EXHIBIT 19
AMPCO-PITTSBURGH CORPORATION
Amended and Restated Insider Trading Policy
Last Modified: MAY 4, 2023
This Amended and Restated Insider Trading Policy (this “Policy”) provides standards and requirements with respect to transactions in the securities of Ampco-Pittsburgh Corporation (the “Company”) and the handling of confidential information about the Company and the companies with which the Company does business (collectively, the “Covered Companies”). The Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) has adopted this Policy to promote compliance with federal, state and foreign securities laws that prohibit certain persons who are aware of material nonpublic information about Covered Companies from: (i) trading in securities of that company; or (ii) providing material nonpublic information to other persons who may trade on the basis of that information. This Policy is also intended, in part, to further the Company’s obligations under the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 and Section 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the regulations thereunder, as a “control person” to act in good faith and avoid directly or indirectly inducing the act or acts of violation or cause of action with respect to certain insider trading laws.
The first part of this Policy applies to (i) all officers of the Company and its subsidiaries, (ii) all members of the Board and all emeritus members of the Board, (iii) all employees of the Company and its subsidiaries and (iv) their respective family members, other members of a person’s household and entities controlled by a person covered by this Policy (as described below). The second part of this Policy imposes special additional trading restrictions that apply to (i) all members of the Board, (ii) all executive officers of the Company (together with the members of the Board, the “Company Insiders”), (iii) employees listed in Appendix A, as amended from time to time, and (iv) certain other employees that the Company may designate from time to time as “Covered Persons” (as defined below) due to their title or position, responsibilities or their actual or potential access to material information (collectively, with (i), (ii) and (iii), the “Covered Persons”). The second part of this Policy also applies to family members, other members of a person’s household and entities controlled by a Covered Person.
All officers of the Company and its subsidiaries, all members of the Board and all employees of the Company and its subsidiaries are required to sign the acknowledgment and certification to this Policy attached hereto.
This Policy applies to the family members who reside with persons covered by this Policy (including a spouse, a child, a child away at college, stepchildren, grandchildren, parents, stepparents, grandparents, siblings and in-laws), anyone else who lives in their household, and any family members who do not live in their household but whose transactions in Company Securities (as defined below) are directed by them or are subject to their influence or control, such as parents or children who consult with them before they trade in Company Securities (collectively referred to as “Family Members”). The persons covered by this Policy are responsible for the transactions of these other persons and therefore should make them aware of the need to confer with the persons covered by this Policy before they trade in Company Securities. The persons covered by this Policy should treat all such transactions for the purposes of this Policy and applicable securities laws as if the transactions were for their own account. This Policy does not, however, apply to personal securities transactions of Family Members where the purchase or sale decision is made solely by a third party not controlled by, influenced by or related to persons covered by this Policy or their Family Members.
This Policy applies to any entities that persons covered by this Policy influence or control, including any corporations, partnerships or trusts (collectively referred to as “Controlled Entities”), and transactions by these Controlled Entities should be treated for the purposes of this Policy and applicable securities laws as if they were for their own account.
This Policy applies to all trading and other transactions (i) in the Company’s securities (collectively referred to in this Policy as “Company Securities”), including the Company’s common stock, options to purchase common stock, or any other type of securities that the Company may issue, including (but not limited to) preferred stock, convertible debentures and warrants, as well as derivative securities that are not issued by the Company, such as exchange-traded put or call options or swaps relating to the Company’s Securities and (ii) the securities of certain other companies, including common stock, options and other securities issued by those companies as well as derivative securities relating to any of those companies’ securities, where the person trading used non-public information obtained while working for the Company. This part of the Policy applies to all individuals and entities subject to this Policy.
Each person subject to this Policy has ethical and legal obligations to maintain the confidentiality of information about the Company and to not engage in transactions in Company Securities while in possession of material nonpublic information. Each person subject to this Policy must not engage in illegal trading and must avoid the appearance of improper trading. Each individual is responsible for making sure that they comply with this Policy, and that any family member, household member or entity whose transactions are subject to this Policy, as discussed in this Policy, also comply with this Policy. In all cases, the responsibility for
determining whether an individual is in possession of material nonpublic information rests with that individual, and any action on the part of the Company, the Compliance Officer or any other employee or director pursuant to this Policy (or otherwise) does not in any way constitute legal advice or insulate an individual from liability under applicable securities laws. An individual could be subject to severe legal penalties and disciplinary action by the Company for any conduct prohibited by this Policy or applicable securities laws, as described below in more detail under the heading “Consequences of Violations.”
Kimberly Knox shall serve as the initial Compliance Officer for the purposes of this Policy, and in her absence, Michael McAuley or another employee designated by the Compliance Officer or the Audit Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board shall be responsible for administration of this Policy. The duties of the Compliance Officer include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) assisting with implementation and enforcement of this Policy; (ii) circulating this Policy to all current and new directors, officers and employees and ensuring that this Policy is amended as necessary to remain up-to-date with insider trading laws; (iii) maintaining the accuracy of and periodically updating the list of Covered Persons listed in Appendix A; (iv) pre-clearing as required under this Policy; (v) reviewing and, as appropriate, providing approval of any Rule 10b5-1 plans and any prohibited transactions as required under this Policy; (vi) providing a reporting system with an effective whistleblower protection mechanism; and (vii) assisting, as requested, in the preparation and filing of Section 16 reports for Section 16 reporting persons. Subject to determinations made by the Board or the Committee, all determinations and interpretations by the Compliance Officer shall be final and not subject to further review. If you have any questions regarding any of the provisions of this Policy, please contact the Compliance Officer at kknox@ampcopgh.com or (412) 429-2454.
It is the policy of the Company that no director, officer or other employee of the Company (or any other person designated by this Policy or by the Compliance Officer as subject to this Policy) who is aware of material nonpublic information relating to the Company may, directly, or indirectly through family members or other persons or entities:
Please note that you may be in possession of such material nonpublic information following your termination of service. The prohibitions included in this Policy continue to apply even after your termination of service to the Company and it is the responsibility of each person subject to this Policy to comply.
In addition, it is the policy of the Company that no director, officer or other employee of the Company (or any other person designated as subject to this Policy) who, in the course of working for the Company, learns of material nonpublic information about a company with which the Company does business, including a customer or supplier of the Company, may trade in that company’s securities until the information becomes public or is no longer material. Further, it is the policy of the Company that no director, officer or other employee of the Company, or any other person designated as subject to this Policy, who knows of any such material nonpublic information may communicate that information to, or tip, any other person, including family members and friends, or otherwise disclose such information without the Company’s authorization.
There are no exceptions to this Policy, except as specifically noted herein. Transactions that may be necessary or justifiable for independent reasons (such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure), or small transactions, are not excepted from this Policy. The securities laws do not recognize any mitigating circumstances, and, in any event, even the appearance of an improper transaction must be avoided to preserve the Company’s reputation for adhering to the highest standards of conduct. For compliance purposes, an individual should never trade, tip or recommend securities (or otherwise cause the purchase or sale of securities) while in possession of information that such individual has reason to believe is material and nonpublic. If there are any questions, please check with the Compliance Officer.
Information is considered “material” if a reasonable investor would consider that information important in making a decision to buy, hold or sell securities. Any information that has market significance, that is if it could be expected to affect a company’s stock price, whether it is positive or negative, should be considered material. There is no bright-line standard for assessing materiality; rather, materiality is based on an assessment of all of the facts and circumstances, and is often evaluated by enforcement authorities with the benefit of hindsight. While it is not possible to define all categories of material information, some examples of information that ordinarily would be regarded as material are:
Material information is not limited to historical facts but may also include projections and forecasts. With respect to a future event, such as a merger, acquisition or introduction of a new product, the point at which negotiations or product development are determined to be material is determined by balancing the probability that the event will occur against the magnitude of the effect the event would have on a company's operations or stock price should it occur. Thus, information concerning an event that would have a large effect on stock price, such as a merger, may be material even if the possibility that the event will occur is relatively small. When in doubt about whether particular nonpublic information is material, presume it is material or consult the Compliance Officer before making any decision to disclose such information (other than to persons who need to know it) or to trade in or recommend securities to which that information relates.
Information that has not been disclosed to the public is generally considered to be nonpublic information. In order to establish that the information has been disclosed to the public, it may be necessary to demonstrate that the information has been widely disseminated. Information generally would be considered widely disseminated if it has been disclosed through newswire services, a broadcast on widely-available radio or television programs, publication in a widely-available newspaper, magazine or news website, or public disclosure documents filed with the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that are available on the SEC’s website. By contrast, information would likely not be considered widely disseminated if it is available only to the Company’s employees, or if it is only available to a select group of analysts, brokers and institutional investors.
Once information is widely disseminated, it is still necessary to provide the investing public with sufficient time to absorb the information. As a general rule, information should not be considered fully absorbed by the marketplace until 48 hours after the information is released. If, for example, the Company were to make an announcement on a Monday, you should not trade in Company Securities until Thursday. Depending on the particular circumstances, the Company may determine that a longer or shorter period should apply to the release of specific material nonpublic information.
As with questions of materiality, if a person is not sure whether information is considered public, they should either consult with the Compliance Officer or assume that the information is nonpublic and treat it as confidential.
This Policy does not apply in the case of the following transactions, except as specifically noted:
Bona fide gifts are not transactions subject to this Policy, unless the person making the gift has reason to believe that the recipient intends to sell the Company Securities while the officer, employee or director is aware of material nonpublic information, or the person making the gift is subject to the trading restrictions specified below under the heading “Additional Procedures” and the sales by the recipient of the Company Securities occur during a blackout period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Company Insiders and any other individuals subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act shall be obligated to report any bona fide gifts on Form 4 or Form 5, as applicable pursuant to Rule 16a-3(g)(1).
Transactions in mutual funds that are invested in Company Securities are also not transactions subject to this Policy.
The Company has determined that there is a heightened legal risk and/or the appearance of improper or inappropriate conduct if the persons subject to this Policy engage in certain types of transactions. It therefore is the Company’s policy that any persons covered by this Policy (except as described in clause 1 below) may not engage in any of the following transactions, or should otherwise consider the Company’s preferences as described below:
The purchase or sale of securities while aware of material nonpublic information, or the disclosure of material nonpublic information to others who then trade in the Company’s Securities, is prohibited by federal and state laws. This prohibition continues even after the termination of your service to the Company. Insider trading violations are pursued vigorously by the Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Attorneys and state enforcement authorities as well as the laws of foreign jurisdictions. Punishment for insider trading violations is severe, and could include significant fines and imprisonment. While the regulatory authorities concentrate their efforts on the individuals who trade, or who tip inside information to others who trade, the
federal securities laws also impose potential liability on companies and other “controlling persons” if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent insider trading by company personnel.
In addition, an individual’s failure to comply with this Policy may subject the individual to Company-imposed sanctions, including dismissal for cause, whether or not the employee’s failure to comply results in a violation of law. Needless to say, a violation of law, or even an SEC investigation that does not result in prosecution, can tarnish a person’s reputation and irreparably damage their career.
Any person who has a question about this Policy or its application to any proposed transaction may obtain additional guidance from the Compliance Officer, who can be reached by telephone at (412) 429-2454 or by e-mail at kknox@ampcopgh.com.
The Company has established additional procedures in order to assist the Company in the administration of this Policy, to facilitate compliance with laws prohibiting insider trading while in possession of material nonpublic information, and to avoid the appearance of any impropriety. These additional procedures are applicable only to Covered Persons, as well as the Family Members and Controlled Entities of such persons, since such persons are likely to obtain material nonpublic information on a regular basis.
When a request for pre-clearance is made, the requestor should carefully consider whether they may be aware of any material nonpublic information about the Company, and should describe fully those circumstances to the Compliance Officer. The requestor should also indicate whether they have effected any non-exempt “opposite-way” transactions within the past six months, and should be prepared to report the proposed transaction on an appropriate Form 4 or Form 5. The requestor should also be prepared to comply with SEC Rule 144 and file Form 144, if necessary, at the time of any sale. Unless revoked, pre-clearance granted by the Compliance Officer will ordinarily remain valid until the close of trading five business days following the day on which it is
granted. If the transaction does not occur during the five-day period, pre-clearance of the transaction must be re-requested. Following completion of the transaction, the Covered Person shall promptly notify the Compliance officer, but in no event later than one business day following completion of such transaction.
Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act provides a defense from insider trading liability under Rule 10b-5. In order to be eligible to rely on this defense, a person subject to this Policy must enter into a Rule 10b5-1 plan for transactions in Company Securities that meets certain conditions specified in the Rule (a “Rule 10b5-1 Plan”). If the plan meets the requirements of Rule 10b5-1, Company Securities may be purchased or sold without regard to certain insider
trading restrictions. To comply with the Policy, a Rule 10b5-1 Plan must be approved by the Compliance Officer and meet the following requirements (each an “Approved 10b5-1 Plan”):
No Approved 10b5-1 Plan may be adopted during a blackout period.
If a Covered Person is considering entering into, modifying or terminating an Approved 10b5-1 Plan or has any questions regarding Approved Rule 10b5-1 Plans, please contact the Compliance Officer. Covered Persons should consult their own legal and tax advisors before entering into, or modifying or terminating, an Approved 10b5-1 Plan. A trading plan, contract, instruction or arrangement will not qualify as an Approved 10b5-1 Plan without the prior review and approval of the Compliance Officer as described above.
For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding the pre-clearance procedures set forth in this Policy or the approval of an Approved 10b5-1 Plan, Company Insiders remain obligated to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 under Section 16 of the Exchange Act in connection with most sales, purchases,
bona fide gifts or certain other transactions in Company Securities. If any questions arise, such Company Insider should consult with their own counsel in connection with any transaction, including pursuant to an Approved 10b5-1 Plan.
This Policy continues to apply to transactions in Company Securities even after termination of service to the Company. If an individual is in possession of material nonpublic information when their service terminates, that individual may not trade in Company Securities until that information has become public or is no longer material. The pre-clearance procedures specified under the heading “Additional Procedures” above, however, will cease to apply to transactions in Company Securities upon the expiration of any Blackout Period or other Company-imposed trading restrictions applicable to the period in which such Covered Person terminated service to the Company.
All persons subject to this Policy must certify their understanding of, and intent to comply with, this Policy.
CERTIFICATION
I certify that:
Print name:_______________________
Signature:________________________
Date:____________________________
Appendix A