424B2
Table of Contents

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration No. 333-187919

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of Each Class of

Securities to be Registered

 

Proposed Maximum
Aggregate

Offering Price(1)

  Amount of
Registration Fee(2)

2.250% Notes due 2021

  $  1,626,250,000    $  221,820.50

3.125% Notes due 2025

  $     975,750,000    $  133,092.30

Total

  $  2,602,000,000    $  354,912.80

 

 

(1) €1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the 2.250% Notes due 2021 and €750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the 3.125% Notes due 2025 will be issued. The Proposed Maximum Aggregate Offering Price is based on the June 28, 2013 euro/U.S. $ exchange rate of €1.00=$1.3010, as announced by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
(2) Calculated in accordance with Rule 457(r) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.


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Prospectus Supplement

(To Prospectus dated April 15, 2013)

 

LOGO

€2,000,000,000

Oracle Corporation

€1,250,000,000 2.250% Notes due 2021

€750,000,000 3.125% Notes due 2025

 

 

Oracle Corporation is offering €1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.250% notes due 2021 (the “2021 Notes”) and €750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 3.125% notes due 2025 (the “2025 Notes” and, together with the 2021 Notes, the “Notes”).

The 2021 Notes will bear interest at the rate of 2.250% per year and the 2025 Notes will bear interest at the rate of 3.125% per year. Interest on the Notes will be payable annually on January 10 for the 2021 Notes, commencing January 10, 2014 and on July 10 for the 2025 Notes, commencing July 10, 2014.

The 2021 Notes will mature on January 10, 2021 and the 2025 Notes will mature on July 10, 2025.

We may redeem some or all of the Notes at any time, each at the applicable “make-whole premium” price indicated under the heading “Description of the Notes—Optional Redemption” beginning on page S-17 of this prospectus supplement. In addition, the Notes may be redeemed in whole but not in part, at any time at our option, in the event of certain developments affecting U.S. taxation. See “Description of Notes—Redemption for Tax Reasons” beginning on page S-20 of this prospectus supplement.

The Notes will rank equally with all of our other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness from time to time outstanding.

 

 

Investing in the Notes involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-9 of this prospectus supplement and see Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein, for a discussion of certain risks that should be considered in connection with an investment in the Notes.

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the Notes or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

     Public  offering
price(1)
    Underwriting
discount(2)
    Proceeds, before
expenses, to us
 

2021 Notes

     99.434     0.400     99.034

Total

     1,242,925,000        5,000,000        1,237,925,000   

2025 Notes

     99.517     0.400     99.117

Total

   746,377,500        3,000,000      743,377,500   

Total

     1,989,302,500        8,000,000        1,981,302,500   

 

(1) Plus accrued interest, if any, from July 10, 2013, if settlement occurs after that date.
(2) Before reimbursement of expenses in connection with this offering, which the underwriters have agreed to make to Oracle Corporation. See “Underwriting” beginning on page S-28.

The Notes will be issued in book-entry form only, in minimum denominations of €100,000 and multiples of €1,000 in excess thereof. The Notes are new issues of securities with no established trading market. We intend to apply to list the Notes on the New York Stock Exchange. We expect trading in the Notes on the New York Stock Exchange to begin within 30 days after the original issue date.

 

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the Notes to purchasers through the book-entry delivery system of Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. (“Euroclear”) and Clearstream Banking, S.A. (“Clearstream”) on or about July 10, 2013, which is the fifth New York business day following the date of this prospectus supplement. Purchasers of the Notes should note that trading of the Notes may be affected by this settlement date.

 

 

Joint Book-Running Managers

BNP PARIBAS   Deutsche Bank   The Royal Bank of Scotland

July 2, 2013


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We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We and the underwriters take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not, and the underwriters are not, making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of such securities is not permitted. You should assume that the information contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein is accurate only as of their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

Prospectus Supplement

 

      Page  

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

     S-iii   

About This Prospectus Supplement

     S-v   

Summary

     S-1   

Risk Factors

     S-9   

Currency Conversion

     S-13   

Use of Proceeds

     S-14   

Capitalization

     S-15   

Description of the Notes

     S-16   

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

     S-24   

Underwriting

     S-28   

Validity of Securities

     S-32   

Experts

     S-32   

Where You Can Find More Information

     S-32   

Prospectus

 

Oracle Corporation

     2   

Where You Can Find More Information

     3   

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

     4   

Use of Proceeds

     5   

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     6   

Description of Capital Stock

     7   

Description of Debt Securities

     9   

Description of Warrants

     19   

Description of Purchase Contracts

     19   

Description of Units

     19   

Forms of Securities

     20   

Plan of Distribution

     22   

Validity of Securities

     24   

Experts

     24   

The Notes are being offered for sale only in jurisdictions where it is lawful to make such offers. The distribution of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the offering of the Notes in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law. Persons outside the United States who receive this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not constitute, and may not be used in

 

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connection with, an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. See “Underwriting—Sales Outside the United States” in this prospectus supplement.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have been prepared on the basis that any offer of Notes in any Member State of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (2003/71/EC) (each, a “Relevant Member State”) will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Directive, as implemented in that Relevant Member State, from the requirement to produce a prospectus for offers of Notes. Accordingly, any person making or intending to make any offer in that Relevant Member State of Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for us or any of the underwriters to produce a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive in relation to such offer. Neither we nor the underwriters have authorized, nor do we or they authorize, the making of any offer of Notes in circumstances in which an obligation arises for us or the underwriters to publish a prospectus for such offer.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

This prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus are only being distributed to, and are only directed at, persons in the United Kingdom that are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2(1)(e) of the Prospectus Directive and that are also (1) investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Order”) or (2) high net worth entities, and other persons to whom it may lawfully be communicated, falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (each such person being referred to as a “Relevant Person”). This prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and their contents are confidential and should not be distributed, published or reproduced (in whole or in part) or disclosed by recipients to any other persons in the United Kingdom. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this prospectus supplement and/or accompanying prospectus or any of their contents.

This prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus have not been approved for the purposes of section 21 of the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”) by a person authorized under FSMA. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are being distributed and communicated to persons in the United Kingdom only in circumstances in which section 21(1) of FSMA does not apply. The Notes are not being offered or sold to any person in the United Kingdom except in circumstances which will not result in an offer of securities to the public in the United Kingdom within the meaning of Part VI of FSMA.

IN CONNECTION WITH THE ISSUE OF THE NOTES, DEUTSCHE BANK AG, LONDON BRANCH (IN THIS CAPACITY, THE “STABILIZING MANAGER”) (OR ANY PERSON ACTING ON ITS BEHALF) MAY OVER-ALLOT NOTES OR EFFECT TRANSACTIONS WITH A VIEW TO SUPPORTING THE MARKET PRICE OF THE NOTES AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN THAT WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE PREVAIL. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO ASSURANCE THAT THE STABILIZING MANAGER (OR PERSONS ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE STABILIZING MANAGER) WILL UNDERTAKE ANY STABILIZATION ACTION. ANY STABILIZATION ACTION MAY BEGIN ON OR AFTER THE DATE ON WHICH ADEQUATE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF THE FINAL TERMS OF THE OFFER OF THE NOTES IS MADE, AND, IF BEGUN, MAY BE ENDED AT ANY TIME, BUT IT MUST END NO LATER THAN THE EARLIER OF 30 DAYS AFTER THE ISSUE OF THE NOTES AND 60 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE ALLOTMENT OF THE NOTES. SEE “UNDERWRITING.”

THE UNDERWRITERS HAVE ADVISED US THAT ANY STABILIZATION ACTION COMMENCED WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement contain statements that are not historical in nature, are predictive in nature, or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or otherwise contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, among other things, statements regarding:

 

   

our expectation to continue to acquire companies, products, services and technologies;

 

   

our intention that our direct sales force will sell proportionately more of our hardware systems products in the future;

 

   

continued realization of gains or losses with respect to our foreign currency exposures;

 

   

our expectation that our software business’ total revenues generally will continue to increase;

 

   

our belief that software license updates and product support revenues and margins will grow;

 

   

our expectation that our hardware business will have lower operating margins as a percentage of revenues than our software business;

 

   

our international operations providing a significant portion of our total revenues and expenses;

 

   

our expectation to continue to make significant investments in research and development and related product opportunities, including those related to hardware products and services;

 

   

our expectation to grow our consulting revenues;

 

   

the sufficiency of our sources of funding for acquisitions or other matters;

 

   

our expectation to continue paying comparable cash dividends on a quarterly basis;

 

   

our belief that we have adequately provided for any reasonably foreseeable outcomes related to our tax liabilities and that any tax settlement will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations;

 

   

our belief that the outcome of certain legal proceedings and claims to which we are a party will not, individually or in the aggregate, result in losses that are materially in excess of amounts already recognized, if any;

 

   

our expectation to incur the majority of the remaining expenses pursuant to the Fiscal 2013 Oracle Restructuring Plan through fiscal 2014 and our expectation to improve efficiencies in our operations that will impact our Fiscal 2013 Oracle Restructuring Plan;

 

   

our expectation that seasonal trends will continue in fiscal 2014;

 

   

our expectation to continue to depend on third party manufacturers to build certain hardware systems products and third party logistics providers to deliver our products;

 

   

our expectation that to the extent customers renew support contracts or cloud software subscriptions contracts, we will recognize revenues for the full contracts’ values over the respective renewal periods;

 

   

our experience and ability to predict quarterly hardware systems products revenues;

 

   

the timing of customer orders and delays in our ability to manufacture or deliver a few large transactions substantially affecting the amount of hardware systems products revenues, expenses and operating margins that we will report;

as well as other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, and business strategies. Forward-looking statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “expects,”

 

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“anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “will,” “is designed to” and similar expressions. We claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for all forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions about our business that could affect our future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this prospectus supplement under the caption “Risk Factors” and in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013 (incorporated by reference herein) and as may be updated in filings we make from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q to be filed by us in our fiscal year 2014, which runs from June 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.

We have no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements set forth in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or the documents incorporated herein by reference, whether as a result of new information, future events or risks, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. New information, future events or risks could cause the forward-looking events we discuss in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or the documents incorporated herein by reference not to occur. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus or as of the date of the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, as applicable.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This document is in two parts. The first is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific terms of this offering. This prospectus supplement also incorporates by reference the information described under “Where You Can Find More Information.” The second part is the accompanying prospectus dated April 15, 2013. The accompanying prospectus contains a description of our debt securities and gives more general information, some of which may not apply to this offering.

If the description of this offering varies between this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement.

References in this prospectus supplement to “$,” “dollars” and “U.S. dollars” are to the currency of the United States of America; references to “€” and “euro” are to the single currency introduced at the third stage of the European Monetary Union pursuant to the Treaty establishing the European Community, as amended. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, references in this prospectus supplement to “Oracle,” “we,” “us” and “our” or similar terms are to Oracle Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries.

 

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SUMMARY

The following summary highlights information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. It may not contain all of the information that you should consider before investing in the Notes. You should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement, as well as the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein that are described under “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Oracle Corporation

We are the world’s largest provider of enterprise software and a leading provider of computer hardware products and services that are engineered to work together in the cloud and in the data center. We are a leader in the core technologies of cloud computing, including database and middleware as well as web-based applications, virtualization, clustering and large-scale systems management. We provide cloud services as well as software and hardware products to other cloud service providers, both public and private. Oracle database and middleware software, applications software and hardware systems—including computer server, storage and networking products—are the building blocks of our own cloud services, our partners’ cloud services and our customers’ private cloud environments. Our customers can subscribe to use select Oracle software and hardware products through our cloud offering, or purchase our software and hardware products and related services to build their own private cloud or on-premise information technology (IT) environments. Our strategy is to deliver reliable and scalable products and services that are built upon industry standards and are engineered to work together or independently. We also pursue new or emerging growth opportunities in order to maintain technology leadership. Offering customers a choice in how they use our products and services—while maintaining enterprise-grade reliability, security and interoperability—is important to our corporate strategy.

We believe that internal growth and continued innovation with respect to our software, hardware and services businesses are the foundation of our long-term strategic plans. In fiscal 2013, we invested $4.9 billion and in each of fiscal 2012 and 2011 we invested $4.5 billion, in research and development to enhance our existing portfolio of products and services and to develop new products and services. We continue to focus the engineering of our hardware and software products to make them work together more effectively and deliver improved computing performance, reliability and security to our customers. For example, Oracle Engineered Systems, which include our Oracle Exadata Database Machine, Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud and Oracle SPARC SuperCluster products, among others, combine certain of our hardware and software offerings in a way that increases computing performance relative to our competitors’ products, creating time savings, efficiencies and operational cost advantages for our customers. With products that are engineered to work together, our customers can reduce much of the complexity of IT and make available resources they would otherwise spend on IT operations. In addition to our introductions of new, innovative hardware and software products, we also continue to demonstrate our commitment to customer choice through ongoing enhancements to our existing products, including our Oracle E-Business Suite, Siebel, PeopleSoft and JD Edwards applications software products.

We believe that an active acquisition program is another important element of our corporate strategy as it enhances the products and services that we can offer to customers, expands our customer base, provides greater scale to accelerate innovation, grows our revenues and earnings and increases stockholder value. In recent years, we have invested billions of dollars to acquire a number of companies, products, services and technologies that add to, are complementary to, or have otherwise enhanced our existing offerings. We expect to continue to acquire companies, products, services and technologies to further our corporate strategy.

Our software, hardware systems and services businesses are further divided into certain operating segments. Our software business is comprised of two operating segments: (1) new software licenses and cloud software

 

 

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subscriptions and (2) software license updates and product support. Our hardware systems business is comprised of two operating segments: (1) hardware systems products and (2) hardware systems support. Our services business is comprised of the remainder of our operating segments and offers consulting services, managed cloud services and education services. Our software, hardware systems and services businesses represented 74%, 14% and 12% of our total revenues, respectively, in fiscal 2013; 70%, 17% and 13%, respectively, in fiscal 2012; and 68%, 19% and 13%, respectively, in fiscal 2011.

Oracle Corporation was incorporated in 2005 as a Delaware corporation and is the successor to operations originally begun in June 1977.

 

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, California 94065, and our telephone number is (650) 506-7000. We maintain a website at www.oracle.com where general information about us is available. We are not incorporating the contents of, or the information accessible through, the website into this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

 

 

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The Offering

The summary below describes the principal terms of the Notes. Certain of the terms and conditions described below are subject to important limitations and exceptions. The “Description of the Notes” section of this prospectus supplement contains a more detailed description of the terms and conditions of the Notes.

 

Issuer

Oracle Corporation

 

Securities Offered

€1,250,000,000 principal amount of 2.250% Notes due 2021

€750,000,000 principal amount of 3.125% Notes due 2025

 

Maturity Dates

January 10, 2021 for the 2021 Notes

July 10, 2025 for the 2025 Notes

 

Original Issue Date

July 10, 2013

 

Interest Rates

Fixed rate of 2.250% for the 2021 Notes

Fixed rate of 3.125% for the 2025 Notes

 

Interest Payment Dates

Each January 10 beginning on January 10, 2014, and on the maturity date for the 2021 Notes.

Each July 10 beginning on July 10, 2014, and on the maturity date for the 2025 Notes.

 

Currency of Payment

All payments of interest and principal, including payments made upon any redemption of the Notes, will be made in euros. If the euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control or if the euro is no longer being used by the then member states of the European Monetary Union that have adopted the euro as their currency or for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or within the international banking community, then all payments in respect of the Notes will be made in U.S. dollars until the euro is again available to us or so used.

 

Ranking

The Notes will be the senior unsecured obligations of Oracle Corporation and will rank equally with all of its existing and future senior indebtedness from time to time outstanding. All existing and future liabilities of subsidiaries of Oracle Corporation will be effectively senior to the Notes.

 

  As of May 31, 2013, we had approximately $36.7 billion of total liabilities on a consolidated basis, including $18.5 billion of senior notes outstanding. Of this amount, subsidiaries of Oracle Corporation had approximately $17.8 billion of liabilities (including trade payables) to which the Notes will be effectively subordinated.

 

Form and Denomination

The Notes will be issued in the form of one or more fully registered global securities, without coupons, in minimum denominations of €100,000 in principal amount and multiples of €1,000 in excess

 

 

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thereof. These global notes will be deposited with a common depositary on behalf of Euroclear and Clearstream and registered in the name of the common depositary or its nominee. Except in the limited circumstances described under “Description of the Notes—Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global Note,” Notes in certificated form will not be issued or exchanged for interests in global securities.

 

Governing Law

New York

 

Use of Proceeds

The net proceeds of this offering will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include stock repurchases, payment of cash dividends on our common stock and future acquisitions. See “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus supplement.

 

Further Issuances

Oracle Corporation may create and issue further notes of a series ranking equally and ratably with the applicable series of Notes offered by this prospectus supplement in all respects, so that such further notes of each series will be consolidated and form a single series with the applicable series of Notes offered by this prospectus supplement.

 

Sinking Fund

None

 

Optional Redemption

Oracle Corporation may redeem some or all of the Notes of each series at any time at the applicable “make-whole premium” redemption prices indicated under the heading “Description of the Notes—Optional Redemption.”

 

Additional Amounts

We will, subject to certain exceptions and limitations set forth herein, pay additional amounts on the Notes as are necessary in order that the net payment by us of the principal of and interest on the Notes to a holder who is not a United States person, after withholding or deduction for any present or future tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed by the United States or a taxing authority in the United States will not be less than the amount provided in the Notes to be then due and payable. See “Description of the Notes—Payment of Additional Amounts.”

 

Redemption for Tax Reasons

We may offer to redeem all but not part of the Notes in the event of certain changes in the tax laws of the United States (or any taxing authority in the United States). This redemption would be at 100% of the principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes to the date fixed for redemption. See “Description of the Notes—Redemption for Tax Reasons.”

 

Listing

We intend to apply to list the Notes on The New York Stock Exchange.

 

Trading

The Notes are new issues of securities with no established trading market.

 

 

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Trustee

The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is the trustee.

 

Paying Agent

The Bank of New York Mellon, London Branch, is the paying agent.

 

Risk Factors

You should carefully consider all of the information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein. In particular, you should evaluate the information set forth under “Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013 before deciding whether to invest in the Notes.

 

 

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Summary Consolidated Financial Data

Our summary consolidated financial information presented below as of and for the three years ended May 31, 2013 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements. Our summary consolidated financial information set forth below should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” both of which can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2013, which is incorporated by reference herein.

 

     Year Ended May 31,  

(in millions, except per share amounts)

   2013     2012     2011  

Consolidated Statements of Operations Data:

      

Revenues:

      

New software licenses and cloud software subscriptions

   $   10,321      $ 9,906      $ 9,235   

Software license updates and product support

     17,142        16,210        14,796   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Software revenues

     27,463        26,116        24,031   

Hardware systems products

     3,033        3,827        4,382   

Hardware systems support

     2,313        2,475        2,562   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Hardware systems revenues

     5,346        6,302        6,944   

Services revenues

     4,371        4,703        4,647   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total revenues

     37,180        37,121        35,622   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating expenses:

      

Sales and marketing(1)

     7,328        7,127        6,579   

Software license updates and product support(1)

     1,175        1,226        1,264   

Hardware systems products(1)

     1,501        1,843        2,057   

Hardware systems support(1)

     890        1,046        1,259   

Services(1)

     3,547        3,743        3,818   

Research and development

     4,850        4,523        4,519   

General and administrative

     1,072        1,126        970   

Amortization of intangible assets

     2,385        2,430        2,428   

Acquisition related and other

     (604     56        208   

Restructuring

     352        295        487   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total operating expenses

     22,496        23,415        23,589   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Operating income

     14,684        13,706        12,033   

Interest expense

     (797     (766     (808

Non-operating income, net

     11        22        186   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income before provision for income taxes

     13,898        12,962        11,411   

Provision for income taxes

     2,973        2,981        2,864   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net income

   $ 10,925      $ 9,981      $ 8,547   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share—basic

   $ 2.29      $ 1.99      $ 1.69   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Earnings per share—diluted

   $ 2.26      $ 1.96      $ 1.67   
  

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) Exclusive of amortization of intangible assets which is shown separately.

 

 

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     As of May 31,  

(in millions)

   2013      2012      2011  

Consolidated Balance Sheets Data:

        

Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities

   $   32,216       $   30,676       $   28,848   

Working capital

   $ 28,820       $ 24,635       $ 24,982   

Total assets

   $ 81,812       $ 78,327       $ 73,535   

Notes payable and other borrowings

   $ 18,494       $ 16,474       $ 15,922   

Total Oracle Corporation stockholders’ equity

   $ 44,648       $ 43,688       $ 39,776   

 

 

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Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated.

 

     Year Ended May 31,  
         2013              2012              2011              2010              2009      

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

        17x               17x               14x               11x               13x      

For purposes of calculating this ratio, the term “earnings” means the amounts resulting from the following: (a) our income before provision for income taxes, plus (b) the noncontrolling interests in the net income of our majority owned subsidiaries, plus (c) our fixed charges. The term “fixed charges” means the amounts resulting from the following: (a) our interest expense, plus (b) our estimate of the interest component of rent expense.

 

 

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RISK FACTORS

In considering whether to purchase the Notes, you should carefully consider all the information we have included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. In particular, you should carefully consider the risk factors described below, which are not exhaustive.

Risks Related to the Offering

An active trading market for the Notes may not develop.

The Notes are new issues of securities with no established trading market. Although we intend to apply for listing of the Notes for trading on the New York Stock Exchange, no assurance can be given that the Notes will become or will remain listed or regarding development of a trading market for the Notes. In addition, the liquidity of any trading market in the Notes, and the market price quoted for the Notes, may be adversely affected by changes in the overall market for these Notes, prevailing interest rates and changes in our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or prospects. A liquid trading market in the Notes may not develop, which could decrease the amounts you would otherwise receive upon a sale or disposition of the Notes.

The Notes are the unsecured obligations of Oracle Corporation and not obligations of its subsidiaries and will be effectively subordinated to the claims of its subsidiaries’ creditors. Structural subordination increases the risk that Oracle Corporation will be unable to meet its obligations on the Notes when they mature.

The Notes are exclusively the obligations of Oracle Corporation and are not obligations of its subsidiaries. Oracle Corporation is a holding company and substantially all of its operations are conducted through its subsidiaries. As a result, Oracle Corporation’s cash flow and ability to service its debt, including the Notes, depend upon the earnings of its subsidiaries and the distribution to it of earnings, loans or other payments by its subsidiaries.

Oracle Corporation’s subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities. Its subsidiaries will not guarantee the Notes and are under no obligation to pay any amounts due on the Notes or to provide Oracle Corporation with funds for its payment obligations, whether by dividends, distributions, loans or other payments. Payments to Oracle Corporation by its subsidiaries will also be contingent upon such subsidiaries’ earnings and business considerations and may be subject to legal and contractual restrictions. As of May 31, 2013, Oracle had approximately $36.7 billion of total liabilities on a consolidated basis, including $18.5 billion of senior notes outstanding. Of this amount, subsidiaries of Oracle Corporation had approximately $17.8 billion of liabilities (including trade payables) to which the Notes will be effectively subordinated.

Oracle Corporation’s right to receive any assets of any of its subsidiaries upon their liquidation or reorganization, and therefore the right of the holders of the Notes to participate in those assets, will be effectively subordinated to the claims of that subsidiary’s creditors, including senior and subordinated debt holders and bank and trade creditors. In addition, even if Oracle Corporation were a creditor of any of its subsidiaries, its rights as a creditor would be subordinate to any security interest in the assets of its subsidiaries and any indebtedness of its subsidiaries senior to that held by Oracle Corporation.

In addition, the Notes will not be secured by any of the assets of Oracle Corporation or any assets of its subsidiaries. Accordingly, the Notes will be subordinated to the extent Oracle Corporation or its subsidiaries have secured borrowings. There are no restrictions in the indenture governing the Notes that restrict its subsidiaries from granting security interests or liens on any or all of their assets.

The negative covenants in the indenture governing the Notes may have a limited effect.

The indenture governing the Notes contains negative covenants. The limitation on liens and sale/leaseback covenants apply to Oracle Corporation, but not to its subsidiaries. As a result, such subsidiaries will not be

 

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restricted under the indenture from granting liens or security interests with respect to all or any of their assets without having to provide similar liens or security to the holders of the Notes, or from entering into sale/leaseback transactions. The limitation on liens covenant contains exceptions for specified “permitted liens” that would allow Oracle Corporation to borrow substantial additional amounts, and to grant liens or security interests with respect to our assets in connection with those borrowings. In light of these exceptions, holders of the Notes may be structurally or contractually subordinated to new lenders. The indenture governing the Notes does not contain any financial covenants.

Increased leverage may harm our financial condition and results of operations.

As of May 31, 2013, we had approximately $36.7 billion of total liabilities on a consolidated basis. As of the date hereof, we had the ability to borrow up to an additional $3.0 billion under our commercial paper program and $3.0 billion under our revolving credit facility, which backstops our commercial paper program.

Oracle Corporation and its subsidiaries may incur additional indebtedness in the future and the Notes do not restrict future incurrence of indebtedness. Any increase in our level of indebtedness will have several important effects on our future operations, including, without limitation:

 

   

we will have additional cash requirements in order to support the payment of interest on our outstanding indebtedness;

 

   

increases in our outstanding indebtedness and leverage will increase our vulnerability to adverse changes in general economic and industry conditions, as well as to competitive pressure; and

 

   

depending on the levels of our outstanding debt, our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, general corporate and other purposes may be limited.

Our ability to make payments of principal and interest on our indebtedness depends upon our future performance, which will be subject to general economic conditions, industry cycles and financial, business and other factors affecting our consolidated operations, many of which are beyond our control. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows from operations in the future to service our debt, we may be required, among other things:

 

   

to seek additional financing in the debt or equity markets;

 

   

to refinance or restructure all or a portion of our indebtedness, including the Notes;

 

   

to sell selected assets;

 

   

to reduce or delay planned capital expenditures; or

 

   

to reduce or delay planned operating and investment expenditures.

Such measures might not be sufficient to enable us to service our debt. In addition, any such financing, refinancing or sale of assets might not be available on economically favorable terms.

Ratings of the Notes may change and affect the market price and marketability of the Notes.

Our debt securities are subject to periodic review by independent credit rating agencies. Such ratings are limited in scope, and do not address all material risks relating to an investment in the Notes, but rather reflect only the view of each rating agency at the time the rating is issued. An explanation of the significance of such rating may be obtained from such rating agency. There is no assurance that such credit ratings will remain in effect for any given period of time or that such ratings will not be lowered, suspended or withdrawn entirely by the rating agencies, if, in each rating agency’s judgment, circumstances so warrant. It is also possible that such ratings may be lowered in connection with future events, such as future acquisitions. Holders of Notes will have no recourse against us or any other parties in the event of a change in or suspension or withdrawal of such ratings. Any lowering, suspension or withdrawal of such ratings may have an adverse effect on the market prices or marketability of the Notes.

 

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An investment in the Notes by a purchaser whose home currency is not euro entails significant risks.

All payments of interest on and the principal of the Notes and any redemption price for the Notes will be made in euro. An investment in the Notes by a purchaser whose home currency is not euro entails significant risks. These risks include the possibility of significant changes in rates of exchange between the holder’s home currency and euro and the possibility of the imposition or subsequent modification of foreign exchange controls. These risks generally depend on factors over which we have no control, such as economic, financial and political events and the supply of and demand for the relevant currencies. In the past, rates of exchange between euro and certain currencies have been highly volatile, and each holder should be aware that volatility may occur in the future. Fluctuations in any particular exchange rate that have occurred in the past, however, are not necessarily indicative of fluctuations in the rate that may occur during the term of the Notes. Depreciation of euro against the holder’s home currency would result in a decrease in the effective yield of the Notes below its coupon rate and, in certain circumstances, could result in a loss to the holder.

The Notes permit us to make payments in U.S. dollars if we are unable to obtain euro.

If the euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control or if the euro is no longer being used by the then member states of the European Monetary Union that have adopted the euro as their currency or for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or within the international banking community, then all payments in respect of the Notes will be made in U.S. dollars until the euro is again available to us or so used. The amount payable on any date in euro will be converted into U.S. dollars on the basis of the then most recently available market exchange rate for euro, as the case may be. Any payment in respect of the Notes so made in U.S. dollars will not constitute an event of default under the Notes or the indenture governing the Notes.

In a lawsuit for payment on the Notes, an investor may bear currency exchange risk.

The indenture is, and the Notes will be, governed by the laws of the State of New York. Under New York law, a New York state court rendering a judgment on the Notes would be required to render the judgment in euro. However, the judgment would be converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate prevailing on the date of entry of the judgment. Consequently, in a lawsuit for payment on the Notes, investors would bear currency exchange risk until a New York state court judgment is entered, which could be a long time. A Federal court sitting in New York with diversity jurisdiction over a dispute arising in connection with the Notes would apply the foregoing New York law.

In courts outside of New York, investors may not be able to obtain a judgment in a currency other than U.S. dollars. For example, a judgment for money in an action based on the Notes in many other U.S. federal or state courts ordinarily would be enforced in the United States only in U.S. dollars. The date used to determine the rate of conversion of euro into U.S. dollars would depend upon various factors, including which court renders the judgment and when the judgment is rendered.

Trading in the clearing systems is subject to minimum denomination requirements.

The terms of the Notes provide that Notes will be issued with a minimum denomination of €100,000 and multiples of €1,000 in excess thereof. It is possible that the clearing systems may process trades which could result in amounts being held in denominations smaller than the minimum denominations. If definitive notes are required to be issued in relation to such Notes in accordance with the provisions of the relevant global notes, a holder who does not have the minimum denomination or an multiple of €1,000 in excess thereof in its account with the relevant clearing system at the relevant time may not receive all of its entitlement in the form of definitive notes unless and until such time as its holding satisfies the minimum denomination requirement.

 

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Risks Related to Our Business

We operate in a rapidly changing economic and technological environment that presents numerous risks, many of which are driven by factors that we cannot control or predict. The risk factors set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2013, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement, highlight some of these risks. You should read our Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section entitled “Risk Factors.”

 

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CURRENCY CONVERSION

All payments of interest and principal, including payments made upon any redemption of the Notes, will be made in euros. If the euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control or if the euro is no longer being used by the then member states of the European Monetary Union that have adopted the euro as their currency or for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or within the international banking community, then all payments in respect of the Notes will be made in U.S. dollars until the euro is again available to us or so used. The amount payable on any date in euro will be converted into U.S. dollars on the basis of the most recently available market exchange rate for euro. Any payment in respect of the Notes so made in U.S. dollars will not constitute an event of default under the Notes or the indenture governing the Notes.

Investors will be subject to foreign exchange risks as to payments of principal and interest that may have important economic and tax consequences to them. See “Risk Factors.”

As of June 28, 2013, the euro/U.S. $ exchange rate was €1.00 = U.S. $1.3010, as announced by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately €1.98 billion after deducting the underwriting discount and our estimated offering expenses. The net proceeds of this offering will be used for general corporate purposes, which may include stock repurchases, payment of cash dividends on our common stock and future acquisitions. Pending application of the net proceeds as described above, we intend to invest the net proceeds from this offering temporarily in generally short-term investment grade securities.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated capitalization on an actual and as adjusted basis as of May 31, 2013. Our consolidated capitalization, as adjusted, gives effect to the issuance of the Notes offered by this prospectus supplement. As of the date hereof, we had the ability to borrow up to $3.0 billion under our commercial paper program and $3.0 billion under our revolving credit facility, which backstops the commercial paper program. In addition, if market conditions permit, we may issue additional senior notes denominated in U.S. dollars.

 

     May 31, 2013  

(in millions, except par value data)

   Actual     As Adjusted  
     (Unaudited)  

Long-term debt, including current portion:

    

2021 Notes offered hereby(1)(2)

   $ —        $ 1,617   

2025 Notes offered hereby(1)(2)

     —          971   

Other senior notes and non-current borrowings(3)(4)

     18,494        18,494   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total long-term debt, including current portion

     18,494        21,082   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Oracle Corporation stockholders’ equity:

    

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value—authorized: 1.0 shares; outstanding: none

     —          —     

Common stock, $0.01 par value and additional paid in capital—authorized: 11,000 shares; outstanding: 4,646 shares as of May 31, 2013

     18,893        18,893   

Retained earnings

     25,854        25,854   

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

     (99     (99
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total Oracle Corporation stockholders’ equity

     44,648        44,648   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total capitalization

   $   63,142      $   65,730   
  

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

(1) Balance reflects the principal amounts of the Notes, net of unamortized discounts of $9 million for the 2021 Notes and $5 million for the 2025 Notes.
(2) The amount in the “as adjusted” column of the above table is the U.S. dollar equivalent of the aggregate principal amount of each series of the Notes being offered hereby from euro using the exchange rate of €1.00=$1.3010 on June 28, 2013, as announced by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
(3) Balance reflects the principal amounts of our senior notes due 2014 (net of fair value adjustment of $41 million), as described further in footnote (4) below, our senior notes due 2016, our senior notes due 2017, our senior notes due 2018, our senior notes due 2019, our senior notes due 2020, our senior notes due 2022, our senior notes due 2038, our senior notes due 2039, our senior notes due 2040, net of aggregate unamortized discounts of $48 million and our capital lease obligations.
(4) We have entered into certain interest rate swap agreements related to our senior notes due 2014 that have the economic effect of modifying the fixed interest obligations associated with these senior notes so that the interest obligations effectively became variable pursuant to a LIBOR-based index. The changes in fair value of our senior notes due 2014 associated with the interest rate risk that we are hedging pursuant to these interest rate swap agreements are reflected as adjustments to the amounts we report for these senior notes.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES

The summary herein of certain provisions of the indenture does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the indenture, a form of which is available upon request from us. The following description of the particular terms of the Notes supplements the description of the general terms and provisions of the debt securities set forth under “Description of Debt Securities” beginning on page 8 of the accompanying prospectus. References in this section to “us” “we” and “our” are solely to Oracle Corporation and not to any of its subsidiaries, unless the context requires otherwise.

General

The 2021 Notes will mature on January 10, 2021 and the 2025 Notes will mature on July 10, 2025. The Notes will be issued in book-entry form only, in minimum denominations of €100,000 and multiples of €1,000 in excess thereof. Interest on the Notes will accrue from July 10, 2013 at the respective rates per annum shown on the cover of this prospectus supplement. The interest on the 2021 Notes will be payable annually on January 10, commencing on January 10, 2014 to the persons in whose names the 2021 Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding December 26 and the interest on the 2025 Notes will be payable annually on July 10, commencing on July 10, 2014 to the persons in whose names the 2025 Notes are registered at the close of business on the preceding June 25. Interest on the Notes will be computed on the basis of the actual number of days in the period for which interest is being calculated and the actual number of days from and including the last date on which interest was paid on the Notes (or July 10, 2013 if no interest has been paid on the Notes), to but excluding the next scheduled interest payment date. This payment convention is referred to as ACTUAL/ACTUAL (ICMA) as defined in the rulebook of the International Capital Market Association. If any interest payment date, maturity date or redemption date falls on a day that is not a business day, the payment will be made on the next business day with the same force and effect as if made on the relevant interest payment date, maturity date or redemption date. Unless we default on a payment, no interest will accrue for that period from and after the applicable interest payment date, maturity date or redemption date.

The Notes will be issued under an indenture dated January 13, 2006 by and among Oracle Corporation (formerly known as Ozark Holding Inc.), Oracle Systems Corporation (formerly known as Oracle Corporation) and Citibank, N.A., as amended by a supplemental indenture dated as of May 9, 2007 by and among Oracle Corporation, Citibank, N.A. and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A., and as may be further supplemented from time to time. On June 29, 2007, Citibank, N.A. resigned as the original trustee under the indenture and Oracle Corporation appointed The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. as successor trustee. Thereafter, the Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. became The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. is the trustee for any and all securities issued under the indenture, as amended, including the Notes, and is referred to herein as the “trustee.” In accordance with the terms of the indenture, Oracle Systems Corporation is no longer an obligor under the indenture and will not be an obligor on the Notes. Oracle Corporation will be the sole obligor on the Notes. The paying agent for the Notes will initially be The Bank of New York Mellon, London Branch.

The indenture does not limit the ability of Oracle Corporation to incur additional unsecured indebtedness. The Notes will be the unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of Oracle Corporation and will rank pari passu with its other existing and future unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness. The Notes will be effectively subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and liabilities (including trade payables and preferred stock obligations) of Oracle Corporation’s subsidiaries and will be effectively subordinated to its existing and future secured indebtedness, if any, and that of its subsidiaries, if any. As of May 31, 2013, Oracle had approximately $36.7 billion of total liabilities on a consolidated basis, including $18.5 billion of senior notes outstanding. Of this amount, subsidiaries of Oracle Corporation had approximately $17.8 billion of liabilities (including trade payables). The Notes will be effectively subordinated to all such liabilities of Oracle Corporation’s subsidiaries and the rights of creditors of such subsidiaries shall have priority over the rights of the holders of the Notes as creditors of Oracle Corporation.

 

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Issuance in Euro

Initial holders will be required to pay for the Notes in euro, and all payments of interest and principal, including payments made upon any redemption of the Notes, will be payable in euro. If, on or after the date of this prospectus supplement, the euro is unavailable to us due to the imposition of exchange controls or other circumstances beyond our control or if the euro is no longer being used by the then member states of the European Monetary Union that have adopted the euro as their currency or for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or within the international banking community, then all payments in respect of the Notes will be made in U.S. dollars until the euro is again available to us or so used. The amount payable on any date in euro will be converted into U.S. dollars on the basis of the most recently available market exchange rate for euro. Any payment in respect of the Notes so made in U.S. dollars will not constitute an event of default under the Notes or the indenture governing the Notes. Neither the trustee nor the paying agent shall have any responsibility for any calculation or conversion in connection with the forgoing.

Investors will be subject to foreign exchange risks as to payments of principal and interest that may have important economic and tax consequences to them. See “Risk Factors.”

Business Day

The term “business day” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, (1) which is not a day on which banking institutions in the City of New York or London are authorized or required by law or executive order to close and (2) on which the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer system (the TARGET2 system), or any successor thereto, is open.

Issuance of Additional Notes

The Notes are initially limited in aggregate principal amount to €1,250,000,000 for the 2021 Notes and €750,000,000 for the 2025 Notes. We may, without the consent of the holders, increase the principal amount of any series of Notes by issuing additional Notes of such series in the future on the same terms and conditions, except for any differences in the issue price, interest accrued prior to the issue date of the additional Notes and, in some cases, the first interest payment date. The additional Notes of a series will have the same ISIN and CUSIP number as the applicable series of Notes. Under the indenture, each series of Notes and any additional Notes of such series we may issue will be treated as a single series for all purposes under the indenture, including for purposes of determining whether the required percentage of the holders of record has given approval or consent to an amendment or waiver or joined in directing the trustee to take certain actions on behalf of all holders.

We also may, without the consent of the holders, issue other series of debt securities under the indenture in the future on terms and conditions different from the series of Notes offered hereby.

Optional Redemption

The Notes of each series will be redeemable, in whole or in part at any time, at our option, each at a “make-whole premium” redemption price calculated by us equal to the greater of:

(i) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed; and

(ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest thereon (not including any portion of such payments of interest accrued as of the date of redemption), discounted to the date of redemption on an annual basis (ACTUAL/ACTUAL (ICMA)) at the applicable Comparable Government Bond Rate (as defined below), plus 20 basis points with respect to the 2021 Notes and 25 basis points with respect to the 2025 Notes,

plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon to the date of redemption. Notwithstanding the foregoing, installments of interest on Notes that are due and payable on interest payment dates falling on or prior to a

 

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redemption date will be payable on the interest payment date to the registered holders as of the close of business on the relevant record date according to the Notes and the indenture.

“Comparable Government Bond Rate” means the price, expressed as a percentage (rounded to three decimal places, with 0.0005 being rounded upwards), at which the gross redemption yield on the Notes to be redeemed, if they were to be purchased at such price on the third business day prior to the date fixed for redemption, would be equal to the gross redemption yield on such business day of the Comparable Government Bond (as defined below) on the basis of the middle market price of the Comparable Government Bond prevailing at 11:00 a.m. (London time) on such business day as determined by an independent investment bank selected by us.

“Comparable Government Bond” means, in relation to any Comparable Government Bond Rate calculation, at the discretion of an independent investment bank selected by us, a German government bond whose maturity is closest to the maturity of the Notes to be redeemed, or if such independent investment bank in its discretion determines that such similar bond is not in issue, such other German government bond as such independent investment bank may, with the advice of three brokers of, and/or market makers in, German government bonds selected by us, determine to be appropriate for determining the Comparable Government Bond Rate.

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 the Notes to be redeemed. Unless we default in payment of the redemption price, on and after the redemption date, interest will cease to accrue on the Notes or portions thereof called for redemption. If less than all of the Notes of a series are to be redeemed, the Notes to be redeemed shall be selected by the trustee by such method the trustee deems to be fair and appropriate in accordance with applicable depositary procedures.

The Notes are also subject to redemption prior to maturity if certain events occur involving U.S. taxation. If any of these special tax events do occur, the Notes will be redeemed at a redemption price of 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date fixed for redemption. See “—Redemption for Tax Reasons.”

Payment of Additional Amounts

We will, subject to the exceptions and limitations set forth below, pay as additional interest on the Notes such additional amounts as are necessary in order that the net payment by us of the principal of and interest on the Notes to a holder who is not a United States person (as defined below), after withholding or deduction for any present or future tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed by the United States or a taxing authority in the United States, will not be less than the amount provided in the Notes to be then due and payable; provided, however, that the foregoing obligation to pay additional amounts shall not apply:

 

  (1) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed by reason of the holder (or the beneficial owner for whose benefit such holder holds such Note), or a fiduciary, settlor, beneficiary, member or shareholder of the holder if the holder is an estate, trust, partnership or corporation, or a person holding a power over an estate or trust administered by a fiduciary holder, being considered as:

 

  (a) being or having been engaged in a trade or business in the United States or having or having had a permanent establishment in the United States;

 

  (b) having a current or former connection with the United States (other than a connection arising solely as a result of the ownership of the Notes, the receipt of any payment or the enforcement of any rights hereunder), including being or having been a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

  (c) being or having been a personal holding company, a passive foreign investment company or a controlled foreign corporation for United States income tax purposes or a corporation that has accumulated earnings to avoid United States federal income tax;

 

  (d) being or having been a “10-percent shareholder” of the Company as defined in section 871(h)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) or any successor provision; or

 

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  (e) being a bank receiving payments on an extension of credit made pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business;

 

  (2) to any holder that is not the sole beneficial owner of the Notes, or a portion of the Notes, or that is a fiduciary, partnership or limited liability company, but only to the extent that a beneficial owner with respect to the holder, a beneficiary or settlor with respect to the fiduciary, or a beneficial owner or member of the partnership or limited liability company 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;

 

  (3) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would not have been imposed but for the failure of the holder or any other person to comply with certification, identification or information reporting requirements concerning the nationality, residence, identity or connection with the United States of the holder or beneficial owner of the Notes, if compliance is required by statute, by regulation of the United States or any taxing authority therein 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;

 

  (4) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed otherwise than by withholding by us or a paying agent from the payment;

 

  (5) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would not have been imposed but for a change 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;

 

  (6) to any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, excise, transfer, wealth, capital gains or personal property tax or similar tax, assessment or other governmental charge;

 

  (7) to any withholding or deduction that is imposed on a payment to an individual and that is required to be made pursuant to any law implementing or complying with, or introduced in order to conform to, any European Union Directive on the taxation of savings;

 

  (8) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge required to be withheld by any paying agent from any payment of principal of or interest on any Note, if such payment can be made without such withholding by at least one other paying agent;

 

  (9) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that would not have been imposed but for the presentation by the holder of any Note, where presentation is required, for payment on a date more than 30 days after the date on which payment became due and payable or the date on which payment thereof is duly provided for, whichever occurs later;

 

  (10) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld solely by reason of the beneficial owner being a bank (i) purchasing the Notes in the ordinary course of its lending business or (ii) that is neither (A) buying the Notes for investment purposes only nor (B) buying the Notes for resale to a third-party that either is not a bank or holding the Notes for investment purposes only;

 

  (11) to any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed under Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Internal Revenue Code (or any amended or successor provisions), any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreement entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b) of the Internal Revenue Code or any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement entered into in connection with the implementation of such sections of the Internal Revenue Code; or

 

  (12) in the case of any combination of items (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10) and (11).

The Notes are subject in all cases to any tax, fiscal or other law or regulation or administrative or judicial interpretation applicable to the Notes. Except as specifically provided under this heading “—Payment of Additional Amounts,” we will not be required to make any payment for any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed by any government or a political subdivision or taxing authority of or in any government or political subdivision.

 

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As used under this heading “—Payment of Additional Amounts” and under the heading “—Redemption for Tax Reasons”, the term “United States” means the United States of America, the states of the United States, and the District of Columbia, and the term “United States person” means any individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a corporation, partnership or other entity created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States or the District of Columbia, or any estate or trust the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source.

Redemption for Tax Reasons

If, as a result of any change in, or amendment to, the laws (or any regulations or rulings promulgated under the laws) of the United States (or any taxing authority in the United States), or any change in, or amendments to, an official position regarding the application or interpretation of such laws, regulations or rulings, which change or amendment is announced or becomes effective on or after the date of this prospectus supplement, we become or, based upon a written opinion of independent counsel selected by us, will become obligated to pay additional amounts as described herein under the heading “—Payment of Additional Amounts” with respect to the Notes, then we may at any time at our option redeem, in whole, but not in part, the Notes on not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior notice, at a redemption price equal to 100% of their principal amount, together with accrued and unpaid interest on those Notes to, but not including, the date fixed for redemption.

No Sinking Fund

The Notes will not be entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund.

Book-Entry; Delivery and Form; Global Note

We have obtained the information in this section concerning Clearstream Banking, société anonyme (“Clearstream”) and Euroclear Bank, S.A./N.V., or its successor, as operator of the Euroclear System (“Euroclear”) and their book-entry systems and procedures from sources that we believe to be reliable. We take no responsibility for an accurate portrayal of this information. In addition, the description of the clearing systems in this section reflects our understanding of the rules and procedures of Clearstream and Euroclear as they are currently in effect. Those clearing systems could change their rules and procedures at any time.

The Notes will initially be represented by one or more fully registered global notes. Each such global note will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a common depositary, and registered in the name of the nominee of the common depositary for the accounts of Clearstream and Euroclear. Except as set forth below, the global notes may be transferred, in whole and not in part, only to Euroclear or Clearstream or their respective nominees. You may hold your interests in the global notes in Europe through Clearstream or Euroclear, either as a participant in such systems or indirectly through organizations which are participants in such systems. Clearstream and Euroclear will hold interests in the global notes on behalf of their respective participating organizations or customers through customers’ securities accounts in Clearstream’s or Euroclear’s names on the books of their respective depositaries. Book-entry interests in the Notes and all transfers relating to the Notes will be reflected in the book-entry records of Clearstream and Euroclear.

The distribution of the Notes will be cleared through Clearstream and Euroclear. Any secondary market trading of book-entry interests in the Notes will take place through Clearstream and Euroclear participants and will settle in same-day funds. Owners of book-entry interests in the Notes will receive payments relating to their Notes in euro, except as described in this prospectus supplement under “Currency Conversion.”

Clearstream and Euroclear have established electronic securities and payment transfer, processing, depositary and custodial links among themselves and others, either directly or through custodians and depositaries. These links allow the Notes to be issued, held and transferred among the clearing systems without

 

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the physical transfer of certificates. Special procedures to facilitate clearance and settlement have been established among these clearing systems to trade securities across borders in the secondary market.

The policies of Clearstream and Euroclear will govern payments, transfers, exchanges and other matters relating to the investor’s interest in the Notes held by them. We have no responsibility for any aspect of the records kept by Clearstream or Euroclear or any of their direct or indirect participants. We also do not supervise these systems in any way.

Clearstream and Euroclear and their participants perform these clearance and settlement functions under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers. You should be aware that they are not obligated to perform or continue to perform these procedures and may modify them or discontinue them at any time.

Except as provided below, owners of beneficial interests in the Notes will not be entitled to have the Notes registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the Notes in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the Notes under the indenture, including for purposes of receiving any reports delivered by us or the trustee pursuant to the indenture. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a note must rely on the procedures of the depositary and, if such person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which such person owns its interest, in order to exercise any rights of a holder of Notes.

We have been advised by Clearstream and Euroclear, respectively, as follows:

Clearstream

Clearstream advises that it is incorporated under the laws of Luxembourg as a professional depositary. Clearstream holds securities for its participating organizations (“Clearstream Participants”) and facilitates the clearance and settlement of securities transactions between Clearstream Participants through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of Clearstream Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Clearstream, Luxembourg provides to Clearstream Participants, among other things, services for safekeeping, administration, clearance and settlement of internationally traded securities and securities lending and borrowing. Clearstream interfaces with domestic markets in several countries. As a professional depositary, Clearstream is subject to regulation by the Luxembourg Commission for the Supervision of the Financial Sector (Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier). Clearstream Participants are recognized financial institutions around the world, including underwriters, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations and may include the underwriters. Indirect access to Clearstream is also available to others, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a Clearstream Participant, either directly or indirectly.

Distributions with respect to interests in the Notes held beneficially through Clearstream will be credited to cash accounts of Clearstream Participants in accordance with its rules and procedures.

Euroclear

Euroclear advises that it was created in 1968 to hold securities for participants of Euroclear (“Euroclear Participants”) and to clear and settle transactions between Euroclear Participants through simultaneous electronic book-entry delivery against payment, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates and any risk from lack of simultaneous transfers of securities and cash. Euroclear includes various other services, including securities lending and borrowing and interfaces with domestic markets in several countries. Euroclear is operated by Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V. (the “Euroclear Operator”). All operations are conducted by the Euroclear Operator, and all Euroclear securities clearance accounts and Euroclear cash accounts are accounts with the Euroclear Operator. Euroclear Participants include banks (including central banks), securities brokers

 

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and dealers and other professional financial intermediaries and may include the underwriters. 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.

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:

 

   

transfers of securities and cash within Euroclear;

 

   

withdrawal of securities and cash from Euroclear; and

 

   

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 interests in the Notes held beneficially through Euroclear will be credited to the cash accounts of Euroclear Participants in accordance with the Euroclear Terms and Conditions.

Clearance and Settlement Procedures

We understand that investors that hold their Notes through Clearstream or Euroclear accounts will follow the settlement procedures that are applicable to conventional eurobonds in registered form. Notes will be credited to the securities custody accounts of Clearstream and Euroclear participants on the business day following the settlement date, for value on the settlement date. They will be credited either free of payment or against payment for value on the settlement date.

We understand that secondary market trading between Clearstream and/or Euroclear participants will occur in the ordinary way following the applicable rules and operating procedures of Clearstream and Euroclear. Secondary market trading will be settled using procedures applicable to conventional eurobonds in registered form.

You should be aware that investors will only be able to make and receive deliveries, payments and other communications involving the Notes through Clearstream and Euroclear on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.

In addition, because of time-zone differences, there may be problems with completing transactions involving Clearstream and Euroclear on the same business day as in the United States. U.S. investors who wish to transfer their interests in the Notes, or to make or receive a payment or delivery of the Notes, on a particular day, may find that the transactions will not be performed until the next business day in Luxembourg or Brussels, depending on whether Clearstream or Euroclear is used.

Clearstream or Euroclear will credit payments to the cash accounts of Clearstream customers or Euroclear participants, as applicable, in accordance with the relevant system’s rules and procedures, to the extent received by its depositary. Clearstream or the Euroclear Operator, as the case may be, will take any other action permitted to be taken by a holder under the indenture on behalf of a Clearstream customer or Euroclear participant only in accordance with its relevant rules and procedures.

Clearstream and Euroclear have agreed to the foregoing procedures in order to facilitate transfers of the Notes among participants of Clearstream and Euroclear. However, they are under no obligation to perform or continue to perform those procedures, and they may discontinue those procedures at any time.

 

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Certificated Notes

If the depositary for any of the Notes represented by a registered global note is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue Notes in definitive form in exchange for the registered global note that had been held by the depositary. Any Notes issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global note will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the trustee or other relevant agent of the trustee. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global note that had been held by the depositary. In addition, we may at any time determine that the Notes of either series shall no longer be represented by a global note and will issue Notes in definitive form in exchange for such global note pursuant to the procedure described above.

Notices

Notices to holders of the Notes will be made by first class mail, postage prepaid, to the addresses that appear on the security register of the Notes.

Concerning Our Relationship with the Trustee

We maintain ordinary banking relationships and credit facilities with The Bank of New York Mellon, an affiliate of the trustee.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

The following are the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of Notes purchased in this offering at the “issue price,” which we assume will be the public offering price for the applicable Notes indicated on the cover of this prospectus supplement, and held as capital assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances, including alternative minimum tax consequences and differing tax consequences applicable to you if you are, for instance:

 

   

a financial institution;

 

   

a regulated investment company;

 

   

a dealer or trader in securities;

 

   

holding Notes as part of a “straddle” or integrated transaction;

 

   

a U.S. Holder (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

   

a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes; or

 

   

a tax-exempt entity.

If you are a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holding our Notes, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of your partners will generally depend on the status of the partners and your activities.

This summary is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended to the date hereof, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury Regulations, changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this prospectus supplement may affect the tax consequences described herein.

This summary does not address any aspect of state, local or non-U.S. taxation, any taxes other than income taxes, or the potential application of the Medicare contribution tax. If you are considering the purchase of Notes, you should consult your tax adviser with regard to the application of the U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a U.S. Holder. You are a U.S. Holder if for U.S. federal income tax purposes you are a beneficial owner of a Note and you are:

 

   

a citizen or individual resident of the United States;

 

   

a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state therein or the District of Columbia; or

 

   

an estate or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

Payments of Interest

Stated interest on a Note will be taxable to you as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is received, in accordance with your method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. It is expected, and this discussion assumes, that the Notes will be issued without original issue discount for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

If you use the cash method of tax accounting and receive a payment of interest (or receive proceeds from a sale, exchange or other disposition attributable to accrued interest), you will be required to include in income the

 

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U.S. dollar value of the euro payment (determined based on a spot rate on the date you receive the payment) regardless of whether that payment is in fact converted into U.S. dollars, and this U.S. dollar value will be your tax basis in the euro received.

If you use the accrual method of tax accounting, you will be required to include in income the U.S. dollar value of the amount of interest income that accrues with respect to a Note during an accrual period. The U.S. dollar value of the accrued income will be determined by translating the income at the average rate of exchange for the accrual period or, with respect to an accrual period that spans two taxable years, at the average rate for the partial period within the taxable year. You will recognize foreign currency gain or loss (which will be treated as ordinary income or loss) with respect to accrued interest income on the date you actually receive the interest payment (or proceeds from the sale, exchange or other disposition attributable to accrued interest). The amount of such ordinary income or loss recognized will equal the difference between the U.S. dollar value of the euro payment received (determined based on a spot rate on the date the payment is received) in respect of the accrual period and the U.S. dollar value of interest income that has accrued during the accrual period (as determined pursuant to this paragraph). You may elect to translate interest income for an interest accrual period into U.S. dollars at the spot rate on the last day of the interest accrual period (or, in the case of a partial accrual period, the spot rate on the last day of the taxable year) or, if the date of receipt is within five business days of the last day of the interest accrual period, the spot rate on the date of receipt. If you make this election, you must apply it consistently to all debt instruments from year to year and you cannot change the election without the consent of the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”).

Sale, Redemption or Other Taxable Disposition of the Notes or Euro Received in Respect of the Notes

Your tax basis in a Note will be the U.S. dollar value of the euro amount paid for the Note, determined on the date of the purchase. If you purchase a Note with previously owned euro, you will recognize ordinary income or loss in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between your tax basis in the euro and the U.S. dollar fair market value of the Note on the date of purchase.

Upon the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Note, you will recognize taxable gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition and your tax basis in the Note. For these purposes, the amount realized does not include any amount attributable to accrued interest, which is treated as described under “Payments of Interest” above. Your amount realized generally will equal the U.S. dollar value of the euro you receive in the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition calculated at the exchange rate in effect on the date of the disposition. If the Notes are traded on an established securities market, if you are a cash method taxpayer who buys or sells a Note you will be required to translate units of euro paid or received into U.S. dollars at the spot rate on the settlement date of the purchase or sale and if you are an accrual method taxpayer you may elect the same treatment for all purchases and sales of debt instruments that are traded on an established securities market. This election by accrual method taxpayers cannot be changed without the consent of the IRS.

Except to the extent of foreign currency gain or loss (as described below), gain or loss realized on the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Note will generally be capital gain or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if at the time of the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition the Note has been held for more than one year. Long-term capital gains recognized by non-corporate taxpayers are subject to reduced tax rates. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

You may recognize foreign currency gain or loss upon the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Note as a result of fluctuations in the euro-U.S. dollar exchange rate. Gain or loss attributable to such fluctuations will equal the difference between (i) the U.S. dollar value of your purchase price in euro of the Note, determined using the spot price on the date the Note is disposed of, and (ii) the U.S. dollar value of your purchase price in euro of the Note, determined using the spot price on the date you acquired the Note. You will recognize foreign currency gain or loss only to the extent of the total gain or loss you realize on the sale, exchange or other taxable

 

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disposition of the Note. Any such gain or loss generally will be ordinary income or loss. If you recognize a loss upon a sale or other taxable disposition of a Note and such loss is above certain thresholds, you may be required to file a disclosure statement with the IRS. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding this reporting obligation.

You will have a tax basis in any euro received on the sale, redemption or other taxable disposition of a Note equal to the U.S. dollar value of the euro, determined at the time of sale, exchange or other taxable disposition. As discussed above, if the Notes are traded on an established securities market, a cash basis U.S. Holder (or, upon election, an accrual basis U.S. Holder) will determine the U.S. dollar value of the euro by translating the euro received at the spot rate of exchange on the settlement date of the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition.

Any gain or loss you realize on a sale or other taxable disposition of euro (including its exchange for U.S. dollars) will be ordinary income or loss.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with payments on the Notes and proceeds received from a sale or other disposition of the Notes unless you are an exempt recipient. You may also be subject to backup withholding on these payments in respect of your Notes unless you provide your taxpayer identification number and otherwise comply with applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules or you provide proof of an applicable exemption. Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules are not additional taxes and may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

This section applies to you if you are a Non-U.S. Holder. You are a Non-U.S. Holder if for U.S. federal income tax purposes you are a beneficial owner of a Note and you are:

 

   

a nonresident alien individual;

 

   

a foreign corporation; or

 

   

a foreign estate or trust.

You are not a Non-U.S. Holder if you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition of a Note, or if you are a former citizen or former resident of the United States, in which case you should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning or disposing of a Note.

Payments on the Notes

Payments of principal and interest on the Notes by us or any paying agent to you will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax, provided that, in the case of interest,

 

   

you do not own, actually or constructively, ten percent or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of our stock entitled to vote;

 

   

you are not a controlled foreign corporation related, directly or indirectly, to us through stock ownership;

 

   

you certify on a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN, under penalties of perjury, that you are not a United States person; and

 

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it is not effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States as described below.

If you cannot satisfy one of the first three requirements described above and interest on the Notes is not exempt from withholding tax because it is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States as described below, payments of interest on the Notes will be subject to withholding tax at a rate of 30%, subject to an applicable treaty providing otherwise.

Sale, Redemption or Other Taxable Disposition of the Notes

You generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on gain realized on a sale, redemption or other taxable disposition of Notes, unless the gain is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States as described below, provided however that any amounts attributable to accrued interest will be treated as described above under “Payments on the Notes.”

Effectively Connected Income

If interest or gain on a Note is effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if required by an applicable income tax treaty, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by you), you will generally be taxed in the same manner as a U.S. Holder (see “Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders” above). In this case, you will be exempt from the withholding tax on interest discussed above, although you will be required to provide a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI in order to claim an exemption from withholding. You are urged to consult your tax adviser with respect to other U.S. tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of Notes, including the possible imposition of a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower treaty rate) if you are a foreign corporation.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Information returns are required to be filed with the IRS in connection with payments of interest on the Notes. Unless you comply with certification procedures to establish that you are not a United States person, information returns may also be filed with the IRS in connection with the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of a Note. You may be subject to backup withholding on payments on the Notes or on the proceeds from a sale or other disposition of the Notes unless you comply with certification procedures to establish that you are not a United States person or otherwise establish an exemption. The certification procedures required to claim the exemption from withholding tax on interest described above under “Payments on the Notes” will satisfy the certification requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding as well. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to you will be allowed as a credit against your U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle you to a refund, provided that the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.

 

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UNDERWRITING

BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc are acting as joint book-running managers of the offering. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus supplement, each underwriter named below has severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the principal amount of Notes of each series set forth opposite the underwriter’s name.

 

Underwriters

   Principal
Amount
of 2021
Notes
     Principal
Amount
of 2025
Notes
 

BNP Paribas

   425,000,000         255,000,000   

Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch

     412,500,000         247,500,000   

The Royal Bank of Scotland plc

     412,500,000         247,500,000   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total

     1,250,000,000       750,000,000   
  

 

 

    

 

 

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the Notes included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all the Notes if they purchase any of the Notes. The underwriting agreement also provides that if an underwriter defaults, the purchase commitments of non-defaulting underwriters may be increased or the offering of Notes may be terminated.

The underwriters propose to offer each series of the Notes directly to the public at the public offering prices set forth on the cover page of this prospectus supplement. After the initial offering of the Notes to the public, the underwriters may change the public offering price and other selling terms.

The following table shows the underwriting discount that we are to pay to the underwriters in connection with this offering (expressed as a percentage of the principal amount of the Notes).

 

     Paid by Oracle
Corporation
 

Per 2021 Note

     0.400

Per 2025 Note

     0.400

The underwriters have agreed to reimburse us for a portion of our expenses in connection with this offering. We estimate that our total expenses for this offering, other than the underwriting discount, will be approximately $2.9 million before such reimbursement.

We have agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc are not U.S. registered broker-dealers, and will not effect any offers or sales of any Notes in the United States unless it is through their respective U.S. registered broker-dealer affiliates, BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and RBS Securities Inc.

 

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New Issue of Notes

The Notes are new issues of securities with no established trading market. We intend to apply to list the Notes on the New York Stock Exchange. We expect trading in the Notes on the New York Stock Exchange to begin within 30 days after the original issue date. We cannot assure you that liquid trading markets for the Notes will develop, that you will be able to sell your Notes at a particular time or that the price you receive when you sell will be favorable.

We expect to deliver the Notes against payment for the Notes on or about the date specified in the last paragraph of the cover page of this prospectus supplement, which will be the fifth New York business day following the date of the pricing of the Notes (“T+5”). Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Exchange Act, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to a trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade Notes on the date of pricing or the next succeeding business day will be required, by virtue of the fact that the Notes initially will settle in T+5, to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

Sales Outside the United States

The Notes may be offered and sold in the United States and certain jurisdictions outside the United States in which such offer and sale is permitted.

Each underwriter has represented and agreed that it has not offered, sold or delivered and it will not offer, sell or deliver, directly or indirectly, any of the Notes or distribute this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any other offering material relating to the Notes, in or from any jurisdiction except under circumstances that will, to the best of its knowledge and belief, result in compliance with the applicable laws and regulations thereof and that will not impose any obligations on us except as agreed to with us in advance of such offer, sale or delivery.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area that has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”), each underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the “Relevant Implementation Date”) it has not made and will not make an offer of Notes to the public which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this prospectus supplement in that Relevant Member State other than:

 

  (1) to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

 

  (2) to fewer than 100 or, if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), as permitted under the Prospectus Directive, subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by us for any such offer; or

 

  (3) in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive;

provided that no such offer of Notes shall require us or any underwriter to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Directive.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression “an offer of Notes to the public” in relation to any Notes in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the Notes, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Relevant Member State, the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC

 

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(and amendments thereto, including the 2010 PD Amending Directive, to the extent implemented in the Relevant Member State), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EU.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

Each underwriter has represented and agreed that:

 

  (1) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act of 2000 (the “FSMA”)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the Notes in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to us; and

 

  (2) it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the Notes in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

Price Stabilization

In connection with the issue of the Notes, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch (in this capacity, the “Stabilizing Manager”) (or any person acting on behalf of the Stabilizing Manager) may over-allot Notes or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the Notes at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilizing Manager (or persons acting on behalf of the Stabilizing Manager) will undertake any stabilization action. Any stabilization action may begin on or after the date on which adequate public disclosure of the final terms of the offer of the Notes is made, and, if begun, may be ended at any time, but it must end no later than the earlier of 30 days after the issue of the Notes and 60 days after the date of the allotment of the Notes. Such stabilization shall be carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Any loss or profit sustained as a consequence of any such over-allotment or stabilization shall be for the account of the Stabilizing Manager.

Any stabilization action may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the Notes. They may also cause the price of the Notes to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of stabilization actions. The Stabilizing Manager may conduct these transactions in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. If the Stabilizing Manager commences any stabilization action, it may discontinue them at any time.

Other Relationships

The underwriters have performed commercial banking, investment banking and advisory services for us from time to time for which they have received customary fees and reimbursement of expenses. The underwriters may, from time to time, engage in transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they may receive customary fees and reimbursement of expenses.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and instruments of ours or our affiliates. If any of the underwriters or their affiliates has a lending relationship with us, certain of those underwriters or their affiliates routinely hedge and certain other of those underwriters or their affiliates may hedge, their credit exposure to us consistent with their customary risk management policies. Typically, these underwriters and their affiliates would hedge such exposure by entering into transactions which consist of either the purchase of credit default swaps or the creation of short positions in our securities, including potentially the Notes offered hereby. Any such credit default swaps or short positions could adversely affect future trading

 

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prices of the Notes offered hereby. The underwriters and their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates acted as initial purchasers in connection with our issuance of $5.75 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes in January 2006. In addition, certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates acted as underwriters in connection with our issuance of $5.0 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes in April 2008 and certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates acted as underwriters in connection with our issuance of $4.5 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes in July 2009. Further, certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates acted as initial purchasers in connection with our issuance of $3.25 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes in July 2010 and certain of the underwriters and/or their affiliates acted as underwriters in connection with our issuance of $5.0 billion aggregate principal amount of senior notes in October 2012. Additionally, affiliates of certain of the underwriters are lenders under our 5-year revolving credit facility for which they receive or have received customary fees and reimbursement of expenses.

 

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VALIDITY OF SECURITIES

The legality of the Notes offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Menlo Park, California and for the underwriters by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Palo Alto, California.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Oracle Corporation appearing in Oracle Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2013 (including the schedule appearing therein), and the effectiveness of Oracle Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of May 31, 2013, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon such reports given on the authority of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, from which interested persons can electronically access the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form a part, including the exhibits and schedules to the registration statement.

As permitted by the SEC rules, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus do not contain all the information that you can find in the registration statement or the exhibits to that statement. The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus supplement, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and all documents subsequently filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Exchange Act prior to the termination of the offering under this prospectus supplement, provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be deemed to incorporate information furnished to, but not filed with, the SEC:

 

  (a) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2013;

 

  (b) Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 20, 2013; and

 

  (c) The portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the 2012 annual meeting of stockholders that are incorporated by reference in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2012.

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by contacting our Investor Relations department by calling 650-506-4073, by writing to Investor Relations, Oracle Corporation, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, California 94065 or by sending an email to investor_us@oracle.com.

 

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PROSPECTUS

 

LOGO

ORACLE CORPORATION

 

 

The following are types of securities that may be offered and sold by Oracle Corporation or by selling security holders under this prospectus from time to time:

 

•   Common stock

 

•   Warrants

•   Preferred stock

 

•   Purchase contracts

•   Debt securities

 

•   Units

The securities may be offered by us or by selling security holders in amounts, at prices and on terms determined at the time of the offering. The securities may be sold directly to you, through agents, or through underwriters and dealers. If agents, underwriters or dealers are used to sell the securities, we will name them and describe their compensation in a prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus and any prospectus supplement carefully before you invest.

We will describe in a prospectus supplement, which must accompany this prospectus, the securities we are offering and selling, as well as the specific terms of the securities. Those terms may include:

 

•   Maturity

 

•   Redemption terms

 

•   Terms of conversion

•   Interest rate

 

•   Listing on a security exchange

 

•   Liquidation amount

•   Currency of payments

 

•   Amount payable at maturity

 

•   Subsidiary guarantees

•   Dividends

 

•   Conversion or exchange rights

 

•   Sinking fund terms

Our Common Stock is quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol ORCL.

 

 

Investing in these securities involves certain risks. You should review carefully the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and under similar headings in other documents which are incorporated by reference herein.

 

 

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

The date of this prospectus is April 15, 2013


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

Oracle Corporation

     2   

Where You Can Find More Information

     3   

Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements

     4   

Use of Proceeds

     5   

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     6   

Description of Capital Stock

     7   

Description of Debt Securities

     9   

Description of Warrants

     19   

Description of Purchase Contracts

     19   

Description of Units

     19   

Forms of Securities

     20   

Plan of Distribution

     22   

Validity of Securities

     24   

Experts

     24   

We have not authorized anyone to provide you any information other than that contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of the securities is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in, this prospectus or any prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

Unless we have indicated otherwise, references in this prospectus to “Oracle,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Oracle Corporation and not to any of its existing or future subsidiaries.

 

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ORACLE CORPORATION

Our Business

We are the world’s largest provider of enterprise software and a leading provider of computer hardware products and services. Our software, hardware systems, and services businesses develop, manufacture, market, host and support database and middleware software, applications software and hardware systems, with the latter consisting primarily of computer server and storage products. Our businesses provide products and services that are built upon industry standards, are engineered to work together or independently within existing customer information technology (IT) environments and run securely on a wide range of customer IT environments, including cloud computing environments.

Oracle Corporation was incorporated in 2005 as a Delaware corporation and is the successor to operations originally begun in June 1977.

 

 

The principal executive offices of Oracle are located at 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, California 94065, and the telephone number is (650) 506-7000. We maintain a website at www.oracle.com where general information about us is available. We are not incorporating the contents of the website into this prospectus.

About this Prospectus

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) utilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings from time to time.

This prospectus only provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

 

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, from which interested persons can electronically access the registration statement including the exhibits and schedules thereto.

As permitted by the SEC’s rules, this prospectus does not contain all the information that you can find in the registration statement or the exhibits to that registration statement. The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and all documents subsequently filed with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) prior to the termination of the offering under this prospectus:

 

  (a) Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on June 18, 2012 (but not to the extent furnished and not filed), June 21, 2012, September 20, 2012 (but not to the extent furnished and not filed), October 25, 2012, November 7, 2012, December 3, 2012 and February 5, 2013;

 

  (b) Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended August 31, 2012, November 30, 2012, and February 28, 2013;

 

  (c) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2012;

 

  (d) Portions of the Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the 2012 annual meeting of stockholders incorporated by reference in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2012; and

 

  (e) The description of our common stock included in our registration statement on pages 101 through 102 of Form S-4, as amended (Reg. No. 333-129139), filed on December 29, 2005, including any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such descriptions.

You may request a copy of these filings at no cost, by contacting our Investor Relations department by calling 650-506-4073, by writing to Investor Relations, Oracle Corporation, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood City, California 94065 or by sending an email to investor_us@oracle.com.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and documents that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus contain statements that are not historical in nature, are predictive in nature, or that depend upon or refer to future events or conditions or otherwise contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, among other things, statements regarding:

 

   

our expectation to continue to acquire companies, products, services and technologies;

 

   

our expectation that our software business’ total revenues generally will continue to increase;

 

   

our belief that software license updates and product support revenues and margins will grow;

 

   

our expectation that our hardware business will have lower operating margins as a percentage of revenues than our software business;

 

   

our international operations providing a significant portion of our total revenues and expenses;

 

   

our expectation to continue to make significant investments in research and development and related product opportunities, including those related to hardware products and services;

 

   

our expectation to grow our consulting revenues;

 

   

the sufficiency of our sources of funding for acquisitions or other matters;

 

   

the payment of future dividends and our board of directors’ next opportunity to consider and approve a dividend;

 

   

our belief that we have adequately provided for any reasonably foreseeable outcomes related to our tax liabilities and that any tax settlement will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of operations;

 

   

our belief that certain legal proceedings and claims to which we are a party will not, individually or in the aggregate, result in losses that are materially in excess of amounts already recognized, if any;

 

   

our expectation that to the extent customers renew support contracts or cloud software subscriptions contracts, we will recognize revenues for the full contracts’ values over the respective renewal periods;

 

   

our experience and ability to predict future quarterly hardware systems products revenues;

 

   

the timing of customer orders and delays in our ability to manufacture or deliver a few large transactions substantially affecting the amount of hardware systems products revenues, expenses and operating margins that we will report;

as well as other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition and prospects, and business strategies. Forward-looking statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “will,” “is designed to” and similar expressions. We claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for all forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about our business that could affect our future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in “Risk Factors” included in documents that we file from time to time with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2012 (incorporated by reference herein) and our other Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed by us in our fiscal year 2013, which runs from June 1, 2012 to May 31, 2013 (incorporated by reference herein).

 

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We have no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or risks, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements. New information, future events or risks could cause the forward-looking events we discuss in this prospectus not to occur. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect our expectations only as of the date of this prospectus or as of the date of the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of securities issued pursuant to this registration statement for general corporate purposes which may include stock repurchases, repayment of indebtedness and future acquisitions. If we decide to use the net proceeds from a particular offering of securities for a specific purpose, we will describe that purpose in the related prospectus supplement.

RETROSPECTIVELY REVISED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING INFORMATION FOR ADOPTION OF A NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARD

In our first quarter of fiscal 2013, we adopted Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income and Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, whereby we elected to present separate consolidated statements of comprehensive income. The table below presents these consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three fiscal years ended May 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 to reflect the impact on our previously issued consolidated financial statements.

 

     Year Ended May 31,  

(in millions)

   2012     2011      2010  
     (Unaudited)  

Net Income

   $  9,981      $  8,547       $  6,135   

Other comprehensive income, net of tax:

       

Net foreign currency translation (losses) gains

     (398     480         (171

Net unrealized (losses) gains on defined benefit plans

     (102     32         (35

Net unrealized gains on marketable securities

     70        26         —     

Net unrealized loss on derivative financial instruments

     —          —           (6
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Total other comprehensive (loss) income, net

     (430     538         (212
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Comprehensive income

   $ 9,551      $ 9,085       $ 5,923   
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated.

 

     Nine Months Ended    Year Ended May 31,
     February 28,
2013
   February 29,
2012
   2012    2011    2010    2009    2008

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

   16x    15x    17x    14x    11x    13x    18x

For purposes of calculating this ratio, the term “earnings” means the amounts resulting from the following: (a) our income before provision for income taxes, plus (b) the noncontrolling interests in the net income of our majority owned subsidiaries, plus (c) our fixed charges. The term “fixed charges” means the amounts resulting from the following: (a) our interest expensed, plus (b) our estimate of the interest component of rent expense.

We do not report any shares of preferred stock outstanding in our consolidated financial statements because our outstanding preferred stock is owned by one or more of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. Our ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred dividends for any given period is equivalent to our ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following description of our capital stock is based upon our restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (“Restated Certificate of Incorporation”), our bylaws, as amended (“Bylaws”) and applicable provisions of law. We have summarized certain portions of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws below. The summary is not complete. The Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. You should read the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws for the provisions that are important to you.

Certain provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”), the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws summarized in the following paragraphs may have an anti-takeover effect. This may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider in its best interests, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by such stockholder.

Copies of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws are available upon request. Please see “Where You Can Find More Information” above.

Authorized Capital Stock

Under the Oracle Restated Certificate of Incorporation, Oracle’s authorized capital stock consists of 11 billion shares of common stock, $0.01 par value, and 1 million shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value. As of April 1, 2013, there were approximately 4,698,310,000 shares of Oracle common stock issued and outstanding.

Common Stock

Oracle Common Stock Outstanding. The outstanding shares of our common stock are duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Our common stock is listed and principally traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “ORCL.”

Voting Rights. Each holder of shares of our common stock is entitled to one vote for each share held of record on the applicable record date on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders.

Dividend Rights. Subject to any preferential dividend rights granted to the holders of any shares of our preferred stock that may at the time be outstanding, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends as may be declared from time to time by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor.

Rights upon Liquidation. Holders of our common stock are entitled to share pro rata, upon any liquidation or dissolution of Oracle, in all remaining assets available for distribution to stockholders after payment or providing for our liabilities and the liquidation preference of any outstanding preferred stock.

Rights and Preferences. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive right to purchase, subscribe for or otherwise acquire any unissued or treasury shares or other securities. In addition, holders of our common stock have no conversion rights, and there are no redemption or sinking fund provisions applicable to our common stock.

Transfer Agent and Registrar. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC is the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

Preferred Stock

Under our Restated Certificate of Incorporation, without further stockholder action, our board of directors is authorized, subject to any limitations prescribed by the law of the State of Delaware, to provide for the issuance of the shares of preferred stock in one or more series, to establish from time to time the number of shares to be

 

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included in each such series, to fix the designation, powers, preferences and rights of the shares of each such series and any qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, and to increase or decrease the number of shares of any such series (but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding).

Certain Provisions of Our Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Our Bylaws vest the power to call special meetings of stockholders in our chairman of the board, our chief executive officer, our board of directors or stockholders holding shares representing not less than twenty percent of the outstanding votes entitled to vote at the meeting. Stockholders are permitted under our Restated Certificate of Incorporation to act by written consent in lieu of a meeting.

To be properly brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, any stockholder proposal or nomination for the board of directors must be delivered to our secretary not more than 120 and not less than 90 days prior to the date on which we first mailed our proxy materials for the prior year’s annual meeting; provided that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the anniversary of the previous year’s meeting, a stockholder’s written notice will be timely if it is delivered by the later of the 90th day prior to such annual meeting or the 10th day following the announcement of the date of the meeting. Such notice must contain information specified in the Bylaws as to the director nominee or proposal of other business, information about the stockholder making the nomination or proposal and the beneficial owner, if any, on behalf of whom the nomination or proposal is made, including name and address, class and number of shares owned, and representations regarding the intention to make such a proposal or nomination and to solicit proxies in support of it. With respect to director nominees, we may require any proposed nominee to furnish information concerning his or her eligibility to serve as an independent director or that could be material to a reasonable stockholder’s understanding of the independence of the nominee.

Certain Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law

We are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL (“Section 203”). In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in various “business combination” transactions with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date of the transactions in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless:

 

   

the transaction is approved by the board of directors prior to the date the interested stockholder obtained such status;

 

   

upon consummation of the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced; or

 

   

on or subsequent to such date the business combination is approved by the board and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock which is not owned by the interested stockholder.

A “business combination” is defined to include mergers, asset sales, and other transactions resulting in financial benefit to a stockholder. In general, an “interested stockholder” is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or within three years, did own) 15% or more of a corporation’s voting stock. The statute could prohibit or delay mergers or other takeover or change in control attempts with respect to our company and, accordingly, may discourage attempts to acquire us even though such a transaction may offer our stockholders the opportunity to sell their stock at a price above the prevailing market price.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

This prospectus describes certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities. The debt securities will be issued under an indenture dated January 13, 2006 among Oracle Corporation (formerly known as Ozark Holding Inc.), Oracle Systems Corporation (formerly known as Oracle Corporation) and Citibank, N.A., as amended by a supplemental indenture dated as of May 9, 2007 by and among Oracle Corporation, Citibank, N.A. and The Bank of New York Trust Company, N.A. (subsequently renamed The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A.), as trustee (the “trustee”), as may be further supplemented from time to time. The debt securities may be issued in one or more series established in or pursuant to a board resolution and set forth in an officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture. In accordance with the terms of the indenture, Oracle Systems Corporation is no longer an obligor under the indenture and will not be an obligor on any securities issued under the indenture unless explicitly stated in the prospectus supplement relating to such securities.

When we offer to sell a particular series of debt securities, we will describe the specific terms for the securities in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will also indicate whether the general terms and provisions described in this prospectus apply to a particular series of debt securities.

We have summarized certain terms and provisions of the indenture. The summary is not complete. The indenture has been incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement for these securities that we have filed with the SEC. You should read the indenture and applicable board resolution and officers’ certificate or supplemental indenture (including the form of debt security) relating to the applicable series of debt securities for the provisions which may be important to you. The indenture is subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

General

The indenture will not limit the amount of debt securities which we may issue. We have the right to “reopen” a previous issue of a series of debt securities by issuing additional debt securities of such series. We may issue debt securities up to such aggregate principal amount as we may authorize from time to time. The debt securities will be our unsecured obligations and will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt from time to time outstanding. Our secured debt, if any, will be effectively senior to the debt securities to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt. The debt securities will be exclusively our obligations and not of our subsidiaries and therefore the debt securities will be structurally subordinate to the debt and liabilities of any of our subsidiaries. The prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any debt securities being offered, including:

 

   

the title;

 

   

any limit upon the aggregate principal amount;

 

   

the date or dates on which the principal is payable;

 

   

the rate or rates at which the debt securities shall bear interest, if any, or the method by which such rate shall be determined;

 

   

the date or dates from which interest shall accrue;

 

   

the date or dates on which interest shall be payable;

 

   

the record dates for the determination of holders to whom interest is payable;

 

   

the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of such extension;

 

   

the place or places where the principal of and any interest shall be payable;

 

   

the price or prices at which, the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which debt securities may be redeemed;

 

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our obligation, if any, to redeem, purchase or repay the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or otherwise or at the option of a holder thereof;

 

   

if applicable, the price or prices at which and the period or periods within which and the terms and conditions upon which the debt securities shall be redeemed, purchased or repaid, in whole or in part;

 

   

if other than denominations of $1,000 and any multiple thereof, the denominations in which the debt securities of the series shall be issuable;

 

   

the percentage of the principal amount at which the debt securities will be issued and, if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of such principal amount which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or provable in bankruptcy;

 

   

whether the debt securities are issuable under Rule 144A or Regulation S and, in such case, any provisions unique to such form of issuance including any transfer restrictions or exchange and registration rights;

 

   

any and all other terms of the series including any terms which may be required by or advisable under U.S. law or regulations or advisable in connection with the marketing of the debt securities;

 

   

whether the debt securities are issuable as global securities or definitive certificates and, in such case, the identity for the depositary;

 

   

any deletion from, modification of or addition to the events of default or covenants;

 

   

any provisions granting special rights to holders when a specified event occurs;

 

   

whether and under what circumstances we will pay additional amounts on the debt securities held by a person who is not a U.S. person in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge withheld or deducted;

 

   

any special tax implications of the notes;

 

   

any trustees, authenticating or paying agents, transfer agents or registrars or any other agents with respect to the debt securities;

 

   

any guarantor or co-issuers;

 

   

any special interest premium or other premium;

 

   

whether the debt securities are convertible or exchangeable into common stock or other of our equity securities and the terms and conditions upon which such conversion or exchange shall be effected; and

 

   

the currency in which payments shall be made, if other than U.S. dollars.

Events of Default

When we use the term “Event of Default” in the indenture with respect to the debt securities of any series, here are some examples of what we mean:

(1) default in paying interest on the debt securities when it becomes due and the default continues for a period of 30 days or more;

(2) default in paying principal, or premium, if any, on the debt securities when due;

(3) default in the performance, or breach, of any covenant in the indenture (other than defaults specified in clause (1) or (2) above) and the default or breach continues for a period of 90 days or more after there has been given to us a written notice from the trustee or there has been given to us and the trustee a written notice from the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of the series;

 

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(4) certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, administration or similar proceedings with respect to us or any material subsidiary has occurred;

(5) any other Events of Default set forth in a prospectus supplement relating to such series of debt securities.

If an Event of Default (other than an Event of Default specified in clause (4) with respect to us) under the indenture occurs with respect to the debt securities of any series and is continuing, then the trustee may and, at the direction of the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, will by written notice, require us to repay immediately the entire principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series, together with all accrued and unpaid interest and premium, if any.

If an Event of Default under the indenture specified in clause (4) with respect to us occurs and is continuing, then the entire principal amount of the outstanding debt securities will automatically become due immediately and payable without any declaration or other act on the part of the trustee or any holder.

After a declaration of acceleration or any automatic acceleration under clause (4) described above, the holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of any series may rescind this accelerated payment requirement if all existing Events of Default, except for nonpayment of the principal and interest on the debt securities of that series that has become due solely as a result of the accelerated payment requirement, have been cured or waived and if the rescission of acceleration would not conflict with any judgment or decree. The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series also have the right to waive past defaults, except a default in paying principal or interest on any outstanding debt security, or in respect of a covenant or a provision that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of all holders of the debt securities of that series.

Holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may seek to institute a proceeding only after they have made written request, and offered such indemnity as the trustee may reasonably require, to the trustee to institute a proceeding and the trustee has failed to do so within 60 days after it received this notice. In addition, within this 60-day period the trustee must not have received directions inconsistent with this written request by holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series. These limitations do not apply, however, to a suit instituted by a holder of a debt security for the enforcement of the payment of principal, interest or any premium on or after the due dates for such payment.

During the existence of an Event of Default of which a responsible officer of the trustee has actual knowledge or has received written notice from us or any holder of the debt securities, the trustee is required to exercise the rights and powers vested in it under the indenture and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would under the circumstances in the conduct of that person’s own affairs. If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the trustee is not under any obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any of the holders unless the holders have offered to the trustee such security or indemnity as the trustee may reasonably require. Subject to certain provisions, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee, or exercising any trust, or power conferred on the trustee.

The trustee will, within 45 days after any default occurs, give notice of the default to the holders of the debt securities of that series, unless the default was already cured or waived. Unless there is a default in paying principal, interest or any premium when due, the trustee can withhold giving notice to the holders if it determines in good faith that the withholding of notice is in the interest of the holders.

We are required to furnish to the trustee an annual statement as to compliance with all conditions and covenants under the indenture.

 

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Modification and Waiver

We and the trustee may amend or modify the indenture or the debt securities without the consent of any holder of debt securities in order to:

 

   

cure ambiguities, defects or inconsistencies;

 

   

provide for the assumption of our obligations in the case of a merger or consolidation and our discharge upon such assumption;

 

   

make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the holders of the debt securities of a series;

 

   

provide for or add guarantors with respect to the debt securities of any series;

 

   

secure the debt securities of a series;

 

   

establish the form or forms of debt securities of any series;

 

   

maintain the qualification of the indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

 

   

conform any provision in the indenture to this “Description of Debt Securities”; or

 

   

make any change that does not adversely affect the rights of any holder.

Other amendments and modifications of the indenture or the debt securities may be made with the consent of the holders of not less than a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the amendment or modification (voting as one class), and our compliance with any provision of the indenture with respect to any series of debt securities may be waived by written notice to the trustee by the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series affected by the waiver (voting as one class). However, no modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holder of each outstanding debt security affected:

 

   

reduce the principal amount, or extend the fixed maturity, of the debt securities, alter or waive the redemption provisions of the debt securities;

 

   

change the currency in which principal, any premium or interest is paid;

 

   

reduce the percentage in principal amount outstanding of debt securities of any series which must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver or consent to take any action;

 

   

impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on the debt securities;

 

   

waive a payment default with respect to the debt securities or any guarantor;

 

   

reduce the interest rate or extend the time for payment of interest on the debt securities; or

 

   

adversely affect the ranking of the debt securities of any series.

Covenants

Principal and Interest

We covenant to pay the principal of and interest on the debt securities when due and in the manner provided in the indenture.

 

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Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets

We will not consolidate or combine with or merge with or into or, directly or indirectly, sell, assign, convey, lease, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to any person or persons in a single transaction or through a series of transactions, unless:

 

   

we shall be the continuing person or, if we are not the continuing person, the resulting, surviving or transferee person (the “surviving entity”) is a company organized and existing under the laws of the United States or any State or territory;

 

   

the surviving entity will expressly assume all of our obligations under the debt securities and the indenture, and will, if required by law to effectuate the assumption, execute a supplemental indenture which will be delivered to the trustee;

 

   

immediately after giving effect to such transaction or series of transactions on a pro forma basis, no default has occurred and is continuing; and

 

   

we or the surviving entity will have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and opinion of counsel stating that the transaction or series of transactions and a supplemental indenture, if any, complies with this covenant and that all conditions precedent in the indenture relating to the transaction or series of transactions have been satisfied.

The restrictions in the third and fourth bullets shall not be applicable to:

 

   

the merger or consolidation of us with an affiliate of ours if our board of directors determines in good faith that the purpose of such transaction is principally to change our state of incorporation or convert our form of organization to another form; or

 

   

the merger of us with or into a single direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiary of ours pursuant to Section 251(g) (or any successor provision) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware.

If any consolidation or merger or any sale, assignment, conveyance, lease, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all our assets occurs in accordance with the indenture, the successor corporation will succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of ours under the indenture with the same effect as if such successor corporation had been named in our place in the indenture. We will (except in the case of a lease) be discharged from all obligations and covenants under the indenture and any debt securities issued thereunder.

Negative Covenants

In addition to the covenants set forth above, the following additional covenants shall apply to the debt securities (unless otherwise provided pursuant to a board resolution and set forth in an officers’ certificate or a supplemental indenture). These covenants do not limit our ability to incur indebtedness and apply only to us.

Limitation on Liens

With respect to each series of debt securities, we will not create or incur any Lien on any of our Properties, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, or upon any income or profits therefrom, in order to secure any of our Indebtedness, without effectively providing that such series of debt securities shall be equally and ratably secured until such time as such Indebtedness is no longer secured by such Lien, except:

(1) Liens existing as of the closing date of the offering of the series of debt securities;

(2) Liens granted after closing date of the offering of the series of debt securities, created in favor of the holders of such series of debt securities;

(3) Liens securing our Indebtedness which are incurred to extend, renew or refinance Indebtedness which is secured by Liens permitted to be incurred under the indenture;

 

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(4) Liens created in substitution of or as replacements for any Liens permitted by the clauses directly above, provided that, based on a good faith determination of one of our Senior Officers, the Property encumbered under any such substitute or replacement Lien is substantially similar in nature to the Property encumbered by the otherwise permitted Lien which is being replaced; and

(5) Permitted Liens.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may, without securing any series of debt securities, create or incur Liens which would otherwise be subject to the restrictions set forth in the preceding paragraph, if after giving effect thereto, Aggregate Debt does not exceed the greater of (i) 25% of Consolidated Net Worth calculated as of the date of the creation or incurrence of the Lien or (ii) 25% of Consolidated Net Worth calculated as of the date of the issuance of such debt securities.

Limitation on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions

With respect to each series of debt securities, we will not enter into any sale and lease-back transaction for the sale and leasing back of any Property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, unless:

(1) such transaction was entered into prior to the closing date of the offering of the series of debt securities;

(2) such transaction was for the sale and leasing back to us of any Property by one of our Subsidiaries;

(3) such transaction involves a lease for less than three years;

(4) we would be entitled to incur Indebtedness secured by a mortgage on the property to be leased in an amount equal to the Attributable Liens with respect to such sale and lease-back transaction without equally and ratably securing such series of debt securities pursuant to the first paragraph of “— Limitation on Liens” above; or

(5) we apply an amount equal to the fair value of the Property sold to the purchase of Property or to the retirement of our long-term Indebtedness within 365 days of the effective date of any such sale and lease-back transaction. In lieu of applying such amount to such retirement, we may deliver debt securities to the trustee therefor for cancellation, such debt securities to be credited at the cost thereof to us.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may enter into any sale lease-back transaction which would otherwise be subject to the foregoing restrictions if after giving effect thereto and at the time of determination, Aggregate Debt does not exceed the greater of (i) 25% of Consolidated Net Worth calculated as of the closing date of the sale-leaseback transaction or (ii) 25% of Consolidated Net Worth calculated as of the date of the issuance of the series of debt securities.

Existence

Except as permitted under “— Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets,” the indenture requires us to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect our existence, rights and franchises; provided, however, that we shall not be required to preserve any right or franchise if we determine that their preservation is no longer desirable in the conduct of business.

Certain Definitions

As used in this section, the following terms have the meanings set forth below.

“Aggregate Debt” means the sum of the following as of the date of determination:

(1) the aggregate principal amount of our Indebtedness incurred after the closing date of the offering of the debt securities and secured by Liens not permitted by the first sentence under “— Limitation on Liens;” and

 

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(2) our Attributable Liens in respect of sale and lease-back transactions entered into after the closing date of this offering pursuant to the second paragraph of “— Limitation on Sale and Lease-Back Transactions.”

“Attributable Liens” means in connection with a sale and lease-back transaction the lesser of:

(1) the fair market value of the assets subject to such transaction; and

(2) the present value (discounted at a rate per annum equal to the average interest borne by all outstanding debt securities issued under the indenture (which may include debt securities in addition to the series of debt securities currently outstanding under the indenture and those being offered by any prospectus supplement) determined on a weighted average basis and compounded semi-annually) of the obligations of the lessee for rental payments during the term of the related lease.

“Capital Lease” means any Indebtedness represented by a lease obligation of a Person incurred with respect to real property or equipment acquired or leased by such Person and used in its business that is required to be recorded as a capital lease in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Net Worth” means, as of any date of determination, our Stockholders’ Equity and our Consolidated Subsidiaries on that date.

“Consolidated Subsidiary” means, as of any date of determination and with respect to any Person, any Subsidiary of that Person whose financial data is, in accordance with GAAP, reflected in that Person’s consolidated financial statements.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or in such other statements by such other entity as have been approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession, which are in effect as of the date of determination.

“Hedging Obligations” means, with respect to any specified Person, the obligations of such Person under:

(1) interest rate swap agreements (whether from fixed to floating or from floating to fixed), interest rate cap agreements and interest rate collar agreements;

(2) other agreements or arrangements designed to manage interest rates or interest rate risk;

(3) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such Person against fluctuations in currency exchange rates or commodity prices; and

(4) other agreements or arrangements designed to protect such person against fluctuations in equity prices.

“Indebtedness” of any specified Person means, without duplication, any indebtedness, whether or not contingent, in respect of borrowed money or evidenced by bonds, notes, debentures or similar instruments or letters of credit (or reimbursement agreements with respect thereto) or representing the balance deferred and unpaid of the purchase price of any Property (including pursuant to Capital Leases), except any such balance that constitutes an accrued expense or trade payable, if and to the extent any of the foregoing indebtedness would appear as a liability upon an unconsolidated balance sheet of such Person (but does not include contingent liabilities which appear only in a footnote to a balance sheet).

“Lien” means any lien, security interest, charge or encumbrance of any kind (including any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, and any agreement to give any security interest).

 

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“Permitted Liens” means:

(1) Liens on any of our assets, created solely to secure obligations incurred to finance the refurbishment, improvement or construction of such asset, which obligations are incurred no later than 24 months after completion of such refurbishment, improvement or construction, and all renewals, extensions, refinancings, replacements or refundings of such obligations;

(2) (a) Liens given to secure the payment of the purchase price incurred in connection with the acquisition (including acquisition through merger or consolidation) of Property (including shares of stock), including Capital Lease transactions in connection with any such acquisition, and (b) Liens existing on Property at the time of acquisition thereof or at the time of acquisition by us of any Person then owning such Property whether or not such existing Liens were given to secure the payment of the purchase price of the Property to which they attach; provided that, with respect to clause (a), the Liens shall be given within 24 months after such acquisition and shall attach solely to the Property acquired or purchased and any improvements then or thereafter placed thereon;

(3) Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods;

(4) Liens securing reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit that encumber documents and other Property relating to such letters of credit and the products and proceeds thereof;

(5) Liens encumbering customary initial deposits and margin deposits and other Liens in the ordinary course of business, in each case securing Hedging Obligations and forward contract, option, futures contracts, futures options, equity hedges or similar agreements or arrangements designed to protect us from fluctuations in interest rates, currencies, equities or the price of commodities;

(6) pre-existing Liens on assets acquired by us after the closing date of this offering;

(7) Liens in our favor;

(8) inchoate Liens incident to construction or maintenance of real property, or Liens incident to construction or maintenance of real property, now or hereafter filed of record for sums not yet delinquent or being contested in good faith, if reserves or other appropriate provisions, if any, as shall be required by GAAP shall have been made therefore;

(9) statutory Liens arising in the ordinary course of business with respect to obligations which are not delinquent or are being contested in good faith, if reserves or other appropriate provisions, if any, as shall be required by GAAP shall have been made therefore;

(10) Liens consisting of pledges or deposits to secure obligations under workers’ compensation laws or similar legislation, including Liens of judgments thereunder which are not currently dischargeable;

(11) Liens consisting of pledges or deposits of Property to secure performance in connection with operating leases made in the ordinary course of business to which we are a party as lessee, provided the aggregate value of all such pledges and deposits in connection with any such lease does not at any time exceed 16 2/3% of the annual fixed rentals payable under such lease;

(12) Liens consisting of deposits of Property to secure our statutory obligations in the ordinary course of our business;

(13) Liens consisting of deposits of Property to secure (or in lieu of) surety, appeal or customs bonds in proceedings to which we are a party in the ordinary course of our business, but not in excess of $25,000,000; and

(14) purchase money Liens or purchase money security interests upon or in any Property acquired or held by us in the ordinary course of business to secure the purchase price of such Property or to secure indebtedness incurred solely for the purpose of financing the acquisition of such Property.

 

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“Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, limited liability company, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.

“Property” means any property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, or tangible or intangible, including shares of capital stock.

“Senior Officer” of any specified Person means the chief executive officer, any president, any vice president, the chief financial officer, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the secretary or any assistant secretary.

“Stockholders’ Equity” means, as of any date of determination, stockholders’ equity as reflected on the most recent consolidated balance sheet available to us prepared in accordance with GAAP.

“Subsidiary” of any specified Person means any corporation, association or other business entity of which more than 50% of the total voting power of shares of capital stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that person or a combination thereof.

Satisfaction, Discharge and Covenant Defeasance

We may terminate our obligations under the indenture, when:

 

   

either:

 

   

all the debt securities of any series issued that have been authenticated and delivered have been accepted by the trustee for cancellation; or

 

   

all the debt securities of any series issued that have not been accepted by the trustee for cancellation will become due and payable within one year (a “discharge”) and we have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by such trustee in our name, and at our expense and we have irrevocably deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee sufficient funds to pay and discharge the entire indebtedness on the series of debt securities to pay principal, interest and any premium;

 

   

we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums then due and payable under the indenture; and

 

   

we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent under the indenture relating to the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture have been complied with.

We may elect to have our obligations under the indenture discharged with respect to the outstanding debt securities of any series (“legal defeasance”). Legal defeasance means that we will be deemed to have paid and discharged the entire indebtedness represented by the outstanding debt securities of such series under the indenture, except for:

 

   

the rights of holders of the debt securities to receive principal, interest and any premium when due;

 

   

our obligations with respect to the debt securities concerning issuing temporary debt securities, registration of transfer of debt securities, mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities and the maintenance of an office or agency for payment for debt securities payments held in trust;

 

   

the rights, powers, trusts, duties and immunities of the trustee; and

 

   

the defeasance provisions of the indenture.

In addition, we may elect to have our obligations released with respect to certain covenants in the indenture (“covenant defeasance”). Any failure to comply with these obligations will not constitute a default or an event of default with respect to the debt securities of any series. In the event covenant defeasance occurs, certain events,

 

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not including non-payment, bankruptcy and insolvency events, described under “Events of Default” will no longer constitute an event of default for that series.

In order to exercise either legal defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to outstanding debt securities of any series:

 

   

we must irrevocably have deposited or caused to be deposited with the trustee as trust funds for the purpose of making the following payments, specifically pledged as security for, and dedicated solely to the benefits of the holders of the debt securities of a series:

 

   

money in an amount;

 

   

U.S. Government Obligations; or

 

   

a combination of money and U.S. Government Obligations,

in each case sufficient without reinvestment, in the written opinion of an internationally recognized firm of independent public accountants to pay and discharge, and which shall be applied by the trustee to pay and discharge, all of the principal, interest and any premium at due date or maturity or if we have made irrevocable arrangements satisfactory to the trustee for the giving of notice of redemption by the trustee in our name and at our expense, the redemption date;

 

   

in the case of legal defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel stating that, as a result of an IRS ruling or a change in applicable federal income tax law, the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit, defeasance and discharge to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit, defeasance and discharge did not occur;

 

   

in the case of covenant defeasance, we must have delivered to the trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of the debt securities of that series will not recognize gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a result of the deposit and covenant defeasance to be effected and will be subject to the same federal income tax as would be the case if the deposit and covenant defeasance did not occur;

 

   

no default with respect to the outstanding debt securities of that series has occurred and is continuing at the time of such deposit after giving effect to the deposit or, in the case of legal defeasance, no default relating to bankruptcy or insolvency has occurred and is continuing at any time on or before the 91st day after the date of such deposit, it being understood that this condition is not deemed satisfied until after the 91st day;

 

   

the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not cause the trustee to have a conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, assuming all debt securities of a series were in default within the meaning of such Act;

 

   

the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in a breach or violation of, or constitute a default under, any other agreement or instrument to which we are a party;

 

   

the legal defeasance or covenant defeasance will not result in the trust arising from such deposit constituting an investment company within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, unless the trust is registered under such Act or exempt from registration; and

 

   

we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel stating that all conditions precedent with respect to the defeasance or covenant defeasance have been complied with.

Unclaimed Funds

All funds deposited with the 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 such debt securities will be repaid to us upon our request. Thereafter, any right of any noteholder to such funds shall be enforceable only against us, and the trustee and paying agents will have no liability therefor.

 

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Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

Concerning Our Relationship with the Trustee

We maintain ordinary banking relationships and credit facilities with The Bank of New York Mellon, an affiliate of the trustee.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase our debt or equity securities or securities of third parties or other rights, including rights to receive payment in cash or securities based on the value, rate or price of one or more specified commodities, currencies, securities or indices, or any combination of the foregoing. Warrants may be issued independently or together with any other securities and may be attached to, or separate from, such securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between us and a warrant agent. The terms of any warrants to be issued and a description of the material provisions of the applicable warrant agreement will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS

We may issue purchase contracts for the purchase or sale of:

 

   

debt or equity securities issued by us or securities of third parties, a basket of such securities, an index or indices or such securities or any combination of the above as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement;

 

   

currencies; or

 

   

commodities.

Each purchase contract will entitle the holder thereof to purchase or sell, and obligate us to sell or purchase, on specified dates, such securities, currencies or commodities at a specified purchase price, which may be based on a formula, all as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may, however, satisfy our obligations, if any, with respect to any purchase contract by delivering the cash value of such purchase contract or the cash value of the property otherwise deliverable or, in the case of purchase contracts on underlying currencies, by delivering the underlying currencies, as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. The applicable prospectus supplement will also specify the methods by which the holders may purchase or sell such securities, currencies or commodities and any acceleration, cancellation or termination provisions or other provisions relating to the settlement of a purchase contract.

The purchase contracts may require us to make periodic payments to the holders thereof or vice versa, which payments may be deferred to the extent set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, and those payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The purchase contracts may require the holders thereof to secure their obligations in a specified manner to be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Alternatively, purchase contracts may require holders to satisfy their obligations thereunder when the purchase contracts are issued. Our obligation to settle such pre-paid purchase contracts on the relevant settlement date may constitute indebtedness. Accordingly, pre-paid purchase contracts will be issued under the indenture.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

As specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue units consisting of one or more warrants, debt securities, shares of preferred stock, shares of common stock or any combination of such securities.

 

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FORMS OF SECURITIES

Each debt security, warrant and unit will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. Certificated securities in definitive form and global securities will be issued in registered form. Definitive securities name you or your nominee as the owner of the security, and in order to transfer or exchange these securities or to receive payments other than interest or other interim payments, you or your nominee must physically deliver the securities to the trustee, registrar, paying agent or other agent, as applicable. Global securities name a depositary or its nominee as the owner of the debt securities, warrants or units represented by these global securities. The depositary maintains a computerized system that will reflect each investor’s beneficial ownership of the securities through an account maintained by the investor with its broker/dealer, bank, trust company or other representative, as we explain more fully below.

Global Securities

Registered Global Securities. We may issue the registered debt securities, warrants and units in the form of one or more fully registered global securities that will be deposited with a depositary or its nominee identified in the applicable prospectus supplement and registered in the name of that depositary or nominee. In those cases, one or more registered global securities will be issued in a denomination or aggregate denominations equal to the portion of the aggregate principal or face amount of the securities to be represented by registered global securities. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole for securities in definitive registered form, a registered global security may not be transferred except as a whole by and among the depositary for the registered global security, the nominees of the depositary or any successors of the depositary or those nominees.

If not described below, any specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any securities to be represented by a registered global security will be described in the prospectus supplement relating to those securities. We anticipate that the following provisions will apply to all depositary arrangements.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be limited to persons, called participants, that have accounts with the depositary or persons that may hold interests through participants. Upon the issuance of a registered global security, the depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the participants’ accounts with the respective principal or face amounts of the securities beneficially owned by the participants. Any dealers, underwriters or agents participating in the distribution of the securities will designate the accounts to be credited. Ownership of beneficial interests in a registered global security will be shown on, and the transfer of ownership interests will be effected only through, records maintained by the depositary, with respect to interests of participants, and on the records of participants, with respect to interests of persons holding through participants. The laws of some states may require that some purchasers of securities take physical delivery of these securities in definitive form. These laws may impair your ability to own, transfer or pledge beneficial interests in registered global securities.

So long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a registered global security, that depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, will be considered the sole owner or holder of the securities represented by the registered global security for all purposes under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Except as described below, owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security will not be entitled to have the securities represented by the registered global security registered in their names, will not receive or be entitled to receive physical delivery of the securities in definitive form and will not be considered the owners or holders of the securities under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. Accordingly, each person owning a beneficial interest in a registered global security must rely on the procedures of the depositary for that registered global security and, if that person is not a participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns its interest, to exercise any rights of a holder under the applicable indenture, warrant agreement or unit agreement. We understand that under existing industry practices, if we request any action of holders or if an owner of a beneficial interest in a registered global security desires to give or take any action that a holder is entitled to give or take under the applicable indenture, warrant

 

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agreement or unit agreement, the depositary for the registered global security would authorize the participants holding the relevant beneficial interests to give or take that action, and the participants would authorize beneficial owners owning through them to give or take that action or would otherwise act upon the instructions of beneficial owners holding through them.

Principal, premium, if any, and interest payments on debt securities, and any payments to holders with respect to warrants or units, represented by a registered global security registered in the name of a depositary or its nominee will be made to the depositary or its nominee, as the case may be, as the registered owner of the registered global security. None of Oracle, the trustee, any warrant agent, unit agent or any other agent of Oracle, agent of the trustee or agent of such warrant agent or unit agent will have any responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the registered global security or for maintaining, supervising or reviewing any records relating to those beneficial ownership interests.

We expect that the depositary for any of the securities represented by a registered global security, upon receipt of any payment of principal, premium, interest or other distribution of underlying securities or other property to holders on that registered global security, will immediately credit participants’ accounts in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in that registered global security as shown on the records of the depositary. We also expect that payments by participants to owners of beneficial interests in a registered global security held through participants will be governed by standing customer instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with the securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in “street name,” and will be the responsibility of those participants.

If the depositary for any of these securities represented by a registered global security is at any time unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Exchange Act, and a successor depositary registered as a clearing agency under the Exchange Act is not appointed by us within 90 days, we will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. Any securities issued in definitive form in exchange for a registered global security will be registered in the name or names that the depositary gives to the relevant trustee, warrant agent, unit agent or other relevant agent of ours or theirs. It is expected that the depositary’s instructions will be based upon directions received by the depositary from participants with respect to ownership of beneficial interests in the registered global security that had been held by the depositary. In addition, we may at any time determine that the securities of any series shall no longer be represented by a global security and will issue securities in definitive form in exchange for such global security pursuant to the procedure described above.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or selling security holders may sell the securities described in this prospectus in the following manner or any manner specified in a prospectus supplement:

 

   

directly to purchasers, through a specific bidding or auction process or otherwise;

 

   

through agents;

 

   

to or through underwriters;

 

   

through dealers; and

 

   

through a combination of any of the foregoing methods of sale.

If any securities are sold pursuant to this prospectus by any persons other than us, we will, in a prospectus supplement, name the selling security holders, indicate the nature of any relationship such holders have had to us or any of our affiliates during the three years preceding such offering, state the amount of securities of the class owned by such security holder prior to the offering and the amount to be offered for the security holder’s account, and state the amount and (if one percent or more) the percentage of the class to be owned by such security holder after completion of the offering.

We or any selling security holder may directly solicit offers to purchase securities, or agents may be designated to solicit such offers. We will, in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering, name any agent that could be viewed as an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and describe any commissions that we or any selling security holder must pay. Any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment or, if indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, on a firm commitment basis. Agents, dealers and underwriters may be customers of, engage in transactions with, or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

If any underwriters or agents are utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered, we and, if applicable, any selling security holder will enter into an underwriting agreement or other agreement with them at the time of sale to them, and we will set forth in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering the names of the underwriters or agents and the terms of the related agreement with them.

If a dealer is utilized in the sale of the securities in respect of which the prospectus is delivered, we will sell such securities to the dealer, as principal. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealer at the time of resale.

Remarketing firms, agents, underwriters and dealers may be entitled under agreements which they may enter into with us to indemnification by us and by any selling security holder against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and may be customers of, engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

In order to facilitate the offering of the securities, any underwriters may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities or any other securities the prices of which may be used to determine payments on such securities. Specifically, any underwriters may overallot in connection with the offering, creating a short position for their own accounts. In addition, to cover overallotments or to stabilize the price of the securities or of any such other securities, the underwriters may bid for, and purchase, the securities or any such other securities in the open market. Finally, in any offering of the securities through a syndicate of underwriters, the underwriting syndicate may reclaim selling concessions allowed to an underwriter or a dealer for distributing the securities in the offering if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover syndicate short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities

 

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may stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities above independent market levels. Any such underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.

Any underwriter, agent or dealer utilized in the initial offering of securities will not confirm sales to accounts over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of its customer.

 

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VALIDITY OF SECURITIES

In connection with particular offerings of the securities in the future, and if stated in the applicable prospectus supplements, the validity of those securities will be passed on for us by Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, and for any underwriters or agents, by counsel named in the applicable prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of Oracle Corporation appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended May 31, 2012 (including the schedule appearing therein), and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of May 31, 2012, have been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, as set forth in their reports thereon, included therein, and incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements 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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€2,000,000,000

Oracle Corporation

€1,250,000,000 2.250% Notes due 2021

€750,000,000 3.125% Notes due 2025

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

July 2, 2013

 

 

 

BNP PARIBAS   Deutsche Bank   The Royal Bank of Scotland