“Company Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, effect, development or occurrence that (a) has or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the business, assets, condition (financial or otherwise), prospects or results of operations of the Company and the Subsidiaries of the Company, taken as a whole, excluding any effect to the extent it results from or arises out of (i) general conditions in the industries in which the Company operates, (ii) general economic or regulatory, legislative or political conditions or securities, credit, financial or other capital markets conditions (including changes generally in prevailing interest rates, currency exchange rates, credit market conditions and capital markets price levels or trading volumes), in each case in the United States or elsewhere in the world, (iii) any change or prospective change in applicable Law or GAAP (or interpretation or enforcement thereof), (iv) geopolitical conditions, the outbreak or escalation of hostilities, any acts of war, sabotage or terrorism, or any escalation or worsening of any such acts of war, sabotage or terrorism, (v) any hurricane, tornado, flood, volcano, earthquake, epidemic, disease outbreak, public health event, pandemic (including COVID-19 and any worsening thereof (including any COVID-19 Response)) or other natural or man-made disaster, (vi) the failure of the Company to meet any internal or external projections, forecasts, estimates or predictions in respect of revenues, earnings or other financial or operating metrics before, on or after the date of this Agreement, or changes or prospective changes in the market price or trading volume of the Company Common Stock or the credit rating of the Company and/or its Subsidiaries (it being understood that the underlying facts or occurrences giving rise or contributing to such failure or change may be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Company Material Adverse Effect if such facts or occurrences are not otherwise excluded from being taken into account pursuant to this definition in determining whether the has been a Company Material Adverse Effect), (vii) the execution, announcement, performance or consummation of any of the Transactions, including the impact thereof on relationships, contractual or otherwise, with customers, suppliers, distributors, partners, employees of Governmental Entities, or any Proceeding brought by any Company stockholder (direct or derivative) in respect of this Agreement or any of the Transactions, in each case to the extent resulting from or arising in connection with such announcement or consummation (it being understood that this clause (vii) shall not apply with respect to (a) any representation or warranty contained in this Agreement to the extent that the purpose of such representation or warranty is to address the consequences resulting from the execution and delivery of this Agreement or the consummation of the Transactions or the performance of obligations under this Agreement, including the Transactions or (b) any closing condition related to the foregoing clause (a)), (viii) any action taken by the Company or its Subsidiaries that is expressly required by this Agreement (other than 5.01(a)) or with Parent’s written consent or at Parent’s written request, or the failure to take any action by the Company or its Subsidiaries if that action is expressly prohibited by this Agreement (only to the extent that Parent unreasonably withholds, conditions or delays consent to the taking of such action after receipt of the written request therefor from the Company), and (ix) changes resulting or arising from the identity of, or any facts or circumstances relating to, Parent,   76


Merger Sub or any of their respective Affiliates, including the financing obtained or to be obtained by Parent, Merger Sub or any of their respective Affiliates, except, in the case of clause (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (v), to the extent that the Company is disproportionately affected thereby as compared with other participants in the industries in which the Company operates (in which case the incremental disproportionate impact or impacts may be taken into account in determining whether there has been a Company Material Adverse Effect) or (b) prevents or materially impairs or delays the consummation of the Merger and the other Transactions or the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement.  (Pages 84-85)

Question: MAE Definition
Category: Material Adverse Effect
Answer: business and operation of Target