Legal Definitions - seasoned issuer

A seasoned issuer is a company that has a good track record of issuing securities and has met certain requirements set by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These requirements include having filed timely and complete reports with the SEC for at least one year and having a minimum public float of $75 million.

Seasoned issuers are eligible to use Form S-3 or Form F-3 to register primary offerings. These forms allow companies to register securities with the SEC and offer them to the public. By using these forms, seasoned issuers can save time and money compared to other registration methods.

Example 1: Company A has been publicly traded for over a year and has filed all required reports with the SEC. The company's public float is $100 million. Company A is a seasoned issuer and can use Form S-3 or Form F-3 to register primary offerings.

Example 2: Company B has been publicly traded for six months and has not yet filed all required reports with the SEC. The company's public float is $50 million. Company B is not a seasoned issuer and cannot use Form S-3 or Form F-3 to register primary offerings.

These examples illustrate how a company's history and compliance with SEC regulations determine whether it is a seasoned issuer and eligible to use certain registration forms.