Preliminary Prospectus Supplement
Table of Contents

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-165483

 

The information in this preliminary prospectus supplement is not complete and may be changed. A registration statement relating to these securities has been declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This preliminary prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities, and the selling stockholders are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Prospectus Supplement    SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MAY 9, 2011

(to Prospectus dated May 18, 2010)

8,000,000 Shares

Dice Holdings, Inc.

Common Stock

The selling stockholders identified in this prospectus supplement are offering 8,000,000 shares of our common stock. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DHX.” On May 9, 2011, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $17.16 per share.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Please read “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 of this prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The underwriter has agreed to purchase the shares of our common stock from the selling stockholders at a price of $             per share, which will result in approximately $             of proceeds to the selling stockholders.

The underwriter proposes to offer our shares of common stock from time to time for sale in one or more transactions on the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices, subject to receipt and acceptance by them and subject to their right to reject any order in whole or in part.

Delivery of the shares of common stock is expected to be made on or about            , 2011.

Credit Suisse

Prospectus Supplement dated May    , 2011


Table of Contents

Table of Contents

 

     Page  

Prospectus Supplement

  

About This Prospectus Supplement

     S-ii     

Industry and Market Data

     S-iii    

Prospectus Supplement Summary

     S-1     

Risk Factors

     S-3     

Forward-Looking Statements

     S-6     

Use of Proceeds

     S-7     

Selling Stockholders

     S-8     

Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders

     S-10   

Underwriting

     S-14   

Notice To Canadian Residents

     S-17   

Notice To Investors

     S-18   

Legal Matters

     S-21   

Experts

     S-21   

Where You Can Find More Information

     S-21   

Information Incorporated By Reference

     S-22   

Prospectus

  

About This Prospectus

     1   

The Company

     2   

Forward-Looking Statements

     3   

Risk Factors

     5   

Use of Proceeds

     5   

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends

     5   

Selling Stockholders

     6   

Description of Capital Stock

     10   

Plan of Distribution

     14   

Legal Matters

     17   

Experts

     17   

Where You Can Find More Information

     17   

Incorporation by Reference

     18   

We have not authorized anyone to provide any information other than that contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and in any free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of us or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. We are not, and the underwriter is not, making an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, is accurate only as of the date of those respective documents. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates. You should read this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, in their entirety before making an investment decision. You should also read and consider the information in the documents to which we have referred you in the sections of this prospectus supplement entitled “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Incorporated by Reference.”

 

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About This Prospectus Supplement

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the terms of this offering of common stock and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Generally, when we refer to this prospectus, we are referring to both parts of this document combined. To the extent there is a conflict between the information contained in this prospectus supplement, on the one hand, and the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or in any document incorporated by reference that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, before the date of this prospectus supplement, on the other hand, you should rely on the information in this prospectus supplement. If any statement in one of these documents is inconsistent with a statement in another document having a later date—for example, a document incorporated by reference in the accompanying prospectus—the statement in the document having the later date modifies or supersedes the earlier statement.

Unless we have indicated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, all references in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus to “Dice Holdings,” “the Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” or similar terms refer to Dice Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.

 

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Industry and Market Data

Industry and market data used in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus were obtained through company research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties, and industry and general publications, including studies, analyses and surveys prepared by Corzen, Inc., International Data Corporation, Forrester Research, US, and the Gartner Group. We have not independently verified any of the data from third party sources nor have we ascertained any underlying economic assumptions relied upon therein. While we are not aware of any misstatements regarding the industry data presented herein, estimates involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors.”

We report the number of “unique visitors” for Dice.com by tracking permanent cookies or unique browser and IP address configurations of visitors who visit our site. A visitor to Dice.com is “unique” once during the measurement period, which is typically one month. We report the number of “unique visitors” for eFinancialCareers.com on an aggregate basis across the complete site network. Visitors who visit more than one site in the network during the measurement period are counted as unique visitors for each site they visit. The reported traffic levels are based upon analysis of our weblogs using industry standard software tools and best practices.

 

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Prospectus Supplement Summary

This summary highlights certain information about us, this offering and selected information contained elsewhere in or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement. This summary is not complete and does not contain all of the information that you should consider before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. For a more complete understanding of our company and this offering, we encourage you to read and consider carefully the more detailed information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the financial statements and other information incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and the information included in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering, including the information referred to under the heading “Risk Factors” in this prospectus supplement beginning on page S-3.

The Company

We are a leading provider of specialized career websites for select professional communities. We target employment categories in which there is a long-term scarcity of highly skilled, highly qualified professionals relative to market demand. Our career websites serve as online marketplaces where employers and recruiters find and recruit prospective employees, and where professionals find relevant job opportunities and information to further their careers. Each of our career websites offers job postings, content, career development and recruiting services tailored to the specific needs of the professional community that it serves. Our largest websites by revenue are Dice.com, the leading career website in the United States for technology and engineering professionals, and eFinancialCareers.com, the leading global career website for financial markets professionals.

The Dice.com service has operated for over 20 years, while eFinancialCareers.com has been in operation for over ten years. Through eFinancialCareers, we have been able to extend our operations into financial services, expand our presence internationally into Europe and Asia, and broaden our expertise in content and community features. eFinancialCareers.com operates local websites serving 18 markets and five languages for financial markets professionals primarily in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, North America, Middle East, Southeast Asia and Australia. To expand our strategic footprint, in June 2009, we acquired AllHealthcareJobs, a leading career website in the United States for healthcare professionals. During 2010, we acquired the online and career-events business of WorldwideWorker.com, a global leader in online recruitment for the energy industry, as well as Rigzone.com, Inc., a market leader in the oil and gas industry delivering career management, information and data services.

Corporate Information

We were incorporated in Delaware in June 2005, but through our predecessors have been in the technology recruiting and career development business since 1990. Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DHX.” Our principal executive office is located at 1040 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York and our telephone number is (212) 725-6550. Our website is www.diceholdingsinc.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus and should not be considered part of this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus.

 

 

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The Offering

 

Issuer

   Dice Holdings, Inc.

Common stock offered by the selling stockholders

   8,000,000 shares

Common stock to be outstanding after this offering

   66,619,300 shares

Use of Proceeds

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders. See “Use of Proceeds.”

Risk Factors

You should carefully read and consider the information under “Risk Factors,” together with all of the other information set forth or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before deciding to invest in our common stock.

New York Stock Exchange Listing

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DHX.”

Outstanding Common Stock

The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding immediately after this offering is based on 66,619,300 shares outstanding as of May 5, 2011 and excludes as of that date:

 

   

9,655,127 shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding with a weighted average exercise price of $4.00; and

 

   

2,000,165 shares of our common stock available as of that date for future grant or issuance pursuant to our stock plans.

 

 

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Risk Factors

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Before deciding whether to invest in our common stock, you should consider carefully the risks described below and in the section captioned “Risk Factors” contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in their entirety, together with other information in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the information and documents incorporated by reference, and in any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering. If any of the described events actually occur, our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. The risks described below and in the document referenced above are not the only ones that we face. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our business operations.

Risks Related to this Offering and our Common Stock

We do not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, and, because we are a holding company, we may be unable to pay dividends.

For the foreseeable future, we intend to retain any earnings to finance the development and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will be dependent on then-existing conditions, including our financial condition and results of operations, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, including restrictions under our credit agreement, business prospects and other factors that our board of directors considers relevant. Furthermore, because we are a holding company, any dividend payments would depend on the cash flow of our subsidiaries. Accordingly, we may not be able to pay dividends even if our board of directors would otherwise deem it appropriate. For the foregoing reasons, you will not be able to rely on dividends to receive a return on your investment.

Provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law may delay or prevent our acquisition by a third party.

Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and by-laws contain several provisions that may make it more difficult or expensive for a third party to acquire control of us without the approval of our board of directors. These provisions also may delay, prevent or deter a merger, acquisition, tender offer, proxy contest or other transaction that might otherwise result in our stockholders receiving a premium over the market price for their common stock. The provisions include, among others:

 

   

provisions relating to creating a board of directors that is divided into three classes with staggered terms;

 

   

provisions relating to the number and election of directors, the appointment of directors upon an increase in the number of directors or vacancy and provisions permitting the removal of directors only for cause and with a 66 2/3% stockholder vote;

 

   

provisions requiring a 66 2/3% stockholder vote for the amendment of certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and for the adoption, amendment and repeal of our by-laws;

 

   

provisions barring stockholders from calling a special meeting of stockholders or requiring one to be called;

 

   

elimination of the right of our stockholders to act by written consent; and

 

   

provisions that set forth advance notice procedures for stockholders’ nominations of directors and proposals for consideration at meetings of stockholders.

 

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Additionally, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prevents an interested stockholder (defined generally as a person owning 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock) of a Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination (as defined) for three years following the date that person became an interested stockholder unless various conditions are satisfied. For more information, see “Description of Capital Stock” in the accompanying prospectus. These provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, by-laws and Delaware law could discourage potential takeover attempts and reduce the price that investors might be willing to pay for shares of our common stock in the future which could reduce the market price of our stock.

Our stock price may be volatile and you may lose all or part of your investment.

The market price of our common stock could fluctuate significantly, in which case you may not be able to resell your shares at or above your purchase price. The market price of our common stock may fluctuate based on a number of factors in addition to those listed in this prospectus supplement, including:

 

   

our operating performance and the performance of our competitors and other similar companies;

 

   

the public’s reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as the SEC;

 

   

changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by research analysts who track our common stock or the stocks of other companies in our industry;

 

   

changes in general economic conditions;

 

   

the number of our publicly traded shares;

 

   

actions of our current stockholders, including this offering;

 

   

the arrival or departure of key personnel or personal matters affecting our principal stockholders;

 

   

acquisitions, strategic alliances or joint ventures involving us or our competitors; and

 

   

other developments affecting us, our industry or our competitors.

In addition, in recent years the stock market has experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations are often unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may cause declines in the market price of our common stock. The price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with our company or its performance, and these fluctuations could materially reduce our stock price.

Future sales of shares could cause our stock price to decline.

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, or the perception that a large number of shares will be sold, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. As of May 5, 2011, approximately 66,619,300 shares of our common stock were outstanding. Of these shares, a significant amount will be restricted pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act after giving effect to this offering. However, the holders (including the investment funds related to General Atlantic LLC and Quadrangle Group LLC) of approximately 25,363,255 of these restricted shares of our common stock (or 17,363,255 shares after giving effect to this offering) have caused their shares to be registered under the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are parts. In addition, the restricted shares may be sold under Rule 144 from time to time subject to the volume, manner of sale and other conditions of Rule 144. Although the selling stockholders and certain of our directors who beneficially own in the aggregate 25,363,255 shares of our common stock (or 17,363,255 shares after giving effect to this offering) have entered into 75-day underwriter lock-up agreements, the underwriter may waive the lock-up restrictions at its discretion.

 

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In addition, we have reserved for issuance 2,000,165 shares of common stock under our stock plans. As of May 5, 2011, options to purchase 9,655,127 shares of our common stock were outstanding under our stock plans of which options to purchase 6,818,080 shares of our common stock were vested and immediately exercisable. The holders of vested options to purchase shares of our common stock will not be subject to the underwriter’s lock-up agreement.

 

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Forward-Looking Statements

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, the documents we have filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference and any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business strategy. These statements often include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, statements about:

 

   

competition from existing and future competitors in the highly competitive developing market in which we operate;

 

   

failure to adapt our business model to keep pace with rapid changes in the recruiting and career services business;

 

   

failure to maintain and develop our reputation and brand recognition;

 

   

failure to increase or maintain the number of customers who purchase recruitment packages;

 

   

cyclicality or downturns in the economy or industries we serve;

 

   

the failure to attract qualified professionals to our websites or grow the number of qualified professionals who use our websites;

 

   

the failure to successfully identify or integrate acquisitions;

 

   

United States and foreign government regulation of the Internet and taxation; and

 

   

our ability to borrow funds under our revolving credit facility or refinance our indebtedness and restrictions on our current and future operations under our credit facility.

These factors and others are more fully discussed elsewhere herein and in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010, under the headings “Risk Factors,” “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” These and other risks could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by forward-looking statements herein and therein.

 

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Use of Proceeds

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders.

 

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Selling Stockholders

The table below sets forth, as of May 5, 2011, the following information regarding the selling stockholders:

 

   

the number and percentage of shares of common stock owned by the selling stockholders prior to the offering;

 

   

the number of shares of common stock to be offered for the selling stockholders’ accounts; and

 

   

the number and percentage of shares of common stock to be owned by selling stockholders after completion of the offering.

 

    Shares Beneficially
Owned Before the
Offering(1)
    Shares Being
Sold in this
Offering
    Shares Beneficially
Owned After the
Offering
 

Name of Beneficial Owner

  Shares         %           Shares         %      

General Atlantic Partners 79, L.P.(2)(3)

    8,114,026        12.2        2,605,571        5,508,455        8.3   

General Atlantic Partners 84, L.P.(2)(3)

    770,674        1.2        247,478        523,196        *   

GAP Coinvestments CDA, L.P.(2)(3)

    1,686        *        541        1,145        *   

GapStar, LLC(2)(3)

    219,389        *        70,450        148,939        *   

GAP-W, Holdings, L.P.(2)(3)

    2,629,479        3.9        844,378        1,785,101        2.7   

GAP Coinvestments III, LLC(2)(3)(4)

    685,780        1.0        174,147        465,563        *   

GAP Coinvestments IV, LLC(2)(3)

    158,979        *        51,051        107,928        *   

GAPCO GmbH& Co., KG(2)(3)

    19,882        *        6,384        13,498        *   

Quadrangle Capital Partners II LP(3)(5)

    11,103,652        16.7        3,490,689        7,612,963        11.4   

Quadrangle Select Partners II LP(3)(5)

    297,041        *        93,382        203,659        *   

Quadrangle Capital Partners II-A LP(3)(5)

    1,323,042        2.0        415,929        907,113        1.4   

 

* Less than 1%
(1) Calculated pursuant to Rule 13(d)-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as of May 5, 2011, at which date there were 66,619,300 aggregate shares of common stock outstanding.
(2)

General Atlantic LLC (“General Atlantic”) is the general partner of each of General Atlantic GenPar, L.P. (“GA GenPar”), General Atlantic Partners 79, L.P. (“GAP 79”), and GAP Coinvestments CDA, L.P. (“CDA”). GA GenPar is the general partner of General Atlantic Partners 84, L.P. and GAP-W Holdings, L.P. (“GAP-W”). The officers of GapStar, LLC (“GapStar”) and managing members of GAP Coinvestments III, LLC (“GAPCO III”) and GAP Coinvestments IV, LLC (“GAPCO IV”) are managing directors of General Atlantic. GAPCO Management GmbH (“GmbH Management”) is the general partner of GAPCO GmbH & Co. KG (“KG” and, together with GAP 79, GAP 84, GAP-W, CDA, GapStar, GAPCO III, GAPCO IV and GmbH Management, the “General Atlantic Stockholders”). There are 27 managing directors of GA (the “GA Managing Directors”). General Atlantic, GA GenPar, GAP 79, GAP 84, GAP-W, CDA, GapStar, GAPCO III, GAPCO IV, GmbH Management and KG and are a “group,” as defined in Rule 13d-5 of the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and may be deemed to own beneficially any aggregate of 12,599,895 shares of the

 

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common stock, which represents approximately 18.9% of the outstanding shares of common stock. David C. Hodgson is a GA Managing Director. Mr. Hodgson disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares beneficially owned by the General Atlantic Stockholders except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. H. Raymond Bingham is a GA Advisory Director. Mr. Bingham disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares beneficially owned by the General Atlantic Stockholders except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Investment entities affiliated with General Atlantic have a minority ownership position in two entities that have broker-dealer subsidiaries: Pierpont Securities Holdings LLC (“Pierpont”) and Getco Holding Company, LLC (“Getco”). Pierpont has one wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary, Pierpont Securities LLC, and Getco has three wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiaries, CTEG, LLC, Getco Execution Services, LLC and Getco Securities, LLC. Each of the General Atlantic Stockholders acquired its shares in the ordinary course of business and at the time of the acquisition of such shares did not have any arrangements or understandings with any person to distribute the securities. The mailing address for the General Atlantic Stockholders (other than KG and GmbH Management) is c/o General Atlantic Service Company, LLC, 3 Pickwick Plaza, Greenwich, CT 06830. The mailing address for KG and GmbH Management is c/o General Atlantic GmbH, Koenigsallee 63, 40212 Düsseldorf, Germany.

(3) Given the terms of the Institutional Shareholder Agreement (as defined in the accompanying prospectus under “Selling Stockholders—Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders—Institutional Shareholder Agreement”), the General Atlantic Stockholders, the Quadrangle Stockholders (as defined below) and the Management Stockholders (as defined in the accompanying prospectus under “Selling Stockholders—Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders—Institutional Shareholder Agreement”) may be deemed to constitute a “group” that, as of the date set forth above, collectively beneficially owns approximately 31,427,090 shares of common stock, or 43.5% of the Company’s total number of shares of common stock outstanding for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act. Each of the General Atlantic Stockholders, the Quadrangle Stockholders and the Management Stockholders disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by the other parties to the Institutional Shareholder Agreement.
(4) Immediately prior to the closing of this offering, GAPCO III will transfer 600 shares of common stock to Peter Bloom, a GA Advisory Director, 21,440 shares of common stock to Steven A. Denning, a managing director of General Atlantic, and 24,030 shares of common stock to William E. Ford, a managing director of General Atlantic. The number of shares beneficially owned by GAPCO III after the offering gives effect to these distributions.
(5) QCP GP Investors II LLC is the general partner of Quadrangle GP Investors II LP, which is the general partner of each of Quadrangle Capital Partners II LP, Quadrangle Select Partners II LP and Quadrangle Capital Partners II-A LP (collectively, the “Quadrangle Stockholders” and, together with Quadrangle GP Investors II LP, the “Quadrangle Entities”). QCP GP Investors II LLC disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock that may be deemed beneficially owned by the Quadrangle Entities or any of their affiliates. The investment committee of QCP GP Investors II LLC makes voting and investment decisions with respect to the securities held by the Quadrangle Entities. One of the members of the investment committee of QCP GP Investors II LLC is Peter R. Ezersky, who is a member of our board of directors. Each of Mr. Ezersky and the other members of the investment committee of QCP GP Investors II LLC disclaim ownership of such shares that may be deemed beneficially owned by the Quadrangle Entities or any of their affiliates. The mailing address for the Quadrangle Shareholders is 375 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10152.

 

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Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences for Non-U.S. Holders

The following is a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences to a Non-U.S. Holder, as defined below, of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock purchased pursuant to this offering. This discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), Treasury regulations promulgated under the Code (“Treasury Regulations”), administrative pronouncements or practices and judicial decisions, all as of the date hereof. Future legislative, judicial, or administrative modifications, revocations, or interpretations, which may or may not be retroactive, may result in U.S. federal income tax consequences significantly different from those discussed herein. This discussion is not binding on the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). No ruling has been or will be sought or obtained from the IRS with respect to any of the U.S. federal tax consequences discussed herein. There can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge any of the conclusions discussed herein or that a U.S. court will not sustain such a challenge.

The following discussion does not purport to be a full description of all U.S. federal income tax considerations that may be relevant to any Holder, as defined below, in light of such Holder’s particular circumstances and addresses only Holders who hold common stock as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code. This discussion does not address any (i) U.S. federal alternative minimum tax, (ii) U.S. federal estate, gift, or other non-income tax (except as set forth below) or (iii) any state, local, or non-U.S. tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership or disposition of our common stock. In addition, this discussion does not address the U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences to beneficial owners of our common stock subject to special rules, including, among others, beneficial owners that (i) are banks, financial institutions, or insurance companies, (ii) are regulated investment companies or real estate investment trusts, (iii) are brokers, dealers, or traders in securities or currencies, (iv) are tax-exempt organizations, (v) are controlled foreign corporations, (vi) are passive foreign investment companies, (vii) are U.S. expatriates, (viii) purchase or hold our common stock as part of hedges, straddles, constructive sales, conversion transactions or other integrated investments, (ix) acquire our common stock as compensation for services or through the exercise or cancellation of employee stock options or warrants or (x) have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar.

As used herein, a “Holder” means a beneficial owner of our common stock unless such beneficial owner is a partnership or other entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes (a “Partnership”) or an owner or partner in a Partnership. If a beneficial owner of our common stock is a Partnership or an owner or partner in a Partnership, the U.S. federal income tax consequences generally will depend on the activities of such Partnership and the status of such owner or partner. A beneficial owner of our common stock that is a Partnership or an owner or partner in a Partnership should consult its own tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our common stock.

A “U.S. Holder” means a Holder that is (i) an individual citizen or resident alien of the United States, (ii) a corporation or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal tax purposes created or organized in the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, (iii) an estate the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source or (iv) a trust that (a) is subject to the primary jurisdiction of a court within the United States and for which one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions or (b) has a valid election in effect under applicable Treasury Regulations to be treated as a U.S. person. As used herein, a “Non-U.S. Holder” means a Holder that is not a U.S. Holder.

THE SUMMARY OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES SET FORTH BELOW IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND IT IS NOT INTENDED TO BE, NOR SHOULD IT BE CONSTRUED TO BE, LEGAL OR TAX ADVICE TO ANY HOLDER OR PROSPECTIVE HOLDER OF SHARES AND NO OPINION OR REPRESENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES TO ANY SUCH HOLDER OR PROSPECTIVE HOLDER IS MADE. A HOLDER SHOULD CONSULT ITS OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF U.S. FEDERAL TAX LAWS TO ITS PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND ANY TAX CONSEQUENCES ARISING UNDER THE LAWS OF ANY STATE, LOCAL, NON-U.S. OR OTHER TAXING JURISDICTION OR UNDER ANY APPLICABLE TAX TREATY.

 

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Distributions on Common Stock

As discussed under “Risk Factors—Risks Related to this Offering and our Common Stock,” we do not anticipate making a distribution on common stock in the foreseeable future. If we make a distribution on a Non-U.S. Holder’s common stock, however, then, to the extent that such distribution is paid from our current and accumulated earnings and profits as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles (a “dividend”), the dividend generally will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% of the gross amount, or any lower rate that may be specified by an applicable tax treaty if we have received proper certification of the application of that tax treaty. If the amount of the distribution exceeds our current and accumulated earnings and profits, such excess first will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of a Non-U.S. Holder’s tax basis in our common stock, and thereafter will be treated as capital gain (and treated as described below under “—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock”). However, except to the extent that we elect (or the paying agent or other intermediary through which a Non-U.S. Holder holds its common stock elects) otherwise, we (or the intermediary) must generally withhold on the entire distribution, in which case a Non-U.S. Holder would be entitled to a refund from the IRS for the withholding tax on the portion of the distribution that exceeded our current and accumulated earnings and profits. A Non-U.S. Holder should consult its own tax advisor regarding its entitlement to benefits under an applicable tax treaty and the manner of claiming the benefits of such treaty. A Non-U.S. Holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax under a tax treaty may obtain a refund or credit of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for a refund with the IRS.

Dividends that are effectively connected with a Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States (and, if certain tax treaties apply, are attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment maintained by such Non-U.S. Holder) are not subject to U.S. withholding tax, but instead are taxed in the manner applicable to U.S. persons. In that case, we will not withhold U.S. federal withholding tax, provided that the Non-U.S. Holder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements. In addition, dividends received by a corporate Non-U.S. Holder that are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States may be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, or any lower rate as may be specified in an applicable tax treaty.

Sale or Other Taxable Disposition of Common Stock

A Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, including by way of withholding, on gain recognized on a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of our common stock unless any one of the following is true:

 

   

the gain is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Holder’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States and, if an applicable tax treaty applies, is attributable to a U.S. permanent establishment (or, in the case of an individual, a fixed base) maintained by such Non-U.S. Holder in the United States, in which case the branch profits tax discussed above may also apply to a corporate Non-U.S. Holder;

 

   

the Non-U.S. Holder is an individual present in the United States for 183 or more days in the taxable year of the disposition and certain other requirements are met; or

 

   

the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, or “FIRPTA,” rules apply because (1) our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest by reason of our status as a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes at any time during the shorter of the period during which the Non-U.S. Holder holds our common stock or the five-year period ending on the date on which the Non-U.S. Holder disposes of our common stock; and (2) assuming that our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest and is treated as regularly traded on an established securities market within the meaning of applicable Treasury Regulations, the Non-U.S. Holder held, directly or indirectly, at any time within the five-year period preceding the disposition, more than 5% of our common stock.

 

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Generally, a corporation is a USRPHC only if the fair market value of its U.S. real property interests equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market value of its worldwide real property interests plus its other assets used or held for use in a trade or business. We believe that we are not now, have not been in the last five years and will not become a USRPHC. There can be no assurance regarding our USRPHC status for the current year or future years, however, because USRPHC status is based on the composition of our assets from time to time and on certain rules whose application is uncertain. We may become a USRPHC in the future.

An individual Non-U.S. Holder who is subject to U.S. tax because he or she was present in the United States for 183 or more days during the year of disposition and certain other conditions were met will be taxed on his or her gains, including gains from the disposition of our common stock net of applicable U.S. losses from dispositions of other capital assets incurred during the year, at a flat rate of 30% or a reduced rate under an applicable tax treaty.

An individual Non-U.S. Holder described in the first bullet point above will be subject to tax on his or her gains under regular graduated U.S. federal income tax rates.

U.S. Federal Estate Tax

Shares of common stock owned or treated as owned by an individual who is not a U.S. citizen or resident for U.S. federal estate tax purposes will be considered United States situs assets, will be included in that Non-U.S. Holder’s estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes, and may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax unless an applicable estate tax or other tax treaty provides otherwise.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Under Treasury Regulations, we must report annually to the IRS and to each Non-U.S. Holder the amount of dividends paid to each Non-U.S. Holder and any tax withheld with respect to those dividends. These information reporting requirements apply even if withholding was not required because the dividends were effectively connected dividends or withholding was reduced or eliminated by an applicable tax treaty. Under an applicable tax treaty, that information may also be made available to the taxing authorities in a country in which the Non-U.S. Holder resides or is established.

Backup withholding will generally not apply to payments of dividends made by us or our paying agents, in their capacities as such, to a Non-U.S. Holder if the Holder has provided the certification described above that it is not a U.S. person (generally satisfied by providing the applicable IRS Form W-8) or has otherwise established an exemption, provided we or the paying agent have no actual knowledge or reason to know that the beneficial owner is a U.S. person.

The payment of the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a Non-U.S. Holder to or through the U.S. office of a broker generally will be reported to the IRS and reduced by backup withholding unless the Non-U.S. Holder either certifies its status as a Non-U.S. Holder in accordance with applicable Treasury Regulations or otherwise establishes an exemption and the broker has no actual knowledge, or reason to know, to the contrary. The payment of the proceeds of a disposition of our common stock by a Non-U.S. Holder to or through a non-U.S. office of a non-U.S. broker generally will not be reduced by backup withholding or reported to the IRS unless the non-U.S. broker has certain types of relationships with the United States (a “U.S. Related Financial Intermediary”). In the case of the payment of proceeds from the disposition of our common stock to or through a non-U.S. office of a broker that is either a U.S. person or a U.S. Related Financial Intermediary, the Treasury Regulations require information reporting (but not backup withholding) on the payment unless the broker has documentary evidence in its files that the owner is a Non-U.S. Holder and the broker has no knowledge to the contrary.

Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be refunded or credited against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, if any, provided that certain

 

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required information is timely furnished to the IRS. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the application of the information reporting and backup withholding rules to them and the availability and procedure for obtaining an exemption from backup withholding under current Treasury Regulations.

Each prospective Holder is urged to consult its tax advisor with respect to the U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of our common stock, as well as the application and effect of the laws of any state, local, foreign or other taxing jurisdiction.

 

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Underwriting

Under the terms and subject to the conditions contained in an underwriting agreement dated May     , 2011, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC has agreed to purchase, and the selling stockholders have agreed to sell to it, 8,000,000 shares of common stock.

The underwriter is offering the common stock subject to its acceptance of the shares from the selling stockholders and subject to prior sale. The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriter to pay for and accept delivery of the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement are subject to the approval of certain legal matters by its counsel and to certain other conditions. The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriter is obligated to take and pay for all of the common stock if any such shares are purchased.

The underwriter proposes to offer our shares of common stock from time to time for sale in one or more transactions on the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices, subject to receipt and acceptance by them and subject to their right to reject any order in whole or in part. In connection with the sale of our shares of common stock offered hereby, the underwriter may be deemed to have received compensation in the form of underwriting discounts. The underwriter may effect such transactions by selling our shares of common stock to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts or commissions from the underwriter and/or purchasers of our shares of common stock for whom they may act as agents or to whom they may sell as principals.

The underwriter has agreed to purchase the shares of our common stock from the selling stockholders at a price of $             per share, which will result in approximately $             of proceeds to the selling stockholders.

We estimate expenses payable by us in connection with the offering of common stock will be approximately $250,000.

Indemnification

We and the selling stockholders have agreed to indemnify the underwriter against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. We and the selling stockholders have also agreed to contribute to payments that the underwriter may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

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Lock-up Agreements

We have agreed that we will not, directly or indirectly, offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock, or offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase any such shares, or enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of such shares, or establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in such shares within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act, or file with the SEC a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) relating to any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, in each case without the prior written consent of the underwriter, for a period of 75 days after the date of this prospectus supplement, except grants of employee stock options or restricted stock pursuant to the terms of a plan in effect on the date hereof, issuances pursuant to the exercise of such options or the exercise of any other employee stock options outstanding on the date hereof, issuances of such securities pursuant to the conversion or exchange of convertible or exchangeable securities or the exercise of warrants, the filing of any registration statements on Form S-8 in connection with an employee benefits plan in effect on the date hereof or on Form S-4 in connection with the issuances contemplated below in connection with acquisitions of businesses or assets or formation of joint ventures or other collaborations subject to limits on the number of shares to be offered thereunder, and the issuance of shares or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock as consideration for or partial consideration for acquisitions of businesses or assets or in connection with the formation of joint ventures, strategic partnerships or other collaborations, provided that such issuances are limited to 5% of our outstanding common stock outstanding immediately hereafter provided that the recipient of such shares of common stock agree to be bound by a similar lock-up agreement.

Other than in this offering, certain of our directors and the selling stockholders have agreed that they will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of our common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any shares of our common stock, enter into a transaction that would have the same effect, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of our common stock, whether any of these transactions are to be settled by delivery of our common stock or other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to make any offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, without, in each case, the prior written consent of the underwriter for a period of 75 days after the date of this prospectus supplement. The restrictions of the lock-up agreements do not apply to the withholding of any securities by us to satisfy any withholding tax obligations in connection with the vesting of any of our restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock options or other stock-based awards pursuant to our compensation plans and the filing of any Form 4 under the Exchange Act in connection with such withholding. Certain transfers are also permitted (1) pursuant to a will, other testamentary document or applicable laws of descent, (2) as a bona fide gift or (3) to a family member or trust, provided that, in each case, the transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of the agreement prior to such transfer and no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Exchange Act shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer (other than a filing on Form 5 made when required) and such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value (provided that in the case of transferees that are charitable organizations or trusts that receive securities from the General Atlantic entities or the Quadrangle entities, the lock-up agreements applicable to such entities will permit such transferees to collectively sell under Rule 144 of the Securities Act up to an aggregate number of shares equal to 110,000 shares of our common stock provided that no such sales are made during the first 7 days of the “lock-up” period). Transfers are also permitted to an entity’s wholly-owned subsidiary or the partners, members, stockholders or affiliates of such entity, or to a charitable or family trust, so long as the transferee agrees to be bound by the terms of a similar lock up agreement prior to such transfer and no filing by any party is required or shall be voluntarily made under the Exchange Act (other than a Form 5 filing when required and such transfer shall not involve a disposition for value). The General Atlantic Stockholders and the Quadrangle Stockholders will be permitted to make filings on Form 4 during the “lock-up” period in connection with transfers to specified general partners, advisory directors, managing directors or managing

 

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members and the estate planning vehicles of managing members provided that they give written notice to the underwriter at least three business days prior to such proposed transfers and such transfer will not involve a disposition for value. In addition, the establishment of Rule 10b5-1 trading plans and modification of existing Rule 10b5-1 trading plans are permitted provided that no transactions thereunder are made until after the end of the 75-day period and no public disclosure of such plans and modifications shall be required or voluntarily made until after the end of the 75-day period.

The underwriter may, in its sole discretion and at any time or from time to time before the termination of the 75-day period, without notice, release all or any portion of the securities subject to lock-up agreements.

Price Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids

Until the distribution of the shares of common stock is completed, SEC rules may limit the underwriter from bidding for and purchasing shares of our common stock.

In connection with this offering, the underwriter may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or make short sales of our common stock and may purchase our common stock on the open market to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriter of a greater number of shares than they are required to purchase in this offering. The underwriter may close out any short position by purchasing shares in the open market or by exercising its option to purchase additional shares.

A short position is more likely to be created if the underwriter are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in this offering. A “stabilizing bid” is a bid for or the purchase of common stock on behalf of the underwriter in the open market prior to the completion of this offering for the purpose of fixing or maintaining the price of the shares of common stock. A “syndicate covering transaction” is the bid for or purchase of common stock on behalf of the underwriter to reduce a short position incurred by the underwriter in connection with the offering.

Similar to other purchase transactions, the underwriter’s purchases to cover the syndicate short sales may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our shares or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our shares. As a result, the price of our shares may be higher than the price that might otherwise exist in the open market.

In connection with this offering, the underwriter may also engage in passive market making transactions in our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange in accordance with Rule 103 of Regulation M during a period before the commencement of offers or sales of shares of our common stock in this offering and extending through the completion of distribution. A passive market maker must display its bid at a price not in excess of the highest independent bid of that security. However, if all independent bids are lowered below the passive market maker’s bid, that bid must then be lowered when specified purchase limits are exceeded.

Neither we, the selling stockholders nor the underwriter make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of our common stock. In addition, neither we, the selling stockholders nor the underwriter make any representation that the underwriter will engage in these transactions or that any transaction, if commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

Electronic Distribution

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by the underwriter of the offering, or by its affiliates. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on the underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other websites maintained by the underwriter is not part of the prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or the underwriter in its capacity as underwriter and should not be relied upon by investors.

 

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Affiliations

The underwriter and its affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. In the future, the underwriter and its affiliates may provide various investment banking, commercial banking, financial advisory and other services to us and our affiliates for which services they have received, and may in the future receive, customary fees.

In the course of its business, the underwriter and its affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of the issuer. The underwriter and its affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

Notice to Canadian Residents

Resale Restrictions

The distribution of the shares in Canada is being made only on a private placement basis exempt from the requirement that we and the selling shareholders prepare and file a prospectus with the securities regulatory authorities in each province where trades of shares are made. Any resale of the shares in Canada must be made under applicable securities laws which may vary depending on the relevant jurisdiction, and which may require resales to be made under available statutory exemptions or under a discretionary exemption granted by the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authority. Purchasers are advised to seek legal advice prior to any resale of the shares.

Representations of Purchasers

By purchasing shares in Canada and accepting delivery of a purchase confirmation, a purchaser is representing to us, the selling shareholders and the dealer from whom the purchase confirmation is received that:

 

   

the purchaser is entitled under applicable provincial securities laws to purchase the shares without the benefit of a prospectus qualified under those securities laws as it is an “accredited investor” as defined under National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus and Registration Exemptions,

 

   

the purchaser is a “permitted client” as defined in National Instrument 31-103—Registration Requirements and Exemptions,

 

   

where required by law, the purchaser is purchasing as principal and not as agent,

 

   

the purchaser has reviewed the text above under “Resale Restrictions”, and

 

   

the purchaser acknowledges and consents to the provision of specified information concerning the purchase of the shares to the regulatory authority that by law is entitled to collect the information, including certain personal information. For purchasers in Ontario, questions about such indirect collection of personal information should be directed to Administrative Support Clerk, Ontario Securities Commission, Suite 1903, Box 55, 20 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S8 or to (416) 593-3684.

Rights of Action—Ontario Purchasers

Under Ontario securities legislation, certain purchasers who purchase a security offered by this document during the period of distribution will have a statutory right of action for damages, or while still the owner of the

 

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shares, for rescission against us and the selling shareholders in the event that this document contains a misrepresentation without regard to whether the purchaser relied on the misrepresentation. The right of action for damages is exercisable not later than the earlier of 180 days from the date the purchaser first had knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cause of action and three years from the date on which payment is made for the shares. The right of action for rescission is exercisable not later than 180 days from the date on which payment is made for the shares. If a purchaser elects to exercise the right of action for rescission, the purchaser will have no right of action for damages against us and the selling shareholders. In no case will the amount recoverable in any action exceed the price at which the shares were offered to the purchaser and if the purchaser is shown to have purchased the securities with knowledge of the misrepresentation, we and the selling shareholders will have no liability. In the case of an action for damages, we and the selling shareholders will not be liable for all or any portion of the damages that are proven to not represent the depreciation in value of the shares as a result of the misrepresentation relied upon. These rights are in addition to, and without derogation from, any other rights or remedies available at law to an Ontario purchaser. The foregoing is a summary of the rights available to an Ontario purchaser. Ontario purchasers should refer to the complete text of the relevant statutory provisions.

Enforcement of Legal Rights

All of our directors and officers as well as the experts named herein and the selling shareholders may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible for Canadian purchasers to effect service of process within Canada upon us or those persons. All or a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of those persons may be located outside of Canada and, as a result, it may not be possible to satisfy a judgment against us or those persons in Canada or to enforce a judgment obtained in Canadian courts against us or those persons outside of Canada.

Taxation and Eligibility for Investment

Canadian purchasers of shares should consult their own legal and tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the shares in their particular circumstances and about the eligibility of the investment by the purchaser under relevant Canadian legislation.

Notice to Investors

European Economic Area

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (as defined herein) (each, a Relevant Member State), the underwriter has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the Relevant Implementation Date) it has not made and will not make an offer of the securities to the public in that Relevant Member State prior to the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Relevant Member State or, where appropriate, approved in another Relevant Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Relevant Member State, all in accordance with the Prospectus Directive and the 2010 PD Amending Directive (as defined herein) to the extent implemented, except that it may, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, make an offer of securities to the public in that Relevant Member State at any time:

 

   

to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive or the 2010 PD Amending Directive if the relevant provision has been implemented;

 

   

to fewer than (i) 100 natural or legal persons per Relevant Member State (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive or the 2010 PD Amending Directive if the relevant provision has been implemented) or (ii) if the Relevant Member State has implemented the relevant provision of the 2010 PD Amending Directive, 150 natural or legal persons per Relevant Member State (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive or the 2010 PD Amending Directive if the relevant provision has been implemented), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant Dealer or Dealers nominated by the issuer for any such offer; or

 

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in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive or Article 3(2) of the 2010 PD Amending Directive to the extent implemented.

For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer to the public,” in relation to any securities in any Relevant Member State, means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the securities, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State, the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC, and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State, and the expression “2010 PD Amending Directive” means Directive 2010/73/EC.

United Kingdom

The underwriter has represented and agreed that: (a) it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the securities in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the Company; and (b) it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the securities in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

Germany

Any offer or solicitation of securities within Germany must be in full compliance with the German Securities Prospectus Act (Wertpapierprospektgesetz—WpPG). The offer and solicitation of securities to the public in Germany requires the publication of a prospectus that has to be filed with and approved by the German Federal Financial Services Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht—BaFin). This prospectus supplement has not been and will not be submitted for filing and approval to the BaFin and, consequently, will not be published. Therefore, this prospectus supplement does not constitute a public offer under the German Securities Prospectus Act (Wertpapierprospektgesetz). This prospectus supplement and any other document relating to our common stock, as well as any information contained therein, must therefore not be supplied to the public in Germany or used in connection with any offer for subscription of our common stock to the public in Germany, any public marketing of our common stock or any public solicitation for offers to subscribe for or otherwise acquire our common stock. This prospectus supplement and other offering materials relating to the offer of our common stock are strictly confidential and may not be distributed to any person or entity other than the designated recipients hereof.

France

This prospectus has not been prepared in the context of a public offering of financial securities in France within the meaning of Article L.411-1 of the French Code Monétaire et Financier and Title I of Book II of the Règlement Général of the Autorité des marchés financiers (the “AMF”) and therefore has not been and will not be filed with the AMF for prior approval or submitted for clearance to the AMF. Consequently, the shares of our common stock may not be, directly or indirectly, offered or sold to the public in France and offers and sales of the shares of our common stock may only be made in France to qualified investors (investisseurs qualifiés) acting for their own, as defined in and in accordance with Articles L.411-2 and D.411-1 to D.411-4, D.734-1, D.744-1, D.754-1 and D.764-1 of the French Code Monétaire et Financier. Neither this prospectus nor any other offering material may be released, issued or distributed to the public in France or used in connection with any offer for subscription on sale of the shares of our common stock to the public in France. The subsequent direct or indirect retransfer of the shares of our common stock to the public in France may only be made in compliance with Articles L.411-1, L.411-2, L.412-1 and L.621-8 through L.621-8-3 of the French Code Monétaire et Financier.

 

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Sweden

This is not a prospectus under, and has not been prepared in accordance with the prospectus requirements provided for in, the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act (lagen (1991:980) om handel med finasiella instrument) nor any other Swedish enactment. Neither the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority nor any other Swedish public body has examined, approved, or registered this document.

Hong Kong

The securities may not be offered or sold by means of any document other than (i) in circumstances which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), or (ii) to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap.571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (iii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” within the meaning of the Companies Ordinance (Cap.32, Laws of Hong Kong), and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the securities may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere), which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to securities which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” within the meaning of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571, Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder.

Singapore

This prospectus has not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the securities may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the securities be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”), (ii) to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA.

Where the securities are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 by a relevant person which is: (a) a corporation (which is not an accredited investor) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor; or (b) a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary is an accredited investor, securities, debentures and units of securities and debentures of that corporation or the beneficiaries’ rights and interest in that trust shall not be transferable for 6 months after that corporation or that trust has acquired the securities under Section 275 except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A), and in accordance with the conditions, specified in Section 275 of the SFA; (2) where no consideration is given for the transfer; or (3) by operation of law.

Japan

The securities have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law of Japan (the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law) and the underwriter has agreed that it will not offer or sell any securities, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to, or for the benefit of, any resident of Japan (which term as used herein means any person resident in Japan, including any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan), or to others for re-offering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to a resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of, and otherwise in compliance with, the Financial Instruments and Exchange Law and any other applicable laws, regulations and ministerial guidelines of Japan.

 

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Legal Matters

The validity of the common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus will be passed upon for us by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, New York. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP will pass upon certain legal matters related to this offering for the underwriter. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP have each represented the General Atlantic Stockholders, the Quadrangle Stockholders and their related parties from time to time.

Experts

The financial statements and the related financial statement schedules incorporated in this prospectus supplement by reference from Dice Holdings, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the effectiveness of Dice Holdings, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements and financial statement schedules have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

Where You Can Find More Information

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus are part of the registration statement on Form S-3 we filed with the SEC under the Securities Act and do not contain all the information set forth in the registration statement. Whenever a reference is made in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus to any of our contracts, agreements or other documents, the reference may not be complete and you should refer to the exhibits that are a part of the registration statement or the exhibits to the reports or other documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus for a copy of such contract, agreement or other document. Because we are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act we file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the Public Reference Room.

 

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Information Incorporated By Reference

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” information from other documents that we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and information that we file with the SEC in the future and incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings (other than Current Reports on Form 8-K furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 and exhibits filed on such form that are related to such items) we make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of the prospectus supplement and before the sale of all the securities covered by this prospectus supplement:

 

   

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010;

 

   

Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed on March 16, 2011 (to the extent incorporated by reference into the Annual Report on Form 10-K);

 

   

Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2011;

 

   

Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on February 17, 2011 and April 20, 2011; and

 

   

The description of the Company’s common stock set forth in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on July 11, 2007.

You can request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or telephone number:

Dice Holdings, Inc.,

1040 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor

New York, New York 10018

Attention: Corporate Secretary, (212) 725-6550

 

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PROSPECTUS

LOGO

Dice Holdings, Inc.

Common Stock

Preferred Stock

 

 

We may offer and sell from time to time up to an aggregate of $50,000,000 of shares of our common stock or preferred stock, or any combination thereof, in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on terms that we determine at the time of the offering. In addition, the selling stockholders named in this prospectus may offer, from time to time and in one or more offerings, up to 46,167,387 shares of our common stock.

Each time we or the selling stockholders offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing more information about the particular offering together with this prospectus. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus may not be used to offer and sell securities without a prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DHX.”

 

 

Investing in these securities involves significant risks. We strongly recommend that you read carefully the risks we describe in this prospectus as well as in any accompanying prospectus supplement and the risk factors that are incorporated by reference in this prospectus from our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The date of this prospectus is May 18, 2010


Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1   

THE COMPANY

     2   

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     3   

RISK FACTORS

     5   

USE OF PROCEEDS

     5   

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS

     5   

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     6   

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     10   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     14   

LEGAL MATTERS

     17   

EXPERTS

     17   

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     17   

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

     18   


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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration process, we may offer and sell from time to time shares of our common stock or preferred stock, or any combination thereof, in one or more offerings in amounts, at prices and on terms that we determine at the time of the offering, with an aggregate initial offering price of up to $50,000,000 and the selling stockholders named in this prospectus may offer, from time to time in one or more offerings, up to an aggregate of 46,167,387 shares of our common stock. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities. Each time we offer the securities or the selling stockholders sell shares of common stock, we will provide a prospectus supplement that describes the terms of the offering. The prospectus supplement also may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. Before making an investment decision, you should read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus as described below under the heading “Incorporation by Reference.”

The registration statement that contains this prospectus, including the exhibits to the registration statement and the information incorporated by reference, provides additional information about us and our securities. The registration statement can be read at the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) web site (www.sec.gov) or at the SEC public reference room as discussed below under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

You should rely only on the information provided in the registration statement, this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement, including the information incorporated by reference. Neither we nor the selling stockholders have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any supplement to this prospectus is accurate at any date other than the date indicated on the cover page of these documents. Neither we nor the selling stockholders are making an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

We and the selling stockholders may sell the securities to or through underwriters, dealers or agents or directly to purchasers. The securities may be sold for U.S. dollars, foreign-denominated currency or currency units. Amounts payable with respect to any securities may be payable in U.S. dollars or foreign-denominated currency or currency units as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement. We, the selling stockholders and our and their agents reserve the sole right to accept or reject in whole or in part any proposed purchase of the securities. The prospectus supplement, which we will provide each time we or the selling stockholders offer the securities, will set forth the names of any underwriters, dealers or agents involved in the sale of the securities, and any related fee, commission or discount arrangements. See “Plan of Distribution.”

The prospectus supplement may also contain information about any material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the securities covered by the prospectus supplement.

In this prospectus, the terms “Dice Holdings,” “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company” refer to Dice Holdings, Inc.

 

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THE COMPANY

Dice Holdings, Inc. is a leading provider of specialized career websites for professional communities, including technology and engineering, financial services, accounting and finance, healthcare, and security clearance. Our mission is to help our customers source and hire the most qualified professionals in select and highly skilled occupations, and to help those professionals find the best job opportunities in their respective fields and further their careers. For more than 19 years, we have built our Company by providing our customers with quick and easy access to high-quality, unique professional communities and offering those communities access to highly relevant career opportunities and information. Today, we serve multiple markets primarily in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

For a description of our business, financial condition, results of operations and other important information regarding Dice Holdings, we refer you to our filings with the SEC incorporated by reference in this prospectus. For instructions on how to find copies of these documents, see “Where You Can Find More Information.” More information about us is also available through our website at www.diceholdingsinc.com. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

Our principal executive offices are located at 1040 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10018, telephone (212) 725-6550.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference include forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You should not place undue reliance on those statements because they are subject to numerous uncertainties and factors relating to our operations and business environment, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of our business strategy. These statements often include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate” or similar expressions. These statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual financial results or results of operations and could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:

 

   

increases in the unemployment rate, cyclicality or downturns in the United States or worldwide economy or the industries we serve, labor shortages, or job shortages;

 

   

competition from existing and future competitors;

 

   

changes in the recruiting and career services business and technologies, and the development of new products and services;

 

   

failure to develop and maintain our reputation and brand recognition;

 

   

failure to increase or maintain the number of customers who purchase recruitment packages;

 

   

failure to attract qualified professionals or grow the number of qualified professionals who use our websites;

 

   

capacity constraints, systems failures or breaches of network security;

 

   

compliance with laws and regulations concerning collection, storage and use of professionals’ personal information;

 

   

our indebtedness;

 

   

inability to borrow funds under our credit facility or refinance our debt;

 

   

periods of operating and net losses and history of bankruptcy;

 

   

covenants in our Amended and Restated Credit Facility;

 

   

inability to successfully identify or integrate future acquisitions;

 

   

strain on our resources due to future growth;

 

   

misappropriation or misuse of our intellectual property, claims against us for intellectual property infringement or the failure to enforce our ownership or use of intellectual property;

 

   

control by our principal stockholders;

 

   

compliance with certain corporate governance requirements and costs incurred in connection with being a public company;

 

   

compliance with the continued listing standards of the New York Stock Exchange;

 

   

failure to maintain internal controls over financial reporting;

 

   

loss of key executives and technical personnel;

 

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U.S. and foreign government regulation of the Internet and taxation;

 

   

changes in foreign currency exchange rates;

 

   

our foreign operations;

 

   

inability to expand into international markets;

 

   

unfavorable decisions in proceedings related to future tax assessments;

 

   

taxation risks in various jurisdictions for past or future sales; and

 

   

write-offs of goodwill.

These and other factors are more fully discussed elsewhere herein and in the documents incorporated by reference herein. These and other risks could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by forward-looking statements herein and therein.

You should keep in mind that any forward-looking statement made by us herein and in the documents incorporated by reference herein speaks only as of the date on which we make it. New risks and uncertainties come up from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict these events or how they may affect us. We have no obligation to update any forward-looking statements herein or therein after the date hereof or thereof, except as required by federal securities laws.

 

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our securities involves risk. You should carefully consider the specific risks discussed or incorporated by reference in the applicable prospectus supplement, together with all the other information contained in the prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. You should also consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus. These risk factors may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by other reports we file with the SEC in the future.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless we specify another use in any of the applicable prospectus supplements, we will use the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered by us for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, debt repayment, working capital and/or capital expenditures.

We may also use such proceeds to fund acquisitions of businesses or technologies that complement our current business. We may set forth additional information on the use of net proceeds from the sale of the securities we offer under this prospectus in a prospectus supplement related to a specific offering.

We will not receive any proceeds from the resale of shares of our common stock by the selling stockholders.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS

Our ratios of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends are shown in the table below. For purposes of calculating the below ratios, earnings consist of income before taxes plus fixed charges during the period. Fixed charges means the sum of the following: (a) interest expensed, (b) amortized capitalized expenses related to indebtedness and (c) an estimate of the interest within rental expense. Preferred stock dividends represent the amount of pre-tax income required to pay the dividends on preferred shares. We have had no preferred shares outstanding since July 2007 and have not paid any dividends on preferred shares since 2007. The dividend on preferred shares in 2007 was declared and paid prior to our initial public offering.

 

     Dice Holdings, Inc. (Successor)      Dice Inc. Reorganized
(Predecessor)
   Three months
ended
March 31,
2010
     Twelve months ended
December 31,
     Four months
ended
December 31,
2005
     Eight months
ended
December 31,
2005
      2009      2008      2007      2006        

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred stock dividends

     6.47x         3.94x         3.45x         —           —           —         67.22x

For the years ended December 31, 2007 and 2006 and the four months ended December 31, 2005, earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges and preferred stock dividends by $142.2 million, $4.8 million, and $2.3 million, respectively.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The selling stockholders named in the table below may from time to time offer and sell pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement up to 46,167,387 shares of our common stock. When we refer to “selling stockholders” in this prospectus, we mean those persons listed in the table below, as well as their transferees, pledgees or donees or their successors. The selling stockholders may sell all, a portion or none of their shares at any time. The information regarding shares beneficially owned after the offering assumes the sale of all shares offered by the selling stockholders. Except as otherwise indicated, each selling stockholder has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to such shares.

 

     Shares Beneficially
Owned Before the
Offering(1)
     Maximum
Number of
Shares that
May be
Sold
Hereunder
    Shares Beneficially
Owned After the
Offering
 

Name of Beneficial Owner

   Shares      %        Shares      %  

General Atlantic Partners 79, L.P.(2)(3)

     14,554,051         23.3         14,554,051        —           —     

General Atlantic Partners 84, L.P.(2)(3)

     1,382,349         2.2         1,382,349        —           —     

GAP Coinvestments CDA, L.P.(2)(3)

     3,024         *         3,024        —           —     

GapStar, LLC(2)(3)

     393,517         *         393,517        —           —     

GAP-W, Holdings, L.P.(2)(3)

     4,716,470         7.6         4,716,470        —           —     

GAP Coinvestments III, LLC(2)(3)

     1,230,077         2.0         1,230,077        —           —     

GAP Coinvestments IV, LLC(2)(3)

     285,160         *         285,160        —           —     

GAPCO GmbH& Co., KG(2)(3)

     35,662         *         35,662        —           —     

Quadrangle Capital Partners II LP(3)(4)

     19,722,658         31.6         19,722,658        —           —     

Quadrangle Select Partners II LP(3)(4)

     527,611         *         527,611        —           —     

Quadrangle Capital Partners II-A LP(3)(4)

     2,350,031         3.8         2,350,031        —           —     

Quadrangle GP Investors II LP(3)(4)

     42,755         *         42,755        —           —     

John P.R. Benson(5)(6)

     1,006,836         1.6         642,634 (7)      364,202         *   

David S. Gordon(5)(8)

     305,855         *         270,855        35,000         *   

Thomas M. Silver(3)(5)(9)

     1,174,929         1.8         10,533        1,164,396         1.8   

 

 * Less than 1%
(1) Calculated pursuant to Rule 13(d)-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as of March 11, 2010, at which date there were 62,418,859 aggregate shares of common stock outstanding.
(2)

General Atlantic LLC (“General Atlantic”) is the general partner of each of General Atlantic GenPar, L.P. (“GA GenPar”), General Atlantic Partners 79, L.P. (“GAP 79”), and GAP Coinvestments CDA, L.P. (“CDA”). GA GenPar is the general partner of General Atlantic Partners 84, L.P. and GAP-W Holdings, L.P. (“GAP-W”). The officers of GapStar, LLC (“GapStar”) and managing members of GAP Coinvestments III, LLC (“GAPCO III”) and GAP Coinvestments IV, LLC (“GAPCO IV”) are managing directors of General Atlantic. GAPCO Management GmbH (“GmbH Management”) is the general partner of GAPCO GmbH & Co. KG (“KG” and, together with GAP 79, GAP 84, GAP-W, CDA, GapStar, GAPCO III, GAPCO IV and GmbH Management, the “General Atlantic Stockholders”). There are 25 managing directors of GA (the “GA Managing Directors”). General Atlantic, GA GenPar, GAP 79, GAP 84, GAP-W, CDA, GapStar, GAPCO III, GAPCO IV, GmbH Management and KG and are a “group,” as defined in Rule 13d-5 of the rules and regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and may be deemed to own beneficially any aggregate of 22,600,310 shares of the Common Stock, which represents approximately 36.2% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock. David C. Hodgson is a GA Managing Director. Mr. Hodgson disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares beneficially owned by the General Atlantic Stockholders except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. H. Raymond Bingham is a GA Advisory Director. Mr. Bingham disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares beneficially owned by the General Atlantic Stockholders except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein. Investment entities affiliated with General Atlantic have a minority ownership position in

 

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two entities that have broker-dealer subsidiaries: Pierpont Securities Holdings LLC (“Pierpont”) and Getco Holding Company, LLC (“Getco”). Pierpont has one wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiary, Pierpont Securities LLC, and Getco has three wholly-owned broker-dealer subsidiaries, CTEG, LLC, Getco Execution Services, LLC and Getco Securities, LLC. Each of the General Atlantic Stockholders acquired its shares in the ordinary course of business and at the time of the acquisition of such shares did not have any arrangements or understandings with any person to distribute the securities. The mailing address for the General Atlantic Stockholders (other than KG and GmbH Management) is c/o General Atlantic Service Company, LLC, 3 Pickwick Plaza, Greenwich, CT 06830. The mailing address of KG and GmbH Management is c/o General Atlantic GmbH, Koenigsallee 63, 40212 Düsseldorf, Germany.

(3) Given the terms of the Institutional Shareholder Agreement (as defined below under “—Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders—Institutional Shareholder Agreement”), the General Atlantic Stockholders, the Quadrangle Stockholders (as defined below) and the Management Stockholders (as defined below) may be deemed to constitute a “group” that, as of the date set forth above, collectively beneficially owns approximately 52,416,459 shares of common stock, or 76% of the Company’s total number of shares of common stock outstanding for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act. Each of the General Atlantic Stockholders, the Quadrangle Stockholders and the Management Stockholders disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock beneficially owned by the other parties to the Institutional Shareholder Agreement.
(4) QCP GP Investors II LLC is the general partner of Quadrangle GP Investors II LP, which is the general partner of each of Quadrangle Capital Partners II LP, Quadrangle Select Partners II LP and Quadrangle Capital Partners II-A LP (collectively, the “Quadrangle Stockholders” and, together with Quadrangle GP Investors II LP, the “Quadrangle Entities”). QCP GP Investors II LLC disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares of common stock that may be deemed beneficially owned by the Quadrangle Entities or any of their affiliates. The managing members of QCP GP Investors II LLC make voting and investment decisions with respect to the securities held by the Quadrangle Entities. There are four managing members of QCP GP Investors II LLC. Peter R. Ezersky is a managing member of QCP GP Investors II LLC and a member of our board of directors. Mr. Ezersky disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares that may be deemed beneficially owned by the Quadrangle Entities or any of their affiliates. Amanda B. Siegel is a Principal of Quadrangle Group LLC, which is an affiliate of QCP GP Investors II LLC and a member of our board of directors. Ms. Siegel disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares that may be deemed beneficially owned by the Quadrangle Entities or any of their affiliates. In addition, the other managing members of QCP GP Investors II LLC are Michael Huber, Edward Sippel and Joshua Steiner. Each of these individuals disclaims ownership of such shares that may be deemed beneficially owned by the Quadrangle Entities or any of their affiliates.
(5) Such person’s business address is c/o Dice Holdings, Inc., 1040 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018.
(6) This amount includes 85,285 shares held by John Benson and Denton & Co Trustees Limited, Mr. Benson’s pension plan. This amount also includes 68,228 shares held by Mr. Benson’s wife, which Mr. Benson may be deemed to indirectly beneficially own, and options to purchase 295,974 shares of common stock that are vested and exercisable or will become vested and exercisable within 60 days.
(7) Includes 85,285 shares held by John Benson and Denton & Co Trustees Limited, Mr. Benson’s pension plan.
(8) This amount includes options to purchase 35,000 shares of common stock that are vested and exercisable or will become vested and exercisable within 60 days.
(9) This amount includes options to purchase 1,164,396 shares of common stock that are vested and exercisable or will become vested and exercisable within 60 days.

Material Relationships with Selling Stockholders

Institutional Shareholder Agreement

The Company, the General Atlantic Stockholders, the Quadrangle Stockholders (and together with the General Atlantic Stockholders, the “Principal Stockholders”) and certain of our executive officers, including

 

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Thomas M. Silver, who is a selling stockholder under this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement (the “Management Stockholders”) are party to the Institutional and Management Shareholder Agreement, dated July 23, 2007 (the “Institutional Shareholder Agreement”). The Institutional Shareholder Agreement contains restrictions on the ability of the Principal Stockholders and the Management Stockholders to transfer shares of our common stock and provisions related to registration rights granted to such stockholders.

In addition, the Institutional Shareholder Agreement contains provisions related to the composition of our board of directors and the committees of our board of directors and our corporate governance. Specifically, the Institutional Shareholder Agreement requires that the board consist of at least eight directors, one of whom must be our Chief Executive Officer. Under the Institutional Shareholder Agreement, each of the Principal Stockholders has the right to designate up to (1) three members of our board of directors if such Principal Stockholder owns 17.5% or more of our common stock, (2) two members of our board of directors if it owns less than 17.5% but at least 10% of our common stock and (3) one member of our board of directors if it owns less than 10% but at least 5% of our common stock. Each Principal Stockholder has agreed to vote its shares in favor of the directors designated by the other Principal Stockholder in accordance with the terms of the Institutional Shareholder Agreement. Initially, the Principal Stockholders each only designated two members to our board of directors. Peter Ezersky and Amanda Siegel have been designated as members of our board of directors by the Quadrangle Stockholders and H. Raymond Bingham and David Hodgson have been designated as members of our board of directors by the General Atlantic Stockholders. If both Principal Stockholders hold less than 5% of our common stock, these provisions terminate.

Restrictions on Transfer

Under the Institutional Shareholder Agreement, neither of the Principal Stockholders may sell or transfer shares of our capital stock (except for transfers to certain permitted transferees or certain block sale transfers) without the consent of the other Principal Stockholder. Additionally, the Principal Stockholders and the Management Stockholders have agreed not to sell any shares during the period beginning 14 days prior to the effective date of a registration statement filed in connection with the exercise of demand or piggyback registration rights by any stockholder until the earlier of: (1) 90 days after any public offering and (2) the expiration of the underwriters lock-up period for the applicable offering, provided that the Principal Stockholders and Management Stockholders have agreed that notwithstanding this provision, they will remain subject to the terms of any underwriter lock-up agreement for the applicable offering.

Other Provisions

Under the Institutional Shareholder Agreement, we have agreed that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” will not apply against our Principal Stockholders in a manner that would prohibit them from investing in competing businesses or doing business with our clients and customers.

The Institutional Shareholder Agreement requires us to deliver to each stockholder who is a party to the agreement and owns 5% or more of our common stock in the aggregate certain monthly financial statements as soon as practicable after they are available, subject to customary confidentiality provisions. Additionally, except to the extent available on the SEC’s EDGAR system, we are required to deliver to each stockholder who is a party to the agreement and owns 5% or more of our common stock copies of all financial statements, reports, notices and proxy statements and all regular and periodic reports, and registration statements or prospectuses filed by us with the SEC.

Registration Rights

Under the Institutional Shareholder Agreement, each of the Principal Stockholders is entitled to certain demand registration rights, including the right to require us to effect a shelf registration if we are eligible to file registration statements on Form S-3.

 

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Under the Institutional Shareholder Agreement, in a demand registration, the non-requesting Principal Stockholder and the Management Stockholders are entitled to piggyback registration rights with respect to any registration request made by a Principal Stockholder, subject to limited exceptions. If the registration requested by a Principal Stockholder is in the form of an underwritten offering, and if the managing underwriter of the offering determines that the number of securities proposed to be offered would have an adverse affect on the offering, the number of shares included in the offering will be determined as follows:

 

   

first, shares offered by the Principal Stockholders and the Management Stockholders (but only to the extent such shares were not acquired pursuant to the exercise of options);

 

   

second, shares offered by any other stockholders (pro rata, based on the number of their respective shares requested to be included in such offering); and

 

   

third, shares offered by us for our own account.

The Institutional Shareholder Agreement also provides that each Principal Stockholder and Management Stockholder is entitled to piggyback registration rights with respect to any registration initiated by us, subject to certain limited exceptions. If we initiate a registration in the form of an underwritten offering, and if the managing underwriter of the offering determines that the number of securities proposed to be offered would have an adverse affect on the offering, then the number of shares included in the offering shall be determined as follows:

 

   

first, shares offered by us for our own account;

 

   

second, shares requested to be included by the Principal Stockholders and the Management Stockholders (pro rata, based on the number of their respective shares requested to be included in such offering); and

 

   

third, shares offered by any other stockholders (pro rata, based on the number of their respective shares requested to be included in such offering).

The Principal Stockholders and certain of the Management Stockholders are exercising registration rights in connection with the resale of the common shares owned by them in this prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement.

In any registration, including the resale of the common shares owned by them in this prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement, we have agreed to indemnify the participating Principal Stockholders and Management Stockholders and to pay all registration expenses (other than underwriting discounts and commissions and certain legal expenses of the selling stockholders).

The Principal Stockholders and Scot W. Melland, Michael P. Durney, Thomas M. Silver, Brian P. Campbell and Constance Melrose, each of whom is a Management Stockholder, exercised piggyback rights and sold shares in connection with our initial public offering.

In 2007, we incurred approximately $3.2 million in expenses related to our initial public offering.

Block Sales

Under the Institutional Shareholder Agreement, a Principal Stockholder may request to sell common stock in a block sale, provided that the Principal Stockholder gives written notice to us and the other Principal Stockholder. The other Principal Stockholder will then have the right to participate in the block sale on a proportional basis with the requesting Principal Stockholder. Each Principal Stockholder may make up to two block sales in any one year period, and each block sale must recognize proceeds of at least $20 million. These provisions terminate with respect to a Principal Stockholder if it owns less than 10% of our common stock.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

The following description of our capital stock summarizes certain terms and provisions of our common stock and preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, to which any prospectus supplement may relate. This section also summarizes relevant provisions of Delaware law. The following description of our common stock and preferred stock does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, the applicable provisions of Delaware law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws, copies of which have been filed with the SEC as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

Capital Stock

As of the date of this prospectus, our authorized capital stock consists of 240,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share. As of March 11, 2010, we had 62,418,859 outstanding shares of common stock, excluding 293,000 shares of restricted stock, and no shares of preferred stock outstanding.

As of March 11, 2010, there were approximately 54 holders of record of our common stock.

Common Stock

The holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors. Holders of the common stock do not have any preemptive rights or cumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding common stock voting for the election of directors can elect all directors then being elected. The holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when, as, and if declared by our board out of legally available funds. Upon our liquidation or dissolution, the holders of common stock will be entitled to share ratably in those of our assets that are legally available for distribution to stockholders after payment of liabilities and subject to the prior rights of any holders of preferred stock then outstanding. All of the outstanding shares of common stock are, and the shares of common stock to be sold in this offering when issued and paid for will be, fully paid and nonassessable. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of common stock are subject to the rights of the holders of shares of any series of preferred stock that may be issued in the future.

Preferred Stock

We are authorized to issue up to 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our board of directors is authorized, subject to limitations prescribed by Delaware law and our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, to determine the terms and conditions of the preferred stock, including whether the shares of preferred stock will be issued in one or more series, the number of shares to be included in each series and the powers, designations, preferences and rights of the shares. Our board of directors is also authorized to designate any qualifications, limitations or restrictions on the shares without any further vote or action by the stockholders. The issuance of preferred stock may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company and may adversely affect the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock, which could have an adverse impact on the market price of our common stock.

Certain Certificate of Incorporation, By-Law and Statutory Provisions

The provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws and of the Delaware General Corporation Law summarized below may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt of the Company.

 

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Directors’ Liability; Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that a director will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except:

 

   

for any breach of the duty of loyalty;

 

   

for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or knowing violations of law;

 

   

for liability under Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (relating to unlawful dividends, stock repurchases, or stock redemptions); or

 

   

for any transaction from which the director derived any improper personal benefit.

This provision does not limit or eliminate our rights or those of any stockholder to seek non-monetary relief such as an injunction or rescission in the event of a breach of a director’s duty of care. The provisions do not alter the liability of directors under federal securities laws. In addition, our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws provide that we indemnify each director and the officers, employees, and agents determined by our board of directors to the fullest extent provided by the laws of the State of Delaware.

Corporate Opportunity

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation also provides that the doctrine of “corporate opportunity” will not apply against our Principal Stockholders in a manner that would prohibit them from investing in competing businesses or doing business with our clients or customers. See “Risk Factors—We are controlled by two groups of principal stockholders whose interest in our business may be different than yours” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009 incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Special Meetings of Stockholders

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that special meetings of stockholders may be called only by the chairman or by a majority of the members of our board. Stockholders are not permitted to call a special meeting of stockholders, to require that the chairman call such a special meeting, or to require that our board request the calling of a special meeting of stockholders.

Stockholder Action; Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that stockholders may not take action by written consent, but may only take action at duly called annual or special meetings, unless the action to be effected by written consent and the taking of such action by written consent have expressly been approved in advance by the board. In addition, our Amended and Restated By-laws establish advance notice procedures for:

 

   

stockholders to nominate candidates for election as a director; and

 

   

stockholders to propose topics for consideration at stockholders’ meetings.

Stockholders must notify our corporate secretary in writing prior to the meeting at which the matters are to be acted upon or directors are to be elected. The notice must contain the information specified in our by-laws. To be timely, the notice must be received at our corporate headquarters not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the prior year’s annual meeting of stockholders. If the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days, or delayed by more than 70 days, from the anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, or if no annual meeting was held in the preceding year or for the first annual meeting following this offering, notice by the stockholder, to be timely, must be received not earlier than the 120th day prior to the

 

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annual meeting and not later than the later of the 90th day prior to the annual meeting or the 10th day following the day on which we notify stockholders of the date of the annual meeting, either by mail or other public disclosure. In the case of a special meeting of stockholders called to elect directors, the stockholder notice must be received not earlier than 120 days prior to the special meeting and not later than the later of the 90th day prior to the special meeting or 10th day following the day on which we notify stockholders of the date of the special meeting, either by mail or other public disclosure. Notwithstanding the above, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the board at an annual meeting is increased and we do not make any public announcement naming the nominees for the additional directorships at least 100 days before the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder notice of nomination shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for the additional directorships, if it is delivered not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which such public announcement is first made. These provisions may preclude some stockholders from bringing matters before the stockholders at an annual or special meeting or from nominating candidates for director at an annual or special meeting.

Election and Removal of Directors

Our board is divided into three classes. The directors in each class serve for a three-year term, one class being elected each year by our stockholders. Our stockholders may only remove directors for cause and with the vote of at least 66 2/3% of the total voting power of our issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors. Our board of directors may elect a director to fill a vacancy, including vacancies created by the expansion of the board of directors. This system of electing and removing directors may discourage a third party from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, because it generally makes it more difficult for stockholders to replace a majority of our directors.

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-laws do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors.

Amendment of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws

Our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors, is required to amend the following provisions of our Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation:

 

   

the provisions relating to our classified board of directors;

 

   

the provisions relating to the number and election of directors, the appointment of directors upon an increase in the number of directors or vacancy, and the provisions relating to the removal of directors;

 

   

the provisions requiring a 66 2/3% stockholder vote for the amendment of certain provisions of our articles of incorporation and for the adoption, amendment or repeal of our by-laws;

 

   

the provisions relating to the restrictions on stockholder actions by written consent; and

 

   

the provisions relating to the calling of meetings of stockholders.

In addition, the board of directors is permitted to alter our by-laws without obtaining stockholder approval and the affirmative vote of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the voting power of our issued and outstanding capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors will be required for any amendment to our by-laws by the stockholders.

 

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Anti-Takeover Provisions of Delaware Law

We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. In general, Section 203 prevents an interested stockholder (defined generally as a person owning 15% or more of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock) of a Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination (as defined) for three years following the date that person became an interested stockholder unless various conditions are satisfied.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A.

New York Stock Exchange Listing

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DHX.”

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or the selling stockholders may offer and sell the securities in any one or more of the following ways:

 

   

to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers;

 

   

directly to one or more other purchasers;

 

   

through a block trade in which the broker or dealer engaged to handle the block trade will attempt to sell the securities as agent, but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

 

   

through agents on a best-efforts basis; or

 

   

otherwise through a combination of any of the above methods of sale.

In addition, we or the selling stockholders may enter into option, share lending or other types of transactions that require us or such selling stockholders, as applicable, to deliver shares of common stock to an underwriter, broker or dealer, who will then resell or transfer the shares of common stock under this prospectus. We or the selling stockholders may also enter into hedging transactions with respect to our securities or the securities of such selling stockholders, as applicable. For example, we or the selling stockholders may:

 

   

enter into transactions involving short sales of the shares of common stock by underwriters, brokers or dealers;

 

   

sell shares of common stock short and deliver the shares to close out short positions;

 

   

enter into option or other types of transactions that require us or the selling stockholders, as applicable, to deliver shares of common stock to an underwriter, broker or dealer, who will then resell or transfer the shares of common stock under this prospectus; or

 

   

loan or pledge the shares of common stock to an underwriter, broker or dealer, who may sell the loaned shares or, in the event of default, sell the pledged shares.

Any selling stockholder will act independently of us in making decisions with respect to the timing, manner and size of each sale of shares of common stock covered by this prospectus.

We or the selling stockholders may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the applicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or such selling stockholders, as applicable, or borrowed from us, such selling stockholders or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of stock, and may use securities received from us or selling stockholders in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an underwriter and, if not identified in this prospectus, will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement (or a post-effective amendment). In addition, we or the selling stockholders may otherwise loan or pledge securities to a financial institution or other third party that in turn may sell the securities short using this prospectus. Such financial institution or other third party may transfer its economic short position to investors in our securities or the securities of such selling stockholders, as applicable, or in connection with a concurrent offering of other securities.

Shares of common stock may also be exchanged for satisfaction of the selling stockholders’ obligations or other liabilities to their creditors. Such transactions may or may not involve brokers or dealers.

Each time we or the selling stockholders sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will name any underwriter, dealer or agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities. The prospectus supplement will also set forth the terms of the offering, including:

 

   

the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds we and/or such selling stockholders, as applicable, will receive from the sale of the securities;

 

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any underwriting discounts and other items constituting underwriters’ compensation;

 

   

any public offering or purchase price and any discounts or commissions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers;

 

   

any commissions allowed or paid to agents;

 

   

any other offering expenses;

 

   

any securities exchanges on which the securities may be listed;

 

   

the method of distribution of the securities;

 

   

the terms of any agreement, arrangement or understanding entered into with the underwriters, brokers or dealers; and

 

   

any other information we think is important.

If underwriters or dealers are used in the sale, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters or dealers for their own account. The securities may be sold from time to time by us or the selling stockholders in one or more transactions:

 

   

at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed;

 

   

at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

   

at prices related to such prevailing market prices;

 

   

at varying prices determined at the time of sale; or

 

   

at negotiated prices.

Such sales may be effected:

 

   

in transactions on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;

 

   

in transactions in the over-the-counter market;

 

   

in block transactions in which the broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction, or in crosses, in which the same broker acts as an agent on both sides of the trade;

 

   

through the writing of options; or

 

   

through other types of transactions.

The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more of such firms. Unless otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of underwriters or dealers to purchase the securities offered will be subject to certain conditions precedent and the underwriters or dealers will be obligated to purchase all the offered securities if any are purchased. Any public offering price and any discount or concession allowed or reallowed or paid by underwriters or dealers to other dealers may be changed from time to time.

The selling stockholders might not sell any shares of common stock under this prospectus. In addition, any shares of common stock covered by this prospectus that qualify for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus.

The securities may be sold directly by us or the selling stockholders or through agents designated by us or such selling stockholders, as applicable, from time to time. Any agent involved in the offer or sale of the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be named, and any commissions payable by us or

 

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such selling stockholders, as applicable, to such agent will be set forth in, the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

Offers to purchase the securities offered by this prospectus may be solicited, and sales of the securities may be made by us or by selling stockholders directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any resale of the securities. The terms of any offer made in this manner will be included in the prospectus supplement relating to the offer.

If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, underwriters, dealers or agents will be authorized to solicit offers by certain institutional investors to purchase securities from us pursuant to contracts providing for payment and delivery at a future date. Institutional investors with which these contracts may be made include, among others:

 

   

commercial and savings banks;

 

   

insurance companies;

 

   

pension funds;

 

   

investment companies; and

 

   

educational and charitable institutions.

In all cases, these purchasers must be approved by us or the selling stockholders, as applicable. Unless otherwise set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the obligations of any purchaser under any of these contracts will not be subject to any conditions except that (a) the purchase of the securities must not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction to which that purchaser is subject, and (b) if the securities are also being sold to underwriters, we or the selling stockholders, as applicable, must have sold to these underwriters the securities not subject to delayed delivery. Underwriters and other agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of these contracts.

Some of the underwriters, dealers or agents used by us or the selling stockholders in any offering of securities under this prospectus may be customers of, engage in transactions with, and perform services for us and/or such selling stockholders, as applicable, or affiliates of ours and/or theirs, as applicable, in the ordinary course of business. Underwriters, dealers, agents and other persons may be entitled under agreements which may be entered into with us and/or the selling stockholders to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, and to be reimbursed by us and/or such selling stockholders for certain expenses.

Any securities initially sold outside the United States may be resold in the United States through underwriters, dealers or otherwise.

Any underwriters to which offered securities are sold by us or the selling stockholders for public offering and sale may make a market in such securities, but those underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time.

The anticipated date of delivery of the securities offered by this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to the offering.

The maximum compensation we will pay to underwriters in connection with any offering of the securities will not exceed 8% of the maximum proceeds of such offering.

To comply with the securities laws of some states, if applicable, the securities may be sold in these jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the securities may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale or an exemption from registration or qualification requirements is available and is complied with.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, certain legal matters will be passed upon for us by Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, New York. If legal matters in connection with offerings made pursuant to this prospectus are passed upon by counsel for underwriters, dealers or agents, if any, such counsel will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering.

EXPERTS

The financial statements and the related financial statement schedules incorporated in this prospectus by reference from Dice Holdings, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, and the effectiveness of Dice Holdings, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements and financial statement schedules have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

As required by the Securities Act, Dice Holdings filed a registration statement relating to the securities offered by this prospectus with the SEC. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement, which includes additional information.

The Company files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. These filings are available to the public on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document the Company files at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Dice Holdings maintains a website at www.diceholdingsinc.com where the Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports are available without charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after those reports are filed with or furnished to the SEC.

As permitted by SEC rules, this prospectus does not contain all of the information we have included in the registration statement and the accompanying exhibits and schedules we file with the SEC. You may refer to the registration statement, exhibits and schedules for more information about us and the securities. The registration statement, exhibits and schedules are available through the SEC’s website or at its public reference room.

 

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus. Information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update information in this prospectus. In all cases, you should rely on the later information over different information included in this prospectus or the prospectus supplement. We incorporate by reference the following documents which have been filed with the SEC:

 

   

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009;

 

   

Our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for the 2010 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed on March 12, 2010;

 

   

Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2010;

 

   

Our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 23, 2010; and

 

   

The description of the Company’s common stock set forth in the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on July 11, 2007.

All documents and reports that we file with the SEC (other than any portion of such filings that are furnished under applicable SEC rules rather than filed) pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and before the later of (1) the completion of the offering of the securities described in this prospectus and (2) the date we stop offering securities pursuant to this prospectus, shall be incorporated by reference in this prospectus from the date of filing of such documents. The information contained on our website (www.diceholdingsinc.com) is not incorporated into this prospectus.

We will provide to each person to whom a prospectus is delivered a copy of any or all of the reports or documents that have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus but not delivered with the prospectus. You may request a copy of these filings or a copy of any or all of the documents referred to above which have been incorporated in this prospectus by reference, at no cost, by contacting Dice Holdings, Inc., 1040 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor, New York, New York 10018, Attention: Corporate Secretary; (212) 725-6550.

You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, the prospectus supplement, any applicable pricing supplement or any documents incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the applicable document. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or any other subsequently filed document that is deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

 

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8,000,000 Shares

Dice Holdings, Inc.

Common Stock

 

 

Prospectus Supplement

 

 

Credit Suisse

                            , 2011