Human Resources
Practices and Policies
Insider Trading Policy
Effective Date: February 1, 2023
Supersedes: September 18, 2020 Insider Trading Policy
Purpose:
In the course of performing your duties for Liquidity Services, Inc., you may from time to time receive or become aware of information about the Company and its subsidiaries (the “Company”), or other companies that do business with the Company, which is “material” and “nonpublic.”
“Insider trading” laws prohibit persons who receive or become aware of material nonpublic information about the Company (or other companies that do business with the Company) from trading in the Company’s (or such other company’s) securities and from providing that material nonpublic information to others who are reasonably likely to trade in the Company’s (or such other company’s) securities. Insider trading laws impose legal liability on both the individuals who fail to comply with them, as well as on companies that employ individuals who violate these laws.
Accordingly, the Company has adopted this Insider Trading Policy (the “Policy”) to (1) assist individuals associated with the Company in their compliance with insider trading laws and (2) protect the Company from legal liability and promote its business interest in maintaining its reputation for integrity.
INSIDER TRADING IS A VERY SERIOUS MATTER. INSIDER TRADING AND THE TIPPING OF MATERIAL NONPUBLIC INFORMATION IS ILLEGAL AND CAN RESULT IN JAIL SENTENCES AS WELL AS PERSONAL LIABILITY AND CIVIL PENALTIES. INDIVIDUALS WHO VIOLATE THIS POLICY MAY BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE COMPANY, UP TO AND INCLUDING TERMINATION FOR CAUSE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR DOUBT THE APPLICABILITY OR INTERPRETATION OF THIS POLICY OR WHETHER A DESIRED TRANSACTION MAY CREATE RISK UNDER INSIDER TRADING LAWS, PLEASE SEEK CLARIFICATION FROM THE COMPANY’S COMPLIANCE OFFICER (AS DEFINED BELOW). DO NOT TRY TO RESOLVE THE UNCERTAINTY WITHOUT THE COMPLIANCE OFFICER’S ASSISTANCE.
Scope:
This Policy is effective as of the date set forth at the top of this Policy and supersedes any previous insider trading policy of the Company. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency between this Policy and any other materials previously distributed by the Company, this Policy shall govern. In addition, each Covered Person (as defined below) is responsible for complying with applicable law as then in force and effect. Accordingly, even if there is a conflict or inconsistency between this Policy and applicable law, or an unintentional omission from this Policy, Covered Persons are not excused from complying with applicable law.
This Policy applies to: all employees of the Company; all officers of the Company (whether qualifying as an “executive officer” pursuant to Rule 3b-7 or Section 16 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, such persons, “Officers”), all members of the Board of Directors of the Company (“Directors”); as well as any of their respective family members and other members of their households, partnerships in which any such person is a general partner, trusts of which any such person is a trustee, estates of which any such person is an administrator or executor and other legal entities that any such person controls (the “Covered Persons”). For the avoidance of doubt, an individual will be a Covered Person regardless of whether that person is located in or outside of the United States.
The Compliance Officer (as defined below) may also determine from time to time that other persons who may have access to material nonpublic information due to their activities with the Company shall be subject to some or all of this Policy. Any persons so identified by the Compliance Officer shall also be “Covered Persons” for purposes of this Policy.
For purposes of this policy, the term “Securities” shall be interpreted broadly to include, but shall not be limited to, a company’s common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, convertible securities, other equity and debt securities, and any derivatives thereof.
It is the responsibility of the Company’s Directors, Officers and employees to ensure that their related Covered Persons who do not have a direct relationship with the Company (such as a family or household member) understand and abide by this Policy.
Statement of policy:
1. Policy.
If a Covered Person is in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the Company, that person may not, directly or indirectly, buy, sell or engage in other transactions in Company Securities, except as set forth below, or engage, directly or indirectly, in any other action to disclose to others (“tipping”) or benefit from or take advantage of that information (for example, recommending transactions in Company Securities). This Policy also applies to transactions in another company’s Securities if a Covered Person becomes aware of material nonpublic information relating to that company during the Covered Person’s employment by, service to or other relationship with the Company (for example, information concerning the Company’s customers or suppliers).
Additional restrictions regarding transactions in Company Securities by Special Insiders (as defined below) are described in Section 5. below.
2. Definitions and Explanations.
In order to determine whether information is material, it must be evaluated in the context of all facts and circumstances at play at the time. Information is considered “material” if:
Material information can be positive or negative and can relate to virtually any aspect of a company’s business. Information that is or may be material includes (but is not limited to) the following, depending upon all facts and circumstances at the time of assessment:
Information is “nonpublic” if it has not been widely disseminated to the public through public distribution channels, including:
Even after wide dissemination of material information, a reasonable period of time must elapse for the investing public to process the information. As a rule of thumb, two full trading days following wide dissemination is regarded as a reasonable waiting period before such information is deemed to be “public” and no longer “nonpublic” for purposes of this Policy. The Compliance Officer may determine that a different waiting period is appropriate with respect to particular disclosures based upon prevailing facts and circumstances. For the avoidance of doubt, Covered Persons should consult the Compliance Officer when contemplating transactions in Securities shortly after public disclosures by the Company (or a company with which the Company does business).
If a particular transaction (or group of transactions) is challenged by enforcement authorities, it will be viewed with the benefit of hindsight. As a result, before engaging in any transaction, a
Covered Person should give careful thought to whether any facts and circumstances exist that could raise suspicions about the propriety of the proposed transaction after the fact; for example, as to whether information that the Covered Person has become aware of may be construed as “material” and “nonpublic.” Again, in the event of any doubt, Covered Persons should consult the Compliance Officer when contemplating transactions in Securities.
3. Requirements.
It is illegal under insider trading laws to disclose material nonpublic information to other individuals who may themselves trade based on that information. Covered Persons may be held liable for disclosing material nonpublic information (“tipping”) to those other individuals (“tippee”) and may be liable for any illegal transaction or further tipping by a tippee.
Accordingly, no Covered Person who knows of material nonpublic information about the Company may disclose that information to any other person, including family members, without the prior authorization of the Compliance Officer, except to other Company personnel who have a need to know the information, or to third party agents of the Company (such as accountants, investment bankers or outside legal counsel) whose positions require them to have access to such information, but who are bound by a professional or contractual obligation to protect its confidentiality.
No Covered Person may place a purchase or sell order or recommend that another person place a purchase or sell order in Company Securities when they are aware of material nonpublic information concerning the Company that has not been disclosed to the public. As noted above, for purposes of the prohibition expressed in this Policy, “Company Securities” should be construed broadly, and the terms “purchase” or “sell” should also be interpreted broadly to include transactions involving Company Securities such as tax withholding elections or changes in vesting elections under the Company’s equity management portal, ShareWorks (or any successor thereto), loans, pledges, gifts, charitable donations and other contributions of Company Securities.
No Covered Person who becomes aware of the material nonpublic information of another company in the course of business activities on behalf of the Company may engage in prohibited trading while in possession of material nonpublic information about another company or disclose or “tip” that material nonpublic information to others.
The Company believes that purchases of hedging instruments that protect against downward changes in Company’s stock price can result in the purchaser no longer having the same objectives as the Company’s other stockholders because they are no longer subject to the full risks of stock ownership. Accordingly, no Covered Person may engage in any hedging transaction that would result in lack of exposure to the full risks of ownership of Company Securities. Prohibited hedging transactions include, but are not limited to, collars, forward sale contracts, trading in publicly traded options, puts, calls or other derivative instruments related to Company Securities.
No Covered Person may hold Company Securities in a margin account or “short” sell Company Securities.
The prohibition on insider trading continues to apply to any transaction in Company Securities or the Securities of other companies with which the Company does business even after a Covered Person has separated (for any reason) from the Company. Covered Persons who are in possession of material nonpublic information when their relationship with the Company concludes may not trade in Company Securities (or the Securities of other companies with which the Company does business) until after the information has become “public” for purposes of this Policy.
4. Exceptions.
This Policy does not restrict purchases and sales of mutual funds, similar professionally managed “commingled pools” or exchange-traded funds that invest in Securities.
This Policy does not apply to a Covered Person’s exercise of a stock option granted under a Company equity plan for cash, but this Policy does apply to the sale in the open market of any Company Securities received upon the exercise of an option, regardless of whether the sale is to pay the exercise price or to satisfy the Covered Person’s tax obligations resulting from the exercise.
This Policy also does not apply to a Covered Person’s surrender of Company Securities to the Company or the retention and withholding from delivery to the Covered Person of Securities by the Company (i.e., a “share withholding” or “net settlement” method) upon vesting of restricted stock units in satisfaction of tax withholding obligations in a manner permitted by the applicable equity award agreement or the Company equity plan pursuant to which the restricted stock was granted. This Policy, however, does apply to exercises of a stock option granted under a Company equity plan by means of a stock swap or retention and withholding of Securities by the Company (i.e., a “share withholding” or “net settlement” method).
5. Heightened Requirements Applicable to Special Insiders.
This Section 5 sets forth additional provisions applicable to the following individuals associated with the Company (referring to the publicly traded entity, not its subsidiaries) (“Special Insiders”):
Even when a trading window is open, Special Insiders (including family members and other members of their respective households) must obtain prior clearance from the Compliance Officer before buying, selling or engaging in any transaction in Company Securities (except as described in Section 5(e). below), including any exercise of stock options. The Compliance Officer will evaluate each proposed transaction to determine if it raises insider trading concerns or the appearance of other concerns under the federal or state securities laws and regulations. Any advice will relate solely to legal considerations and not the merits of the investment decision. Clearance of a transaction will be valid only for the day of approval and the next four
Special Insiders who purchase Company Securities may not sell any Company Securities of the same class for at least six months after the purchase. Note that in addition to this Policy, Special Insiders who are subject to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act may be required to disgorge to the Company any “short-swing profits” realized from a “matching” purchase and sale or “matching” sale and purchase of Company Securities occurring within a six-month period.
A Covered Person’s trades in Company Securities may be exempt from this Policy if made under a properly pre-established and maintained written trading plan, known as a “Rule 10b5-1 plan.” If the Rule 10b5-1 plan meets all of the requirements for such a plan, and the transactions in Company Securities are actually made in accordance with the terms and conditions of the plan, the trades will not be deemed to have been made “on the basis of” material nonpublic information, even if the Covered Person who established the plan is actually aware of material nonpublic information at the time plan-based transactions are executed.
A properly designed Rule 10b5-1 plan must meet the following requirements:
Further, no Covered Person may (1) enter into multiple, overlapping Rule 10b5-1 plans; or (2) enter into a Rule 10b5-1 plan to affect a single-trade more than once during any consecutive 12-month.
Any Rule 10b5-1 plan proposed to be entered into after the date of this policy, or any amendment or termination of an existing Rule 10b5-1 plan after the date of this policy, must be reviewed and approved by the Compliance Officer prior to such plan’s execution, amendment, or termination; provided, however, that no transaction occurring under an approved Rule 10b5-1 plan will require further pre-clearance.
6. Additional Company Restrictions on Large Volume Trades.
In addition to the other requirements of this Policy:
shall be conducted through a Company approved broker.
100,000 shares of Company equity Securities per day.
Interpretation:
The Company’s Chief Legal Officer is the compliance officer (the “Compliance Officer”) for this Policy. The Compliance Officer, or the Board of Directors of the Company, may designate additional officers of the Company to serve as Compliance Officers for this Policy from time to time. Any questions concerning this Policy should be directed to, and all interpretations of this Policy shall be made by, a duly designated Compliance Officer.
Disclaimer:
The Company reserves the right to modify, amend or eliminate this Policy, in whole or in part, and may do so with or without notice to employees.