Redeemable Preferred Stock

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2023

Redeemable Preferred Stock

Redeemable Preferred Stock

Note 13. Redeemable Preferred Stock

The Company is authorized to issue up to 250,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, in one or more series, of which 105,875 shares were designated as 5% Series B Cumulative Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock (referred to herein as Series B Preferred Stock) in March 2005.

Redeemable Series B Preferred Stock

The Company has designated 105,875 shares of its authorized preferred stock as Series B Preferred Stock (liquidation preference $1,000.00 per share). As of October 31, 2023 and 2022, there were 64,020 shares of Series B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, with a carrying value of $59.9 million. The following is a summary of certain terms of the Series B Preferred Stock.

Ranking. Shares of the Company’s Series B Preferred Stock rank with respect to dividend rights and rights upon the Company’s liquidation, winding up or dissolution:

● senior to shares of the Company’s common stock;

● junior to the Company’s debt obligations; and

● effectively junior to the Company’s subsidiaries’ (i) existing and future liabilities and (ii) capital stock held by others.

Dividends. The Series B Preferred Stock pays cumulative annual dividends of $50.00 per share, which are payable quarterly in arrears on February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15. Dividends accumulate and are cumulative from the date of original issuance. Unpaid accumulated dividends do not bear interest.

The dividend rate is subject to upward adjustment as set forth in the Amended Certificate of Designation for the Series B Preferred Stock (the “Series B Certificate of Designation”) if the Company fails to pay, or to set apart funds to pay, any quarterly dividend on the Series B Preferred Stock.

No dividends or other distributions may be paid or set apart for payment on the Company’s common stock (other than a dividend payable solely in shares of a like or junior ranking), nor may any stock junior to or on parity with the Series B Preferred Stock be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired for any consideration (or any money paid to or made available for a sinking fund for such stock) by the Company or on its behalf  (except by conversion into or exchange for shares of a like or junior ranking), unless all accumulated and unpaid dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock have been paid or funds or shares of common stock have been set aside for payment of such accumulated and unpaid dividends.

The dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock will be paid in cash, unless a registered holder elects (pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Series B Certificate of Designation) to receive such dividends in shares of the Company’s common stock. Any such shares of common stock paid in lieu of cash dividends will be treated as restricted securities and will not be transferable by the recipient thereof except pursuant to an effective registration statement or pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). Dividends of $3.2 million were paid in cash during each of the fiscal years ended October 31, 2023 and 2022. Cumulative declared and unpaid dividends as of October 31, 2023 and 2022 were $0.8 million.

Liquidation. The holders of Series B Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, in the event that the Company is liquidated, dissolved or wound up, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, $1,000.00 per share plus all accumulated and unpaid dividends up to but excluding the date of such liquidation, dissolution, or winding up (the “Liquidation Preference”). Until the holders of Series B Preferred Stock receive the Liquidation Preference with respect to their shares of Series B Preferred Stock in full, no payment will be made on any junior shares, including shares of the Company’s common stock. After the Liquidation Preference is paid in full, holders of the Series B Preferred Stock will not be entitled to receive any further distribution of the Company’s assets. (For the avoidance of doubt, neither the voluntary sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, nor a merger involving the Company, shall be deemed to be a voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company.)  As of October 31, 2023 and 2022, the issued and outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock had an aggregate Liquidation Preference of $64.0 million.

Conversion Rights. Each share of Series B Preferred Stock may be converted at any time, at the option of the holder, into 0.591 shares of the Company’s common stock (which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of $1,692.00 per share) plus cash in lieu of fractional shares. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events, as described in the Series B Certificate of Designation. The conversion rate is not adjusted for accumulated and unpaid dividends. If converted, holders of Series B Preferred Stock do not receive a cash payment for all accumulated and unpaid dividends; rather, all accumulated and unpaid dividends are canceled.

The Company may, at its option, cause shares of Series B Preferred Stock to be automatically converted into that number of shares of its common stock that are issuable at the then-prevailing conversion rate. The Company may exercise its conversion right only if the closing price of its common stock exceeds 150% of the then-prevailing conversion price ($1,692.00 per share as of October 31, 2023) for 20 trading days during any consecutive 30 trading day period, as described in the Series B Certificate of Designation.

If the holders of Series B Preferred Stock elect to convert their shares in connection with certain “fundamental changes” (as defined in the Series B Certificate of Designation and described below), the Company will in certain circumstances increase the conversion rate by a number of additional shares of common stock upon conversion or, in lieu thereof, the Company may in certain circumstances elect to adjust the conversion rate and related conversion obligation so that shares of Series B Preferred Stock are converted into shares of the acquiring or surviving company, in each case as described in the Series B Certificate of Designation.

The adjustment of the conversion price is to prevent dilution of the interests of the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock from certain dilutive transactions with holders of the Company’s common stock.

Redemption. The Company does not have the option to redeem the Series B Preferred Stock. However, holders of the Series B Preferred Stock can require the Company to redeem all or a portion of their shares of Series B Preferred Stock at a redemption price equal to the Liquidation Preference of the shares to be redeemed in the case of a “fundamental change” (as further described in the Series B Certificate of Designation). A fundamental change will be deemed to have occurred if any of the following occurs:

● any “person” or “group” is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 50% or more of the total voting power of all classes of the Company’s capital stock then outstanding and normally entitled to vote in the election of directors;

● during any period of two consecutive years, individuals who at the beginning of such period constituted the board of directors of the Company (together with any new directors whose election to the Company’s board of directors or whose nomination for election by the stockholders was approved by a vote of 66 2/3% of the Company’s directors then still in office who were either directors at the beginning of such period or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease for any reason to constitute a majority of the directors of the Company then in office;

● the termination of trading of the Company’s common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market and the common stock is not approved for trading or quoted on any other U.S. securities exchange or established over-the-counter trading market in the U.S.; or

● the Company (i) consolidates with or merges with or into another person or another person merges with or into the Company or (ii) sells, assigns, transfers, leases, conveys or otherwise disposes of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, to another person and, in the case of any such merger or consolidation described in clause (i), the securities that are outstanding immediately prior to such transaction (and which represent 100% of the aggregate voting power of the Company’s voting stock) are changed into or exchanged for cash, securities or property, unless pursuant to the transaction such securities are changed into or exchanged for securities of the surviving person that represent, immediately after such transaction, at least a majority of the aggregate voting power of the voting stock of the surviving person.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, holders of shares of the Series B Preferred Stock will not have the right to require the Company to redeem their shares if:

● the last reported sale price of shares of the Company’s common stock for any five trading days within the 10 consecutive trading days ending immediately before the later of the fundamental change or its announcement equaled or exceeded 105% of the conversion price of the Series B Preferred Stock immediately before the fundamental change or announcement;

● at least 90% of the consideration (excluding cash payments for fractional shares and in respect of dissenters’ appraisal rights) in the transaction or transactions constituting the fundamental change consists of shares of capital stock traded on a U.S. national securities exchange or quoted on The Nasdaq Stock Market, or which will be so traded or quoted when issued or exchanged in connection with a fundamental change, and as a result of the transaction or transactions, shares of Series B Preferred Stock become convertible into such publicly traded securities; or

● in the case of a merger or consolidation constituting a fundamental change (as described in the fourth bullet above), the transaction is affected solely to change the Company’s jurisdiction of incorporation.

Moreover, the Company will not be required to redeem any Series B Preferred Stock upon the occurrence of a fundamental change if a third party makes an offer to purchase the Series B Preferred Stock in the manner, at the price, at the times and otherwise in compliance with the requirements set forth above and such third party purchases all shares of Series B Preferred Stock validly tendered and not withdrawn.

The Company may, at its option, elect to pay the redemption price in cash, in shares of the Company’s common stock valued at a discount of 5% from the market price of shares of the Company’s common stock, or in any combination thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Company may only pay such redemption price in shares of the Company’s common stock that are registered under the Securities Act and eligible for immediate sale in the public market by non-affiliates of the Company.

Voting Rights. Holders of Series B Preferred Stock currently have no voting rights; however, holders may receive certain voting rights, as described in the Series B Certificate of Designation, if (a) dividends on any shares of Series B Preferred Stock, or any other class or series of stock ranking on parity with the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends, shall be in arrears for dividend periods, whether or not consecutive, containing in the aggregate a number of days equivalent to six calendar quarters or (b) the Company fails to pay the redemption price, plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, on the redemption date for shares of Series B Preferred Stock following a fundamental change. In each such event, the holders of Series B Preferred Stock (voting separately as a class with all other classes or series of stock ranking on parity with the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to the payment of dividends and upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable) will be entitled to elect two directors to the Company’s board of directors in addition to those directors already serving on the Company’s board of directors at such time (the “Series B Directors”), at the next annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders (or at a special meeting of the Company’s stockholders called for such purpose, whichever is earlier). The right to elect the Series B Directors will continue for each subsequent annual meeting of the Company’s stockholders until all dividends accumulated on the shares of Series B Preferred Stock have been fully paid or set aside for payment or the Company pays in full or sets aside for payment such redemption price, plus accrued but unpaid dividends, if any, on the redemption date for the shares of Series B Preferred Stock following a fundamental change. The term of office of any Series B Directors will terminate immediately upon the termination of the right of holders of Series B Preferred Stock to elect such Series B Directors, as described in this paragraph. Each holder of Series B Preferred Stock will have one vote for each share of Series B Preferred Stock held in the election of Series B Directors. The Company previously failed to make timely payment of the accrued dividends on the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to the May 15, 2019 and August 15, 2019 dividend payment dates. Such amounts were fully paid on or about November 15, 2019.

So long as any shares of Series B Preferred Stock remain outstanding, the Company will not, without the consent of the holders of at least two-thirds of the shares of Series B Preferred Stock outstanding at the time (voting separately as a class with all other series of preferred stock, if any, on parity with the Series B Preferred Stock upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable) issue or increase the authorized amount of any class or series of shares ranking senior to the outstanding shares of the Series B Preferred Stock as to dividends or upon liquidation. In addition, the Company will not, subject to certain conditions, amend, alter or repeal provisions of the Company’s certificate of

incorporation, as amended, including the Series B Certificate of Designation, whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise, so as to adversely amend, alter or affect any power, preference or special right of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock or the holders thereof without the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the issued and outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock. The amendment of the Company’s certificate of incorporation in October 2023 did not trigger this provision.