4 1 jprowellform4040803.txt STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 4 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 [ ] Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). ================================================================================ 1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* PROWELL, III JOE D -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Last) (First) (Middle) 4068 CRYSTAL COURT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Street) NESBIT MS 38651 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (City) (State) (Zip) ================================================================================ 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol FRED'S, INC. (FRED) ================================================================================ 3. I.R.S. Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an entity (Voluntary) ================================================================================ 4. Statement for Month/Day/Year April/7/2003 ================================================================================ 5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year) ================================================================================ 6. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable) [ ] Director [ ] 10% Owner [ X ] Officer (give title below) [ ] Other (specify below) Vice President ================================================================================ 7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check applicable line) [ X ] Form filed by one Reporting Person [ ] Form filed by more than one Reporting Person ================================================================================ Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ================================================================================
5. 6. 4. Amount of Owner- Securities Acquired (A) or Securities ship 2A. 3. Disposed of (D) Beneficially Form: 7. Deemed Transaction (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) Owned Follow- Direct Nature of 2. Execution Code ------------------------------- ing Reported (D) or Indirect 1. Transaction Date, if (Instr. 8) (A) Transaction(s)Indirect Beneficial Title of Security Date any ------------ Amount or Price (Instr. 3 (I) Ownership (Instr. 3) (mm/dd/yy) (mm/dd/yy) Code V (D) and 4) (Instr.4) (Instr. 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CLASS A COMMON STOCK 04/07/03 G (1) 100 A 600 D ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================
Explanation of Responses: (1)Received gift of 100 shares * If the Form is filed by more than one Reporting Person, see Instruction 4(b)(v). Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. Page 1 of 2 FORM 4 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) ================================================================================
9. Number 10. of Owner- Deriv- ship ative Form 2. Secur- of Conver- 5. 7. ities Deriv- 11. sion Number of Title and Amount Bene- ative Nature or 3A. Derivative 6. of Underlying 8. ficially Secur- of Exer- Deemed 4. Securities Date Securities Price Owned ity In- cise 3. Execu- Trans- Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of Follow- Direct direct Price Trans- tion action or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- ing (D) or Bene- 1. of action Date, Code of(D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative Reported In- ficial Title of Deriv- Date if any (Instr. (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- Trans- direct Owner- Derivative ative (Month/ (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity action(s)(I) ship Security Secur- Day/ Day/ ------ ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. 3) ity Year) Year) Code V (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OPTION ON CLASS $8.00 3/2/03 3/2/05 (1) 2,343 2,343 D COMMON STOCK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ====================================================================================================================================
Explanation of Responses: (1) These options to purchase up to 2,343 shares of Fred's, Inc. Class A Common Stock were granted on March 2, 2000 under the 1993 Long-Term Incentive Plan. By: /s/Joe Prowell 04/07/03 ----------------------------------------- ----------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedures. Alternatively, this Form is permitted to be submitted to the Commission in electronic format at the option of the reporting person pursuant to Rule 101(b)(4) of Regulatiob S-T. Page 2 of 2