SEC Form 424B5 filed by Welltower Inc.

Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration Nos. 333-264093

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To prospectus dated April 1, 2022)

$5,000,000,000

 

Common Stock

 

 

We and Welltower OP LLC entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “equity distribution agreement”) with (i) BofA Securities, Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, BOK Financial Securities, Inc., Barclays Capital Inc., Capital One Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Huntington Securities, Inc., Jefferies LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Loop Capital Markets LLC, Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Regions Securities LLC, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., Synovus Securities, Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC as sales agents (when acting in this capacity, individually as a “sales agent” and collectively as “sales agents”) and forward sellers (when a sales agent is acting in this capacity, individually as a “forward seller” and collectively as “forward sellers”) and (ii) the forward purchasers (as set out below) relating to issuances, offers and sales of shares of our common stock, par value $1.00 per share, offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the equity distribution agreement, up to $5,000,000,000 of our common stock may be offered and sold through any of the sales agents (acting in their capacity as our sales agents or as forward sellers), but not to exceed the number of shares of our common stock authorized, unissued and available for issuance. Prior to the filing of this prospectus supplement, an aggregate of $2,803,177,616 in gross sales price of our common stock was offered and sold under our equity distribution agreement, dated April 30, 2024 (our “April 2024 equity distribution agreement”), which we terminated on the date hereof.

The equity distribution agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of our common stock by us through the sales agents, we may enter into forward sale agreements under separate master forward sale agreements and related supplemental confirmations with any of the following sales agents or their affiliates: BofA Securities, Inc., BMO Capital Markets Corp., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., BNY Mellon Capital Markets, LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., Citibank, N.A., Citizens JMP Securities, LLC, Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Huntington Securities, Inc., Jefferies LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Mizuho Securities USA LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Regions Securities LLC, Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., TD Securities (USA) LLC, Truist Securities, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. We refer to these entities, when acting in this capacity, individually as a “forward purchaser” and collectively as “forward purchasers.” In connection with each particular forward sale agreement, the relevant forward purchaser (or its affiliate) will, at our request, borrow from third parties and, through the relevant forward seller, sell a number of shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares of our common stock underlying the particular forward sale agreement. In no event will the aggregate number of shares of our common stock sold through the sales agents, whether as our sales agent for us or as forward seller, under the equity distribution agreement and any forward sale agreement, have an aggregate sales price in excess of $5,000,000,000.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of borrowed shares of our common stock by a forward seller. We expect to physically settle each particular forward sale agreement with the relevant forward purchaser on one or more dates specified by us on or prior to the maturity date of that particular forward sale agreement, in which case we would expect to receive per share cash proceeds at settlement equal to the forward sale price under the relevant forward sale agreement as described in this prospectus supplement. However, we may also elect to cash settle or net share settle a particular forward sale agreement, in which case we may not receive any proceeds (in the case of cash settlement) or will not receive any proceeds (in the case of net share settlement), and we may owe cash (in the case of cash settlement) or shares of our common stock (in the case of net share settlement) to the relevant forward purchaser.

Sales of the shares of our common stock, if any, will be made by any method permitted by law, including by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) at market prices, in block transactions, or as otherwise agreed with the applicable sales agent, or by means of any other existing trading market for our common stock or to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. We will pay the relevant sales agents a fee that will not exceed 1.50% of the gross sales price per share of shares sold under the equity distribution

agreement. In connection with each forward sale agreement, we will pay the relevant forward sellers, through a reduced initial forward sale price under the related forward sale agreement, commissions at a mutually agreed rate that will not exceed 1.50% of the sales prices of all borrowed shares of our common stock sold during the applicable forward hedge selling period.

No sales agent is required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of shares of our common stock, but each will use its commercially reasonable efforts, as our sales agent or as forward seller, and subject to the terms of the equity distribution agreement, to sell the shares offered, as instructed by us or the forward purchaser, as applicable. There is no arrangement for shares to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement. Offerings of common stock pursuant to the equity distribution agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all shares of our common stock subject to the equity distribution agreement or (ii) the termination of the equity distribution agreement by either the sales agent, the forward purchaser or us.

 

 

Our common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “WELL.” On October 28, 2024, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $130.57 per share.

 

 

Investing in our common stock involves risk. Before making a decision to invest in any shares, you should carefully consider each of the factors described or referred to under “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-4 of this prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state or other securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Baird

Barclays

BMO Capital Markets

BNP PARIBAS

BNY Capital Markets

BofA Securities

BOK Financial Securities, Inc.

Capital One Securities

Citigroup

Citizens JMP

Credit Agricole CIB

Deutsche Bank Securities

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Huntington Capital Markets

Jefferies

J.P. Morgan

KeyBanc Capital Markets

Loop Capital Markets

Mizuho

Morgan Stanley

MUFG

RBC Capital Markets

Regions Securities LLC

Scotiabank

Synovus TD Securities

Truist Securities

Wells Fargo Securities

 

 

The date of this prospectus supplement is October 29, 2024.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Prospectus Supplement

 

		Page
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY			S-1
THE OFFERING			S-2
RISK FACTORS			S-4
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			S-8
USE OF PROCEEDS			S-10
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)			S-11
NOTICE TO INVESTORS			S-16
LEGAL MATTERS			S-19
EXPERTS			S-19
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			S-20
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE			S-21

Prospectus

 

		Page(s)
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS			1
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION			2
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE			3
THE COMPANY			4
USE OF PROCEEDS			5
GENERAL DESCRITION OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES			6
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES			7
DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK			14
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES			19
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS			22
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS			23
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF SECURITIES			23
DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND BY-LAWS			24
SELLING SECURITY HOLDERS			25
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			26
VALIDITY OF SECURITIES			30
EXPERTS			30

 

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You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any “free writing prospectus” we authorize to be delivered to you. We have not, and the sales agents and the forward purchasers have not, authorized anyone to provide you with additional information or information different from that contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any such “free writing prospectus.” We are not, and the sales agents and the forward purchasers are not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale of these securities is not permitted. You should not assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any such “free writing prospectus” or any document incorporated therein by reference is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

This document is in two parts. The first part is the prospectus supplement, which adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus. The second part, the prospectus, provides more general information, some of which does not apply to sales of shares of our common stock pursuant to the equity distribution agreement. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in the accompanying prospectus, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement.

These securities are being offered only for sale in jurisdictions where it is lawful to make such offers. The distribution of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any “free writing prospectus” and the offering of these securities in other jurisdictions may also be restricted by law. Persons who receive this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any “free writing prospectus” should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any “free writing prospectus” do not constitute, and may not be used in 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.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area

None of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any related “free writing prospectus” is a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”). This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related “free writing prospectus” have each been prepared on the basis that any offer of the shares of our common stock in any Member State of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) (each, a “Relevant State”) will only be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of the shares of our common stock. Accordingly, any person making or intending to make an offer in any Relevant State of shares of our common stock which are the subject of an offering contemplated in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related “free writing prospectus” may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for Welltower Inc. or any of the sales agents or forward purchasers to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation in relation to such offer. Neither Welltower Inc. nor any of the sales agents or forward purchasers have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of shares of our common stock in any Relevant State in circumstances in which an obligation arises for Welltower Inc. or any of the sales agents or the forward purchasers to publish a prospectus for such offer.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

The communication of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” and any other document or materials relating to an issue of the shares of our common

 

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stock offered hereby is not being made, and this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” and such other documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the United Kingdom’s Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” and such other documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” and such other documents and/or materials are for distribution only to persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion Order”)), (ii) fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Financial Promotion Order, (iii) are outside the United Kingdom, or (iv) are other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” and such other documents and/or materials relating to an issue of the shares of our common stock offered hereby are directed only at relevant persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not relevant persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” and any other document or materials relating to an issue of the shares of our common stock offered hereby relates will be engaged in only with relevant persons. Any person in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any related “free writing prospectus” or any other documents and/or materials relating to an issue of the shares of our common stock offered hereby or any of their respective contents.

In the United Kingdom, none of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any related “free writing prospectus” is a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom (the “UK Prospectus Regulation”). This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related “free writing prospectus” have each been prepared on the basis that any offer of the shares of our common stock in the United Kingdom will only be made pursuant to an exemption under the UK Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of the shares of our common stock. Accordingly, any person making or intending to make an offer in the United Kingdom of shares of our common stock which are the subject of an offering contemplated in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any related “free writing prospectus” may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for Welltower Inc. or any of the sales agents or forward purchasers to publish a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA in relation to such offer. Neither Welltower Inc. nor any of the sales agents or forward purchasers have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of the shares of our common stock in the United Kingdom in circumstances in which an obligation arises for Welltower Inc. or any of the sales agents or the forward purchasers to publish a prospectus for such offer.

Before making a decision to invest in any shares, you should carefully read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any “free writing prospectus” we authorize to be delivered to you, together with the additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information” in this prospectus supplement.

Unless we have specifically indicated otherwise, references in this prospectus supplement to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or similar terms are to Welltower Inc. together with its subsidiaries, except in the context of the issuer of shares of our common stock, which refers to Welltower Inc. only.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our shares involves risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors described below, together with all of the other information included in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the discussion under the “Risk Factors” section in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K, as such discussion may be amended or updated in other reports filed by us with the SEC, before making an investment in our shares.

Risks Arising from Our Common Stock

The share price of our common stock could be affected by several factors.

The share price of our common stock depends upon several factors, including, but not limited to: our financial condition, performance and prospects; general economic and financial market conditions; changes in estimates by analysts; the market for similar securities issued by REITs; and our ability to meet analysts’ estimates. In addition, the market price of our common stock may be affected by future sales of our securities, including additional issuances of common stock and securities convertible into common stock. These factors, among others, could significantly depress the trading price of our common stock.

Holders of any future outstanding shares of our preferred stock will have liquidation, dividend and other rights that are senior to the rights of the holders of our common stock.

Our board of directors has the authority to designate and issue preferred stock with liquidation, dividend and other rights that are senior to those of our common stock. If we are in arrears in the payment of dividends on our preferred stock, we may be prohibited or otherwise restricted in paying any dividends in our common stock. In addition, the holders of any shares of our preferred stock that may be issued in the future would receive, upon our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, before any payment is made to holders of our common stock, their liquidation preferences as well as any accrued and unpaid distributions. Dividend, redemption and liquidating payments on our preferred stock would reduce the remaining amount of our assets, if any, available for distribution to holders of our common stock.

Our issuance of additional securities may reduce the market price for our shares.

The market price of our common stock may be affected by future sales of our securities, including those made pursuant to the equity distribution agreement and other additional issuances of common stock and securities convertible into common stock. We may also issue common stock as consideration or partial consideration in connection with our investments and acquisitions or for achieving certain benchmarks related to such investments and acquisitions. The number of shares of our common stock that we may issue or that we may issue upon conversion could be significant and dilutive to our existing stockholders.

Our ability to pay dividends in the future is subject to many factors.

Our primary unsecured credit facility restricts our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock if we default under the credit facility, and other financing agreements or instruments that we enter into or issue (including preferred stock) in the future also may limit our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock. If we default under our primary unsecured credit facility, or if future financing agreements or instruments restrict our ability to pay cash dividends, we will be restricted in our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock unless we can refinance amounts outstanding under those agreements or instruments.

Under Delaware law, cash dividends on capital stock may only be paid from “surplus” or, if there is no “surplus,” from the corporation’s net profits for the then-current or the preceding fiscal year. Unless we operate profitably,

 

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our ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock would require the availability of adequate “surplus,” which is defined as the excess, if any, of our net assets (total assets less total liabilities) over our capital. Further, even if adequate surplus is available to pay cash dividends on our common stock, we may not have sufficient cash to pay dividends on our common stock.

Our ability to pay dividends may be impaired if any of the risks described in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference herein and in the accompanying prospectus were to occur. In addition, payment of our dividends depends upon our earnings, our cash flows, our financial condition, maintenance of our REIT status and other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time.

Certain provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and by-laws may restrict your ownership of shares of our capital stock and/or discourage or prevent a change in control.

In order to assist us in maintaining our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, our by-laws provide that no person may own, or be deemed to own by virtue of the attribution rules of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, more than 9.8% of the value of our outstanding capital stock or more than 9.8% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, subject to certain exceptions. For this purpose, all options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to acquire our common stock will be treated as if all such rights had been exercised. If any shares or other securities in excess of this limit are issued or transferred to any person, such issuance or transfer shall be valid only with respect to such amount of shares or securities as does not exceed this limit, and such issuance or transfer will be void with respect to the excess. These and other provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation, by-laws and Delaware law could delay, prevent or deter a transaction or change in control, including an acquisition of us by a third party, that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be favorable to you as a stockholder.

Risks Arising from Forward Sale Agreements

Settlement provisions contained in a forward sale agreement could result in substantial dilution to our earnings per share and return on equity or result in substantial cash payment obligations.

If we enter into one or more forward sale agreements, the relevant forward purchaser will have the right to accelerate that particular forward sale agreement (with respect to all or, in certain cases, the portion of the transaction under that particular forward sale agreement that the relevant forward purchaser determines is affected by such event) and, in certain cases, require us to settle on a date specified by the relevant forward purchaser if:

 

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the relevant forward purchaser is unable to, or would incur a materially increased cost to, establish, maintain or unwind its hedge position with respect to that particular forward sale agreement;

 

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the relevant forward purchaser determines that it is unable, after using commercially reasonable efforts, to continue to borrow a number of shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares of our common stock underlying that particular forward sale agreement or that, with respect to borrowing such number of shares of our common stock, it would incur a cost that is greater than the stock borrow cost specified in that particular forward sale agreement;

 

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a termination event occurs as a result of us declaring a dividend or distribution on our common stock with a cash value in excess of a specified amount per calendar quarter, or with an ex-dividend date prior to the anticipated ex-dividend date for such cash dividend;

 

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an extraordinary event (including certain mergers and tender offers and the delisting of our common stock) occurs or there is a public announcement of certain actions that, if consummated, would constitute such an extraordinary event;

 

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certain other events of default, termination events or other specified events occur, including, among other things, any material misrepresentation made by us in connection with that particular forward sale agreement, our bankruptcy or a change in law; or

 

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certain ownership thresholds applicable to the relevant forward purchaser or its affiliates are or would be exceeded.

A forward purchaser’s decision to exercise its right to accelerate the settlement of a particular forward sale agreement will be made irrespective of our need for capital. In such cases, we could be required to issue and deliver shares of our common stock under the physical settlement provisions of that particular forward sale agreement or, if we so elect and the forward purchaser so permits our election, net share settlement provisions of that particular forward sale agreement irrespective of our capital needs, which would result in dilution to our earnings per share and return on equity.

We expect that settlement of any forward sale agreement will generally occur no later than the date specified in the particular forward sale agreement. However, any forward sale agreement may be settled earlier than that specified date in whole or in part at our option. We expect that each forward sale agreement will be physically settled by delivery of shares of our common stock unless we elect to cash settle or net share settle a particular forward sale agreement. Upon physical settlement or, if we so elect, net share settlement of a particular forward sale agreement, delivery of shares of our common stock in connection with such physical settlement or, to the extent we are obligated to deliver shares of our common stock, net share settlement, will result in dilution to our earnings per share and return on equity. If we elect cash settlement or net share settlement with respect to all or a portion of the shares of our common stock underlying a particular forward sale agreement, we expect that the relevant forward purchaser (or an affiliate thereof) will purchase a number of shares of our common stock necessary to satisfy its or its affiliate’s obligation to return the shares of our common stock borrowed from third parties in connection with sales of shares of our common stock under that forward sale agreement. In addition, the purchase of shares of our common stock in connection with the relevant forward purchaser or its affiliate unwinding its hedge positions could cause the price of our common stock to increase over such time (or prevent a decrease over such time), thereby increasing the amount of cash we would owe to the relevant forward purchaser (or decreasing the amount of cash that the relevant forward purchaser would owe us) upon a cash settlement of the relevant forward sale agreement or increasing the number of shares of our common stock we would deliver to the relevant forward purchaser (or decreasing the number of shares of our common stock that the relevant forward purchaser would deliver to us) upon net share settlement of the relevant forward sale agreement.

The forward sale price that we expect to receive upon physical settlement of a particular forward sale agreement will be subject to adjustment on a daily basis based on a floating interest rate factor equal to the specified daily rate less a spread and will be decreased based on amounts related to expected dividends on our common stock during the term of the particular forward sale agreement. If the specified daily rate is less than the spread on any day, the interest factor will result in a daily reduction of the applicable forward sale price. If the market value of our common stock during the relevant valuation period under the particular forward sale agreement is above the applicable forward sale price, in the case of cash settlement, we would pay the relevant forward purchaser under that particular forward sale agreement an amount in cash equal to the difference or, in the case of net share settlement, we would deliver to the relevant forward purchaser a number of shares of our common stock having a value equal to the difference. Thus, we could be responsible for a potentially substantial cash payment in the case of cash settlement of a particular forward sale agreement. See “Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” for information on the forward sale agreements.

In case of our bankruptcy or insolvency, any forward sale agreement will automatically terminate, and we would not receive the expected proceeds from any forward sales of our common stock.

If we file for or consent to a proceeding seeking a judgment in bankruptcy or insolvency or any other relief under any bankruptcy or insolvency law or other similar law affecting creditors’ rights, or we or a regulatory authority with jurisdiction over us presents a petition for our winding-up or liquidation, and we consent to such a petition, any forward sale agreement that is then in effect will automatically terminate. If any such forward sale agreement so terminates under these circumstances, we would not be obligated to deliver to the relevant forward purchaser any of our common stock not previously delivered, and the relevant forward purchaser would be discharged from

 

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its obligation to pay the applicable forward sale price per share in respect of any of our common stock not previously settled under the applicable forward sale agreement. Therefore, to the extent that there are any shares of our common stock with respect to which any forward sale agreement has not been settled at the time of the commencement of any such bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, we would not receive the relevant forward sale price per share in respect of those shares of our common stock.

We have in the past entered, and may in the future enter, into forward sale transactions that subject us to risks similar to those described above.

We have previously entered into forward sale agreements and may in the future enter into forward sale agreements other than in connection with the sale of shares of our common stock under the equity distribution agreement. These forward sale agreements subject us to risks that are substantially similar to the risks described above in this section. As of October 28, 2024, we were not obligated to issue any shares of our common stock pursuant to forward sale agreements.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When we use words such as “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “pro forma,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, we are making forward-looking statements. In particular, these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those relating to our opportunities to acquire, develop or sell properties; our ability to close our anticipated acquisitions, investments or dispositions on currently anticipated terms, or within currently anticipated timeframes; the expected performance of our operators/tenants and properties; our expected occupancy rates; our ability to declare and to make distributions to stockholders; our investment and financing opportunities and plans; our continued qualification as a REIT; and our ability to access capital markets or other sources of funds.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. This may be a result of various factors, including, but not limited to:

 

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the status of the economy;

 

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the status of capital markets, including availability and cost of capital;

 

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issues facing the health care industry, including compliance with, and changes to, regulations and payment policies, responding to government investigations and punitive settlements and operators’/ tenants’ difficulty in cost-effectively obtaining and maintaining adequate liability and other insurance;

 

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changes in financing terms;

 

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competition within the health care and seniors housing industries;

 

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negative developments in the operating results or financial condition of operators/tenants, including, but not limited to, their ability to pay rent and repay loans;

 

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our ability to transition or sell properties with profitable results;

 

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the failure to make new investments or acquisitions as and when anticipated;

 

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natural disasters, health emergencies (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) and other acts of God affecting our properties;

 

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our ability to re-lease space at similar rates as vacancies occur;

 

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our ability to timely reinvest sale proceeds at similar rates to assets sold;

 

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operator/tenant or joint venture partner bankruptcies or insolvencies;

 

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the cooperation of joint venture partners;

 

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government regulations affecting Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates and operational requirements;

 

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liability or contract claims by or against operators/tenants;

 

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unanticipated difficulties and/or expenditures relating to future investments or acquisitions;

 

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environmental laws affecting our properties;

 

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changes in rules or practices governing our financial reporting;

 

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the movement of U.S. and foreign currency exchange rates;

 

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our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT;

 

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key management personnel recruitment and retention; and

 

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other risk factors included in the reports we file from time to time with the SEC, including, but not limited to, the risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We assume no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We expect to use the net proceeds (1) from issuances and sales of our common stock through the sales agents and, (2) if any, upon the settlement of any forward sale agreement for general corporate purposes, including repayment of debt and investing in health care and seniors housing properties. Pending such use, the net proceeds may be invested in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing securities, certificates of deposit or indirect or guaranteed obligations of the United States.

To the extent that we elect to cash settle any particular forward sale agreement, we may not receive any net proceeds (or may owe cash to the relevant forward purchaser). To the extent that we elect to net share settle any particular forward sale agreement in full, we would not receive any proceeds from the relevant forward purchaser.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of borrowed shares of our common stock by a forward seller. We expect to physically settle each particular forward sale agreement with the relevant forward purchaser on one or more dates specified by us on or prior to the maturity date of that particular forward sale agreement, in which case we would expect to receive per share cash proceeds at settlement equal to the forward sale price under the relevant forward sale agreement as described in this prospectus supplement.

The forward sale price that we expect to receive upon physical settlement of a particular forward sale agreement will be equal to the sales prices of all borrowed shares of our common stock sold by the relevant forward seller during the applicable forward hedge selling period less a forward hedge selling commission not to exceed 1.50%, will be subject to adjustment on a daily basis based on a floating interest rate factor equal to the specified daily rate less a spread and will be decreased based on amounts related to expected dividends on shares of our common stock during the term of the particular forward sale agreement. If the specified daily rate is less than the spread on any day, the interest factor will result in a daily reduction of the applicable forward sale price.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)

We and Welltower OP LLC entered into the equity distribution agreement with (i) the sales agents and (ii) the forward purchasers relating to issuances, offers and sales of shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. In accordance with the terms of the equity distribution agreement, up to $5,000,000,000 of our common stock may be offered and sold through any of the sales agents (acting in their capacity as our sales agents or as forward sellers). We may offer and sell under the equity distribution agreement up to the number of shares of common stock that is authorized under the Certificate of Incorporation and are unissued and available for issuance. Prior to the filing of this prospectus supplement, an aggregate of $2,803,177,616 in gross sales price of our common stock was offered and sold under our April 2024 equity distribution agreement, which we terminated on the date hereof.

The equity distribution agreement provides that, in addition to the issuance and sale of shares of our common stock by us through the sales agents, we may enter into forward sale agreements under separate master forward sale agreements and related supplemental confirmations with any of the forward purchasers. In connection with each particular forward sale agreement, the relevant forward purchaser (or its affiliate) will, at our request, borrow from third parties and, through the relevant forward seller, sell a number of shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares of our common stock underlying the particular forward sale agreement. In no event will the aggregate number of shares of our common stock sold through the sales agents, whether as our sales agent for us or as forward seller, under the equity distribution agreement and any forward sale agreement, have an aggregate sales price in excess of $5,000,000,000.

Sales of the shares of our common stock, if any, will be made by any method permitted by law, including by means of ordinary brokers’ transactions on the NYSE at market prices, in block transactions, or as otherwise agreed with the applicable sales agent, or by means of any other existing trading market for our common stock or to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. None of the sales agents will engage in any transactions that stabilize the price of our common stock.

In connection with the sale of our common stock, a sales agent may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation paid to a sales agent may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to each sales agent and each forward purchaser against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Any sales agent and any forward purchaser may engage in transactions with, or perform other services for, us in the ordinary course of business.

If any sales agent or we have reason to believe that our common stock is no longer an “actively-traded security” as defined under Rule 101(c)(1) of Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that party will promptly notify the other, and sales of our common stock under the equity distribution agreement will be suspended until that or other exemptive provisions have been satisfied in the judgment of the sales agent and us.

Offerings of our common stock pursuant to the equity distribution agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all shares of our common stock subject to the equity distribution agreement or (ii) the termination of the equity distribution agreement by the sales agent, the forward purchaser or us.

Sales Through Our Sales Agents

From time to time during the term of the equity distribution agreement, we may deliver a transaction notice to one of the sales agents relating to issuances and sales of our common stock through the sales agents, as our sales agents. Upon receipt of a transaction notice from us, and subject to the terms and conditions of the equity distribution agreement, each sales agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts to solicit offers to purchase the shares of our common stock on a daily basis or as otherwise agreed upon by us and the applicable sales agent.

 

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We will designate the maximum amount of shares of our common stock to be sold through each sales agent on a daily basis or otherwise as we and the applicable sales agent agree. Subject to the terms and conditions of the equity distribution agreement, the sales agent will use its commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the designated shares of our common stock. We may instruct the sales agents not to sell shares of our common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. We or the applicable sales agents may suspend the offering of shares of our common stock by notifying the other.

We will pay the relevant sales agents a fee that will not exceed 1.50% of the gross sales price per share of shares sold under the equity distribution agreement. The remaining sales proceeds, after deducting any expenses payable by us and any transaction fees imposed by any governmental or self-regulatory organization in connection with the sales, will equal our net proceeds for the sale of the shares. We have agreed to reimburse each sales agent for certain of its expenses in certain circumstances.

Settlement for sales of our common stock will occur on the first business day (or such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following the date on which any sales were made in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

Sales Through Forward Sellers

From time to time during the term of the equity distribution agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions set forth therein, we may deliver a transaction notice relating to a forward to any of the forward sellers and the related forward purchaser. Upon their receipt of such transaction notice, and subject to the terms and conditions of the equity distribution agreement and the relevant master forward sale agreement, the relevant forward seller will use commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices to sell the relevant shares of our common stock on such terms to hedge the relevant forward purchaser’s exposure under that particular forward sale agreement. We or the relevant forward seller may immediately suspend the offering of our common stock at any time upon proper notice to the other.

We expect that settlement between the relevant forward purchaser and forward seller of sales of borrowed shares of our common stock, as well as the settlement between the relevant forward seller and buyers of such shares of our common stock in the market, will generally occur on the first trading day (or any such earlier day as is industry practice for regular-way trading) following each date the sales are made. The obligation of the relevant forward seller under the equity distribution agreement to execute such sales of our common stock is subject to a number of conditions, which each forward seller reserves the right to waive in its sole discretion.

In connection with each forward sale agreement, we will pay the relevant forward sellers, through a reduced initial forward sale price under the related forward sale agreement, commissions at a mutually agreed rate that will not exceed 1.50% of the sales prices of all borrowed shares of our common stock sold during the applicable forward hedge selling period. We refer to this commission rate as the forward selling commission. We have agreed to reimburse each forward seller and each forward purchaser for certain of its expenses in certain circumstances.

The forward sale price that we expect to receive upon physical settlement of a particular forward sale agreement will be subject to adjustment on a daily basis based on a floating interest rate factor equal to the specified daily rate less a spread and will be decreased based on amounts related to expected dividends on our common stock during the term of the particular forward sale agreement. If the specified daily rate is less than the spread on any day, the interest factor will result in a daily reduction of the applicable forward sale price. If the market value of our common stock during the relevant valuation period under the particular forward sale agreement is above the applicable forward sale price, in the case of cash settlement, we would pay the relevant forward purchaser under that particular forward sale agreement an amount in cash equal to the difference or, in the case of net share settlement, we would deliver to the relevant forward purchaser a number of shares of our common stock having a value equal to the difference. Thus, we could be responsible for a potentially substantial cash payment in the case

 

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of cash settlement of a particular forward sale agreement. If the market value of our common stock during the relevant valuation period under that particular forward sale agreement is below the applicable forward sale price, in the case of cash settlement, we would be paid the difference in cash by the relevant forward purchaser under that particular forward sale agreement or, in the case of net share settlement, we would receive from the relevant forward purchaser a number of shares of our common stock having a value equal to the difference.

The forward sale price per share under each forward sale agreement will equal the product of (1) an amount equal to one minus the applicable forward selling commission and (2) the volume-weighted average price per share at which the shares of borrowed common stock were sold pursuant to the particular equity distribution agreement by the relevant forward seller. Thereafter, the forward sale price will be subject to adjustment as described below.

In the event that we enter into any forward sale agreement, we expect that before the issuance of shares of our common stock, if any, upon physical or net share settlement of any forward sale agreement, the shares issuable upon settlement of that particular forward sale agreement will be reflected in our diluted earnings per share calculations using the treasury stock method. Under this method, the number of shares of our common stock used in calculating diluted earnings per share is deemed to be increased by the excess, if any, of the number of shares of our common stock that would be issued upon full physical settlement of that particular forward sale agreement over the number of shares of our common stock that could be purchased by us in the market (based on the average market price during the relevant period) using the proceeds receivable upon full physical settlement (based on the adjusted forward sale price at the end of the relevant reporting period).

Consequently, before physical or net share settlement of a particular forward sale agreement and subject to the occurrence of certain events, we anticipate that there will be no dilutive effect on our earnings per share except during periods when the average market price of our common stock is above the applicable forward sale price. However, if we physically or net share settle a particular forward sale agreement, the delivery of shares of our common stock would result in an increase in the number of shares outstanding and dilution to our earnings per share and return on equity.

Except under limited circumstances, we have the right to elect physical, cash or net share settlement under any forward sale agreement. Although we expect to settle any forward sale agreement entirely by delivering shares of our common stock in connection with full physical settlement, we may, subject to certain conditions, elect cash settlement or net share settlement for all or a portion of our obligations under a particular forward sale agreement if we conclude that it is in our interest to do so. For example, we may conclude that it is in our interest to cash settle or net share settle a particular forward sale agreement if we have no then-current use for all or a portion of the net proceeds that we would receive upon physical settlement. In addition, subject to certain conditions, we may elect to accelerate the settlement of all or a portion of the number of shares of our common stock underlying a particular forward sale agreement.

If we elect to physically settle any forward sale agreement by issuing and delivering shares of our common stock, we will receive an amount of cash from the relevant forward purchaser equal to the product of the forward sale price per share under that particular forward sale agreement and the number of shares of our common stock underlying the particular forward sale agreement. In the event that we elect to cash settle or net share settle, the settlement amount will be generally related to (1) (a) the average of the volume-weighted average price of our common stock on each exchange business day during the relevant valuation period under the particular forward sale agreement minus (b) the applicable forward sale price; multiplied by (2) the number of shares of our common stock underlying the particular forward sale agreement subject to cash settlement or net share settlement, as applicable. If this settlement amount is a negative number, the relevant forward purchaser will pay us the absolute value of that amount (in the case of cash settlement) or deliver to us a number of shares of our common stock having a value equal to the absolute value of such amount (in the event of net share settlement). If this settlement amount is a positive number, we will pay the relevant forward purchaser that amount (in the case of cash settlement) or deliver to the relevant forward purchaser a number of shares of our common stock having a value equal to such amount (in the event of net share settlement). In connection with any cash settlement or net

 

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share settlement, we would expect the relevant forward purchaser or its affiliate to purchase shares of our common stock in secondary market transactions for delivery to third-party stock lenders in order to close out its, or its affiliate’s, hedge position in respect of that particular forward sale agreement. The purchase of shares of our common stock in connection with the relevant forward purchaser or its affiliate unwinding its hedge positions could cause the price of our common stock to increase over such time (or prevent a decrease over such time), thereby increasing the amount of cash we would owe to the relevant forward purchaser (or decreasing the amount of cash that the relevant forward purchaser would owe us) upon a cash settlement of the relevant forward sale agreement or increasing the number of shares of our common stock we would deliver to the relevant forward purchaser (or decreasing the number of shares of our common stock that the relevant forward purchaser would deliver to us) upon net share settlement of the relevant forward sale agreement. See “Risk Factors—Risks Arising from Forward Sale Agreements.”

If we enter into one or more forward sale agreements, the relevant forward purchaser will have the right to accelerate that particular forward sale agreement (with respect to all or, in certain cases, the portion of the transaction under that particular forward sale agreement that the relevant forward purchaser determines is affected by such event) and, in certain cases, require us to settle on a date specified by the relevant forward purchaser if:

 

•

the relevant forward purchaser is unable to, or would incur a materially increased cost to, establish, maintain or unwind its hedge position with respect to that particular forward sale agreement;

 

•

the relevant forward purchaser determines that it is unable, after using commercially reasonable efforts, to continue to borrow a number of shares of our common stock equal to the number of shares of our common stock underlying that particular forward sale agreement or that, with respect to borrowing such number of shares of our common stock, it would incur a cost that is greater than the stock borrow cost specified in that particular forward sale agreement;

 

•

a termination event occurs as a result of us declaring a dividend or distribution on our common stock with a cash value in excess of a specified amount per calendar quarter, or with an ex-dividend date prior to the anticipated ex-dividend date for such cash dividend;

 

•

an extraordinary event (including certain mergers and tender offers and the delisting of our common stock) occurs or there is a public announcement of certain actions that, if consummated, would constitute such an extraordinary event;

 

•

certain other events of default, termination events or other specified events occur, including, among other things, any material misrepresentation made by us in connection with that particular forward sale agreement, our bankruptcy or a change in law; or

 

•

certain ownership thresholds applicable to the relevant forward purchaser or its affiliates are or would be exceeded.

A forward purchaser’s decision to exercise its right to accelerate the settlement of a particular forward sale agreement will be made irrespective of our need for capital. In such cases, we could be required to issue and deliver shares of our common stock under the physical settlement provisions of that particular forward sale agreement or, if we so elect and the forward purchaser so permits our election, net share settlement provisions of that particular forward sale agreement irrespective of our capital needs, which would result in dilution to our earnings per share and return on equity.

In addition, upon certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization relating to us, the particular forward sale agreement will terminate without further liability of either party. Following any such termination, we would not issue any shares of our common stock or receive any proceeds pursuant to the particular forward sale agreement. See “Risk Factors—Risks Arising from Forward Sale Agreements.”

 

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Relationship with Sales Agents and Forward Purchasers

The sales agents and the forward purchasers (and their respective affiliates) are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include sales and trading, commercial and investment banking, advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, market making, brokerage and other financial and non-financial activities and services. Certain sales agents and forward purchasers (and their respective affiliates) provide, have provided or may in the future provide commercial banking, financial advisory and investment banking services to us for which they receive fees. Affiliates of certain sales agents and forward purchasers are lenders under our primary unsecured credit facility. Also, Bank of America, N.A., an affiliate of BofA Securities, Inc., is a co-syndication agent, and BofA Securities, Inc. is a U.S. joint lead arranger, a Canadian joint lead arranger and a joint book runner under our primary unsecured credit facility.

We expect that all of the proceeds of any shares of our common stock sold by a forward seller will be paid to the related forward purchaser or its affiliate, in which case such forward purchaser or its affiliate may receive more than 5% of the net proceeds of this offering, not including underwriting compensation. Nonetheless, in accordance with FINRA Rule 5121(f), the appointment of a qualified independent underwriter is not necessary in connection with this offering because we, the issuer of the securities in this offering, are a REIT.

In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the sales agents, the forward purchasers and their respective affiliates, officers, directors and employees may purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps and other financial instruments for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and trading activities may involve or relate to assets, securities and/or instruments of ours (directly, as collateral securing other obligations or otherwise) and/or persons and entities with relationships with us. The sales agents, the forward purchasers and their respective affiliates may also communicate independent investment recommendations, market color or trading ideas and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such assets, securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they should acquire, long and/or short positions in such assets, securities and instruments.

Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated may pay an unaffiliated entity or its respective affiliate, who is also a lender under our primary unsecured credit facility, a fee in connection with this offering.

 

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NOTICE TO INVESTORS

Notice to Prospective Investors in Canada

The shares of our common stock may be sold only to purchasers purchasing, or deemed to be purchasing, as principal that are accredited investors, as defined in National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions or subsection 73.3(1) of the Securities Act (Ontario), and are permitted clients, as defined in National Instrument 31-103 Registration Requirements, Exemptions and Ongoing Registrant Obligations. Any resale of our common stock must be made in accordance with an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the prospectus requirements of applicable securities laws.

Securities legislation in certain provinces or territories of Canada may provide a purchaser with remedies for rescission or damages if this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus (including any amendment thereto) contains a misrepresentation, provided that the remedies for rescission or damages are exercised by the purchaser within the time limit prescribed by the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory. The purchaser should refer to any applicable provisions of the securities legislation of the purchaser’s province or territory for particulars of these rights or consult with a legal advisor.

Pursuant to section 3A.3 of National Instrument 33-105 Underwriting Conflicts (NI 33-105), the underwriters are not required to comply with the disclosure requirements of NI 33-105 regarding underwriter conflicts of interest in connection with this offering.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the EEA

In relation to each Relevant State, no shares of our common stock have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in that Relevant State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares of our common stock, which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, except that the shares of our common stock may be offered to the public in that Relevant State at any time:

 

(a)	to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation;

 

(b)	to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant sales agent(s) or forward purchaser(s) for any such offer; or

 

(c)	in any other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation,

provided that no such offer of shares of our common stock shall result in a requirement for the publication by Welltower Inc. or any sales agent or forward purchaser of a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offering to the public” in relation to the shares of our common stock in any Relevant State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares of our common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares of our common stock.

Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom

No shares of our common stock have been offered or will be offered pursuant to the offering to the public in the United Kingdom prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the shares of our common stock which has

 

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been approved by the Financial Conduct Authority except that the shares of our common stock may be offered to the public in the United Kingdom at any time:

 

(a)	to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation;

 

(b)	to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined under Article 2 of the UK Prospectus Regulation), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant sales agent(s) or forward purchaser(s) for any such offer; or

 

(c)	in any other circumstances falling within Section 86 of the FSMA,

provided that no such offer of shares of our common stock shall result in a requirement for the publication by Welltower Inc. or any sales agent or forward purchaser of a prospectus pursuant to Section 85 of the FSMA.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offering to the public” in relation to the shares of our common stock in the United Kingdom means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and any shares of our common stock to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for any shares of our common stock.

Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue or sale of the shares of our common stock may only be communicated or caused to be communicated in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to Welltower Inc.

All applicable provisions of the FSMA must be complied with in respect to anything done by any person in relation to the shares of our common stock in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Hong Kong

The shares of our common stock have not been and will not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the laws of Hong Kong) (the “SFO”) and any rules made under the SFO, or (ii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the laws of Hong Kong) (the “C(WUMP)O”) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the C(WUMP)O; and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the shares of our common stock has been or will be issued or has been or will be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to shares of our common stock which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the SFO and any rules made thereunder.

Notice to Prospective Investors in Singapore

Each of the sales agents and the forward sellers has acknowledged that this prospectus supplement has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, each of the sales agents and the forward sellers has represented, warranted and agreed that it has not offered or sold any shares of our common stock or caused the shares of our common stock to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase and will not offer or sell any shares of our common stock or cause the shares of our common stock to be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, and has not circulated or distributed, nor will it circulate or distribute, this prospectus supplement or any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the shares of our common stock, whether directly or indirectly, to any person in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act 2001 of Singapore, as modified or amended from time to time (the “SFA”)) pursuant to Section 274 of the SFA or (ii) to an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA) pursuant to and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA.

 

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Singapore Securities and Futures Act Product Classification—Solely for the purposes of our obligations pursuant to Sections 309B(1)(a) and 309B(1)(c) of the SFA, we have determined, and hereby notify all relevant persons (as defined in Section 309A of the SFA), that the shares of our common stock are a “prescribed capital markets product” (as defined in the Securities and Futures (Capital Markets Products) Regulations 2018) and an Excluded Investment Product (as defined in MAS Notice SFA 04-N12: Notice on the Sale of Investment Products and MAS Notice FAA-N16: Notice on Recommendations on Investment Products).

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters regarding the shares offered hereby and certain tax matters will be passed upon for us by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, New York, New York. Sidley Austin LLP, New York, New York, will act as counsel to the sales agents, the forward sellers and the forward purchasers and from time to time represents us on a variety of matters unrelated to shares of our common stock offered under this prospectus supplement.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements and schedules included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements and schedules are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

The prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of a registration statement that we filed with the SEC covering various securities that we may offer, including the shares offered under this prospectus supplement. The registration statement, including the attached exhibits and schedules, contains additional relevant information about the shares offered hereby.

Additionally, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC, all of which are made available, free of charge, on our website at www.welltower.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, and our web address is included in this prospectus supplement as an inactive textual reference only. You can review these SEC filings and the registration statement by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with the SEC, which means:

 

•

we consider incorporated documents to be part of this prospectus supplement;

 

•

we may disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents; and information we subsequently file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus supplement.

 

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DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

This prospectus supplement incorporates by reference the following documents we filed with the SEC; provided, however, that we are not incorporating any documents or information deemed to have been furnished (but not filed) under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K and exhibits relating to such disclosure, unless otherwise specifically noted below:

 

•

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, including information specifically incorporated by reference into the Form 10-K;

 

•

Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March  31, 2024, June  30, 2024 and September 30, 2024;

 

•

The information responsive to Part III of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, provided in our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on April 12, 2024;

 

•

Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 15, 2024, March  25, 2024, April  30, 2024, May  24, 2024, July 11, 2024 (as amended on  July  29, 2024), July  29, 2024 and October 8, 2024;

 

•

The description of our common stock as set forth in our registration statement filed under the Exchange Act on Form 8-A on June 17, 1985, as updated by Exhibit 4.10 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and as subsequently amended or updated; and

 

•

All subsequent documents filed by us under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus supplement and before the date any particular offering of shares of our common stock under this prospectus supplement is terminated; other than the portions of such documents that by statute or rule, by designation in such document or otherwise, are not deemed to be filed with the SEC or are not required to be incorporated herein by reference.

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus summarize material provisions of contracts and other documents to which we refer. Since this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may not contain all the information that you may find important, you should review the full text of those documents. Upon oral or written request, we will provide each person receiving this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus a free copy of any or all documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. You may direct such requests to:

Matthew McQueen

Executive Vice President—General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

Welltower Inc.

4500 Dorr Street

Toledo, Ohio 43615

(419) 247-2800

 

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Prospectus

Welltower Inc.

DEBT SECURITIES

COMMON STOCK

PREFERRED STOCK

DEPOSITARY SHARES

GUARANTEES

WARRANTS

UNITS

 

 

Welltower OP Inc.

DEBT SECURITIES

GUARANTEES

 

 

Welltower Inc., or any selling security holder, may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings:

 

•

debt securities;

 

•

shares of common stock;

 

•

shares of preferred stock;

 

•

depositary shares;

 

•

guarantees of debt securities issued by Welltower OP Inc.;

 

•

warrants to purchase debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock; and

 

•

units consisting of one or more debt securities or other securities.

Welltower OP Inc. may offer and sell from time to time, in one or more offerings:

 

•

debt securities; and

 

•

guarantees of debt securities issued by Welltower Inc.

We, or any selling security holder, if applicable, may offer one or more of these securities from time to time on terms to be determined at the time of offering. We will provide the specific terms of the securities being offered in supplements to this prospectus prepared in connection with each offering. Debt securities of Welltower Inc. may be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Welltower OP Inc., as described herein or in a prospectus supplement. Debt securities of Welltower OP Inc. may be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Welltower Inc., as described herein or in a prospectus supplement. These debt securities and any such guarantees may be senior or subordinated. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with an offering. You should read this prospectus, the prospectus supplement for the specific security being offered and any related free writing prospectus carefully before making a decision to invest.

The common stock of Welltower Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WELL.”

 

 

Investing in our securities involves risk. See “Risk Factors” section of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the applicable prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state or other securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is April 1, 2022.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

		Page(s)
ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS			1
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION			2
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE			3
THE COMPANY			4
USE OF PROCEEDS			5
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES			6
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES			7
DESCRIPTION OF OUR CAPITAL STOCK			14
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES			19
DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS			22
DESCRIPTION OF UNITS			23
RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF SECURITIES			23
DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF OUR CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION AND BY-LAWS			24
SELLING SECURITY HOLDERS			25
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			26
VALIDITY OF SECURITIES			30
EXPERTS			30

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any related free writing prospectus. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information with respect to this offering. This document may only be used where it is legal to sell these securities. You should only assume that the information in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement is accurate as of the date on the front of those documents. Our business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we or any selling security holder may sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus at any time and from time to time in one or more offerings. This prospectus provides you only with a general description of the securities we or any selling security holder may offer. Each time we sell or any selling security holder sells securities, a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of that offering will be provided. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with an offering. The prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add to, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find Additional Information” and “Documents Incorporated by Reference.”

This prospectus contains and incorporates by reference market data and industry statistics and forecasts that are based on independent industry publications and other publicly available information. Although we believe that these sources are reliable, we do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information and we have not independently investigated or verified this information. Although we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the market and industry data presented in this prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference, these estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on this information.

Unless specifically noted otherwise in this prospectus or unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer to Welltower Inc., its subsidiaries, including Welltower OP Inc.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference contain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When we use words such as “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, we are making forward-looking statements. In particular, these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those relating to our opportunities to acquire, develop or sell properties; to invest in Green Projects; our ability to close our anticipated acquisitions, investments or dispositions on currently anticipated terms, or within currently anticipated timeframes; the expected performance of our operators/tenants and properties; our expected occupancy rates; our ability to declare and to make distributions to stockholders; our investment and financing opportunities and plans; our continued qualification as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”); and our ability to access capital markets or other sources of funds.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ materially from our expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. This may be a result of various factors, including, but not limited to:

 

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the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;

 

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uncertainty regarding the implementation and impact of the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security Act and future stimulus or other COVID-19 relief legislation;

 

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the status of the economy;

 

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the status of capital markets, including availability and cost of capital;

 

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issues facing the health care industry, including compliance with, and changes to, regulations and payment policies, responding to government investigations and punitive settlements and operators’/tenants’ difficulty in cost-effectively obtaining and maintaining adequate liability and other insurance;

 

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changes in financing terms;

 

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competition within the health care and seniors housing industries;

 

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negative developments in the operating results or financial condition of operators/tenants, including, but not limited to, their ability to pay rent and repay loans;

 

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our ability to transition or sell properties with profitable results;

 

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the failure to make new investments or acquisitions as and when anticipated;

 

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natural disasters and other acts of God affecting our properties;

 

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our ability to re-lease space at similar rates as vacancies occur;

 

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our ability to timely reinvest sale proceeds at similar rates to assets sold;

 

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operator/tenant or joint venture partner bankruptcies or insolvencies;

 

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the cooperation of joint venture partners;

 

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government regulations affecting Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates and operational requirements;

 

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liability or contract claims by or against operators/tenants;

 

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unanticipated difficulties and/or expenditures relating to future investments or acquisitions;

 

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environmental laws affecting our properties;

 

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changes in rules or practices governing our financial reporting;

 

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the movement of U.S. and foreign currency exchange rates;

 

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our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT;

 

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key management personnel recruitment and retention; and

 

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other risk factors included in the reports we file from time to time with the SEC, including, but not limited to, the risks identified in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC covering the securities that may be offered under this prospectus. The registration statement, including the attached exhibits and schedules, contains additional relevant information about the securities.

Additionally, we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC, all of which are made available, free of charge, on our website at www.welltower.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. The information on our website is not

 

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incorporated by reference in this prospectus and our web address is included in this prospectus as an inactive textual reference only. You can review these SEC filings and the registration statement by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

This prospectus does not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. We have omitted certain parts consistent with SEC rules. For further information, please see the registration statement.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with the SEC, which means:

 

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we consider incorporated documents to be part of this prospectus;

 

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we may disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents; and

 

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information we subsequently file with the SEC prior to the termination of an applicable offering of securities hereunder will automatically update and supersede the information in this prospectus.

This prospectus incorporates by reference the following documents we filed with the SEC; provided, however, that we are not incorporating any documents or information deemed to have been furnished (but not filed) under Items 2.02 or 7.01 of any Current Report on Form 8-K and exhibits relating to such disclosure, unless otherwise specifically noted below or in a prospectus supplement:

 

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Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, including information specifically incorporated by reference into the Form 10-K;

 

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Preliminary Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, filed on March 29, 2022, as supplemented by the additional definitive proxy soliciting materials filed on March 7, 2022;

 

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Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on March 7, 2022 and March 31, 2022;

 

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Current Report on Form 8-K12B filed on April 1, 2022;

 

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The description of common stock as set forth in Old Welltower’s (as defined below) registration statement filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), on Form 8-A on June  17, 1985, as updated by Exhibit 4.5 to Old Welltower’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, and as subsequently amended or updated; and

 

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All subsequent documents filed by us under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and before the termination of an applicable offering of securities hereunder; other than the portions of such documents that by statute or rule, by designation in such document or otherwise, are not deemed to be filed with the SEC or are not required to be incorporated herein by reference.

This prospectus summarizes material provisions of contracts and other documents to which we refer. Since this prospectus may not contain all the information that you may find important, you should review the full text of those documents. Upon oral or written request, we will provide each person receiving this prospectus a free copy of any or all documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus. You may direct such requests to:

Matthew McQueen

Executive Vice President – General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

Welltower Inc.

4500 Dorr Street

Toledo, Ohio 43615 (419) 247-2800

 

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THE COMPANY

We are an S&P 500 company headquartered in Toledo, Ohio and are driving the transformation of health care infrastructure. We invest with leading seniors housing operators, post-acute providers and health systems to fund the real estate and infrastructure needed to scale innovative care delivery models and improve people’s wellness and overall health care experience. Welltower^TM, a REIT, owns interests in properties concentrated in major, high-growth markets in the United States (“U.S.”), Canada and the United Kingdom, consisting of seniors housing, post-acute communities and outpatient medical properties.

Our principal executive offices are located at 4500 Dorr Street, Toledo, Ohio, 43615, and our telephone number is (419) 247-2800. Our internet address is at www.welltower.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus, and our web address is included as an inactive textual reference only.

As previously disclosed, on March 7, 2022, the company formerly known as Welltower Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Old Welltower”), entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “Merger Agreement”) with the company formerly known as WELL Merger Holdco Inc., a Delaware corporation, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Old Welltower (“New Welltower”), and WELL Merger Holdco Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of New Welltower (“Merger Sub”). The purpose of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement was for Old Welltower to implement a corporate reorganization into a new holding company structure commonly referred to as an Umbrella Partnership Real Estate Investment Trust, or UPREIT.

Effective on April 1, 2022, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Old Welltower, with Old Welltower continuing as the surviving corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of New Welltower (the “Merger”). The Merger was conducted pursuant to Section 251(g) of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”), which provides for the formation of a holding company (i.e., New Welltower) without a vote of the shareholders of the constituent corporation (i.e., Old Welltower). In connection with the Merger, Old Welltower’s name was changed to Welltower OP Inc., and New Welltower inherited the name “Welltower Inc.”

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise described in a prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities under this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include repaying debt and investing in health care and seniors housing properties. Until the proceeds from a sale of securities by us are applied to their intended uses, they may be invested in short-term, investment grade, interest-bearing securities, certificates of deposit or indirect or guaranteed obligations of the United States. We will not receive any of the proceeds from sales of securities by any selling security holder pursuant to this prospectus.

 

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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE OFFERED SECURITIES

Welltower Inc. may offer under this prospectus one or more of the following categories of its securities:

 

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debt securities, in one or more series;

 

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shares of its common stock, par value $1.00 per share;

 

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shares of its preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, in one or more series;

 

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depositary shares, representing interests in its preferred stock, in one or more series;

 

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guarantees of debt securities issued by Welltower OP Inc;

 

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warrants to purchase any of the foregoing securities; and

 

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units consisting of any combination of the foregoing securities.

Welltower OP Inc. may offer under this prospectus one or more of the following categories of its securities:

 

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debt securities, in one or more series; and

 

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guarantees of debt securities issued by Welltower Inc.

The terms of any specific offering of securities, including the terms of any units offered, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus relating to such offering.

The certificate of incorporation of Welltower Inc. (our “certificate of incorporation”) authorizes us to issue 700,000,000 shares of common stock and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. As of April 1, 2022, Welltower Inc. had outstanding 453,966,965 shares of common stock. The common stock of Welltower Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “WELL.”

For a discussion of the taxation of the Company and the material federal income tax consequences to you as a holder of our common stock and debt securities offered under this prospectus, see Exhibit 99.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K12B filed with the SEC on April 1, 2022. The applicable prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus delivered with this prospectus may provide additional information about federal income tax considerations, if any, related to the particular securities being offered.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

This section describes the general terms and provisions of the debt securities of Welltower Inc. and the debt securities of Welltower OP Inc. In this description, unless specifically noted otherwise or unless the context otherwise requires, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer to either Welltower Inc. or Welltower OP Inc., as applicable, as issuer of the debt securities. The debt securities sold under this prospectus will be our direct obligations, which may be secured or unsecured, and which may be senior or subordinated indebtedness. The debt securities may be guaranteed on a secured or unsecured, senior or subordinated basis, by one or more of our subsidiaries. The debt securities will be issued under one or more indentures among us, the specified guarantor, if any, and a specified trustee. Any indenture will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended. The statements made in this prospectus relating to any indentures and the debt securities to be issued under the indentures are summaries of certain provisions or anticipated provisions of the indentures.

The following is a summary of the material terms of our debt securities. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. If you want more information, you should read the forms of indentures to be entered into among us, the guarantor, if any, and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee, for senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt securities and junior subordinated debt securities which we have filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find Additional Information.” The summary set forth below does not purport to be complete and is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the descriptions of the particular terms of the securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus.

General

We may issue debt securities that rank “senior,” “senior subordinated” or “junior subordinated.” The debt securities that we refer to as “senior” will be our direct obligations and will rank equally and ratably in right of payment with our other indebtedness not subordinated. We may issue debt securities that will be subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full of senior debt, as defined in the applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus, and may rank equally and ratably with the other senior subordinated indebtedness. We refer to these as “senior subordinated” securities. We may also issue debt securities that may be subordinated in right of payment to the senior subordinated securities. These would be “junior subordinated” securities. We have filed with the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part, separate forms of indentures for senior debt securities, senior subordinated debt securities and junior subordinated debt securities. We refer to each of these three indentures as an “indenture.” We refer to senior subordinated and junior subordinated securities as “subordinated.”

We may issue the debt securities without limit as to aggregate principal amount, in one or more series, in each case as we establish in one or more supplemental indentures. We need not issue all debt securities of one series at the same time. Unless we otherwise provide, we may reopen a series, without the consent of the holders of the series, for issuances of additional securities of that series.

Unless otherwise provided in the prospectus supplement relating to any debt securities, the debt securities will not constitute obligations of our subsidiaries. Creditors and preferred equity holders of our subsidiaries are entitled to a preferred claim on the assets of those subsidiaries. Consequently, in the event of a liquidation or reorganization of any subsidiary, creditors and preferred equity holders of the subsidiary are likely to be paid in full before any distribution is made to the Company and holders of debt securities, except to the extent that the Company is itself recognized as a creditor of such subsidiary, in which case the Company’s claims would still be subordinate to any security interests in the assets of such subsidiary and any debt of such subsidiary senior to that held by the Company.

The senior debt indenture provides and we anticipate that any other indenture will provide that we may, but need not, designate more than one trustee under an indenture, each with respect to one or more series of debt

 

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securities. Any trustee under any indenture may resign or be removed with respect to one or more series of debt securities, and we may appoint a successor trustee to act with respect to that series. The applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus will describe the specific terms relating to the series of debt securities we will offer, including, where applicable, the following:

 

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the title and series designation and whether they are senior securities, senior subordinated securities or junior subordinated securities;

 

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the aggregate principal amount of the securities;

 

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the percentage of the principal amount at which we will issue the debt securities and, if other than the principal amount of the debt securities, the portion of the principal amount of the debt securities payable upon maturity of the debt securities;

 

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if convertible, the securities into which they are convertible, the initial conversion price, the conversion period and any other terms governing such conversion;

 

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the stated maturity date;

 

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any fixed or variable interest rate or rates per annum;

 

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if other than at the corporate trust office of the trustee, the place where principal, premium, if any, and interest will be payable and where the debt securities can be surrendered for transfer, exchange or conversion;

 

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the date from which interest may accrue and any interest payment dates;

 

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any sinking fund requirements;

 

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any provisions for redemption, including the redemption price and any remarketing arrangements;

 

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any provisions for denomination or payment of the securities in a foreign currency or units of two or more foreign currencies;

 

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the events of default and covenants of such securities, to the extent different from or in addition to those described in this prospectus;

 

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whether we will issue the debt securities in certificated or book-entry form;

 

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whether the debt securities will be in registered or bearer form and, if in registered form, the denominations if other than in even multiples of $1,000 and, if in bearer form, the denominations and terms and conditions relating thereto;

 

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whether we will issue any of the debt securities in permanent global form and, if so, the terms and conditions, if any, upon which interests in the global security may be exchanged, in whole or in part, for the individual debt securities represented by the global security;

 

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the applicability, if any, of the defeasance and covenant defeasance provisions described in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement;

 

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any provisions for payment of additional amounts on the securities in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and rights for us to redeem the debt securities instead of making this payment;

 

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the subordination provisions, if any, relating to the debt securities;

 

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if the debt securities are to be issued upon the exercise of debt warrants, the time, manner and place for them to be authenticated and delivered;

 

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whether any of our subsidiaries will be bound by the terms of the indenture, in particular any restrictive covenants;

 

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the provisions relating to any security provided for the debt securities; and

 

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the provisions relating to any guarantee of the debt securities.

 

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We may issue debt securities at less than the principal amount payable at maturity. We refer to these securities as “original issue discount” securities. If material or applicable, we will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement special U.S. federal income tax, accounting and other considerations applicable to original issue discount securities.

Except as may be described in any prospectus supplement, an indenture will not contain any provisions that would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or that would afford holders of the debt securities protection in the event of a highly leveraged or similar transaction involving us or in the event of a change of control. You should review carefully the applicable prospectus supplement for information with respect to events of default and covenants applicable to the securities being offered.

Denominations, Interest, Registration and Transfer

Unless otherwise described in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will issue the debt securities of any series that are registered securities in denominations that are even multiples of $1,000, other than global securities, which may be of any denomination.

Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will pay the interest, principal and any premium at the corporate trust office of the trustee, such other address as the trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the holders and the Company or the principal corporate trust office of any successor trustee. At our option, however, we may make payment of interest by check mailed to the address of the person entitled to the payment as it appears in the applicable register or by wire transfer of funds to that person at an account maintained within the United States.

If we do not punctually pay or otherwise provide for interest on any interest payment date, the defaulted interest will be paid either:

 

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to the person in whose name the debt security is registered at the close of business on a special record date the trustee will fix; or

 

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in any other lawful manner, all as the applicable indenture describes.

You may have your debt securities divided into more debt securities of smaller denominations or combined into fewer debt securities of larger denominations, as long as the total principal amount is not changed. We call this an “exchange.” You may exchange or transfer debt securities at the office of the applicable trustee. The trustee acts as our agent for registering debt securities in the names of holders and transferring debt securities. We may change this appointment to another entity or perform it ourselves.

The entity performing the role of maintaining the list of registered holders is called the “registrar.” It will also perform transfers. You will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange debt securities, but you may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the exchange or transfer. The registrar will make the transfer or exchange only if it is satisfied with your proof of ownership.

Guarantees

Debt securities issued by Welltower Inc. may be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Welltower OP Inc., and debt securities issued by Welltower OP Inc. may be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Welltower Inc. The applicable prospectus supplement relating to a series of debt securities will provide that those debt securities will have the benefit of a guarantee by Welltower Inc. or Welltower OP Inc, as applicable. The guarantees will be general obligations of each guarantor. If a series of debt securities is so guaranteed, a supplemental indenture to the applicable base indenture will be executed by each guarantor.

The obligations of each guarantor under its guarantee will be limited as necessary to prevent that guarantee from constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance under applicable law. A guarantor will be permitted to

 

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consolidate or merge with, or sell substantially all of its assets to another company, other than us or another guarantor, only if (i) the other company is an entity organized under the laws of one of the states of the United States or the District of Columbia or under United States federal law and agrees to be legally responsible for the guarantee; and (ii) immediately after the merger, sale of assets or other transaction, there would exist no event of default on the debt securities or any event that would be an event of default on the debt securities if the requirements regarding notice of default or continuing default for a specific period of time were disregarded. The terms of any guarantee and the conditions upon which a guarantor may be released from its obligations under that guarantee will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets

Under an indenture, we are or generally will be permitted to consolidate or merge with another company. In addition, we are or will be permitted to sell substantially all of our assets to another company, or to buy substantially all of the assets of another company. However, we may not take any of these actions unless the following conditions are met:

 

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if we merge out of existence or sell our assets, the other company must be an entity organized under the laws of one of the states of the United States or the District of Columbia or under United States federal law and must agree to be legally responsible for our debt securities; and

 

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immediately after the merger, sale of assets or other transaction, we may not be in default on the debt securities. A default for this purpose would include any event that would be an event of default if the requirements regarding notice of default or continuing default for a specific period of time were disregarded.

Certain Covenants

Existence. Except as permitted and described above under “—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets,” we will agree to do all things necessary to preserve and keep our existence, rights and franchises, provided that it is in our best interests for the conduct of business.

Provisions of Financial Information. To the extent permitted by law, we will agree to file all annual, quarterly and other reports and financial statements with the SEC and the trustee on or before the applicable SEC filing dates whether or not we remain required to do so under the Exchange Act.

Additional Covenants. Any additional or different covenants or modifications to the foregoing covenants with respect to any series of debt securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Events of Default and Related Matters

Events of Default. The term “event of default” for any series of debt securities means any of the following:

 

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We do not pay the principal or any premium on a debt security of that series at its maturity date.

 

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We do not pay interest on a debt security of that series within 30 days after its due date.

 

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We do not deposit any sinking fund payment for that series within 30 days after its due date.

 

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We or the guarantor, if any, remains in breach of any other term of the applicable indenture (other than a term added to the indenture solely for the benefit of another series) for 60 days after we or the guarantor receives a written notice of default from the trustee or holders of at least a majority in principal amount of debt securities of the affected series specifying the breach and requiring it to be remedied.

 

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We or the guarantor, if any, defaults under any of our or the guarantor’s other indebtedness in specified amounts after the expiration of any applicable grace period, which default results in the acceleration of

 

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the maturity of such indebtedness. Such default is not an event of default if the other indebtedness is discharged, or the acceleration is rescinded or annulled, within a period of 10 days after we or the guarantor receives a written notice from the trustee or holders of at least a majority in principal amount of debt securities of the affected series specifying the default and requiring that we or the guarantor discharges the other indebtedness or cause the acceleration to be rescinded or annulled.

 

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We, the guarantor, if any, or one of our “significant subsidiaries,” if any, files for bankruptcy or certain other events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur. The term “significant subsidiary” means each of our significant subsidiaries, if any, as defined in Regulation S-X under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

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Any other event of default described in the applicable prospectus supplement occurs.

Remedies If an Event of Default Occurs. If an event of default has occurred and has not been cured, the trustee or the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series may declare the entire principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and immediately payable. If an event of default occurs because of certain events in bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization, the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series will be automatically accelerated, without any action by the trustee or any holder. At any time after the trustee or the holders have accelerated any series of debt securities, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series may, under certain circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration.

The trustee will be required to give notice to the holders of debt securities within 90 days after a default under the applicable indenture; provided, however, that in case of any default that may be cured, no such notice will be required to be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof. The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of any series of debt securities of any default with respect to that series, except a default in the payment of the principal of or interest on any debt security of that series, if specified responsible officers of the trustee in good faith determine that withholding the notice is in the interest of the holders.

Except in cases of default, where the trustee has some special duties, the trustee is not required to take any action under the applicable indenture at the request of any holders unless the holders offer the trustee reasonable protection from expenses and liability. We refer to this as an “indemnity.” If reasonable indemnity satisfactory to it is provided, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding securities of the relevant series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any lawsuit or other formal legal action seeking any remedy available to the trustee. These majority holders may also direct the trustee in performing any other action under the applicable indenture, subject to certain limitations.

Before you bypass the trustee and bring your own lawsuit or other formal legal action or take other steps to enforce your rights or protect your interests relating to the debt securities, the following must occur:

 

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you must give the trustee written notice that an event of default has occurred and remains uncured;

 

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the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of all outstanding securities of the relevant series must make a written request that the trustee take action because of the default, and must offer reasonable indemnity to the trustee against the cost and other liabilities of taking that action; and

 

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the trustee must have not taken action for 60 days after receipt of the notice and offer of indemnity.

However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on your security after its due date.

Every year we will furnish to the trustee a written statement by certain of our officers certifying that to their knowledge we are in compliance with the applicable indenture, or else specifying any default.

 

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Modification of an Indenture

There are three types of changes we can make to the indentures and the debt securities:

Changes Requiring Your Approval. First, there are changes we cannot make to your debt securities without your specific approval. The following is a list of those types of changes:

 

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change the stated maturity of the principal or interest on a debt security;

 

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reduce any amounts due on a debt security;

 

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reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of a debt security following a default;

 

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change the currency of payment on a debt security;

 

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impair your right to sue for payment;

 

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modify the subordination provisions, if any, in a manner that is adverse to you;

 

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reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities whose consent is needed to modify or amend an indenture or to waive compliance with certain provisions of an indenture;

 

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reduce the percentage of holders of debt securities whose consent is needed to waive past defaults or change certain provisions of the indenture relating to waivers of default; or

 

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waive a default or event of default in the payment of principal, interest, or premium, if any, on the debt securities.

Changes Requiring a Majority Vote. The second type of change is the kind that requires the vote of holders of debt securities owning a majority of the principal amount of the particular series affected. Most changes fall into this category, except for clarifying changes and certain other changes that would not materially adversely affect holders of the debt securities. We require the same vote to obtain a waiver of a past default; however, we cannot obtain a waiver of a payment default or any other aspect of an indenture or the debt securities listed in the first category described above under “—Changes Requiring Your Approval” unless we obtain your individual consent to the waiver.

Changes Not Requiring Approval. The third type of change does not require any vote by holders of debt securities. This type is limited to clarifications and certain other changes that would not materially adversely affect holders of the debt securities.

Further Details Concerning Voting. Debt securities are not considered outstanding, and therefore the holders of debt securities are not eligible to vote on matters relating thereto, if we have deposited or set aside in trust for such holders money for payment or redemption of debt securities or if we own or one of our affiliates owns the debt securities. The holders of debt securities are also not eligible to vote if the debt securities have been fully defeased as described below under “—Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance—Full Defeasance.”

Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance

Discharge. We may discharge some obligations to holders of any series of debt securities that either have become due and payable or will become due and payable within one year, or scheduled for redemption within one year, by irrevocably depositing with the trustee, in trust, funds in the applicable currency in an amount sufficient to pay the debt securities, including any premium and interest.

Full Defeasance. We can, under particular circumstances, effect a full defeasance of your series of debt securities. By this we mean we can legally release ourselves from any payment or other obligations on the debt

 

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securities if, among other things, we put in place the arrangements described below to repay you and deliver certain certificates and opinions to the trustee:

 

•

we must deposit in trust for your benefit and the benefit of all other direct holders of the debt securities a combination of money or U.S. government or U.S. government agency notes or bonds or, in some circumstances, depositary receipts representing these notes or bonds, that will generate enough cash to make interest, principal and any other payments on the debt securities on their various due dates;

 

•

under current federal income tax law, the deposit and our legal release from the debt securities would be treated as though we redeemed your debt securities in exchange for your share of the cash and notes or bonds deposited in trust. This treatment would result in sale or exchange treatment of your notes, which would cause you to recognize gain or loss equal to the amount described in Exhibit 99.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K12B filed on April 1, 2022; and

 

•

we must deliver to the trustee a legal opinion confirming the tax law change described above.

If we did accomplish full defeasance, you would have to rely solely on the trust deposit for repayment on the debt securities. You could not look to us for repayment in the unlikely event of any shortfall. Conversely, the trust deposit would most likely be protected from claims of our lenders and other creditors if we ever became bankrupt or insolvent. You would also be released from any subordination provisions.

Covenant Defeasance. We can make the same type of deposit described above and be released from some of the restrictive covenants in the debt securities. This is called “covenant defeasance.” In that event, you would lose the protection of those restrictive covenants but would gain the protection of having money and securities set aside in trust to repay the securities and you would be released from any subordination provisions.

If we did accomplish covenant defeasance, the following provisions of an indenture and the debt securities would no longer apply:

 

•

any covenants applicable to the series of debt securities and described in the applicable prospectus supplement;

 

•

any subordination provisions; and

 

•

certain events of default relating to breach of covenants and acceleration of the maturity of other debt set forth in any prospectus supplement.

If we did accomplish covenant defeasance, you could still look to us for repayment of the debt securities if a shortfall in the trust deposit occurred. If one of the remaining events of default occurred, for example, our bankruptcy, and the debt securities became immediately due and payable, there may be a shortfall. Depending on the event causing the default, you may not be able to obtain payment of the shortfall.

Subordination

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms and conditions, if any, upon which any series of senior subordinated securities or junior subordinated securities is subordinated to debt securities of another series or to our other indebtedness. The terms will include a description of:

 

•

the indebtedness ranking senior to the debt securities being offered;

 

•

the restrictions, if any, on payments to the holders of the debt securities being offered while a default with respect to the senior indebtedness is continuing;

 

•

the restrictions, if any, on payments to the holders of the debt securities being offered following an event of default; and

 

•

provisions requiring holders of the debt securities being offered to remit some payments to holders of senior indebtedness.

 

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Global Securities

If so set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue the debt securities of a series in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with a depositary identified in the prospectus supplement or its nominee. If so represented, interests in such global note will be shown on, and transfers thereof will be effected only through, records maintained by the designated depositary and its participants. We may issue global securities in either registered or bearer form and in either temporary or permanent form. The specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any series of debt securities will be described in the prospectus supplement.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following is a summary of certain terms of our common stock and preferred stock that Welltower Inc. may issue. Because this summary is not complete, you should refer to our certificate of incorporation and Welltower Inc.’s by-laws (our “by-laws”), which documents provide additional information regarding our common stock and preferred stock, and the applicable provisions of the DGCL. See also “Description of Certain Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws” below. Copies of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, as amended, are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. The summary set forth below is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the description of the particular terms of the securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus. In this description, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer only to Welltower Inc. and not to any of its subsidiaries. In description, all references to “common stock” refer to common stock, par value $1.00 per share, of Welltower Inc., and all references to “preferred stock” refer to preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, of Welltower Inc.

Common Stock

Common stockholders are entitled to receive dividends if, when and as declared by our board of directors and after payment of, or provision for, full cumulative dividends on and any required redemptions of shares of preferred stock then outstanding. Common stockholders have one vote per share, and there are no cumulative voting rights. If we are voluntarily or involuntarily liquidated or dissolved, common stockholders are to share ratably in our distributable assets remaining after the satisfaction of all of our debts and liabilities and the preferred stockholders’ prior preferential rights. Common stockholders do not have preemptive rights. The common stock will be, when issued, fully paid and nonassessable. The common stock is subject to restrictions on transfer under certain circumstances described under “Restrictions on Transfer of Securities” below. The transfer agent for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock which are outstanding or which we may designate and issue in the future. See “Preferred Stock” below.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors or a duly authorized committee thereof will determine the designations, preferences, limitations and relative rights of our authorized and unissued preferred stock. These may include:

 

•

the distinctive designation of each series and the number of shares that will constitute the series;

 

•

the voting rights, if any, of shares of the series;

 

•

the distribution rate on the shares of the series, any restriction, limitation or condition upon the payment of the distribution, whether distributions will be cumulative, and the dates on which distributions are payable;

 

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•

if the shares are redeemable, the prices at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be redeemed;

 

•

the purchase or sinking fund provisions, if any, for the purchase or redemption of shares of the series;

 

•

any preferential amount payable upon shares of the series upon our liquidation or the distribution of our assets;

 

•

if the shares are convertible, the price or rates of conversion at which, and the terms and conditions on which, the shares of the series may be converted into other securities; and

 

•

whether the series can be exchanged, at our option, into debt securities, and the terms and conditions of any permitted exchange.

The issuance of shares of preferred stock, or the issuance of rights to purchase shares of preferred stock, could discourage an unsolicited acquisition proposal. In addition, the rights of holders of shares of our common stock will be subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of holders of any shares of preferred stock that we may issue in the future.

The following describes some general terms and provisions of the preferred stock to which a prospectus supplement or a related free writing prospectus may relate. The statements below describing the preferred stock do not purport to be complete and are in all respects subject to and qualified in their entirety by reference to the applicable provisions of our certificate of incorporation, including any applicable certificate of designation, and our by-laws.

The prospectus supplement or any related free writing prospectus will describe the specific terms as to each issuance of shares of preferred stock, including:

 

•

the description of the preferred stock;

 

•

the number of shares of preferred stock offered;

 

•

the offering price of the shares of preferred stock;

 

•

the distribution rate, when distributions will be paid, or the method of determining the distribution rate if it is based on a formula or not otherwise fixed;

 

•

the date from which distributions on the shares of preferred stock shall accumulate;

 

•

the voting rights, if any, of the holders of the shares of preferred stock;

 

•

the provisions for any auctioning or remarketing, if any, of the shares of preferred stock;

 

•

the provision, if any, for redemption or a sinking fund;

 

•

the liquidation preference per share;

 

•

any listing of the shares of preferred stock on a securities exchange;

 

•

whether the shares of preferred stock will be convertible and, if so, the security into which they are convertible and the terms and conditions of conversion, including the conversion price or the manner of determining it;

 

•

whether interests in the shares of preferred stock will be represented by depositary shares as more fully described below under “Description of Depositary Shares;”

 

•

a discussion of any material federal income tax considerations;

 

•

the relative ranking and preferences of the shares of preferred stock as to distribution and liquidation rights;

 

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•

any limitations on issuance of any shares of preferred stock ranking senior to or on a parity with the series of preferred stock being offered as to distribution and liquidation rights;

 

•

any limitations on direct or beneficial ownership and restrictions on transfer, in each case as may be appropriate to preserve our status as a REIT; and

 

•

any other specific terms, preferences, rights, limitations or restrictions of the shares of preferred stock.

As described under “Description of Depositary Shares,” we may, at our option, elect to offer depositary shares evidenced by depositary receipts. If we elect to do this, each depositary receipt will represent a fractional interest in a share of the particular series of preferred stock issued and deposited with a depositary. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the depositary receipts.

The shares of preferred stock are subject to restrictions on transfer under certain circumstances described under “Restrictions on Transfer of Securities” below.

Rank

Unless our board of directors otherwise determines and we so specify in the applicable prospectus supplement, we expect that the shares of preferred stock will, with respect to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation or dissolution, rank senior to all of our shares of common stock.

Distributions

Holders of shares of preferred stock of each series will be entitled to receive cash and/or share distributions at the rates and on the dates shown in the applicable prospectus supplement. Even though the shares of preferred stock may specify a fixed rate of distribution, our board of directors must authorize and declare those distributions and they may be paid only out of assets legally available for payment. We will pay each distribution to holders of record as they appear on our share transfer books on the record dates fixed by our board of directors. In the case of shares of preferred stock represented by depositary receipts, the records of the depositary identified in the applicable prospectus supplement, or any successor depositary, will determine the persons to whom dividends are payable.

Distributions on any series of preferred stock may be cumulative or noncumulative, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. We refer to each particular series, for ease of reference, as the applicable series. Cumulative distributions will be cumulative from and after the date shown in the applicable prospectus supplement. If our board of directors fails to authorize a distribution on any applicable series that is noncumulative, the holders will have no right to receive, and we will have no obligation to pay, a distribution in respect of the applicable distribution period, whether or not distributions on that series are declared payable in the future. If the applicable series is entitled to a cumulative distribution, we may not declare, or pay or set aside for payment, any full distributions on any other series of preferred stock ranking, as to distributions, on a parity with or junior to the applicable series, unless we declare, and either pay or set aside for payment, full cumulative distributions on the applicable series for all past distribution periods and the then-current distribution period. If the applicable series does not have a cumulative distribution, we must declare, and pay or set aside for payment, full distributions for the then-current distribution period only. When distributions are not paid, or set aside for payment, in full upon any applicable series and the shares of any other series ranking on a parity as to distributions with the applicable series, we must declare, and pay or set aside for payment, all distributions upon the applicable series and any other parity series proportionately, in accordance with accrued and unpaid distributions of the several series. For these purposes, accrued and unpaid distributions do not include unpaid distribution periods on noncumulative preferred stock. No interest will be payable in respect of any distribution payment that may be in arrears.

Except as provided in the immediately preceding paragraph, unless we declare, and pay or set aside for payment, full cumulative distributions, including for the then-current period, on any cumulative applicable series,

 

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we may not declare, or pay or set aside for payment, any distributions upon shares of common stock or any other equity securities ranking junior to or on a parity with the applicable series as to distributions or upon liquidation. The foregoing restriction does not apply to distributions paid in shares of common stock or other equity securities ranking junior to the applicable series as to distributions and upon liquidation. If the applicable series is noncumulative, we need only declare, and pay or set aside for payment, the distribution for the then-current period, before declaring distributions on shares of common stock or junior or parity securities. In addition, under the circumstances that we could not declare a distribution, we may not redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire for any consideration any shares of common stock or other parity or junior equity securities, except upon conversion into or exchange for shares of common stock or other junior equity securities. We may, however, make purchases and redemptions otherwise prohibited pursuant to certain redemptions or pro rata offers to purchase the outstanding shares of the applicable series and any other parity series of preferred stock.

We will credit any distribution payment made on an applicable series first against the earliest accrued but unpaid distribution due with respect to the series.

Redemption

We may have the right or may be required to redeem one or more series of preferred stock, as a whole or in part, in each case upon the terms, if any, and at the times and at the redemption prices shown in the applicable prospectus supplement.

If a series of preferred stock is subject to mandatory redemption, we will specify in the applicable prospectus supplement the number of shares we are required to redeem, when those redemptions start, the redemption price, and any other terms and conditions affecting the redemption. The redemption price will include all accrued and unpaid distributions, except in the case of noncumulative preferred stock. The redemption price may be payable in cash or other property, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. If the redemption price for shares of preferred stock of any series is payable only from the net proceeds of our issuance of shares of capital stock, the terms of the preferred stock may provide that, if no shares of such capital stock shall have been issued or to the extent the net proceeds from any issuance are insufficient to pay in full the aggregate redemption price then due, the shares of preferred stock will automatically and mandatorily be converted into shares of the applicable capital stock pursuant to conversion provisions specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Liquidation Preference

The applicable prospectus supplement will show the liquidation preference of the applicable series. Upon our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, before any distribution may be made to the holders of our shares of common stock or any other shares of capital stock ranking junior in the distribution of assets upon any liquidation to the applicable series, the holders of that series will be entitled to receive, out of our assets legally available for distribution to stockholders, liquidating distributions in the amount of the liquidation preference, plus an amount equal to all distributions accrued and unpaid. In the case of a noncumulative applicable series, accrued and unpaid distributions include only the then-current distribution period. Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, after payment of the full amount of the liquidating distributions to which they are entitled, the holders of shares of preferred stock will have no right or claim to any of our remaining assets. If liquidating distributions shall have been made in full to all holders of shares of preferred stock, our remaining assets will be distributed among the holders of any other shares of capital stock ranking junior to the shares of preferred stock upon liquidation, according to their rights and preferences and in each case according to their number of shares.

If, upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, our available assets are insufficient to pay the amount of the liquidating distributions on all outstanding shares of that series and the corresponding amounts payable on all shares of capital stock ranking on a parity in the distribution of assets with that series, then the holders of that

 

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series and all other equally ranking shares of capital stock shall share ratably in the distribution in proportion to the full liquidating distributions to which they would otherwise be entitled. For these purposes, our consolidation or merger with or into any other corporation or other entity, or the sale, lease or conveyance of all or substantially all of our property or business, shall not be deemed to constitute a liquidation.

Voting Rights

Holders of the shares of preferred stock will not have any voting rights, except as described below or as otherwise from time to time required by law or as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. As more fully described under “Description of Depositary Shares” below, if we elect to issue depositary shares, each representing a fraction of a share of a series of preferred stock, each holder thereof will in effect be entitled to a fraction of a vote per depositary share.

Unless otherwise provided for in an applicable series, so long as any shares of preferred stock are outstanding, we may not, without the affirmative vote or consent of the holders of a majority of the shares (or such greater vote or consent as is required by the then-current rules of any stock exchange or trading market on which we shall have listed the applicable series of preferred stock for trading or as otherwise provided in our organizational documents) of each series of preferred stock outstanding at that time:

 

•

authorize, create or increase the authorized or issued amount of any class or series of shares of capital stock ranking senior to that series of preferred stock with respect to distribution and liquidation rights;

 

•

reclassify any authorized shares of capital stock into a series of shares of capital stock ranking senior to that series of preferred stock with respect to distribution and liquidation rights;

 

•

create, authorize or issue any security or obligation convertible into or evidencing the right to purchase any shares of capital stock ranking senior to that series of preferred stock with respect to distribution and liquidation rights; and

 

•

amend, alter or repeal the provisions of our certificate of incorporation relating to that series of preferred stock that materially and adversely affect the series of preferred stock.

The authorization, creation or increase of the authorized or issued amount of any class or series of shares of capital stock ranking on parity with or junior to a series of preferred stock with respect to distribution and liquidation rights will not be deemed to materially and adversely affect that series.

Conversion Rights

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms and conditions, if any, upon which you may, or we may require you to, convert shares of any series of preferred stock into shares of common stock or any other class or series of shares of capital stock. The terms will include the number of shares of common stock or other capital stock into which the shares of preferred stock are convertible, the conversion price or manner of determining it, the conversion period, provisions as to whether conversion will be at the option of the holders of the series or at our option, the events requiring an adjustment of the conversion price, and provisions affecting conversion upon the redemption of shares of the series.

Our Exchange Rights

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement the terms and conditions, if any, upon which we can require you to exchange shares of any series of preferred stock for debt securities. If an exchange is required, you will receive debt securities with a principal amount equal to the liquidation preference of the applicable series of preferred stock. The other terms and provisions of the debt securities will not be materially less favorable to you than those of the series of preferred stock being exchanged.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES

This section describes the general terms and provisions of shares of preferred stock represented by depositary shares. The applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus will describe the specific terms of the depositary shares offered through that prospectus supplement and any general terms outlined in this section that will not apply to those depositary shares.

We have summarized in this section certain terms and provisions of the deposit agreement, the depositary shares and the receipts representing depositary shares. The summary is not complete. You should read the forms of deposit agreement and depositary receipt that we will file with the SEC at or before the time of the offering of the depositary shares for additional information before you buy any depositary shares. In this description, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer only to Welltower Inc. and not to any of its subsidiaries.

General

We may, at our option, elect to offer fractional interests in shares of preferred stock, rather than shares of preferred stock. If we exercise this option, we will appoint a depositary to issue depositary receipts representing those fractional interests. Shares of preferred stock of each series represented by depositary shares will be deposited under a separate deposit agreement between us and the depositary. The prospectus supplement relating to a series of depositary shares will provide the name and address of the depositary. Subject to the terms of the applicable deposit agreement, each owner of depositary shares will be entitled to all of the dividend, voting, conversion, redemption, liquidation and other rights and preferences of the shares of preferred stock represented by those depositary shares.

Depositary receipts issued pursuant to the applicable deposit agreement will evidence ownership of depositary shares. Upon surrender of depositary receipts at the office of the depositary, and upon payment of the charges provided in and subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, a holder of depositary shares will be entitled to receive the shares of preferred stock underlying the surrendered depositary receipts.

Distributions

A depositary will be required to distribute all dividends or other cash distributions received in respect of the applicable shares of preferred stock to the record holders of depositary receipts evidencing the related depositary shares in proportion to the number of depositary receipts owned by the holders. Fractions will be rounded down to the nearest whole cent.

If the distribution is other than in cash, a depositary will be required to distribute property received by it to the record holders of depositary receipts entitled thereto, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make the distribution. In that case, the depositary may, with our approval, sell the property and distribute the net proceeds from the sale to the holders of depositary shares.

Depositary shares that represent shares of preferred stock converted or exchanged will not be entitled to distributions. The deposit agreement also will contain provisions relating to the manner in which any subscription or similar rights we offer to holders of shares of preferred stock will be made available to holders of depositary shares. All distributions will be subject to obligations of holders to file proofs, certificates and other information and to pay certain charges and expenses to the depositary.

Withdrawal of Shares of Preferred Stock

You may receive the number of whole shares of your series of preferred stock and any money or other property represented by your depositary receipts after surrendering your depositary receipts at the corporate trust office of the depositary. Partial shares of preferred stock will not be issued. If the depositary shares that you

 

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surrender exceed the number of depositary shares that represent the number of whole shares of preferred stock you wish to withdraw, then the depositary will deliver to you at the same time a new depositary receipt evidencing the excess number of depositary shares. Once you have withdrawn your shares of preferred stock, you will not be entitled to redeposit those shares of preferred stock under the deposit agreement in order to receive depositary shares. We do not expect that there will be any public trading market for withdrawn shares of preferred stock.

Redemption of Depositary Shares

If we redeem a series of the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares, the depositary will redeem those shares from the proceeds it receives. The redemption price per depositary share will be equal to the applicable fraction of the redemption price per share payable with respect to the series of the preferred stock. The redemption date for depositary shares will be the same as that of the preferred stock. If we are redeeming less than all of the depositary shares, the depositary will select the depositary shares we are redeeming by lot or pro rata as the depositary may determine.

After the date fixed for redemption, the depositary shares called for redemption will no longer be deemed outstanding. All rights of the holders of the depositary shares and the related depositary receipts will cease at that time, except the right to receive the money or other property to which the holders of depositary shares were entitled upon redemption. Receipt of the money or other property is subject to surrender to the depositary of the depositary receipts evidencing the redeemed depositary shares.

Voting of the Underlying Shares of Preferred Stock

Upon receipt of notice of any meeting at which the holders of the preferred stock are entitled to vote, a depositary will be required to mail the information contained in the notice of meeting to the record holders of the depositary shares representing such preferred stock. Each record holder of depositary receipts on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary as to how the holder’s depositary shares will be voted. The record date for the depositary shares will be the same as the record date for the preferred stock. The depositary will vote the shares as you instruct. We will agree to take all reasonable action that the depositary deems necessary in order to enable it to vote the preferred stock in that manner. If you do not instruct the depositary how to vote your shares, the depositary will abstain from voting those shares. The depositary will not be responsible for any failure to carry out any voting instruction, or for the manner or effect of any vote, as long as its action or inaction is in good faith and does not result from its negligence or willful misconduct.

Liquidation Preference

Upon our liquidation, whether voluntary or involuntary, each holder of depositary shares will be entitled to the fraction of the liquidation preference accorded each share of preferred stock represented by the depositary shares, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Conversion or Exchange of Shares of Preferred Stock

The depositary shares will not themselves be convertible into or exchangeable for shares of common stock or preferred stock or any of our other securities or property. Nevertheless, if so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the depositary receipts may be surrendered by holders to the applicable depositary with written instructions to it to instruct us to cause the conversion of the preferred stock represented by the depositary shares. Similarly, if so specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may require you to surrender all of your depositary receipts to the applicable depositary upon our requiring the conversion or exchange of the preferred stock represented by the depositary shares into our debt securities. We will agree that, upon receipt of the instruction and any amounts payable in connection with the conversion or exchange, we will cause the conversion or exchange using the same procedures as those provided for delivery of shares of preferred stock to effect the conversion or exchange. If you are converting only a part of the depositary shares, the depositary will issue you a new depositary receipt for any unconverted depositary shares.

 

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Amendment and Termination of a Deposit Agreement

We and the applicable depositary are permitted to amend the provisions of the depositary receipts and the deposit agreement. However, the holders of at least a majority of the applicable depositary shares then outstanding (or such greater approval as is required by the then-current rules of any stock exchange or trading market on which we shall have listed the applicable underlying series of preferred stock for trading or as otherwise provided in our organizational documents) must approve any amendment that adds or increases fees or charges or prejudices an important right of holders. Every holder of an outstanding depositary receipt at the time any amendment becomes effective, by continuing to hold the receipt, will be bound by the applicable deposit agreement, as amended.

Any deposit agreement may be terminated by us upon not less than 30-days’ prior written notice to the applicable depositary if (1) the termination is necessary to preserve our status as a REIT or (2) a majority of each series of preferred stock affected by the termination consents to the termination. When either event occurs, the depositary will be required to deliver or make available to each holder of depositary receipts, upon surrender of the depositary receipts held by the holder, the number of whole or fractional shares of preferred stock as are represented by the depositary shares evidenced by the depositary receipts, together with any other property held by the depositary with respect to the depositary receipts. In addition, a deposit agreement will automatically terminate if:

 

•

all depositary shares have been redeemed;

 

•

there shall have been a final distribution in respect of the related preferred stock in connection with our liquidation and the distribution has been made to the holders of depositary receipts evidencing the depositary shares underlying the preferred stock; or

 

•

each related share of preferred stock shall have been converted or exchanged into securities not represented by depositary shares.

Charges of a Depositary

We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of a deposit agreement. In addition, we will pay the fees and expenses of a depositary in connection with the initial deposit of the preferred stock and any redemption of preferred stock. However, holders of depositary receipts will pay any transfer or other governmental charges and the fees and expenses of a depositary for any duties the holders request to be performed that are outside of those expressly provided for in the applicable deposit agreement.

Resignation and Removal of a Depositary

A depositary may resign at any time by providing us notice of its election to resign. In addition, we may at any time remove a depositary. Any resignation or removal will take effect when we appoint a successor depositary and it accepts the appointment. We must appoint a successor depositary within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal. A depositary must be a bank or trust company that has its principal office in the United States and a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million.

Miscellaneous

A depositary will be required to forward to holders of depositary receipts any reports and communications from us that it receives with respect to the related shares of preferred stock, including, without limitation, proxy solicitation materials. Holders of depository receipts will be able to inspect the transfer books of the depository and the list of holders of receipts upon reasonable notice. Neither we nor any depositary will be liable if either party is prevented from or delayed in performing its obligations under a deposit agreement by law or any circumstances beyond its control. Our obligations and those of the depositary under a deposit agreement will be limited to performing duties in good faith and without gross negligence or willful misconduct.

 

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Neither we nor any depositary will be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary receipts, depositary shares or related shares of preferred stock unless satisfactory indemnity is furnished. We and each depositary will be permitted to rely on written advice of counsel or accountants, on information provided by persons presenting shares of preferred stock for deposit, by holders of depositary receipts, or by other persons believed in good faith to be competent to give the information, and on documents believed in good faith to be genuine and signed by a proper party.

If a depositary receives conflicting claims, requests or instructions from any holder of depositary receipts, on the one hand, and us, on the other hand, the depositary shall be entitled to act on the claims, requests or instructions received from us.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

This section describes the general terms and provisions of the warrants. The applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus will describe the specific terms of the warrants offered through that prospectus supplement and any general terms outlined in this section that will not apply to those warrants.

We have summarized in this section certain terms and provisions of the warrant agreement and the warrants. The summary is not complete. You should read the forms of warrant and warrant agreement that we will file with the SEC at or before the time of the offering of the applicable series of warrants for additional information before you buy any warrants. In this description, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer only to Welltower Inc. and not to any of its subsidiaries.

We may issue, together with any other securities being offered or separately, warrants entitling the holder to purchase from or sell to us, or to receive from us the cash value of the right to purchase or sell, debt securities, preferred stock, depositary shares or common stock. We and a warrant agent will enter into a warrant agreement pursuant to which the warrants will be issued. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

In the case of each series of warrants, the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus will describe the terms of the warrants being offered thereby. These include the following, if applicable:

 

•

the offering price;

 

•

the number of warrants offered;

 

•

the securities underlying the warrants;

 

•

the exercise price, the procedures for exercise of the warrants and the circumstances, if any, that will cause the warrants to be automatically exercised;

 

•

the date on which the warrants will expire;

 

•

the material federal income tax consequences;

 

•

the rights, if any, we have to redeem the warrants;

 

•

the name of the warrant agent; and

 

•

the other terms of the warrants.

Warrants may be exercised at the appropriate office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Before the exercise of warrants, holders will not have any of the rights of holders of the securities underlying the warrants and will not be entitled to payments made to holders of those securities.

 

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The warrant agreements may be amended or supplemented without the consent of the holders of the warrants to which the amendment or supplement applies to effect changes that are not inconsistent with the provisions of the warrants and that do not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the warrants. However, any amendment that materially and adversely alters the rights of the holders of warrants will not be effective unless the holders of at least a majority of the applicable warrants then outstanding (or such greater approval as is required by the then-current rules of any stock exchange or trading market on which we shall have listed the applicable underlying shares of capital stock for trading or as otherwise provided in our organizational documents) approve the amendment. Every holder of an outstanding warrant at the time any amendment becomes effective, by continuing to hold the warrant, will be bound by the applicable warrant agreement, as amended. The prospectus supplement applicable to a particular series of warrants may provide that certain provisions of the warrants, including the securities for which they may be exercisable, the exercise price, and the expiration date, may not be altered without the consent of the holder of each warrant.

DESCRIPTION OF UNITS

We may, from time to time, issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities that may be offered under this prospectus, in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately at any time, or at any time before a specified date. In this description, all references to “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company” refer only to Welltower Inc. and not to any of its subsidiaries.

Any applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus will describe:

 

•

the material terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately;

 

•

any material provisions relating to the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units;

 

•

any material federal income tax considerations applicable to the units; and

 

•

any material provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described above.

RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFER OF SECURITIES

For Welltower Inc. to qualify as a REIT, not more than 50% in value of its outstanding capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of our taxable year. In order to ensure that this requirement is satisfied, our by-laws (with respect to its common stock and preferred stock) and our certificates of designation (for our preferred stock) provide that no person may acquire securities that would result in the direct or indirect beneficial ownership of more than 9.8% of its common stock or more than 9.8% in value of our outstanding capital stock by such person. For purposes of application of such limitations to any person, all options, warrants, convertible securities or other rights to acquire Welltower Inc.’s capital stock held directly or indirectly by such person will be treated as if all such rights had been exercised. If any securities in excess of this limit are issued or transferred to any person, such issuance or transfer shall be valid only with respect to such amount of securities as does not exceed this limit, and such issuance or transfer will be void with respect to the excess. The board of directors of Welltower Inc. may grant limited exemptions from the ownership restrictions set forth in the by-laws to specified persons if the board determines that each such limited exemption is in the best interests of Welltower Inc. and its stockholders.

Our by-laws and certificates of designation further provide that, if the foregoing stock ownership limitations are determined to be invalid by virtue of any legal decision, statute, rule or regulation, then the transferee of the

 

23

shares or other securities will be deemed to have acted as our agent in acquiring the shares or other securities that are in excess of the limit, and will be deemed to hold such excess shares or securities on our behalf. As the equivalent of treasury securities for such purposes, the excess securities will not be entitled to any voting rights, will not be considered to be outstanding for quorum or voting purposes, and will not be entitled to receive dividends, interest or any other distribution with respect to such securities. Any person who receives dividends, interest or any other distribution in respect of the excess securities will hold the same as our agent and for the transferee of the excess securities following a permitted transfer.

In addition, under our by-laws and certificates of designation, we may refuse to transfer any shares, passing either by voluntary transfer, by operation of law, or under the last will and testament of any stockholder, if such transfer would or might, in the opinion of our board of directors or counsel, disqualify Welltower Inc. as a REIT.

DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF CERTIFICATE

OF INCORPORATION AND BY-LAWS OF WELLTOWER INC.

Anti-Takeover Provisions

Our certificate of incorporation and by-laws contain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging persons from acquiring large blocks of our stock or delaying or preventing a change in our control. The material provisions that may have such an effect are:

 

•

a provision permitting our board of directors to make, amend or repeal our by-laws;

 

•

authorization for our board of directors to issue preferred stock in series and to fix the rights and preferences of the series, including, among other things, whether and to what extent the shares of any series will have voting rights and the extent of the preferences of the shares of any series with respect to dividends and other matters (see “Description of Capital Stock—Preferred Stock” above);

 

•

a prohibition on stockholders taking action by written consent in lieu of a meeting;

 

•

advance notice procedures with respect to nominations of directors by stockholders and proposals by stockholders of business at an annual meeting;

 

•

the grant only to our board of directors of the right to call special meetings of stockholders;

 

•

limitations on the number of shares of our capital stock that may be beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any one stockholder (see “Restrictions on Transfer of Securities” above);

 

•

limitations on transactions that involve us and any stockholder who beneficially owns 5% or more of our voting stock (see “—Limitations on Transactions Involving Us and Our Stockholders” below); and

 

•

a provision permitting amendment by the stockholders of certain of the provisions listed above only by an affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of all of the outstanding shares of our voting stock, voting together as a single class.

Limitations on Transactions Involving Us and Our Stockholders

Under our by-laws, in addition to any vote otherwise required by law, our certificate of incorporation or our by-laws, the following transactions will require the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the voting power of our then-outstanding shares of capital stock entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class:

 

•

Our merger or consolidation with or into:

 

•

any stockholder that owns 5% or more of our voting stock; or

 

•

any other corporation or entity which is, or after such merger or consolidation would be, an affiliate of a stockholder that owns 5% or more of our voting stock.

 

24

•

Any sale, lease, exchange, mortgage, pledge, transfer or other disposition of substantially all of our assets, in one transaction or a series of transactions, to or with any stockholder that owns 5% or more of our voting stock or an affiliate of any such stockholder.

 

•

Any reclassification of our securities, including any reverse stock split, or recapitalization or any other transaction that has the effect, directly or indirectly, of increasing the proportionate share of the outstanding shares of any class of our equity securities that is directly or indirectly owned by any stockholder that owns 5% or more of our voting stock or any affiliate of such a stockholder, whether or not the transaction involves such a stockholder.

 

•

The adoption of any plan or proposal for our liquidation or dissolution proposed by or on behalf of a stockholder that owns 5% or more of our voting stock or any affiliate of such a stockholder.

These provisions will not apply to any of the transactions described above if:

 

•

we are at the time of the consummation of the transaction, and at all times throughout the preceding twelve months have been, directly or indirectly, the owner of a majority of each class of the outstanding equity securities of the 5% stockholder that is a party to the transaction;

 

•

the transaction has been approved by a majority of the members of our board of directors who, at the time such approval is given, were not affiliates or nominees of the 5% stockholder; or

 

•

both of the following conditions have been met:

 

•

the aggregate amount of the cash and the fair market value, as determined in good faith by our board of directors, of the consideration other than cash to be received per share by holders of our voting stock in such transaction shall be at least equal to the highest per-share price paid by the 5% stockholder for any shares of voting stock acquired by it:

 

•

within the two-year period immediately prior to the first public announcement of the proposal of the transaction, or

 

•

in the transaction in which it became a 5% stockholder, whichever is higher; and

 

•

the consideration to be received by holders of a particular class of outstanding voting stock shall be in cash or in the same form as the 5% stockholder previously paid for shares of such voting stock. If the 5% stockholder paid for shares of any class of voting stock with varying forms of consideration, the form of consideration to be paid by the 5% stockholder for such class of voting stock shall be either cash or the form used to acquire the largest number of shares of such class of voting stock previously acquired by the stockholder.

The foregoing summary of certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws does not purport to be complete or to give effect to provisions of statutory or common law. The foregoing summary is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the provisions of applicable law and our certificate of incorporation and by-laws, copies of which are incorporated by reference as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

SELLING SECURITY HOLDERS

Information about selling security holders and the terms of the securities offered for resale, where applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment, or in filings we make with the SEC that are incorporated into this prospectus by reference. Selling security holders may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities they resell and any profits on the resale may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. The selling security holders will receive all the proceeds from the resale of our securities. We will not receive any proceeds from resales by selling security holders.

 

25

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Sales by Us

We may sell the securities:

 

•

through underwriters or dealers;

 

•

through agents;

 

•

directly to purchasers; or

 

•

through a combination of any of these methods of sale.

The applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus will (1) describe the plan of distribution of the securities, (2) describe the terms of the offering and (3) name any managing underwriter or underwriters, underwriter, dealer or agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities.

We also may, from time to time, authorize underwriters and our agents to offer and sell the securities upon the terms and conditions as are set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. In connection with the sale of securities, underwriters may be deemed to have received compensation from us in the form of underwriting discounts, commissions or fees and may also receive commissions from purchasers of securities for whom they may act as agent. Underwriters may sell securities to or through dealers, and these dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agent, or both. The applicable prospectus supplement will disclose:

 

•

any underwriting compensation we pay to underwriters or agents in connection with the offering of securities; and

 

•

any discounts, concessions or commissions allowed by underwriters to participating dealers.

Under the Securities Act, underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters and any discounts, commissions and fees received by them and any profit realized by them on resale of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting compensation, discounts and commissions. We may agree to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents against civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to make contribution to them in connection with those liabilities.

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may also offer and sell securities through one or more firms that will remarket the securities. These firms may act as principals for their own account or as our agents. These firms may be deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities being remarketed. We may agree to indemnify these firms against liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

Upon the terms and conditions of the applicable prospectus supplement, the underwriters may purchase and sell securities in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, purchases to cover positions created by short sales and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of securities than they are required to purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of various bids for or purchases of the securities made by the underwriters in the open market prior to the completion of the offering. The underwriters may also impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the other underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the representatives of the underwriters have repurchased securities sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short-covering transactions. The underwriters are not required to engage in these activities and may discontinue any of these activities at any time.

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may authorize underwriters, agents or dealers to solicit offers by institutions to purchase securities at the offering price set forth in that prospectus supplement

 

26

under delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the dates stated in the prospectus supplement. Each contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate principal amount of securities sold under contracts will be not less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions, and other institutions, but will in all cases be subject to our approval. Contracts will not be subject to any conditions except:

 

•

the purchase by an institution of the securities covered by its contracts will not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the institution is subject; and

 

•

if the securities are also being sold to underwriters, we will have sold to them the total principal amount of the securities less the principal amount of the securities covered by contracts.

In compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the aggregate maximum discount, commission or agency fees or other items constituting underwriting compensation to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker-dealer will not exceed 8% of the proceeds from any offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement.

It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a class or series of securities, but the underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market-making at any time without notice. We cannot give any assurance as to the liquidity of any trading market for any of the securities.

Underwriters and agents will have no responsibility in respect of the delivery or performance of contracts.

Some of the underwriters and their affiliates may engage in transactions with or perform services for us in the ordinary course of business.

Direct sales to investors or our stockholders may be accomplished through subscription offerings or through stockholder purchase rights distributed to stockholders. In connection with subscription offerings or the distribution of stockholder purchase rights to stockholders, if all of the underlying securities are not subscribed for, we may sell any unsubscribed securities to third parties directly or through underwriters or agents. In addition, whether or not all of the underlying securities are subscribed for, we may concurrently offer additional securities to third parties directly or through underwriters or agents. If securities are to be sold through stockholder purchase rights, the stockholder purchase rights will be distributed as a dividend to the stockholders for which they will pay no separate consideration. The prospectus supplement with respect to the offer of securities under stockholder purchase rights will set forth the relevant terms of the stockholder purchase rights, including:

 

•

whether common stock, preferred stock or some other type of capital stock, or warrants for those securities, will be offered under the stockholder purchase rights;

 

•

the number of those securities or warrants that will be offered under the stockholder purchase rights;

 

•

the period during which and the price at which the stockholder purchase rights will be exercisable;

 

•

the number of stockholder purchase rights then outstanding;

 

•

any provisions for changes to or adjustments in the exercise price of the stockholder purchase rights; and

 

•

any other material terms of the stockholder purchase rights.

Underwriters and our agents may offer and sell the securities at:

 

•

fixed prices, which may be changed;

 

27

•

market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

•

prices related to the prevailing market prices at the time of sale; or

 

•

negotiated prices.

Sales by Selling Security Holders

The selling security holders may resell or redistribute the securities from time to time on any stock exchange or automated interdealer quotation system on which the securities are listed, in the over-the-counter market, in privately negotiated transactions, or in any other legal manner, at fixed prices that may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. Persons who are pledgees, donees, transferees, or other successors in interest of any of the named selling security holders (including, but not limited, to persons who receive securities from a named selling security holder as a gift, partnership distribution or other non-sale-related transfer after the date of this prospectus) may also use this prospectus and are included when we refer to “selling security holders” in this prospectus. The selling security holders may sell the securities by one or more of the following methods, without limitation:

 

•

block trades (which may include cross trades) in which the broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

•

purchases by a broker or dealer as principal and resale by the broker or dealer for its own account;

 

•

an exchange distribution or secondary distribution in accordance with the rules of any stock exchange on which the securities may be listed;

 

•

ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchases;

 

•

an offering at other than a fixed price on or through the facilities of any stock exchange on which the securities are listed or to or through a market-maker other than on that stock exchange;

 

•

privately negotiated transactions, directly or through agents;

 

•

short sales;

 

•

through the writing of options on the securities, whether or the options are listed on an options exchange;

 

•

through the distribution of the securities by any security holder to its partners, members or stockholders;

 

•

one or more underwritten offerings;

 

•

agreements between a broker or dealer and any security holder to sell a specified number of the securities at a stipulated price per share; and

 

•

any combination of any of these methods of sale or distribution, or any other method permitted by applicable law.

The security holders may also transfer the securities by gift.

The selling security holders may engage brokers and dealers, and any brokers or dealers may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate in effecting sales of the securities. These brokers, dealers or underwriters may act as principals, or as an agent of a selling security holder. Broker-dealers may agree with a selling security holder to sell a specified number of the securities at a stipulated price per share. If the broker-dealer is unable to sell securities acting as agent for a selling security holder, it may purchase as principal any unsold securities at the stipulated price. Broker-dealers who acquire securities as principals may thereafter resell the securities from time to time in transactions in any stock exchange or automated interdealer quotation system on which the

 

28

securities are then listed, at prices and on terms then prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the then-current market price or in negotiated transactions. Broker-dealers may use block transactions and sales to and through broker-dealers, including transactions of the nature described above.

From time to time, one or more of the selling security holders may pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in some or all of the securities owned by them. The pledgees, secured parties or persons to whom the securities have been hypothecated will, upon foreclosure in the event of default, be deemed to be selling security holders. The number of a selling security holder’s securities offered under this prospectus will decrease as and when it takes such actions. The plan of distribution for that selling security holder’s securities will otherwise remain unchanged. In addition, a selling security holder may, from time to time, sell the securities short, and, in those instances, this prospectus may be delivered in connection with the short sales and the securities offered under this prospectus may be used to cover short sales.

The selling security holders and any underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts, concessions, commissions or fees received by them and any profit on the resale of the securities sold by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions.

A selling security holder may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers and the broker-dealers may engage in short sales of the securities in the course of hedging the positions they assume with that selling security holder, including, without limitation, in connection with distributions of the securities by those broker-dealers. A selling security holder may enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers that involve the delivery of the securities offered hereby to the broker-dealers, who may then resell or otherwise transfer those securities. A selling security holder may also loan or pledge the securities offered hereby to a broker-dealer and the broker-dealer may sell the securities offered hereby so loaned or upon a default may sell or otherwise transfer the pledged securities offered hereby.

The selling security holders and other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the securities will be subject to applicable provisions of the Exchange Act and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC, including Regulation M. This regulation may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the securities by the selling security holders and any other person. The anti-manipulation rules under the Exchange Act may apply to sales of securities in the market and to the activities of the selling security holders and their affiliates. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the securities to engage in market-making activities with respect to the particular securities being distributed for a period of up to five-business-days before the distribution. These restrictions may affect the marketability of the securities and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the securities.

We may agree to indemnify the selling security holders and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents, and any underwriter or other person who participates in the offering of the securities, against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the federal securities laws or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities. The selling security holders may agree to indemnify us, the other selling security holders and any underwriter or other person who participates in the offering of the securities, against specified liabilities arising from information provided by the selling security holders for use in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement, including liabilities under the federal securities laws. In each case, indemnification may include each person who is an affiliate of or controls one of these specified indemnified persons within the meaning of the federal securities laws or is required to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities. The selling security holders may agree to indemnify any brokers, dealers or agents who participate in transactions involving sales of the securities against specified liabilities arising under the federal securities laws in connection with the offering and sale of the securities.

We will not receive any proceeds from sales of any securities by the selling security holders.

 

29

We cannot assure you that the selling security holders will sell all or any portion of the securities offered hereby.

We will supply the selling security holders and any stock exchange upon which the securities are listed with reasonable quantities of copies of this prospectus. To the extent required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act in connection with any resale or redistribution by a selling security holder, we will file a prospectus supplement setting forth:

 

•

the aggregate number of securities to be sold;

 

•

the purchase price;

 

•

the public offering price;

 

•

if applicable, the names of any underwriter, dealer or agent; and

 

•

any applicable commissions, discounts, concessions, fees or other items constituting compensation to underwriters, dealers or agents with respect to the particular transaction (which may exceed customary commissions or compensation).

If a selling security holder notifies us that a material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of securities through a block trade, special offering, exchange, distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, the prospectus supplement will include any other facts that are material to the transaction. If applicable, this may include a statement to the effect that the participating broker-dealers did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

VALIDITY OF SECURITIES

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, New York, New York, will pass upon the validity of any securities issued under this prospectus. Any underwriters or agents will be represented by their own legal counsel. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, Sidley Austin LLP, New York, New York, will act as counsel to the underwriters, agents or dealers participating in an offering of securities hereunder.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements and schedules included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our financial statements and schedules are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

30

 

 

$5,000,000,000

 

 

Common Stock

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

Baird

Barclays

BMO Capital Markets

BNP PARIBAS

BNY Capital Markets

BofA Securities

BOK Financial Securities, Inc.

Capital One Securities

Citigroup

Citizens JMP

Credit Agricole CIB

Deutsche Bank Securities

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Huntington Capital Markets

Jefferies

J.P. Morgan

KeyBanc Capital Markets

Loop Capital Markets

Mizuho

Morgan Stanley

MUFG

RBC Capital Markets

Regions Securities LLC

Scotiabank

Synovus

TD Securities

Truist Securities

Wells Fargo Securities

 

 

October 29, 2024