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Note 10 - Common and Preferred Stock
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Notes to Financial Statements  
Equity [Text Block]

NOTE 10 – COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK

 

Common Stock

 

The Company is authorized to issue 85 million shares of Common Stock at a $0.01 par value. As of December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the Company had 66,710,795 and 55,823,810 shares issued and outstanding, respectively.

 

During 2022, the Company completed the sale and issuance of 11,857,140 shares of its common stock to certain institutional and individual investors in two registered direct offerings with net proceeds totaling $21.6 million. During 2023, the Company completed the sale and issuance of 10,500,000 shares of its common stock to certain institutional investors in a registered direct offering with net proceeds totaling $38.5 million. 

 

In January 2013, the Company revised its then existing agreement with the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP (“Brownstein Agreement”), a related party. Under the Brownstein Agreement, the Company was to issue up to a total of 400,000 shares of the Company’s common stock.  200,000 of these shares had been issued as of December 31, 2023 and 200,000 shares were to be earned upon the achievement of certain milestones. Effective December 31, 2023, the unearned milestone shares were cancelled upon termination of the Brownstein Agreement.

 

Additionally, the Company incurred direct expenses to Brownstein of approximately $0.8 million and $1.5 million in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

 

 

Series 1 Preferred Stock

 

The Company has issued a total of 10,000 shares of Series 1 Preferred Stock (“Series 1 Preferred Stock”) to certain holders (“Holders”) under certain conversion and exchange agreements entered into in March 2020. Each share of Series 1 Preferred Stock is convertible at any time at the option of the Holder into 405.05 shares of Common Stock. As of December 31, 2023, Holders of Series 1 Preferred Stock exercised their option to convert 9,671 shares of Series 1 Preferred Stock into 3,917,235 shares of Common Stock. The Company has 329 shares of Series 1 Preferred Stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023.

 

Series A Preferred Stock

 

On June 29, 2021, the Company entered into an Underwriting Agreement with BRS as representative of the several underwriters named there, to issue and sell an aggregate of 2,000,000 depositary shares (the “Depositary Shares”), as well as up to 300,000 Depositary Shares that may be sold pursuant to the exercise of an option to purchase additional Depositary Shares (“Depositary Share Offering”), each representing 1/1000th of a share of the 8.875% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”). The Depositary Share Offering was completed on July 2, 2021 for net proceeds of approximately $54 million.

 

On July 1, 2021, the Company filed the Certificate of Designation (“Certificate of Designation”) for the Series A Preferred Stock with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware, which became effective upon acceptance for record. The Certificate of Designation classified a total of 7,500 shares of the Company’s authorized shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share, as Series A Preferred Stock.

 

As set forth in the Certificate of Designation, the Series A Preferred Stock will rank, as to dividend rights and rights upon the Company’s liquidation, dissolution or winding up: (i) senior to Common Stock of the Company; (ii) junior to the Series 1 Preferred Stock with respect to the distribution of assets upon the Company’s voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up; (iii) senior to the Series 1 Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and (iv) effectively junior to all the Company’s existing and future indebtedness (including indebtedness convertible into Common Stock or preferred stock) and to the indebtedness and other liabilities of (as well as any preferred equity interests held by others in) the Company’s existing or future subsidiaries.

 

Holders of Series A Preferred Stock, when and as authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors, are entitled to cumulative cash dividends at the rate of 8.875% of the $25,000.00 ($25.00 per Depositary Share) liquidation preference per year (equivalent to $2,218.75 per share per year or $2.21875 per Depositary Share per year). Dividends will be payable quarterly in arrears, on or about the 15th of January, April, July and October, beginning on or about October 15, 2021. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has paid cash dividends in the amount of $11,661,000. On December 21, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors declared that holders of Series A Preferred stock will receive a cash dividend equal to $560.00 per whole share; therefore, holders of Depositary Shares will receive a cash dividend equal to $0.56 per Depositary Share. The dividend was paid on January 15, 2024 to respective holders of record as of the close of business on January 4, 2024.

 

 

At the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, the Company pre-funded eight quarterly payments through July 2023 in a segregated account which appeared as Restricted Cash on the Balance Sheet. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock underlying the depositary shares will continue to accumulate whether or not (i) any of the Company’s agreements prohibit the current payment of dividends, (ii) the Company has earnings or funds legally available to pay the dividends, or (iii) the Company’s Board of Directors does not declare the payment of the dividends.

 

Holders of depositary shares representing interests in the Series A Preferred Stock generally will have no voting rights. However, if the Company does not pay dividends on any outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock for six or more quarterly dividend periods (whether or not declared or consecutive), holders of the Series A Preferred Stock (voting separately as a class with all other outstanding series of preferred stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable) will be entitled to elect two additional directors to the Board of Directors to serve until all unpaid dividends have been fully paid or declared and set apart for payment.

 

On and after July 2, 2026, the shares of Series A Preferred Stock will be redeemable at the Company’s option, in whole or in part, at a redemption price equal to $25,000.00 per share ($25.00 per Depositary Share), plus any accrued and unpaid dividends. Furthermore, upon a change of control or delisting event (each as defined in the Certificate of Designation), the Company will have a special option to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock at $25,000.00 per share ($25.00 per Depositary Share), plus any accrued and unpaid dividends.

 

Shares of Series A Preferred Stock are convertible into shares of Common Stock if, and only if, a change of control or delisting event (each as defined in the Certificate of Designation) has occurred, and the Company has not elected to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock prior to the applicable conversion date. Upon any conversion, each share of Series A Preferred Stock will be converted into that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the lesser of (i) the quotient obtained by dividing (A) the sum of (x) the $25,000 liquidation preference per share plus (y) the amount of an accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the conversion date by (B) the Common Stock Purchase Price (as defined in the Certificate of Designation), and (ii) 3,748.13 (the “Share Cap”), subject to certain adjustments.

 

The Company has 2,300 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023.