or changed, measured by voting power rather than number of shares; (3) we consolidate with, or merge with or into, any Person, or any Person consolidates with, or merges with or into, us, in any such event pursuant to a transaction in which any of our outstanding Voting Stock or the Voting Stock of such other Person is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other property, other than any such transaction where the shares of our Voting Stock outstanding immediately prior to such transaction constitute, or are converted into or exchanged for, a majority of the Voting Stock of the surviving Person or any direct or indirect parent company of the surviving Person immediately after giving effect to such transaction; (4) the first day on which a majority of the members of our Board of Directors are not Continuing Directors; or (5) the adoption of a plan relating to AutoZone, Inc.’s liquidation or dissolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a transaction will not be deemed to involve a Change of Control under clause (2) above if (i) we become a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of a holding company and (ii)(A) the direct or indirect holders of the Voting Stock of such holding company immediately following that transaction are substantially the same as the holders of our Voting Stock immediately prior to that transaction or (B) immediately following that transaction no Person (other than a holding company satisfying the requirements of this sentence) is the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of more than 50% of the Voting Stock of such holding company.
“Change of Control Triggering Event” means the occurrence of both a Change of Control and a Rating Event.
“Continuing Directors” means, as of any date of determination, any member of our Board of Directors who (A) was a member of such Board of Directors on the date the notes were issued or (B) was nominated for election, elected or appointed to such Board of Directors with the approval of a majority of the continuing directors who were members of such Board of Directors at the time of such nomination, election or appointment (either by a specific vote or by approval of a proxy statement in which such member was named as a nominee for election as a director, without objection to such nomination).
“Fitch” means Fitch Inc., and its successors.
“Investment Grade Rating” means a rating equal to or higher than BBB- (or the equivalent) by Fitch, Baa3 (or the equivalent) by Moody’s and BBB- (or the equivalent) by S&P, and the equivalent investment grade credit rating from any replacement Rating Agency or Rating Agencies selected by us.
“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc., and its successors.
“Person” has the meaning given thereto in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act.
“Rating Agencies” means (1) each of Fitch, Moody’s and S&P; and (2) if any of Fitch, Moody’s or S&P ceases to rate the notes or fails to make a rating of the notes publicly available for reasons outside of our control, a “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” within the meaning of Section 3(a)(62) under the Exchange Act selected by us (as certified by a resolution of our Board of Directors) as a replacement agency for Fitch, Moody’s or S&P, or all of them, as the case may be.
“Rating Event” means the rating on the notes is lowered by at least two of the three Rating Agencies and the notes are rated below an Investment Grade Rating by at least two of the three Rating Agencies, on any day during the period (which period will be extended so long as the rating of the notes is under publicly announced consideration for a possible downgrade by any of the Rating Agencies) commencing 60 days prior to the first public notice of the occurrence of a Change of Control or our intention to effect a Change of Control and ending 60 days following consummation of such Change of Control.
“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Corporation, Inc., and its successors.
“Voting Stock” means, with respect to any specified Person that is a corporation as of any date, the Capital Stock of such Person that is at the time entitled to vote generally in the election of the Board of Directors of such Person.
Covenants
Limitation on Liens
The indenture provides that we will not, and will not permit any of our subsidiaries to, create, incur, issue, assume or guarantee any debt secured by a Lien (other than Permitted Liens) upon any Property, or upon shares of Capital Stock or evidence of debt issued by any of our subsidiaries and owned by us or by any other of our