The Beachbody Company, Inc. Insider Trading Compliance Policy
Contents
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Attachment A Short-Swing Profit Rule Section 16(b) Checklist 18
Attachment B Certification of Compliance 19
The Beachbody Company, Inc.
Insider Trading Compliance Policy and Procedures
Federal and state laws prohibit trading in the securities of a company while in possession of material nonpublic information and in breach of a duty of trust or confidence. These laws also prohibit anyone who is aware of material nonpublic information to others who may trade. Violating such laws can undermine investor trust, harm The Beachbody Company, Inc.‘s reputation and result in your dismissal from The Beachbody Company, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) or even serious criminal and civil charges against you and the Company. The Company reserves the right to take whatever disciplinary or other measures it determines in its sole discretion to be appropriate in any particular situation, including disclosure of wrongdoing to governmental authorities.
This Insider Trading Compliance Policy (this “Policy”) outlines your responsibilities to avoid insider trading and implements certain procedures to help you avoid even the appearance of insider trading.
Takeaways
Preventing insider trading is necessary to comply with securities laws and to preserve the reputation and integrity of the Company. “Insider trading” occurs when any person purchases or sells a security while in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the security. Insider trading is a crime. The criminal penalties for violating insider trading laws include imprisonment and fines of up to $5 million for individuals and $25 million for corporations. Insider trading may also result in civil penalties, including disgorgement of profits and civil fines. Insider trading is also prohibited by this Policy and violation of this Policy may result in Company-imposed sanctions, including removal or dismissal for cause. For purposes of this Policy, “officers” refer to those individuals who meet the definition of “officer” under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended, the “Exchange Act”).
This Policy applies to all officers, directors and employees of the Company. As someone subject to this Policy, you are responsible for ensuring that members of your household also comply with this Policy. This Policy also applies to any entities you control, including any corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships or trusts, and transactions by such entities should be treated for the purposes of this Policy and applicable securities laws as if they were for your own account. The Company may determine that this Policy applies to additional persons with access to material nonpublic information, such as contractors or consultants. This Policy extends to all activities within and outside your Company duties. Every officer, director and employee must review this Policy. Officers, directors and employees, together with any other person designated as being subject to this Policy by the Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel or his or her designee (the “Compliance Officer”) are referred to collectively as “Covered Persons.” Questions regarding the Policy should be directed to the Compliance Officer .
The Compliance Officer shall be responsible for the administration of this Policy.
In the absence of the Compliance Officer, responsibility for administering this Policy will rest with the Chief Financial Officer or such other employee as may be designated by the Compliance Officer.
In all cases, as someone subject to this Policy, you bear full responsibility for ensuring your compliance with this Policy and also for ensuring that members of your household (and individuals not residing in your household but whose transactions are subject to your influence or control) and entities under your influence or control are in compliance with this Policy.
For purposes of this Policy, Covered Persons designated as “sensitive access employees” subject to trading preclearance requirements and Blackout Periods shall be any employee (i) with a title of Senior Vice President or above (i.e., SVPs, EVPs and C-level officers); or (ii) that have been designated in writing by their division head and the Compliance Officer as having regular access to material nonpublic information as a part of their job responsibilities.
The Compliance Officer shall have the authority to interpret and update this Policy and all related policies and procedures. In particular, such interpretations and updates of this Policy, as authorized by the Compliance Officer, may include amendments to or departures from the terms of this Policy, to the extent consistent with the general purpose of this Policy and applicable securities laws.
Actions taken by the Company, the Compliance Officer or any other Company personnel do not constitute legal advice, nor do they insulate you from the consequences of noncompliance with this Policy or with securities laws.
“Insider trading” refers to the purchase or sale of a security while in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the security.
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“Securities” includes stocks, bonds, notes, debentures, options, warrants, equity and other convertible securities, as well as derivative instruments.
“Purchase” and “sale” are defined broadly under the federal securities law. “Purchase” includes not only the actual purchase of a security, but also any contract to purchase or otherwise acquire a security. “Sale” includes not only the actual sale of a security, but also any contract to sell or otherwise dispose of a security. These definitions extend to a broad range of transactions, including conventional cash-for-stock transactions, conversions, the exercise of stock options, transfers, gifts and acquisitions and exercises of warrants or puts, calls, pledging and margin loans or other derivative securities.
The laws and regulations concerning insider trading are complex, and Covered Persons are encouraged to seek guidance from the Compliance Officer prior to considering a transaction in Company securities.
The materiality of a fact depends upon the circumstances. A fact is considered “material” if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making a decision to buy, sell, or hold a security, or if the fact is likely to have a significant effect on the market price of the security. Material information can be positive or negative and can relate to virtually any aspect of a company’s business or to any type of security, debt, or equity. Also, information that something is likely to happen in the future—or even just that it may happen—could be deemed material.
Examples of material information include (but are not limited to) information about dividends; corporate earnings or earnings forecasts; possible mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, or dispositions; major new products or product developments; important business developments such as major contract awards or cancellations, trial results, developments regarding strategic collaborators, or the status of regulatory submissions; management or control changes; significant borrowing or financing developments, including pending public sales or offerings of debt or equity securities; defaults on borrowings; bankruptcies; cybersecurity or data security incidents; and significant litigation or regulatory actions. Moreover, material information does not have to be related to a company’s business. For example, the contents of a forthcoming newspaper column that is expected to affect the market price of a security can be material.
Questions regarding material information should be directed to the Compliance Officer.
A good rule of thumb: When in doubt, do not trade.
Information is “nonpublic” if it is not available to the general public. In order for information to be considered public, it must be widely disseminated in a manner making it generally available to investors through newswire services such as Dow Jones, Reuters, Bloomberg, Business Wire, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, or United Press
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International; a broadcast on widely available radio or television programs; publication in a widely available newspaper, magazine, or news website; a Regulation FD-compliant conference call; or public disclosure documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) that are available on the SEC’s website. Note that simply posting information to the Company’s website may not be sufficient disclosure to make the information public.
The circulation of rumors, even if accurate and reported in the media, does not constitute effective public dissemination. In addition, even after a public announcement, a reasonable period of time must lapse in order for the market to react to the information. Generally, one should allow one or two full trading days following publication as a reasonable waiting period before such information is deemed to be public.
“Insiders” include officers, directors and any employees of a company, or anyone else who has material nonpublic information about a company. Insiders have independent fiduciary duties to their company and its stockholders not to trade on material nonpublic information relating to the company’s securities. Insiders may not trade in the Company’s securities while in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the Company, nor may they tip such information to anyone outside the Company (except in accordance with the Company’s policies regarding the protection or authorized external disclosure of Company information) or to anyone within the Company other than on a “need-to-know” basis.
As someone subject to this Policy, you are responsible for ensuring that members of your household also comply with this Policy. This includes family members residing with you, anyone else living in your household and any family members not living with you whose transactions in the Company’s securities are directed by you, or subject to your influence and control. This Policy also applies to any entities you control, including any corporations, partnerships, or trusts and transactions by these entities should be treated for the purposes of this Policy and applicable securities laws as if they were for your own account.
Insiders may be liable for communicating or tipping material nonpublic information to a third party (“tippee”), and insider trading violations are not limited to trading or tipping by insiders. Persons other than insiders can also be liable for insider trading, including tippees who trade on material nonpublic information tipped to them or individuals who trade on material nonpublic information that has been misappropriated. Insiders may be held liable for tipping even if they receive no personal benefit from tipping and even if no close personal relationship exists between them and the tippee.
Tippees inherit an insider’s duties and are liable for trading on material nonpublic information illegally tipped to them by an insider. Similarly, just as insiders are liable for the insider trading of their tippees, so are tippees who pass the information along to others who trade. In other words, a tippee’s liability for insider trading is no different from that of an insider.
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Tippees can obtain material nonpublic information by receiving overt tips from others or through, among other things, conversations at social, business, or other gatherings.
Penalties for trading on or tipping material nonpublic information can extend significantly beyond any profits made or losses avoided, both for individuals engaging in such unlawful conduct and their employers. The SEC and Department of Justice have made the civil and criminal prosecution of insider trading violations a top priority. Enforcement remedies available to the government or private plaintiffs under the federal securities laws include:
In addition, insider trading could result in serious sanctions by the Company, including dismissal. Insider trading violations are not limited to violations of the federal securities laws. Other federal and state civil or criminal laws, such as the laws prohibiting mail and wire fraud and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), may also be violated in connection with insider trading.
The size of the transaction or the amount of profit received does not have to be significant to result in prosecution. The SEC has the ability to monitor even the smallest trades, and the SEC performs routine market surveillance. Brokers or dealers are required by law to inform the SEC of any possible violations by people who may have material nonpublic information. The SEC
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aggressively investigates even small insider trading violations.
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Examples of insider trading cases include actions brought against officers, directors and employees who traded in a company’s securities after learning of significant confidential corporate developments; friends, business associates, family members and other tippees of such officers, directors and employees who traded in the securities after receiving such information; government employees who learned of such information in the course of their employment; and other persons who misappropriated and took advantage of, confidential information from their employers.
The following are illustrations of insider trading violations. These illustrations are hypothetical and, consequently, not intended to reflect on the actual activities or business of the Company or any other entity.
Trading by Insider
An officer of X Corporation learns that earnings to be reported by X Corporation will increase dramatically. Prior to the public announcement of such earnings, the officer purchases X Corporation’s stock. The officer, an insider, is liable for all profits as well as penalties of up to three times the amount of all profits. The officer is also subject to, among other things, criminal prosecution, including up to
$5 million in additional fines and 20 years in jail. Depending upon the circumstances, X Corporation and the individual to whom the officer reports could also be liable as controlling persons.
Trading by Tippee
An officer of X Corporation tells a friend that X Corporation is about to publicly announce that it has concluded an agreement for a major acquisition. This tip causes the friend to purchase X Corporation’s stock in advance of the announcement. The officer is jointly liable with his friend for all of the friend’s profits and each is liable for all civil penalties of up to three times the amount of the friend’s profits. The officer and his friend are also subject to criminal prosecution and other remedies and sanctions, as described above.
Section 13(b)(2) of the Exchange Act requires companies subject to the Exchange Act to maintain proper internal books and records and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls. The SEC has supplemented the statutory requirements by adopting rules that prohibit (i) any person from falsifying records or accounts subject to the above requirements and (ii) officers or directors from making any materially false, misleading, or incomplete statement to any accountant in connection with any audit or filing with the SEC. These provisions reflect the SEC’s intent to discourage officers, directors and other persons with
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access to the Company’s books and records from taking action that might result in the
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communication of materially misleading financial information to the investing public. Falsifying records or accounts or making materially false, misleading, or incomplete statements in connection with an audit or filing with the SEC could also result in criminal penalties for obstruction of justice.
The following policies and procedures have been established and will be maintained and enforced, by the Company to prevent insider trading.
No Covered Person shall purchase or sell any type of security while in possession of material nonpublic information relating to the security or the issuer of such security in breach of a duty of trust or confidence, whether the issuer of such security is the Company or any other company. In addition, if a Covered Person is in possession of material nonpublic information about other publicly-traded companies, such as suppliers, customers, competitors or potential acquisition targets, the Covered Person may not trade in such other companies’ securities until the information becomes public or is no longer material. Further, no Covered Person shall purchase or sell any security of any other company, including another company in the Company’s industry, while in possession of material nonpublic information if such information is obtained in the course of the Covered Person’s employment or service with the Company.
The period during which the Company prepares quarterly financials is a sensitive time for insider trading purposes, as Company personnel may be more likely to possess, or be presumed to possess, material nonpublic information. To avoid the appearance of impropriety and assist Company personnel in planning transactions in the Company’s securities for appropriate times, no officer, director or sensitive access employee, as well as any individual or entity covered by this Policy by virtue of their relationship to such director, officer or sensitive access employee (collectively, “Company Insiders”) shall purchase or sell any security of the Company during the period beginning on the 14th calendar day before the end of any fiscal quarter of the Company and ending upon completion of the first full trading day after the public release of earnings data for such fiscal quarter or during any other trading suspension period declared by the Company. For example, if the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter ends at 11:59 p.m. on December 31, the corresponding blackout period would begin at 11:59 p.m. on December 17. For the purposes of this Policy, a “trading day” is a day on which national stock exchanges are open for trading.
These prohibitions do not apply to:
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Exceptions to the blackout period policy may be approved only by the Company’s Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer or, in the case of exceptions for directors, the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board of Directors”) or Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
From time to time, events will occur that are material to the Company and cause certain Covered Persons to be in possession of material nonpublic information. When that happens, the Company, through the Board of Directors, the Company’s disclosure committee or the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer, may recommend that those in possession of the material nonpublic information suspend all trading in the Company’s securities because of developments that have not yet been disclosed to the public. Subject to the exceptions noted above, all those affected should not trade in the Company’s securities until the information is no longer material or has been publicly disclosed and should not disclose to others that the Company has suspended trading.
When such event-specific blackout periods occur, those subject to it will be notified by the Company. The event-specific blackout period will not be announced to those not subject to it, and those subject to it or otherwise aware of it should not disclose it to others.
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Even if the Company has not notified you that you are subject to an event-specific blackout period, if you are aware of material nonpublic information about the Company, you should not trade in Company securities. Any failure by the Company to designate you as subject to an event-specific blackout period, or to notify you of such designation, does not relieve you of your obligation not to trade in the Company’s securities while possessing material nonpublic information.
Covered Persons shall not directly or indirectly communicate (or “tip”) material nonpublic information to anyone outside the Company (except in accordance with the Company’s policies regarding the protection or authorized external disclosure of Company information) or to anyone within the Company other than on a “need-to-know” basis.
To provide assistance in preventing inadvertent violations of applicable securities laws and to avoid the appearance of impropriety in connection with the purchase and sale of the Company’s securities, all transactions in the Company’s securities (including, without limitation, acquisitions and dispositions of Company stock, the exercise of stock options, elective transactions under 401(k)/ESPP/deferred compensation plans and the sale of Company stock issued upon exercise of stock options) by Company Insiders must be precleared by the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer, except for certain exempt transactions as explained in Section V of this Policy. Preclearance should not be understood to represent legal advice by the Company that a proposed transaction complies with the law and does not relieve Company Insiders of their responsibility under SEC rules.
A request for preclearance may be oral or in writing (including by e-mail), should be made at least two business days in advance of the proposed transaction and should include the identity of the Preclearance Person, a description of the proposed transaction (for example, an open market purchase, a privately negotiated sale, an option exercise, etc.), the proposed date of the transaction and the number of shares or other securities to be involved. In addition, the Preclearance Person must execute a certification (in the form approved by the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer) that he or she is not aware of material nonpublic information about the Company. The Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer shall have sole discretion to decide whether to clear any contemplated transaction. The Compliance Officer or Chief Executive Officer shall have sole discretion to decide whether to clear transactions by the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer or persons or entities subject to this policy as a result of their relationship with the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer. All trades that are precleared must be effected within five business days of receipt of the preclearance, unless a specific exception has been granted by the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer. A precleared trade (or any portion of a precleared trade) that has not been effected during the five business day period must be submitted for preclearance determination again prior to execution. Notwithstanding receipt of preclearance, if the Preclearance Person becomes aware of material nonpublic information or becomes subject to a blackout period before the transaction is effected,
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the transaction may not be completed. Transactions under a previously established Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan that has been preapproved in accordance with this Policy are not subject to further preclearance.
None of the Company, the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer, or the Company’s other employees will have any liability for any delay in reviewing, or refusal of, a request for preclearance submitted pursuant to this Section IV.B. Notwithstanding any preclearance of a transaction pursuant to this Section IV.B, none of the Company, the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer, or the Company’s other employees assumes any liability for the legality or consequences of such transaction to the person engaging in such transaction.
With the exception of the preclearance requirement, this Policy continues to apply to transactions in the Company’s securities even after termination of service to the Company. If you are in possession of material nonpublic information when your service terminates, you may not trade in the Company’s securities until that information has become public or is no longer material.
Access to material nonpublic information about the Company, including the Company’s business, earnings or prospects, should be limited to officers, directors and employees of the Company on a “need-to-know” basis. In addition, such information should not be communicated to anyone outside the Company under any circumstances (except in accordance with the Company’s policies regarding the protection or authorized external disclosure of Company information) or to anyone within the Company on an other than “need-to-know” basis.
In communicating material nonpublic information to employees of the Company, all officers, directors and employees must take care to emphasize the need for confidential treatment of such information and adherence to the Company’s policies with regard to confidential information.
Inquiries from third parties, such as industry analysts or members of the media, about the Company should be directed to the Compliance Officer.
The following procedures are designed to maintain confidentiality with respect to the
Company’s business operations and activities.
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All officers, directors and employees should take all steps and precautions necessary to restrict access to and secure, material nonpublic information by, among other things:
Personnel involved with material nonpublic information, to the extent feasible, should conduct their business and activities in areas separate from other Company activities.
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. Therefore, officers, directors and employees shall comply with the following policies with respect to certain transactions in the Company securities:
Short sales of the Company’s securities evidence an expectation on the part of the seller that the securities will decline in value and therefore signal to the market that the seller has no
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confidence in the Company or its short-term prospects. In addition, short sales may reduce the
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seller’s incentive to improve the Company’s performance. For these reasons, short sales of the Company’s securities are prohibited by this Policy. In addition, as noted below, Section 16(c) of the Exchange Act absolutely prohibits Section 16 reporting persons from making short sales of the Company’s equity securities, i.e., sales of shares that the insider does not own at the time of sale or sales of shares against which the insider does not deliver the shares within 20 days after the sale. In addition, Section 16(c) of the Exchange Act prohibits Section 16 reporting persons (i.e. directors, officers and the Company’s 10% stockholders) from making short sales of the Company’s equity securities.
A transaction in options is, in effect, a bet on the short-term movement of the Company’s stock and therefore creates the appearance that a Covered Person is trading based on material nonpublic information. Transactions in options may also focus a Covered Person’s attention on short-term performance at the expense of the Company’s long-term objectives. Accordingly, transactions in puts, calls or other derivative securities involving the Company’s equity securities, on an exchange, on an over-the-counter market or in any other organized market, are prohibited by this Policy.
Certain forms of hedging or monetization transactions, such as equity swaps, zero-cost collars and exchange funds, prepaid variable forward contracts or other transactions that hedge or offset, or are designed to hedge or offset, any decrease in the market value of equity securities, allow a Covered Person to lock in much of the value of his or her stock holdings, often in exchange for all or part of the potential for upside appreciation in the stock. Such transactions allow the Covered Person to continue to own the covered securities, but without the full risks and rewards of ownership. When that occurs, the Covered Person may no longer have the same objectives as the Company’s other stockholders. Therefore, such transactions involving the Company’s equity securities are prohibited by this Policy.
Securities to Secure Margin or Other Loans
Purchasing on margin means borrowing from a brokerage firm, bank or other entity in order to purchase the Company’s securities (other than in connection with a cashless exercise of stock options under the Company’s equity plans). Margin purchases of the Company’s securities are prohibited by this Policy. Pledging the Company’s securities as collateral to secure loans is also prohibited. This prohibition means, among other things, that you cannot hold the Company’s securities in a “margin account” (which would allow you to borrow against your holdings to buy securities).
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The Company will not arrange with brokers to administer cashless exercises on behalf of directors and executive officers of the Company. Directors and executive officers of the Company may use the cashless exercise feature of their equity awards only if (i) the director or officer retains a broker independently of the Company, (ii) the Company’s involvement is limited to confirming that it will deliver the stock promptly upon payment of the exercise price, and (iii) the director or officer uses a cashless exercise arrangement, in which the Company agrees to deliver stock against the payment of the purchase price on the same day the sale of the stock underlying the equity award settles. Under a cashless exercise, a broker, the issuer and the issuer’s transfer agent work together to make all transactions settle simultaneously. This approach is to avoid any inference that the Company has “extended credit” in the form of a personal loan to the director or executive officer. Questions about cashless exercises should be directed to the Compliance Officer.
Nothing in this Policy is intended to limit the ability of an investment fund, venture capital partnership or other similar entity with which a director is affiliated to distribute Company securities to its partners, members or other similar persons. It is the responsibility of each affected director and the affiliated entity, in consultation with their own counsel (as appropriate), to determine the timing of any distributions, based on all relevant facts and circumstances and applicable securities laws.
The trading restrictions set forth in this Policy, other than those transactions described under Section IV, do not apply to transactions under a previously established contract, plan or instruction to trade in the Company’s securities entered into in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 and all applicable state laws (a “Trading Plan”) that:
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The Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer may impose such other conditions on the implementation and operation of the Trading Plan as the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer deems necessary or advisable.
Covered Persons may not adopt more than one Trading Plan at a time except under the limited circumstances permitted by Rule 10b5-1 and subject to preapproval by the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer. A Covered Person may only modify a Trading Plan outside of a blackout period and, in any event, when the Covered Person does not possess material nonpublic information. Any amendment or revocation of a Trading Plan must be preapproved by the Compliance Officer or Chief Financial Officer and modifications of a Trading Plan that change the amount, price or timing of the purchase or sale of the securities underlying a Trading Plan will trigger a new Cooling-Off Period.
The Company reserves the right to publicly disclose, announce or respond to inquiries from the media regarding the adoption, modification or termination of a Trading Plan and non- Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangements, or the execution of transactions made under a Trading Plan. The Company also reserves the right from time to time to suspend, discontinue or otherwise prohibit transactions under a Trading Plan if the Compliance Officer, Chief Financial Officer or the Board of Directors, in its discretion, determines that such suspension, discontinuation or other prohibition is in the best interests of the Company.
The cashless exercise of options under Trading Plans is permitted only through “same-day sales,” in which the option holder does not pay for the stock up front, but rather receives cash equal to the difference between the stock value and option exercise price. Transactions prohibited under Section V of this Policy, including short sales and hedging transactions, may not be carried out through a Trading Plan.
Compliance of a Trading Plan with the terms of Rule 10b5-1 and the execution of transactions pursuant to the Trading Plan are the sole responsibility of the person initiating the Trading Plan and none of the Company, the Compliance Officer, Chief Financial Officer or the
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Company’s other employees assume any liability for any delay in reviewing and/or refusing a Trading Plan submitted for approval nor the legality or consequences relating to a person entering into or trading under a Trading Plan.
Trading Plans do not exempt you from complying with Section 16 short-swing profit rules or liability.
During an open trading window, trades differing from Trading Plan instructions that are already in place are allowed as long as the Trading Plan continues to be followed.
Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act generally requires all officers, directors and 10% stockholders (“Section 16 Insiders”), within 10 days after becoming a Section 16 Insider, to file with the SEC an “Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership of Securities” on SEC Form 3, listing the amount of the Company’s stock, options and warrants that the Section 16 Insider beneficially owns. Following the initial filing on SEC Form 3, changes in beneficial ownership of the Company’s stock, options and warrants must be reported on SEC Form 4, generally within two days after the date on which such change occurs, or in certain cases on Form 5, within 45 days after fiscal year-end. The two-day Form 4 deadline begins to run from the trade date rather than the settlement date. A Form 4 must be filed even if, as a result of balancing transactions, there has been no net change in holdings. In certain situations, purchases or sales of Company stock made within six months prior to the filing of a Form 3 must be reported on Form 4. Similarly, certain purchases or sales of Company stock made within six months after an officer or director ceases to be a Section 16 Insider must be reported on Form 4.
For the purpose of preventing the unfair use of information that may have been obtained by a Section 16 Insider, any profits realized by a Section 16 Insider from any “purchase” and “sale” of Company stock during a six-month period, so called “short-swing profits,” may be recovered by the Company. When such a purchase and sale occurs, good faith is no defense. The insider is liable, even if compelled to sell for personal reasons and even if the sale takes place after full disclosure and without the use of any material nonpublic information.
The Section 16 Insider under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act is only to the Company itself. The Company, however, cannot waive its right to short swing profits and any Company stockholder can bring suit in the name of the Company. Reports of ownership filed with the SEC on Form 3, Form 4 or Form 5 pursuant to Section 16(a) (discussed above) are readily available to the public and certain attorneys carefully monitor these reports for potential Section 16(b) violations. In addition, liabilities under Section 16(b) may require separate disclosure in the Company’s annual report to the SEC on Form 10-K or its proxy statement for its annual meeting
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of stockholders. No suit may be brought more than two years after the date the profit was realized. However, if the Section 16 Insider fails to file a report of the transaction under Section 16(a), as required, the two-year limitation period does not begin to run until after the transactions giving rise to the profit have been disclosed. Failure to report transactions and late filing of reports require separate disclosure in the Company’s proxy statement.
Officers and directors should consult the attached “Short-Swing Profit Rule Section 16(b) Checklist” attached hereto as “Attachment A” in addition to consulting the Compliance Officer prior to engaging in any transactions involving the Company’s securities, including, without limitation, the Company’s stock, options or warrants.
Section 16(c) of the Exchange Act absolutely prohibits Section 16 Insiders from making short sales of the Company’s equity securities. Short sales include sales of stock that the Section 16 Insider does not own at the time of sale or sales of stock against which the Section 16 Insider does not deliver the shares within 20 days after the sale. Under certain circumstances, the purchase or sale of put or call options, or the writing of such options, can result in a violation of Section 16(c). Section 16 Insiders violating Section 16(c) face criminal liability.
You should consult the Compliance Officer if you have any questions regarding reporting obligations, short-swing profits or short sales under Section 16.
Rule 144 provides a safe harbor exemption to the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for certain resales of “restricted securities” and “control securities.” “Restricted securities” are securities acquired from an issuer, or an affiliate of an issuer, in a transaction, or chain of transactions, not involving a public offering. “Control securities” are any securities owned by directors, executive officers or other “affiliates” of the issuer, including stock purchased in the open market and stock received upon exercise of stock options. Sales of Company securities by affiliates (generally, Section 16 Insiders of the Company) must comply with the requirements of Rule 144, which are summarized below:
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If you are subject to Rule 144, you must instruct your broker who handles trades in Company securities to follow the brokerage firm’s Rule 144 compliance procedures in connection with all trades.
All directors, officers, employees and others subject to this Policy may be asked periodically to certify their compliance with the terms and provisions of this Policy in the form attached hereto as “Attachment B.”
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Attachment A
Short-Swing Profit Rule Section 16(b) Checklist
Note: ANY combination of PURCHASE AND SALE or SALE AND PURCHASE within six months of each other by an officer, director or 10% stockholder (or any family member living in the same household or certain affiliated entities) results in a violation of Section 16(b), and the “profit” must be recovered by The Beachbody Company, Inc. (the “Company”). It makes no difference how long the shares being sold have been held or, for officers and directors, that you were an insider for only one of the two matching transactions. The highest priced sale will be matched with the lowest priced purchase within the six-month period.
Sales
If a sale is to be made by an officer, director or 10% stockholder (or any family member
living in the same household or certain affiliated entities):
Note: If a sale is to be made by an affiliate of the Company, has a Form 144 been prepared and has the broker been reminded to sell pursuant to Rule 144?
Purchases And Option Exercises
If a purchase or option exercise for Company stock is to be made:
Before proceeding with a purchase or sale, consider whether you are aware of material nonpublic information that could affect the price of the Company stock. All transactions in the Company’s securities by officers and directors must be precleared by contacting the Company’s Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel or Chief Financial Officer.
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Attachment B
Certification of Compliance
Return within five days of initial receipt of the Insider Trading Policy of The Beachbody Company,
Inc. (the “Company”)
To: Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel of the Company From:
Re: Insider Trading Compliance Policy of the Company
I have received, reviewed and understand the above-referenced Insider Trading Compliance Policy and undertake, as a condition to my present and continued employment (or, if I am not an employee, affiliation with) the Company, to comply fully with the policies and procedures contained therein.
I hereby certify, to the best of my knowledge, that during the calendar year ending December 31, , I have complied fully with all policies and procedures set forth in the above-referenced Insider Trading Compliance Policy.
Signature Date
Title
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