It’s your responsibility to monitor the expiration date(s) of your stock options or stock appreciation rights (SARs). For example, a stock option granted on December 10, 2010, with an eight-year term generally will expire on December 9, 2018, which would be the last day to exercise. However, if you leave HPE, the stock option may expire sooner. In general, vested stock options and SARs may be exercised within three months after your termination of employment, or by the original expiration date if earlier. Additionally, if a grant expires on a stock exchange holiday or weekend day, you must exercise it on or before the last trading day prior to the holiday or weekend. Finally, consider whether you are subject to insider trading window restrictions (network login required), which will limit the dates you can exercise stock options or SARs.
Please note that your grant information on the won’t show adjustments to your grant as a result of your termination until after your termination date because the database can’t be updated until after you’ve left HPE. The effect of your termination of employment is detailed in your grant agreement. If you did not keep a copy of your grant agreement or you have questions regarding the last day to exercise your grant, you should contact Merrill Lynch before your last day of employment.
Note: As you make decisions about exercising options, you need to understand that stock options that are not exercised prior to their expiration date will be cancelled.
In all cases, grants will expire on the earlier of the end of the post-termination exercise period applicable to your situation or the expiration date in the grant agreement or grant notice. If you don’t exercise your grant prior to its expiration, you’ll forfeit a potentially valuable asset. HPE won’t assume responsibility for your failure to exercise a grant and won’t reinstate an expired grant.