Exhibit 19
Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
Securities Trading Policy For Covered Persons
Inside Information. Inside Information means information that is both material and nonpublic. Inside Information may include, but is not limited to, matters regarding a company’s business or financial condition, its strategic plans (including acquisitions or the sale of significant assets) or other important events that could affect the market price of the company’s securities. See Annex C for examples of information that may be considered Inside Information. For purposes of this policy, Inside Information includes any material, non-public information about Lincoln. It also includes material, non-public information about other publicly-held companies which is obtained in the course of employment or other involvement with Lincoln’s business.
Material. In general, information is “material” if there is a substantial likelihood that its disclosure to the public would affect investors’ decisions to purchase, sell or hold the securities of the company in question; would significantly affect the total mix of information
available to the public; or would likely affect the market price of a company’s securities. If you learn of information about Lincoln or other companies that might be important to an investor, the information is probably material.
Non-Public. Non-public information is company-related information that has not been released through an official news release or other official announcement. Information does not become “public” information merely because it is the subject of rumors or unofficial statements. Information should not be regarded as “public” until at least 24 hours after it has been published by a national news medium or has otherwise become available through an official news release or official announcement.
In addition, penalties can be imposed on a company that, through its managers or supervisors:
| a. | knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that an employee or other person associated with the company was likely to engage in insider trading violations; and |
| b. | failed to take appropriate actions to prevent or detect the violation. |
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Also, legal rules govern the timing and nature of our disclosure of material information to outsiders or the public. Violation of these rules could result in substantial liability for you, the Company and its management. For this reason, we permit only specifically designated representatives of the Company to discuss the Company with the news media, securities analysts and investors. If you receive inquiries of this nature you should refer them to the Vice President of Investor Relations.
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The Company also maintains the 2005 Deferred Compensation Plan for Executives (the “Executives Deferred Plan”) under which certain employees can defer certain vested stock awards and the Non-Employee Directors’ Deferred Compensation Plan (the “Non-Employee Director Deferred Compensation Plan” and, collectively with the Executive Deferred Plan, the “Deferred Plans”) under which non-employee directors can defer certain vested stock awards. The deferral of these awards into the Deferred Plans is not subject to pre-clearance procedures and window periods described above. However, an election to transfer deferred investment in Company stock under the Deferred Plans will be subject to the pre-clearance and window period procedures described above.
It is important that you document the details of a trading plan properly. Please note that, in addition to the requirements of a trading plan described above, there are a number of additional procedural conditions to Rule 10b5-l(c) that must be satisfied before you can rely on a trading plan as an affirmative defense against an insider trading charge. These requirements include that you act in good faith, that you not modify your trading instructions while you possess material nonpublic information, that you not use multiple overlapping trading plans (subject to certain exceptions), and that you not enter into or alter a corresponding or hedging transaction or position. Because this rule is complex, the
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Company recommends that you work with a broker and the Company and be sure you fully understand the limitations and conditions of the rule before you establish a trading plan.
All trading plans must be reviewed and approved before they are implemented by the General Counsel, or any designee of such individual. The General Counsel, or any designee of such individual, must also review and approve any amendment or modification of a trading plan and approve the early termination of any trading plan. All plans must meet the guidelines established by the General Counsel in order to be considered for approval.
| a. | Unless you are certain it has been officially announced to the public, you should treat all material information about the Company and its businesses as confidential. |
| b. | Except as necessary in the course of performing job duties, do not disclose Inside Information to anyone. |
| c. | Except as permitted by this Policy, always contact the Company counsel or a compliance coordinator identified on Annex B to obtain approval before trading in Lincoln securities or those of another company that the Covered Person knows about by virtue of his employment at Lincoln. |
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