangeMandatory Redemption; and |
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the entry of an order for the dissolution of the Comerica Capital Trust by a court of
competent jurisdiction. |
If an early dissolution occurs as described in the first, second and fifth bullets above or
upon the date designated for automatic dissolution of the Comerica Capital Trust, the Comerica
Capital Trust will be liquidated by the Comerica Capital Trustees as expeditiously as the Comerica
Capital Trustees determine to be possible by distributing to the holders of the trust securities,
after satisfaction of liabilities to the Comerica Capital Trusts creditors, corresponding
subordinated debt securities having an aggregate principal amount equal to the aggregate stated
liquidation amount of the trust securities. However, if the property trustee determines that this
distribution is not practical, the holders will be entitled to receive out of the Comerica Capital
Trusts assets available for distribution, after satisfaction of liabilities to the Comerica
Capital Trusts creditors, an amount equal to, in the case of holders of capital securities, the
aggregate of the liquidation amount plus accumulated and unpaid distributions on the trust
securities to the date of payment, this amount being referred to in this prospectus as the
liquidation distribution. If the liquidation distribution can be paid only in part because the
Comerica Capital Trust has insufficient assets available to pay in full the aggregate liquidation
distribution, then the amounts payable directly by the Comerica Capital Trust on its capital
securities will be paid on a pro rata basis. The holder of the Comerica Capital Trusts common
securities will be entitled to receive distributions upon any liquidation pro rata with the holders
of its capital securities, except that if an event of default under the corresponding subordinated
debt securities has occurred and is continuing, the capital securities shall have a priority over
the common securities.
Events of Default; Notice
The following constitute an event of default under each trust agreement with respect to the
applicable capital securities:
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the occurrence of an event of default on the corresponding subordinated debt securities
(see Description of Debt SecuritiesEvents of Default); |
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default by the property trustee in the payment of any distribution when it becomes due
and payable, and continuation of this default for a period of 30 days; |
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default by the property trustee in the payment of any redemption price of any trust
security when it becomes due and payable; |
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default in the performance, or breach, in any material respect, of any covenant or
warranty of the Comerica Capital Trustees in the trust agreement, other than a covenant or
warranty a default in the performance or breach those covenants in the preceding two
bullets, and continuation of the default or breach for a period of 60 days after the
holders of at least 25% in aggregate liquidation preference of the outstanding capital
securities of the applicable Comerica Capital Trust have given written notice specifying
the default or
breach, requiring it to be remedied and stating that the notice is a Notice of Default
under the trust agreement, by registered or certified mail to the defaulting Comerica
Capital Trustee(s); and |
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the occurrence of specified events of bankruptcy or insolvency with respect to the
property trustee and the failure by Comerica, as depositor, to appoint a successor property
trustee within 60 days of the occurrence. |
Within five business days after the occurrence of any event of default actually known to the
property trustee, the property trustee will transmit notice of the event of default to the holders
of the applicable capital securities, the administrative trustees and Comerica, as depositor,
unless the event of default has been cured or waived. Comerica, as depositor, and the
administrative trustees are required to file annually with the property trustee a certificate as to
whether or not they are in compliance with all the conditions and covenants applicable to them
under each trust agreement.
If an event of default under the corresponding subordinated debt securities has occurred and is continuing, the capital securities shall have a preference over the common securities upon dissolution of each Comerica Capital
Trust as described above. See Liquidation Distribution Upon
Dissolution of Comerica Capital Trust.
The existence of an event of default under the trust agreement does not entitle the holders of capital securities to accelerate the maturity of the capital securities.
Removal of Comerica Capital Trustees
Unless an event of default under the corresponding subordinated debt securities has occurred
and is continuing, any Comerica Capital Trustee may be removed at any time by the holder of the
Comerica Capital Trusts common securities. If an event of default under the corresponding
subordinated debt securities has occurred and is continuing, the property trustee and the Delaware
trustee may be removed by the holders of a majority in liquidation amount of the outstanding
capital securities. In no event will the holders of the capital securities have the right to vote
to appoint, remove or replace the administrative trustees, which voting rights are vested
exclusively in the holder of the Comerica Capital Trusts common securities. No resignation or
removal of a Comerica Capital Trustee and no appointment of a successor trustee shall be effective
until the acceptance of appointment by the successor trustee in accordance with the provisions of
the applicable trust agreement.
Co-Trustees and Separate Property Trustee
Unless an event of default shall have occurred and be continuing, for the purpose of meeting
the legal requirements of the Trust Indenture Act or of any jurisdiction in which any part of the
property of any Comerica Capital Trust may at the time be located, Comerica, as depositor, and the
administrative trustees shall have power, at any time or times, to appoint one or more persons
either to act as a co-trustee jointly with the property trustee of all or any part of the property
of the Comerica Capital Trust or to act as separate trustee of any property, in either case with
the powers as may be provided in the instrument of appointment. Comerica, as depositor, and the
administrative trustees shall generally also have the power to vest in that person or persons in
that capacity any property, title, right or power deemed necessary or desirable. If an event of
default under the corresponding subordinated debt securities has occurred and is continuing, the
property trustee alone shall have power to make this appointment.
Merger or Consolidation of Comerica Capital Trustees
Any corporation into which the property trustee, the Delaware trustee or any administrative
trustee that is not a natural person may be merged or converted or with which it may be
consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which
the Comerica Capital Trustee shall be a party, shall be the successor of the Comerica Capital
Trustee under each trust agreement, so long as the corporation is otherwise qualified and eligible.
Mergers, Consolidations, Amalgamations or Replacements of the Comerica Capital Trusts
An Comerica Capital Trust may not merge with or into, convert into, consolidate, amalgamate,
or be replaced by, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an
entirety to any corporation or other entity, except as described below or as described in
Liquidation Distribution Upon Dissolution of Comerica
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Capital Trust. An Comerica Capital Trust may, at the request of Comerica, with the consent of
only the administrative trustees and without the consent of the holders of the capital securities,
merge with or into, convert into, consolidate, amalgamate, or be replaced by or convey, transfer or
lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to a trust organized as such under the
laws of any state so long as the following conditions are met:
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the successor entity either: expressly assumes all of the obligations of the Comerica
Capital Trust with respect to the capital securities or substitutes for the capital
securities other securities having substantially the same terms as the capital securities,
referred to in this prospectus as the successor securities, so long as the successor
securities rank the same as the capital securities rank in priority with respect to
distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise; |
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Comerica expressly appoints a trustee of the successor entity possessing the same powers
and duties as the property trustee as the holder of the corresponding subordinated debt
securities; |
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the successor securities are listed or traded, or any successor securities will be
listed upon notification of issuance, on any national securities exchange or other
organization on which the capital securities are then listed or traded, if any; |
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the merger, conversion, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer
or lease does not cause the capital securities, including any successor securities, to be
downgraded by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization; |
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the merger, conversion, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer
or lease does not adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the holders of
the capital securities, including any successor securities, in any material respect; |
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the successor entity has a purpose substantially identical to that of the Comerica
Capital Trust; |
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prior to the merger, conversion, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance,
transfer or lease, Comerica has received an opinion from independent counsel to the
Comerica Capital Trust to the effect that: |
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the merger, conversion, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance,
transfer or lease does not adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of
the holders of the capital securities, including any successor securities, in any
material respect, |
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following the merger, conversion, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement,
conveyance, transfer or lease, neither the Comerica Capital Trust nor any successor
entity will be required to register as an investment company under the Investment
Company Act; and |
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Comerica or any permitted successor or assignee owns all of the common securities of
the successor entity and guarantees the obligations of the successor entity under the
successor securities at least to the extent provided by the capital securities
guarantee. |
Notwithstanding the preceding description, a Comerica Capital Trust shall not, except with the
consent of holders of 100% in liquidation amount of the capital securities, consolidate,
amalgamate, merge with or into, convert into, or be replaced by or convey, transfer or lease its
properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any other entity or permit any other entity
to consolidate, amalgamate, merge with or into, convert into, or replace it if the consolidation,
amalgamation, merger, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease would cause the Comerica Capital
Trust or the successor entity to be classified as other than a grantor trust for U.S. Federal
income tax purposes.
Voting and Preemptive Rights
Except as provided below and under Removal of Comerica Capital Trustees, Description of
Comerica Debt Securities and Comerica GuaranteeEvents of Default, Description of Capital
Securities GuaranteesAmendments and Assignment, the holders of the capital securities will
generally not have any voting rights. Holders of the capital securities have no preemptive or
similar rights.
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Amendment of Restated Trust Agreements
Each trust agreement may be amended by Comerica and the Comerica Capital Trustees, without the
consent of the holders of the trust securities:
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to cure any ambiguity, correct or supplement any provisions in the trust agreement that
may be inconsistent with any other provision, or to make any other provisions with respect
to matters or questions arising under the trust agreement, which shall not be inconsistent
with the other provisions of the trust agreement, or |
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to modify, eliminate or add to any provisions of the trust agreement to the extent as
shall be necessary to ensure that the Comerica Capital Trust will be classified for U.S.
Federal income tax purposes as a grantor trust at all times that any trust securities are
outstanding or to ensure that the Comerica Capital Trust will not be required to register
as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. |
However, in the case of the first bullet above, that action will not adversely affect in any
material respect the interests of any holder of trust securities. Any amendments of a trust
agreement adopted in accordance with the two bullet points above will become effective when notice
of the amendment is given to the holders of trust securities of the applicable Comerica Capital
Trust.
Each trust agreement may be amended by the Comerica Capital Trustees and Comerica with the
consent of holders representing not less than a majority, based upon liquidation amounts, of the
outstanding trust securities and receipt by the Comerica Capital Trustees of an opinion of counsel
to the effect that the amendment or the exercise of any power granted to the Comerica Capital
Trustees in accordance with the amendment will not affect the Comerica Capital Trusts status as a
grantor trust for U.S. Federal income tax purposes or the Comerica Capital Trusts exemption from
status as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. However, without the consent of
each holder of trust securities, the trust agreement may not be amended to:
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change the amount or timing of any distribution on the trust securities or otherwise
adversely affect the amount of any distribution required to be made in respect of the trust
securities as of a specified date; or |
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restrict the right of a holder of trust securities to institute suit for the enforcement
of any payment on or after the date. |
So long as any corresponding subordinated debt securities are held by the property trustee,
the Comerica Capital Trustees shall not:
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direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available
to the trustee under the subordinated indenture, or executing any trust or power conferred
on that trustee with respect to the corresponding subordinated debt securities; |
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waive any past default that is waivable under the subordinated indenture, as described
in Description of the Comerica Debt Securities and Comerica GuaranteeModification and
Waiver; |
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exercise any right to rescind or annul a declaration that the principal of all the
subordinated debt securities shall be due and payable; or |
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consent to any amendment, modification or termination of the subordinated indenture or
the corresponding subordinated debt securities, where the consent shall be required, |
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without, in each case, obtaining the prior approval of the holders of a majority in
aggregate liquidation amount of all outstanding capital securities. |
However, where a consent under the subordinated indenture would require the consent of each
holder of the affected corresponding subordinated debt securities, no consent shall be given by the
property trustee without the prior consent of each holder of the corresponding preferred
securities. The Comerica Capital Trustees shall not revoke any action previously authorized or
approved by a vote of the holders of the capital securities except by subsequent vote of the
holders of the capital securities. The property trustee shall notify each holder of capital
securities of any notice of default with respect to the corresponding subordinated debt securities.
In addition to obtaining these approvals of the holders of the capital securities, prior to taking
any of these actions, the Comerica Capital Trustees shall obtain an opinion of counsel to the
effect that the Comerica Capital Trust will not be classified as an association taxable as a
corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes on account of that action.
Any required approval or action of holders of capital securities may be given or taken at a
meeting of holders of capital securities convened for that purpose or pursuant to written consent.
The property trustee will cause a notice of any meeting at which holders of capital securities are
entitled to vote to be given to each holder of record of capital securities.
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No vote or consent of the holders of capital securities will be required for a Comerica
Capital Trust to redeem and cancel its capital securities in accordance with the applicable trust
agreement.
Even though the holders of capital securities are entitled to vote or consent under any of the
circumstances described above, any of the capital securities that are owned by Comerica, the
Comerica Capital Trustees or any affiliate of Comerica or any Comerica Capital Trustees shall, for
purposes of the vote or consent, be treated as if they were not outstanding.
Global Capital Securities
The capital securities of a Comerica Capital Trust may be issued, in whole or in part, in the
form of one or more global capital securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, the
depositary. The depositary and the specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to the
capital securities of a Comerica Capital Trust will be described in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
Payment and Paying Agency
Payments of distributions in respect of the capital securities shall be made to the
depositary, which shall credit the relevant accounts at the depositary on the applicable
distribution dates, However, if any Comerica Capital Trusts capital securities are not held by the
depositary, these payments shall be made by check mailed to the address of the holder entitled to
the payments as it shall appear on the register of the Comerica Capital Trust.
Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the paying agent shall
initially be [Name of Trustee[and any co-paying agent chosen by [Name of Trustee] and acceptable to
the administrative trustees and Comerica. The paying agent shall be permitted to resign as paying
agent upon 30 days written notice to the administrative trustees, the property trustee and
Comerica. If [Name of Trustee] shall no longer be the paying agent, the administrative trustees
shall appoint a successor, which shall be a bank or trust company acceptable to the administrative
trustees and Comerica, to act as paying agent.
Registrar and Transfer Agent
The registrar and transfer agent for the capital securities will be named in the applicable
prospectus supplement.
Registration of transfers and exchanges of capital securities will be effected without charge
by or on behalf of each Comerica Capital Trust. However, the holders must pay any tax or other
governmental charges that may be imposed in connection with any transfer or exchange. The Comerica
Capital Trusts will not be required to register or cause to be registered the transfer of their
capital securities after the capital securities have been called for redemption.
Information Concerning the Property Trustee
The property trustee undertakes to perform only those duties specifically set forth in each
trust agreement. However, the property trustee must exercise the same degree of care as a prudent
person would exercise in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to the preceding sentence,
the property trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers vested in it by the
applicable trust agreement at the request of any holder of capital securities unless it is offered
reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that it might incur. If, in
performing its duties under the trust agreement, the property trustee is required to decide between
alternative causes of action, construe ambiguous provisions in the applicable trust agreement or is
unsure of the application of any provision of the applicable trust agreement, and the matter is not
one on which holders of capital securities are entitled under the trust agreement to vote, then the
property trustee shall take the action as is directed by Comerica. Otherwise, the property trustee
shall take the action as it deems advisable and in the best interests of the holders of the trust
securities and will have no liability except for its own bad faith, negligence or willful
misconduct.
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Administrative Trustees
The administrative trustees are authorized and directed to conduct the affairs of and to
operate the Comerica Capital Trusts in such a way that:
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no Comerica Capital Trust will be deemed to be an investment company required to be
registered under the Investment Company Act or classified as an association taxable as a
corporation for U.S. Federal income tax purposes; and |
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the corresponding subordinated debt securities will be treated as indebtedness of
Comerica for U.S. Federal income tax purposes. |
In this regard, Comerica and the administrative trustees are authorized to take any action not
inconsistent with applicable law, the certificate of trust of each Comerica Capital Trust or each
trust agreement, that Comerica and the administrative trustees determine, in their discretion, to
be necessary or desirable for these purposes, as long as the action does not materially adversely
affect the interests of the holders of the related capital securities.
Capital Securities Guarantees
Concurrently with the issuance by each Comerica Capital Trust of its capital securities, we
will execute and deliver a capital securities guarantee for the benefit of the holders of the
capital securities. The guarantee trustee acting under each capital securities guarantee for the
purposes of compliance with the Trust Indenture Act will be named in the applicable prospectus
supplement, and each capital securities guarantee will be qualified as an indenture under the Trust
Indenture Act.
The following is a summary of the material provisions of the capital securities guarantees.
You should refer to the form of capital securities guarantee and the Trust Indenture Act for more
complete information regarding the provisions of each capital securities guarantee. The form of the
capital securities guarantee has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which
this prospectus is a part. Reference in this summary to capital securities means the Comerica
Capital Trusts capital securities to which the capital securities guarantee relates. The guarantee
trustee will hold each capital securities guarantee for the benefit of the holders of the related
Comerica Capital Trusts capital securities.
General
We will irrevocably agree to pay in full on a subordinated basis, to the extent described
below, the guarantee payments, without duplication of amounts previously paid by or on behalf of
the Comerica Capital Trust, to the holders of the capital securities as and when due, regardless of
any defense, right of setoff or counterclaim that the Comerica Capital Trust may have or assert
other than the defense of payment. The following payments with respect to the capital securities,
to the extent not paid by or on behalf of the related Comerica Capital Trust, are referred to in
this prospectus as the guarantee payments:
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any accrued and unpaid distributions required to be paid on the capital securities, to
the extent that the Comerica Capital Trust has funds available for payment at that time; |
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the redemption price, including all accrued and unpaid distributions to the redemption
date, with respect to any capital securities called for redemption, to the extent that the
Comerica Capital Trust has funds available for payment at that time; and |
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upon a voluntary or involuntary dissolution, winding up or liquidation of the Comerica
Capital Trust, unless the corresponding subordinated debt securities
are distributed to holders of the capital securities, the lesser of: |
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the liquidation distribution, to the extent the Comerica Capital Trust has funds
available for payment at that time; and |
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the amount of assets of the Comerica Capital Trust remaining available for
distribution to holders of capital securities. |
Our obligation to make a guarantee payment may be satisfied by direct payment of the required
amounts by us to the holders of the capital securities or by causing the Comerica Capital Trust to
pay these amounts to the holders.
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Our obligations under the capital securities guarantee, the subordinated indenture, including
our guarantee of the subordinated debt securities, and the expense agreement described below, taken
together, constitute a full, irrevocable and unconditional guarantee by us of payments due on the
capital securities. No single document standing alone or operating in conjunction with fewer than
all of the other documents constitute this guarantee. It is only the combined operation of these
documents that has the effect of providing a full, irrevocable and unconditional guarantee of the
Comerica Capital Trusts obligations under the capital securities. See Comerica Capital Trusts,
Description of Capital Securities, and Description of Debt Securities.
We will also agree to guarantee the obligations of each Comerica Capital Trust with respect to
the common securities issued by the Comerica Capital Trust to the same extent as under the capital
securities guarantee. However, if an event of default under the subordinated indenture has occurred
and is continuing, the holders of capital securities under the capital securities guarantee will
have priority over the holders of the common securities under the common securities guarantee with
respect to distributions and payments on liquidation, redemption or otherwise.
Status of the Capital Securities Guarantees
Each capital securities guarantee will constitute our unsecured obligation and will rank
subordinate and junior in right of payment to our senior indebtedness, including our debt
securities and obligations as guarantor under the subordinate indenture. For purposes of any
capital securities guarantee, senior indebtedness means our indebtedness, including our
obligations as guarantor under the subordinated indenture, outstanding at any time, except:
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the indebtedness under the capital securities guarantee; |
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indebtedness as to which, by the terms of the instrument creating or evidencing the
same, it is provided that the indebtedness is subordinated to or ranks equally with the
capital securities guarantee or to other indebtedness which is subordinated to or ranks
equally with the capital securities guarantee; |
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indebtedness to an affiliate; |
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interest accruing after the filing of a petition initiating any bankruptcy, insolvency
or other similar proceeding unless the interest is an allowed claim enforceable against us
in a proceeding under federal or state bankruptcy laws; |
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trade accounts payable; and |
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similar capital securities guarantees issued by us on behalf of holders of capital
securities of any other Comerica Capital Trust or any trust, partnership or other entity
affiliated with us which is a financing vehicle of ours or any of our affiliates in
connection with the issuance by the entity of capital securities or other similar
securities that are guaranteed by us pursuant to an instrument that ranks equally with or
junior in right of payment to the capital securities guarantee. |
Indebtedness has the same meaning given to that term under the Comerica indentures.
Each capital securities guarantee will rank equally with all other similar capital securities
guarantees issued by us on behalf of holders of capital securities of any other Comerica Capital
Trust or any trust, partnership or other entity affiliated with us which is a financing vehicle of
ours or any affiliate of ours in connection with the issuance by the entity of capital securities
or other similar securities that are guaranteed by us pursuant to an instrument that ranks equally
with or junior in right of payment to the capital securities guarantee. (Section 6.3). Each capital
securities guarantee will constitute a guarantee of payment and not of collection, which means that
the guaranteed party may generally institute a legal proceeding directly against us to enforce its
rights under the capital securities guarantee without first instituting a legal proceeding against
any other person or entity, including the applicable Comerica Capital Trust.
No capital securities guarantee will be discharged except by payment of the guarantee payments
in full to the extent not paid by the Comerica Capital Trust or upon distribution to the holders of
the capital securities of the corresponding subordinated debt securities. None of the capital
securities guarantees places a limitation on the
amount of additional indebtedness that may be incurred by us. We expect from time to time to
incur additional indebtedness that will rank senior to the capital securities guarantees.
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Amendments and Assignment
No capital securities guarantee may be amended without the prior approval of the holders of
not less than a majority of the aggregate liquidation amount of the outstanding capital securities,
except with respect to any changes which do not materially adversely affect the rights of holders
of the related capital securities, in which case no consent will be required. All guarantees and
agreements contained in each capital securities guarantee will bind our successors and assigns and
will inure to the benefit of the holders of the related capital securities. We may not assign our
obligations under the capital securities guarantee except in connection with a consolidation,
amalgamation or merger or conveyance, transfer or lease that is permitted under the subordinated
indenture and under which the person formed by the consolidation or amalgamation or into which we
are merged or which acquires or leases our properties and assets agrees in writing to perform our
obligations under the capital securities guarantee.
Events of Default
An event of default under each capital securities guarantee will occur upon our failure to
perform any of our payment or other obligations under the capital securities guarantee. The holders
of not less than a majority in aggregate liquidation amount of the related capital securities have
the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the guarantee trustee or to direct the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon
the guarantee trustee.
Any holder of the capital securities may institute a legal proceeding directly against us to
enforce its rights under the capital securities guarantee without first instituting a legal
proceeding against the Comerica Capital Trust, the guarantee trustee or any other person or entity.
We, as guarantor, are required to file annually with the guarantee trustee a certificate as to
whether or not Comerica is in compliance with all the conditions and covenants applicable to it
under the capital securities guarantee.
Information Concerning the Guarantee Trustee
The guarantee trustee, other than during the occurrence and continuance of a default by us in
performance of any capital securities guarantee, undertakes to perform only the duties specifically
set forth in each capital securities guarantee. After default with respect to any capital
securities guarantee, the guarantee trustee must exercise the same degree of care and skill as a
prudent person would exercise or use in the conduct of his or her own affairs. Subject to the
preceding sentence, the guarantee trustee is under no obligation to exercise any of the powers
vested in it by any capital securities guarantee at the request of any holder of any capital
securities unless it is offered reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses, and liabilities
that it might incur.
Termination of the Capital Securities Guarantees
Each capital securities guarantee will terminate upon:
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full payment of the redemption price of the related capital securities; |
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the distribution of the corresponding subordinated debt securities to the holders of the
related capital securities; or |
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upon full payment of the amounts payable upon liquidation of the related Comerica
Capital Trust. |
Each capital securities guarantee will continue to be effective or will be reinstated if, at
any time, any holder of the related capital securities must restore payment of any sums paid with
respect to the capital securities or the capital securities guarantee.
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New York Law to Govern
Each capital securities guarantee will be governed by and construed in accordance with the
laws of the State of New York.
The Expense Agreement
Pursuant to the expense agreement entered into by us under each trust agreement, we will
irrevocably and unconditionally guarantee to each person or entity to whom a Comerica Capital Trust
becomes indebted or liable, the full payment of any costs, expenses or liabilities of the Comerica
Capital Trust, other than obligations of the Comerica Capital Trust to pay to the holders of the
capital securities or other similar interests in the Comerica Capital Trust of the amounts due them
pursuant to the terms of the capital securities or other similar interests, as the case may be.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Comerica may offer the offered securities in one or more of the following ways from time to
time:
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to or through underwriters or dealers; |
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by itself directly; |
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through agents; or |
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through a combination of any of these methods of sale. |
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Any such underwriters, dealers or agents may include any broker-dealer subsidiary of Comerica. |
The prospectus supplement relating to an offering of offered securities will set forth the
terms of such offering, including:
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the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents; |
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the purchase price of the offered securities and the proceeds to Comerica from such sale; |
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any underwriting discounts and commissions or agency fees and other items constituting
underwriters or agents compensation; |
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the initial public offering price; |
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any discounts or concessions to be allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
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any securities exchanges on which such offered securities may be listed. |
Any initial public offering prices, discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to
dealers may be changed from time to time.
In compliance with the guidelines of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., the
maximum discount or commission to be received by any NASD member or independent broker-dealer may
not exceed 8% of the aggregate amount of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus and any
applicable prospectus supplement; however, it is anticipated that the maximum commission or
discount to be received in any particular offering of securities will be significantly less than
this amount.
If underwriters are used in an offering of offered securities, such offered securities will be
acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or
more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at
varying prices determined at the time of sale. The
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securities may be offered either to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by
one or more managing underwriters or by one or more underwriters without a syndicate. Unless
otherwise specified in connection with a particular offering of securities, the underwriters will
not be obligated to purchase offered securities unless specified conditions are satisfied, and if
the underwriters do purchase any offered securities, they will purchase all offered securities.
In connection with underwritten offerings of the offered securities and in accordance with
applicable law and industry practice, underwriters may over-allot or effect transactions that
stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the offered securities at levels above
those that might otherwise prevail in the open market, including by entering stabilizing bids,
effecting syndicate covering transactions or imposing penalty bids, each of which is described
below.
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A stabilizing bid means the placing of any bid, or the effecting of any purchase, for
the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of a security. |
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A syndicate covering transaction means the placing of any bid on behalf of the
underwriting syndicate or the effecting of any purchase to reduce a short position created
in connection with the offering. |
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A penalty bid means an arrangement that permits the managing underwriter to reclaim a
selling concession from a syndicate member in connection with the offering when offered
securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in syndicate covering
transactions. |
These transactions may be effected on the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market, or otherwise.
Underwriters are not required to engage in any of these activities, or to continue such activities
if commenced.
If dealers are utilized in the sale of offered securities, Comerica will sell such offered
securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell such offered securities to the
public at varying prices to be determined by such dealers at the time of resale. The names of the
dealers and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to
that transaction.
Offered securities may be sold directly by Comerica to one or more institutional purchasers,
or through agents designated by Comerica from time to time, at a fixed price or prices, which may
be changed, or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Any agent involved in the offer or
sale of the offered securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be named, and
any commissions payable by Comerica to such agent will be set forth, in the prospectus supplement
relating to that offering. Unless otherwise specified in connection with a particular offering of
securities, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its
appointment.
As one of the means of direct issuance of offered securities, Comerica may utilize the
services of an entity through which it may conduct an electronic dutch auction or similar
offering of the offered securities among potential purchasers who are eligible to participate in
the auction or offering of such offered securities, if so described in the applicable prospectus
supplement.
If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, Comerica will authorize agents,
underwriters or dealers to solicit offers from certain types of institutions to purchase offered
securities from Comerica at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus supplement
pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified date in
the future. Such contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus
supplement and the prospectus supplement will set forth the commission payable for solicitation of
such contracts.
The broker-dealer subsidiaries of Comerica, including Comerica Securities, Inc., are members
of the NASD and may participate in distributions of the offered securities. Accordingly, offerings
of offered securities in which Comericas broker-dealer subsidiaries participate will conform with
the requirements set forth in Rule 2720 of the Conduct Rules of the NASD.
This prospectus, together with any applicable prospectus supplement, may also be used by any
broker-dealer subsidiary of Comerica in connection with offers and sales of the offered securities
in market-making transactions, including block positioning and block trades, at negotiated prices
related to prevailing market prices at
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the time of sale. Any of Comericas broker-dealer subsidiaries may act as principal or agent
in such transactions. None of Comericas broker-dealer subsidiaries have any obligation to make a
market in any of the offered securities and may discontinue any market-making activities at any
time without notice, at its sole discretion.
One or more dealers, referred to as remarketing firms, may also offer or sell the
securities, if the prospectus supplement so indicates, in connection with a remarketing arrangement
contemplated by the terms of the securities. Remarketing firms will act as principals for their own
accounts or as agents. The prospectus supplement will identify any remarketing firm and the terms
of its agreement, if any, with Comerica and will describe the remarketing firms compensation.
Remarketing firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the remarketing of the
securities.
Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements with Comerica, to
indemnification by Comerica relating to material misstatements and omissions. Underwriters, dealers
and agents may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for, Comerica and
affiliates of Comerica in the ordinary course of business.
Except for securities issued upon a reopening of a previous series, each series of offered
securities will be a new issue of securities and will have no established trading market. Any
underwriters to whom offered securities are sold for public offering and sale may make a market in
such offered securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue
any market making at any time without notice. The offered securities may or may not be listed on a
securities exchange. No assurance can be given that there will be a market for the offered
securities.
ERISA CONSIDERATIONS
A fiduciary of a pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit plan governed by the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA), should consider the
fiduciary standards of ERISA in the context of the ERISA plans particular circumstances before
authorizing an investment in the offered securities of Comerica. Among other factors, the fiduciary
should consider whether such an investment is in accordance with the documents governing the ERISA
plan and whether the investment is appropriate for the ERISA plan in view of its overall investment
policy and diversification of its portfolio.
Certain provisions of ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code),
prohibit employee benefit plans (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) that are subject to Title I
of ERISA, plans described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code (including, without limitation,
retirement accounts and Keogh Plans), and entities whose underlying assets include plan assets by
reason of a plans investment in such entities (including, without limitation, as applicable,
insurance company general accounts), from engaging in certain transactions involving plan assets
with parties that are parties in interest under ERISA or disqualified persons under the Code
with respect to the plan or entity. Governmental and other plans that are not subject to ERISA or
to the Code may be subject to similar restrictions under state, federal or local law. Any employee
benefit plan or other entity, to which such provisions of ERISA, the Code or similar law apply,
proposing to acquire the offered securities should consult with its legal counsel.
Comerica has subsidiaries, including insurance company subsidiaries and broker-dealer
subsidiaries, that provide services to many employee benefit plans. Comerica and any such direct or
indirect subsidiary of Comerica may each be considered a party in interest and a disqualified
person to a large number of plans. A purchase of offered securities of Comerica by any such plan
would be likely to result in a prohibited transaction between the plan and Comerica.
Accordingly, unless otherwise provided in connection with a particular offering of securities,
offered securities may not be purchased, held or disposed of by any plan or any other person
investing plan assets of any plan that is subject to the prohibited transaction rules of ERISA or
Section 4975 of the Code or other similar law, unless one of the following Prohibited Transaction
Class Exemptions (PTCE) issued by the Department of Labor or a similar exemption or exception
applies to such purchase, holding and disposition:
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PTCE 96-23 for transactions determined by in-house asset managers, |
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PTCE 95-60 for transactions involving insurance company general accounts, |
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PTCE 91-38 for transactions involving bank collective investment funds, |
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PTCE 90-1 for transactions involving insurance company separate accounts, or |
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PTCE 84-14 for transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers. |
Unless otherwise provided in connection with a particular offering of securities, any
purchaser of the offered securities or any interest therein will be deemed to have represented and
warranted to Comerica on each day including the date of its purchase of the offered securities
through and including the date of disposition of such offered securities that either:
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it is not a plan subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the
Code and is not purchasing such securities or interest therein on
behalf of, or with plan assets of, any such plan; |
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its purchase, holding and disposition of such securities are not and
will not be prohibited because they are exempted by one or more of the
following prohibited transaction exemptions: PTCE 96-23, 95-60, 91-38,
90-1 or 84-14; or |
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it is a governmental plan (as defined in section 3 of ERISA) or other
plan that is not subject to the provisions of Title I of ERISA or
Section 4975 of the Code and its purchase, holding and disposition of
such securities are not otherwise prohibited. |
Due to the complexity of these rules and the penalties imposed upon persons involved in
prohibited transactions, it is important that any person considering the purchase of the offered
securities with plan assets consult with its counsel regarding the consequences under ERISA and the
Code, or other similar law, of the acquisition and ownership of offered securities and the
availability of exemptive relief under the class exemptions listed above.
LEGAL MATTERS
In connection with particular offerings of the securities in the future, the validity of those
securities, other than capital securities, will be passed upon for
Comerica by Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, legal counsel to
Comerica, or one of Comericas
lawyers named in the applicable prospectus supplement. The validity of the capital securities will
be passed upon for Comerica Capital Trusts by special Delaware
counsel, Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., Wilmington, Delaware.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Mayer,
Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, Chicago, Illinois, may act as legal counsel to the underwriters, agents or
dealers. In addition to the above reference, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP has from time to time acted as counsel for Comerica and its
subsidiaries and may do so in the future.
EXPERTS
The consolidated financial statements of Comerica Incorporated as of December 31, 2005 and 2004,
and for each of the three years ended December 31, 2005, included in Comerica Incorporateds
Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 14, 2006,
and Comerica Incorporated managements assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over
financial reporting as of December 31, 2005 incorporated by reference in Comerica Incorporateds
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, have been audited by Ernst & Young
LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon,
incorporated by reference therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated
financial statements and managements assessment are incorporated herein by reference in reliance
upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
As required by the Securities Act of 1933, Comerica filed a registration statement relating to
the securities offered by this prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This
prospectus is a part of that registration statement, which includes additional information.
Comerica files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information
with the SEC. You may read and copy any document Comerica files at the SECs public reference room
in Washington, D.C. You can also request copies of the documents, upon payment of a duplicating
fee, by writing the Public Reference Section of the SEC. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for
further information on the public reference room. These SEC filings are also available to the
public from the SECs web site at http://www.sec.gov. Comerica maintains an Internet website at
www.comerica.com where the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current
Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports are available without charge, as soon as
reasonably practicable after those reports are filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for Employees, the Code of Business
Conduct and Ethics for Members of the Board of Directors and the Senior Financial Officer Code of
Ethics adopted by Comerica are also available on the Internet website and are available in print to
any shareholder who requests them. Such requests should be made in writing to the Corporate
Secretary at Comerica Incorporated, Comerica Tower at Detroit Center, 500 Woodward Avenue, MC 3381,
Detroit, Michigan 48226.
The SEC allows Comerica to incorporate by reference the information it files with the SEC,
which means that it can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents.
The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information
that Comerica files later with the SEC will automatically update information in this prospectus. In
all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information included in this
prospectus or the prospectus supplement. Comerica incorporates by reference the documents listed
below and any future filings made with the SEC under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934:
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Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, with the exception
of the following items, which are superseded by, and included in, the Current Report on
Form 8-K filed on November 14, 2006: |
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Item 6. Selected Financial Data, |
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Item 7. Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
and Results of Operations, |
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk, |
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data; |
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Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2006, June 30, 2006
and September 30, 2006; |
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Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on October 19, 2006,
November 13, 2006 and two separate filings on November
14, 2006; and |
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The description of Comericas common stock set forth in Comericas registration
statement on Form S-4/A filed December 14, 2000 (Commission File Number 333-51042), and
any amendment or report filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating that description. |
All documents Comerica files pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act
after the date of this prospectus and before the later of (1) the completion of the offering of the
securities described in this prospectus and (2) the date Comerica stops offering securities
pursuant to this prospectus shall be incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the date of
filing of such documents.
You should rely only on the information provided in this prospectus, the prospectus supplement
and any applicable pricing supplement, as well as the information incorporated by reference.
Comerica is not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not
permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, the prospectus
supplement, any applicable pricing supplement or any documents incorporated by reference is
accurate as of any date other than the date of the applicable document.
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The Comerica Capital Trusts
There are no separate financial statements of the Comerica Capital Trusts in this prospectus.
Comerica does not believe the financial statements would be helpful to the holders of the capital
securities of the Comerica Capital Trusts because:
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Comerica, a reporting company under the Exchange Act, will directly or indirectly own
all of the voting securities of each Comerica Capital Trust; |
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neither of the Comerica Capital Trusts has any independent operations or proposes to
engage in any activity other than issuing securities representing undivided beneficial
interests in the assets of the Comerica Capital Trust and investing the proceeds in
subordinated debt securities issued by Comerica; and |
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the obligations of each Comerica Capital Trust under the capital securities will be
fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Comerica. See Description of Capital Securities
Guarantees. |
Neither of the Comerica Capital Trusts is currently subject to the information reporting
requirements of the Exchange Act. Each Comerica Capital Trust will be exempt from these
requirements following the effectiveness of the registration statement that contains this
prospectus.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.
The following table sets forth the various expenses payable by the Registrants in connection
with the Securities being registered hereby. All of the fees set forth below are estimates.
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SEC Registration Fee |
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Accounting Fees |
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200,000 |
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Trustees Fees and Expenses |
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100,000 |
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Printing and Engraving Fees |
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250,000 |
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Rating Agency Fees |
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250,000 |
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NASD Fee |
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500 |
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Legal Fees and Expenses |
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100,000 |
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Miscellaneous |
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50,000 |
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Total |
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1,000,000 |
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Deferred in accordance with Rule 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
except for the registration fees applied in accordance with Rule 457(p) as described herein in
footnote (1) to the Calculation of Registration Fee table. |
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
As permitted by Section 102(b)(7) of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, Comericas
certificate of incorporation provides that a director of Comerica shall not be personally liable to
Comerica or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director,
except for liability (a) for any breach of the directors duty of loyalty to us or our
stockholders, (b) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct
or a knowing violation of law, (c) pursuant to Section 174 of the General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware, or (d) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper personal
benefit.
In general, Comericas bylaws provide that Comerica shall indemnify its directors and officers
to the fullest extent permitted by law. As permitted by Section 145(a) of DGCL, Comericas bylaws
provide that Comerica shall indemnify each of its directors and officers against expenses
(including attorneys fees) incurred in connection with any proceeding (other than an action by or
in the right of Comerica) involving such person by reason of having been an officer or director, to
the extent such person acted in good faith and in a manner reasonably believed to be in, or not
opposed to, the best interest of Comerica and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding,
had no reasonable cause to believe such persons conduct was unlawful. As permitted by Section
145(b) of DGCL, Comericas bylaws provide that Comerica shall indemnify each of its officers and
directors against expenses (including attorneys fees) incurred in connection with any action
brought by or in the right of Comerica, except that if the director or officer is adjudged to be
liable to Comerica, no indemnification shall be made unless and to the extent that the Court of
Chancery or any other court shall deem proper, notwithstanding the adjudication of liability.
The determination of whether indemnification is proper under the circumstances, unless made by
a court, shall be made by a majority of disinterested members of the board of directors (even if
they constitute less than a forum), by a committee of disinterested directors, by independent legal
counsel or by the stockholders of Comerica. However, as required by Section 145(c) of DGCL,
Comerica must indemnify a director or officer who was successful on the merits in defense of any
suit. As permitted by Section 145(e) of DGCL, Comericas bylaws provided that Comerica may pay
expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance, upon receipt of an undertaking that the
advance will be repaid if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer is not entitled
to indemnity.
II-1
As permitted by Section 145(g) of DGCL, Comericas bylaws provide that Comerica may purchase
insurance on behalf of its directors and officers against any liability asserted against such
person and incurred by such person in any such capacity, or arising out of such persons status as
such, whether or not Comerica would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability
under its bylaws. Comerica maintains such insurance.
With respect to possible indemnification of directors, officers and controlling persons of the
Registrant for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to such
provisions, the Registrant is aware that the Securities and Exchange Commission has publicly taken
the position that such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in that Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable.
Item 16. Exhibits.
See the Exhibit Index, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned registrants hereby undertake:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective
amendment to this registration statement:
(i) to include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of
1933, as amended;
(ii) to reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date
of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set
forth in this registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered
would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of
the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with
the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price
represent no more than 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth
in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective registration statement; and
(iii) to include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not
previously disclosed in this registration statement or any material change to such
information in this registration statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) above do not apply if the information
required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those clauses is contained in reports
filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by Comerica Incorporated pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that are
incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus
filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities
being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, to any purchaser:
(i) Each prospectus filed by a Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to
be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of
and included in the registration statement; and
II-2
(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7)
as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made
pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information
required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and
included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus
is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in
the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes
of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed
to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the
registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided,
however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of
the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by
reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration
statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective
date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or
prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document
immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of a Registrant under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended, to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned
Registrants undertake that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrants
pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the
securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of
any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrants will be a seller to the purchaser
and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of an undersigned Registrant relating to
the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of
an undersigned Registrant or used or referred to by an undersigned Registrant;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering
containing material information about an undersigned Registrant or its securities provided
by or on behalf of an undersigned Registrant; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by an undersigned
Registrant to the purchaser.
(6) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, each filing of Comerica Incorporateds annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (and, where applicable, each filing of an
employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of
such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(7) To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility of the trustee to
act under subsection (a) of Section 310 of the Trust Indenture Act in accordance with the rules and
regulations prescribed by the Commission under Section 305(6)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of each Registrant pursuant
to the provisions described in Item 15 above, or otherwise, each Registrant has been advised that
in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event
that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by a Registrant
of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of a Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, that Registrant will, unless
in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a
court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and
will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Comerica Incorporated
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for
filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in The City of Detroit, State of Michigan, on
November 22, 2006.
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Comerica Incorporated |
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By: |
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/s/ Ralph W. Babb, Jr. |
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Name:
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Ralph W. Babb, Jr. |
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Title:
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Chairman, President and Chief |
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Executive Officer |
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POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that the undersigned directors and officers of Comerica
Incorporated hereby constitute and appoint Jon W. Bilstrom, Nicole V. Gersch and Robert W. Spencer,
Jr., and each of them, the true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents of the undersigned, with
full power of substitution and resubstitution, for and in the name, place and stead of the
undersigned, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this registration
statement (the Registration Statement) (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration
Statement and any subsequent Registration Statement for the same offering which may be filed under
Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any and all amendments (including any
and all pre-effective and post-effective amendments) and exhibits thereto and to file the same,
with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, and hereby grants to such attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full
power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be
done, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, hereby
ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or
his substitute, or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration
Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities
indicated on November 22, 2006.
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Name |
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Position |
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/s/ Ralph W. Babb, Jr. |
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Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer; |
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Director
(Principal Executive Officer) |
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/s/ Elizabeth S. Acton
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Executive Vice President and Chief Financial |
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Officer
(Principal Financial Officer) |
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/s/ Marvin J. Elenbaas
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Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting |
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Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer) |
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/s/ Lillian Bauder
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Director |
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/s/ Joseph J. Buttigieg, III
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Director |
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/s/ James F. Cordes
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Director |
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II-4
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Name |
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Position |
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/s/ Peter D. Cummings
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Director |
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/s/ Anthony F. Earley, Jr.
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Director |
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/s/ Roger Fridholm
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Director |
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/s/ Alfred A. Piergallini
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Director |
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Director |
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/s/ Reginald M. Turner, Jr.
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Director |
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/s/ William P. Vititoe
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Director |
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/s/ Gail L. Warden
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Director |
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/s/ Kenneth L. Way
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Director |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Comerica Capital Trust II
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for
filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Detroit, the State of Michigan, on November 22,
2006.
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COMERICA CAPITAL TRUST II
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By: |
Comerica Incorporated, as Sponsor |
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By: |
/s/ Robert W. Spencer, Jr.
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Name: |
Robert W. Spencer, Jr. |
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Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Comerica Capital Trust III
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for
filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in Detroit, the State of Michigan, on November 22,
2006.
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COMERICA CAPITAL TRUST III
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By: |
Comerica Incorporated, as Sponsor
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By: |
/s/ Robert W. Spencer, Jr.
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Name: |
Robert W. Spencer, Jr. |
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Title: |
Authorized Signatory |
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II-5
EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit |
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Number |
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Description |
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1.1
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Form of Underwriting Agreement relating to common stock * |
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1.2
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Form of Underwriting Agreement relating to preferred stock and depositary shares * |
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1.3
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Form of Underwriting Agreement relating to debt securities * |
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1.4
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Form of Underwriting Agreement relating to capital securities * |
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1.5
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
relating to warrants * |
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1.6
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
relating to stock purchase contracts * |
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1.7
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Form of Underwriting Agreement
relating to stock purchase units * |
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3.1
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Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Comerica Incorporated, as amended
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Comericas Annual Report on Form
10-K for the year ended December 31, 1996) |
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3.2
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Certificate of Amendment to Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Comerica
Incorporated (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to Comericas Registration
Statement on Form S-4 (No. 333-51042) |
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3.2
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Amended and Restated Bylaws of Comerica Incorporated (incorporated herein by
reference to Exhibit to 3.2 to Comericas Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 1999) |
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4.1
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Form of Senior Indenture |
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4.2
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Form of Subordinated Indenture (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(A) to
Comericas Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No. 333-63090) |
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4.3
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Form of Debt Securities * |
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4.4
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Form of Certificate of Designations, Preferences and Rights relating to the
preferred stock of Comerica Incorporated * |
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4.5
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Form of Deposit Agreement, including the form of depositary receipt * |
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4.6
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Form of Warrant Agreement * |
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4.7
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Form of Stock Purchase Contract Agreement * |
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4.8
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Form of Stock Purchase Units * |
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4.9
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Restated Certificate of Trust of Comerica
Capital Trust II |
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4.10
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Certificate of Trust of Comerica Capital Trust III |
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4.11
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Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of Comerica
Capital Trust II |
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4.12
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Declaration of Trust of Comerica Capital Trust III |
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4.13
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Form of Amended and Restated
Declaration of Trust for the Comerica Capital Trusts |
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4.14
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Form of Trust Preferred Security
(included in exhibit 4.13) |
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4.15 |
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Form of Capital Securities Guarantee Agreement |
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4.16
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Form of Expense Agreement * |
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5.1
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Opinion of Mayer, Brown, Rowe &
Maw LLP |
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5.2
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Opinion of Richards, Layton &
Finger, P.A. |
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23.1
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Consent of Ernst & Young LLP |
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23.2
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Consent of Mayer, Brown, Rowe &
Maw LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1) |
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23.3
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Consent of Delaware counsel (included in Exhibit 5.2) |
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24.1
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Power of Attorney (included on signature to this registration statement) |
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25.1
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Form T-1 Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of Bank of New York, as trustee under the Senior Indenture * |
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25.2
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Form T-1 Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of Bank of New York, as trustee under the Subordinated Indenture * |
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25.3
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Form T-1 Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of Bank of New York, as property trustee under the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement
of Comerica Capital Trust II * |
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25.4
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Form T-1 Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of Bank of New York, as property trustee under the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement
of Comerica Capital Trust III * |
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25.5
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Form T-1 Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 of [Name of Trustee], as guarantee trustee under the Capital Securities Guarantee
Agreement of Comerica Incorporated for the benefit of the capital
securities holders of Comerica Capital Trust II * |
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25.6
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Form T-1 Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 [Name of Trustee], as guarantee trustee under the Capital Securities Guarantee
Agreement of Comerica Incorporated for the benefit of the capital
securities holders of Comerica Capital Trust III * |
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* |
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To be filed by post-effective amendment or on Form 8-K and incorporated by reference herein |