Exhibit 4.1
STANDEX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
and
BANKBOSTON, N.A.
Rights Agent
______________________
Rights Agreement
Dated as of December 10, 1998
_____________________________________________________________________
RIGHTS AGREEMENT
RIGHTS AGREEMENT, dated as of December 10, 1998 (the
"Agreement"), between Standex International Corporation, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), and BankBoston, N.A., a
national banking association, as Rights Agent (the "Rights
Agent").
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, on December 10, 1998 the Board of Directors of the
Company (the "Board") authorized and declared a dividend
distribution of one Right for each share of Common Stock (as
hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding at the close of
business on January 25, 1999 (the "Record Date"), and authorized
the issuance of one Right (as such number may hereinafter be
adjusted pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(i) or (p)
hereof) for each share of Common Stock of the Company issued
between the Record Date (whether originally issued or delivered
from the Company's treasury) and the earlier of the Distribution
Date or the Expiration Date, each Right initially representing
the right to purchase one share of Common Stock of the Company
upon the terms and subject to the conditions hereinafter set
forth (the "Rights");
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the
mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as
follows:
Section 1. Certain Definitions. For purposes of this
Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
(1) "Acquiring Person" shall mean any Person who or which,
together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall
be the Beneficial Owner of [15]% or more of the shares of Common
Stock then outstanding, but shall not include (i) the Company,
(ii) any Subsidiary of the Company, (iii) any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or (iv)
any Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for
or pursuant to the terms of any such plan. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, (x) if the Board determines in good faith that a
Person who would otherwise be an "Acquiring Person," as defined
pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), has
become such inadvertently, and such Person divests as promptly as
practicable a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock so that
such Person would no longer be an "Acquiring Person," as defined
pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this paragraph (a), then
such Person shall not be deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" for
any purposes of this Agreement unless and until such Person shall
again become an "Acquiring Person and (y) any such Person who
becomes the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the shares of
Common Stock then outstanding as a result of a reduction in the
number of Shares of Common Stock then outstanding due to the
repurchase of shares of Common Stock by the Company shall not be
deemed to be an "Acquiring Person" for any purposes of this
Agreement unless and until such Person, after becoming aware that
such Person has become the Beneficial Owner of 15% or more of the
shares of Common Stock then outstanding, acquires beneficial
ownership of additional shares of Common Stock representing one
percent (1%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then
outstanding.
(2) "Act" shall mean the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
(3) "Affiliate" and "Associate" shall have the respective
meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended, and in effect on the date of this Agreement (the
"Exchange Act").
(4) A Person shall be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, and
shall be deemed to "beneficially own," any securities:
(1) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, beneficially owns or has the
right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately
or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement,
arrangement or understanding (other than customary agreements
with and between underwriters and selling group members with
respect to a bona fide public offering of securities), whether or
not in writing, or upon the exercise of conversion rights,
exchange rights, other rights, warrants or options, or otherwise;
provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the
"Beneficial Owner" of, or to "beneficially own," (A) securities
tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such
Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until
such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange,
or (B) securities issuable upon exercise of Rights at any time
prior to the occurrence of a Triggering Event, or (C) securities
issuable upon exercise of Rights from and after the occurrence of
a Triggering Event which Rights were acquired by such Person or
any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates prior to the
Distribution Date or pursuant to Section 3(a) or Section 22
hereof (the "Original Rights") or pursuant to Section 11(i)
hereof in connection with an adjustment made with respect to any
Original Rights;
(2) which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or
Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to vote or
dispose of or has "beneficial ownership" of (as determined
pursuant to Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under
the Exchange Act, or any comparable or successor rule), including
pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other
than customary agreements with and between underwriters and
selling group members with respect to a bona fide public offering
of securities), whether or not in writing; provided, however,
that a Person shall not be deemed the "Beneficial Owner" of, or
to "beneficially own," any security under this subparagraph (ii)
as a result of an agreement, arrangement or understanding to vote
such security if such agreement, arrangement or understanding:
(A) arises solely from a revocable proxy given in response to a
public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in
accordance with, the applicable provisions of the General Rules
and Regulations under the Exchange Act, and (B) is not then
reportable by such Person on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act
(or any comparable or successor report); or
(3) which are beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by any
other Person (or any Affiliate or Associate thereof) with which
such Person (or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates)
has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (other than
customary agreements with and between underwriters and selling
group members with respect to a bona fide public offering of
securities) whether or not in writing, for the purpose of
acquiring, holding, voting (except pursuant to a revocable proxy
as described in the proviso to subparagraph (ii) of this
paragraph (d)) or disposing of any voting securities of the
Company.
For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the
number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any particular
time, including for purposes of determining the particular
percentage of such outstanding shares of Common Stock of which
any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance
with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(l)(i) of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act.
(5) "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday,
Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts are authorized or obligated by law or executive
order to close.
(6) "Close of business" on any given date shall mean 5:00 p.m.,
Boston time, on such date; provided, however, that if such date
is not a Business Day it shall mean 5:00 p.m., Boston time, on
the next succeeding Business Day.
(7) "Common Stock" shall mean the common stock, $1.50 par value,
of the Company, except that "Common Stock" when used with
reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the
capital stock of such Person with the greatest voting power, or
the equity securities or other equity interest having power to
control or direct the management, of such Person.
(8) "Common stock equivalents" shall have the meaning set forth
in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(9) "Current market price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(10) "Current Value" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(11) "Distribution Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(12) "Exchange Act" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 1(c) hereof.
(13) "Expiration Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(14) "Final Expiration Date" shall mean the close of business on
December 10, 2008.
(15) "Permitted Offer" shall mean a tender offer or an exchange
offer for all outstanding shares of Common Stock at a price and
on terms determined, prior to the consummation of such tender
offer or exchange offer, by at least a majority of the members of
the Board, after receiving advice from a nationally recognized
investment banking firm selected by the Board, to be (a) at a
price that is fair to stockholders (taking into account all
factors which such members of the Board deem relevant including,
without limitation, prices which could reasonably be achieved if
the Company or its assets were sold on an orderly basis designed
to realize maximum value) and (b) otherwise in the best interests
of the Company and its stockholders.
(16) "Person" shall mean any individual, firm, corporation,
partnership, trust, association, limited liability company or
other entity.
(17) "Principal Party" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 13(b) hereof.
(18) "Purchase Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 4(a) hereof.
(19) "Record Date" shall have the meaning set forth in the
WHEREAS clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(20) "Redemption Date" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 7(a) hereof.
(21) "Redemption Price" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 23(a) hereof.
(22) "Rights" shall have the meaning set forth in the WHEREAS
clause at the beginning of the Agreement.
(23) "Rights Certificates" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 3(a) hereof.
(24) "Section 11(a)(ii) Event" shall mean an acquisition of
Common Stock described in the first sentence of Section 11(a)(ii)
hereof.
(25) "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date" shall have the meaning set
forth in Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(26) "Section 13 Event" shall mean any event described in clauses
(x), (y) or (z) of Section 13(a) hereof.
(27) "Spread" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(28) "Stock Acquisition Date" shall mean the later of (i) the
first date of public announcement (which, for purposes of this
definition, shall include, without limitation, a report filed
pursuant to Section 13(d) under the Exchange Act) by the Company
or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such
or (ii) the first date on which an executive officer of the
Company has actual knowledge that an Acquiring Person has become
such.
(29) "Subsidiary" shall mean, with reference to any Person, any
corporation of which an amount of voting securities sufficient to
elect at least a majority of the directors of such corporation is
beneficially owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person, or
otherwise controlled by such Person.
(30) "Substitution Period" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof.
(31) "Trading Day" shall have the meaning set forth in
Section 11(d)(i) hereof.
(32) "Triggering Event" shall mean any Section 11(a)(ii) Event or
any Section 13 Event.
Section 2. Appointment of Rights Agent. The Company hereby
appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company and the
holders of the Rights (who, in accordance with Section 3 hereof,
shall prior to the Distribution Date also be the holders of the
Common Stock) in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof,
and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment. The
Company may from time to time appoint such Co-Rights Agents as it
may deem necessary or desirable upon ten (10) days' prior written
notice to the Rights Agent. The Rights Agent shall have no duty
to supervise, and shall in no event be liable for, the acts or
omissions of any such Co-Rights Agent.
Section 3. Issuance of Rights.
(1) Until the earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth
Business Day (or such later date as may be determined by the
Board) after the Stock Acquisition Date (or, if the tenth
Business Day after the Stock Acquisition Date occurs before the
Record Date, the close of business on the Record Date), or
(ii) the close of business on the tenth Business Day (or such
later date as may be determined by action of the Board) after the
date that a tender or exchange offer by any Person (other than
the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit
plan of the Company or of any Subsidiary of the Company, or any
Person organized, appointed or established by the Company for or
pursuant to the terms of any such plan) is first published or
sent or given within the meaning of Rule 14d-2(a) of the General
Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act, if upon
consummation thereof, such Person would be the Beneficial Owner
of 15% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding, in
either instance other than pursuant to a Permitted Offer (the
earlier of (i) and (ii) being herein referred to as the
"Distribution Date"), (x) the Rights will be evidenced by the
certificates for the Common Stock registered in the names of the
holders of the Common Stock (which certificates for Common Stock
shall be deemed also to be certificates for Rights) and not by
separate certificates, and (y) the Rights will be transferable
only in connection with the transfer of the underlying shares of
Common Stock (including a transfer to the Company). As soon as
practicable after the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent will
send by first-class, insured, postage prepaid mail, to each
record holder of the Common Stock as of the close of business on
the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the
records of the Company, one or more rights certificates, in
substantially the form of Exhibit A hereto (the "Rights
Certificates"), evidencing one Right for each share of Common
Stock so held, subject to adjustment as provided herein. In the
event that an adjustment in the number of Rights per share of
Common Stock has been made pursuant to Section 11(i) or (p)
hereof, at the time of distribution of the Right Certificates,
the Company shall make the necessary and appropriate rounding
adjustments (in accordance with Section 14(a) hereof) so that
Rights Certificates representing only whole numbers of Rights are
distributed and cash is paid in lieu of any fractional Rights.
As of and after the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
evidenced solely by such Rights Certificates.
(2) As promptly as practicable following the Record Date, the
Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase
Common Stock, in substantially the form attached hereto as
Exhibit B, by first-class, postage prepaid mail, to each record
holder of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the
Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records
of the Company. With respect to certificates for the Common
Stock outstanding as of the close of business on the Record Date,
until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such
certificates for the Common Stock and the registered holders of
the Common Stock shall also be the registered holders of the
associated Rights.
(3) Rights shall be issued (i) in respect of all shares of
Common Stock that are issued (either as an original issuance or
from the Company's treasury) after the Record Date but prior to
the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date and
(ii) in connection with the issuance or sale of Common Stock
following the Distribution Date and prior to the Expiration Date
upon the exercise of stock options, or upon the exercise,
conversion or exchange of securities, granted or issued by the
Company prior to the Distribution Date. Certificates
representing such shares of Common Stock (including, without
limitation, certificates issued upon transfer or exchange of
Common Stock) shall also be deemed to be certificates for Rights,
and shall bear the following legend:
This certificate also evidences and entitles
the holder hereof to certain Rights as set
forth in the Rights Agreement between Standex
International Corporation (the "Company") and
BankBoston, N.A. (the "Rights Agent") dated
as of December 10, 1998, as the same may be
amended, restated or renewed from time to
time (the "Rights Agreement"), the terms of
which are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and a copy of which is on file at
the principal offices of the Company. Under
certain circumstances, as set forth in the
Rights Agreement, such Rights will be
evidenced by separate certificates and will
no longer be evidenced by this certificate.
The Company will mail to the holder of this
certificate a copy of the Rights Agreement,
as in effect on the date of mailing, without
charge promptly after receipt of a written
request therefor. Under certain
circumstances set forth in the Rights
Agreement, Rights issued to, or held by, any
Person who is, was or becomes an Acquiring
Person or any Affiliate or Associates thereof
(as such terms are defined in the Rights
Agreement), whether currently held by or on
behalf of such Person or by any subsequent
holder, may become null and void.
With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing
legend, until the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date or
(ii) the Expiration Date, the Rights associated with the Common
Stock represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such
certificates alone and registered holders of Common Stock shall
also be the registered holders of the associated Rights.
(4) Until the earlier of the Distribution Date or the Expiration
Date, the transfer of any certificates representing shares of
Common Stock in respect of which Rights have been issued shall
also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with such
shares of Common Stock. In the event that the Company purchases
or acquires any shares of Common Stock after the Record Date but
prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such
shares of Common Stock shall be deemed cancelled and retired so
that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights
associated with the shares of Common Stock which are no longer
outstanding.
Section 4. Form of Rights Certificates.
(1) The Rights Certificates (and the forms of election to
purchase, certification and assignment to be printed on the
reverse thereof) shall each be substantially in the form set
forth in Exhibit A hereto and may have such marks of
identification or designation and such legends, summaries or
endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate
and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this
Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable
law or with any rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with
any rule or regulation of any stock exchange or over-the-counter
market on which the Rights may from time to time be listed, or to
conform to usage. Subject to the provisions of Section 11 and
Section 22 hereof, the Rights Certificates, whenever distributed,
shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of
shares of Common Stock as shall be set forth therein at the price
set forth therein (such exercise price per share, the "Purchase
Price"), but the amount and type of securities purchasable upon
the exercise of each Right and the Purchase Price thereof shall
be subject to adjustment as provided herein.
(2) Any Rights Certificate issued pursuant to Section 3, Section
11(i) or Section 22 hereof that represents Rights beneficially
owned by persons known to be: (i) an Acquiring Person or any
Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate)
who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such,
or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives
such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom
such Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement
or understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the
transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) that has as a primary purpose or
effect avoidance of Section 7(e) hereof, and any Rights
Certificate issued pursuant to Section 6 or Section 11 hereof
upon transfer, exchange, replacement or adjustment of any other
Rights Certificate referred to in this sentence, shall contain
(to the extent feasible) the following legend:
The Rights represented by this Rights
Certificate are or were beneficially owned by
a Person who was or became an Acquiring
Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an
Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined
in the Rights Agreement). Accordingly, this
Rights Certificate and the Rights represented
hereby may become null and void in the
circumstances specified in Section 7(e) of
such Agreement.
Section 5. Countersignature and Registration.
(1) The Rights Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the
Company by its Chairman of the Board, President, any Executive
Vice President or Vice President, either manually or by facsimile
signature, and shall have affixed thereto the Company's seal or a
facsimile thereof, which shall be attested by the Secretary or an
Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by
facsimile signature. The Rights Certificates shall be manually
countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any
purpose unless so countersigned. In case any officer of the
Company who shall have signed any of the Rights Certificates
shall cease to be such officer of the Company before
countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by
the Company, such Rights Certificates, nevertheless, may be
countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the
Company with the same force and effect as though the person who
signed such Rights Certificates had not ceased to be such officer
of the Company; and any Rights Certificates may be signed on
behalf of the Company by any person who, at the actual date of
the execution of such Rights Certificate, shall be a proper
officer of the Company to sign such Rights Certificate, although
at the date of the execution of this Rights Agreement any such
person was not such an officer.
(2) Following the Distribution Date, the Rights Agent shall keep
or cause to be kept, at its office designated as the appropriate
place for surrender of Rights Certificates upon exercise or
transfer, books for registration and transfer of the Rights
Certificates issued hereunder. Such books shall show the names
and addresses of the respective holders of the Rights
Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each
of the Rights Certificates, the Certificate number and the date
of each of the Rights Certificates.
Section 6. Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of
Rights Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Rights
Certificates.
(1) Subject to the provisions of Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and
Section 14 hereof, at any time after the close of business on the
Distribution Date, and at or prior to the close of business on
the Expiration Date, any Rights Certificate or Certificates
(other than Rights Certificates representing Rights that have
become void pursuant to Section 7(e) hereof or that have been
exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred,
split up, combined or exchanged for another Rights Certificate or
Certificates, entitling the registered holder to purchase a like
number of shares of Common Stock (or, following a Triggering
Event, Common Stock, other securities, cash or other assets, as
the case may be) as the Rights Certificate or Certificates
surrendered then entitled such holder (or former holder in the
case of a transfer) to purchase. Any registered holder desiring
to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Rights Certificate
or Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to
the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Rights Certificate or
Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged,
with the form of assignment and certificate appropriately
executed, at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purpose. Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be
obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the
transfer of any such surrendered Rights Certificate until the
registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate
contained in the form of assignment on the reverse side of such
Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional
evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former
Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the
Company shall reasonably request. Thereupon the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 4(b), Section 7(e) and Section 14
hereof, countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a
Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates, as the case may be, as
so requested. The Company may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or
exchange of Rights Certificates.
(2) Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence
reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction
or mutilation of a Rights Certificate, and, in case of loss,
theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably
satisfactory to them, and reimbursement to the Company and the
Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and
upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Rights
Certificate if mutilated, the Company will execute and deliver a
new Rights Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for
countersignature and delivery to the registered owner in lieu of
the Rights Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
Section 7. Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration
Date of Rights.
(1) Subject to Section 7(e) hereof, the registered holder of any
Rights Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby
(except as otherwise provided herein including, without
limitation, the restrictions on exercisability set forth in
Section 9(c), Section 11(a)(iii) and Section 23 hereof) in whole
or in part at any time after the Distribution Date upon surrender
of the Rights Certificate, with the form of election to purchase
and the certificate on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to
the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for
such purpose, together with payment of the aggregate Purchase
Price with respect to the total number of shares of Common Stock
(or other shares, securities, cash or other assets, as the case
may be) as to which such surrendered Rights are then exercisable,
at or prior to the earliest of (i) the Final Expiration Date,
(ii) the time at which the Rights expire as provided in Section
13(d) hereof, (iii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as
provided in Section 23 hereof (the "Redemption Date") or (iv) the
time at which such Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24
hereof (the earliest of (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) being herein
referred to as the "Expiration Date").
(2) The Purchase Price for each share of Common Stock pursuant
to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $95.00 and shall be
subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Sections
11 and 13(a) hereof and shall be payable in accordance with
paragraph (c) below.
(3) Upon receipt of a Rights Certificate representing
exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase and the
certificate duly executed, accompanied by payment, with respect
to each Right so exercised, of the Purchase Price per share of
Common Stock (or other shares, securities, cash or other assets,
as the case may be) to be purchased as set forth below and an
amount equal to any applicable transfer tax, the Rights Agent
shall, subject to Section 20(k) hereof, thereupon promptly (i)
(A) requisition from any transfer agent of the shares of Common
Stock (or make available, if the Rights Agent is the transfer
agent for such shares) certificates for the total number of
shares of Common Stock to be purchased and the Company hereby
authorizes its transfer agent to comply with such requests, or
(B) if the Company shall have elected to deposit the total number
of shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the Rights
hereunder with a depositary agent, requisition from the
depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of
shares of Common Stock as are to be purchased (in which case
certificates for the shares of Common Stock represented by such
receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent with the
depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs the depositary
agent to comply with such requests, (ii) requisition from the
Company the amount of cash, if any, to be paid in lieu of
fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof, (iii)
after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause
the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered
holder of such Rights Certificate, registered in such name or
names as may be designated by such holder, and (iv) after receipt
thereof, deliver such cash, if any, to or upon the order of the
registered holder of such Rights Certificate. The payment of the
Purchase Price (as such amount may be reduced pursuant to
Section 11(a)(iii) hereof) may be made in cash or by certified
bank check or money order payable to the order of the Company.
In the event that the Company is obligated to issue other
securities of the Company, pay cash and/or distribute other
property pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the Company shall make
all arrangements necessary so that such other securities, cash
and/or other property are available for distribution by the
Rights Agent, if and when appropriate.
(4) In case the registered holder of any Rights Certificate
shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new
Rights Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights
remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent and
delivered to, or upon the order of, the registered holder of such
Rights Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be
designated by such holder, subject to the provisions of
Section 14 hereof.
(5) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
from and after the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event,
any Rights beneficially owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an
Associate or Affiliate of an Acquiring Person, (ii) a transferee
of an Acquiring Person (or of any such Associate or Affiliate)
who becomes a transferee after the Acquiring Person becomes such,
or (iii) a transferee of an Acquiring Person (or of any such
Associate or Affiliate) who becomes a transferee prior to or
concurrently with the Acquiring Person becoming such and receives
such Rights pursuant to either (A) a transfer (whether or not for
consideration) from the Acquiring Person to holders of equity
interests in such Acquiring Person or to any Person with whom the
Acquiring Person has any continuing agreement, arrangement or
understanding (whether or not in writing) regarding the
transferred Rights or (B) a transfer which the Board has
determined is part of a plan, arrangement or understanding
(whether or not in writing) that has as a primary purpose or
effect avoidance of this Section 7(e), shall become null and void
without any further action and no holder of such Rights shall
have any rights whatsoever with respect to such Rights, whether
under any provision of this Agreement or otherwise. The Company
shall use all reasonable efforts to insure that the provisions of
this Section 7(e) and Section 4(b) hereof are complied with, but
shall have no liability to any holder of Rights Certificates or
other Person as a result of its failure to make any
determinations with respect to an Acquiring Person or its
Affiliates, Associates or transferees hereunder.
(6) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to
undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the
occurrence of any purported transfer or exercise as set forth in
this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i)
completed and signed the certificate following the form of
assignment or election to purchase set forth on the reverse side
of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such assignment or
exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the
identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or
Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company shall reasonably
request.
Section 8. Cancellation and Destruction of Rights
Certificates. All Rights Certificates surrendered for the
purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange
shall, if surrendered to the Company or any of its agents, be
delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled
form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled
by it, and no Rights Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof
except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this
Agreement. The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for
cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel
and retire, any other Rights Certificate purchased or acquired by
the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof. The Rights
Agent shall deliver all cancelled Rights Certificates to the
Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy
such cancelled Rights Certificates, and in such case shall
deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.
Section 9. Reservation and Availability of Capital Stock.
(1) The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be
reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued
shares of Common Stock (and, following the occurrence of a
Triggering Event, out of its authorized and unissued shares of
Common Stock and/or other securities or out of its authorized and
issued shares held in its treasury), the number of shares of
Common Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering
Event, Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
that, as provided in this Agreement including Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all
outstanding Rights.
(2) So long as the shares of Common Stock (and, following the
occurrence of a Triggering Event, Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) issuable and deliverable upon the
exercise of the Rights may be listed on any national securities
exchange or automated quotation system, the Company shall use its
best efforts to cause, from and after such time as the Rights
become exercisable, all shares reserved for such issuance to be
so listed upon official notice of issuance upon such exercise.
(3) The Company shall use its best efforts to (i) file, as soon
as practicable following the earliest date after the first
occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event on which the
consideration to be delivered by the Company upon exercise of the
Rights has been determined in accordance with Section 11(a)(iii)
hereof, or as soon as is required by law following the
Distribution Date, as the case may be, a registration statement
under the Act, with respect to the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, (ii) cause such
registration statement to become effective as soon as practicable
after such filing, and (iii) cause such registration statement to
remain effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Act) until the earlier of (A) the date as of
which the Rights are no longer exercisable for such securities,
and (B) the Expiration Date. The Company will also take such
action as may be appropriate under, or to ensure compliance with,
the securities or "blue sky" laws of the various states in
connection with the exercisability of the Rights. The Company
may temporarily suspend, for a period of time not to exceed
ninety (90) days after the date set forth in clause (i) of the
first sentence of this Section 9(c), the exercisability of the
Rights in order to prepare and file such registration statement
and permit it to become effective. Upon any such suspension, the
Company shall issue a public announcement stating that the
exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily suspended, as
well as a public announcement at such time as the suspension is
no longer in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement to the contrary, the Rights shall not be exercisable in
any jurisdiction unless the requisite registration or
qualification in such jurisdiction shall have been effected or
obtained.
(4) The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such
action as may be necessary to ensure that all shares of Common
Stock (and, following the occurrence of a Triggering Event,
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery
of the certificates for such shares (subject to payment of the
Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and
fully paid and nonassessable.
(5) The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay
when due and payable any and all federal and state transfer taxes
and charges that may be payable in respect of the issuance or
delivery of the Rights Certificates and of any certificates for
shares of Common Stock (or Common Stock and/or other securities,
as the case may be) upon the exercise of Rights. The Company
shall not, however, be required (i) to pay any transfer tax that
may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Rights
Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery
of shares of Common Stock (or Common Stock and/or other
securities, as the case may be) in respect of a name other than
that of, the registered holder of the Rights Certificate
evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or (ii) to issue or
deliver any certificates for shares of Common Stock (or Common
Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be) in a name
other than that of the registered holder upon the exercise of any
Rights until such tax shall have been paid (any such tax being
payable by the holder of such Rights Certificate at the time of
surrender) or until it has been established to the Company's
satisfaction that no such tax is due.
Section 10. Common Stock Record Date. Each Person in whose
name any certificate for shares of Common Stock (or Common Stock
and/or other securities, as the case may be) is issued upon the
exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have
become the holder of record of such shares of Common Stock (or
Common Stock and/or other securities, as the case may be)
represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the
date upon which the Rights Certificate evidencing such Rights was
duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and all
applicable transfer taxes) was made; provided, however, that if
the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the
Common Stock (or other securities, as the case may be) transfer
books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to
have become the record holder of such shares (fractional or
otherwise) on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next
succeeding Business Day on which the Common Stock (or other
securities, as the case may be) transfer books of the Company are
open. Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the
holder of a Rights Certificate, as such, shall not be entitled to
any rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to
securities for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including,
without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or
other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and
shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of
the Company, except as provided herein.
Section 11. Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number and Kind of
Shares or Number of Rights. The Purchase Price, the number and
kind of shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights
outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as
provided in this Section 11.
(1)
(1) (1) In the event the Company shall at any time after the
date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Common Stock
payable in shares of Common Stock, (B) subdivide the outstanding
Common Stock, (C) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a
smaller number of shares, or (D) issue any shares of its capital
stock in a reclassification of the Common Stock (including any
such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or
merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving
corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a)
and Section 7(e) hereof, the Purchase Price in effect at the time
of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of
such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number
and kind of shares of Common Stock or capital stock, as the case
may be, issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted
so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall
be entitled to receive, upon payment of the Purchase Price then
in effect, the aggregate number and kind of shares of Common
Stock or capital stock, as the case may be, which, if such Right
had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time
when the Common Stock transfer books of the Company were open, he
would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive
by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or
reclassification; provided, however, that if the record date for
any such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification
shall occur prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall
make an appropriate adjustment to the Purchase Price (taking into
account any additional Rights which may be issued as a result of
such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification), in
lieu of adjusting (as described above) the number of shares of
Common Stock (or other capital stock, as the case may be)
issuable upon exercise of the Rights and the foregoing provisions
of this Section 11(a)(i) hereof shall not be applicable. If an
event occurs that would require an adjustment under both this
Section 11(a)(i) and Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, the adjustment
provided for in this Section 11(a)(i) shall be in addition to,
and shall be made prior to, any adjustment required pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.
(2) Subject to Section 24 of this Agreement, in the event that
any Person, alone or together with its Affiliates or Associates,
becomes an Acquiring Person (other than pursuant to a Permitted
Offer), then, promptly following the first occurrence of such
event, proper provision shall be made so that each holder of a
Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e) hereof) shall
thereafter have the right to receive (subject to the last
sentence of Section 23(a)), upon exercise thereof at the then
current Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this
Agreement, such number of shares of Common Stock of the Company
that equals the result obtained by (x) multiplying the then
current Purchase Price by the then number of shares of Common
Stock for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, and (y) dividing
that product (which, following such first occurrence, shall
thereafter be referred to as the "Purchase Price" for each Right
and for all purposes of this Agreement) by 50% of the current
market price (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of Common Stock on the date of such first occurrence (such
number of shares, the "Adjustment Shares").
(3) In the event that the number of shares of Common Stock that
are authorized by the Company's Certificate of Incorporation but
not outstanding or reserved for issuance for purposes other than
upon exercise of the Rights are not sufficient to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with the foregoing
subparagraph (ii) of this Section 11(a), the Company shall: (A)
determine the excess of (1) the value of the Adjustment Shares
issuable upon the exercise of a Right (the "Current Value") over
(2) the Purchase Price (such excess, the "Spread"), and (B) with
respect to each Right, make adequate provision to substitute for
the Adjustment Shares, upon payment of the applicable Purchase
Price, (1) cash, (2) a reduction in the Purchase Price, (3)
Common Stock or other equity securities of the Company
(including, without limitation, shares, or units of shares, of
preferred stock which the Board has deemed to have the same value
as shares of Common Stock (such shares of preferred stock,
"common stock equivalents")), (4) debt securities of the Company,
(5) other assets, or (6) any combination of the foregoing, having
an aggregate value equal to the Current Value, where such
aggregate value has been determined by the Board based upon the
advice of a nationally recognized investment banking firm
selected by the Board; provided, however, if the Company shall
not have made adequate provision to deliver value pursuant to
clause (B) above within thirty (30) days following the later of
(x) the first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event and (y) the
date on which the Company's right of redemption pursuant to
Section 23(a) expires (the later of (x) and (y) being referred to
herein as the "Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date"), then the Company
shall be obligated to deliver, upon the surrender for exercise of
a Right and without requiring payment of the Purchase Price,
shares of Common Stock (to the extent available) and then, if
necessary, cash, which shares and/or cash have an aggregate value
equal to the Spread. If the Board shall determine in good faith
that it is likely that sufficient additional shares of Common
Stock could be authorized for issuance upon exercise in full of
the Rights, the thirty (30) day period set forth above may be
extended to the extent necessary, but not more than ninety (90)
days after the Section 11(a)(ii) Trigger Date, in order that the
Company may seek shareholder approval for the authorization of
such additional shares (such period, as it may be extended, the
"Substitution Period"). To the extent that the Company
determines that some action need be taken pursuant to the first
and/or second sentences of this Section 11(a)(iii), the Company
(x) shall provide, subject to Section 7(e) hereof, that such
action shall apply uniformly to all outstanding Rights, and (y)
may suspend the exercisability of the Rights until the expiration
of the Substitution Period in order to seek any authorization of
additional shares and/or to decide the appropriate form of
distribution to be made pursuant to such first sentence and to
determine the value thereof. In the event of any such
suspension, the Company shall issue a public announcement stating
that the exercisability of the Rights has been temporarily
suspended, as well as a public announcement at such time as the
suspension is no longer in effect. For purposes of this
Section 11(a)(iii), the value of the Common Stock shall be the
current market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)
hereof) per share of the Common Stock on the Section 11(a)(ii)
Trigger Date and the value of any "common stock equivalent" shall
be deemed to have the same value as the Common Stock on such
date.
(2) In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance
of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Common Stock
entitling them to subscribe for or purchase (for a period
expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record
date) Common Stock (or shares having the same rights, privileges
and preferences as the shares of Common Stock ("equivalent common
stock")) or securities convertible into Common Stock or
equivalent common stock at a price per share of Common Stock or
per share of equivalent common stock (or having a conversion
price per share, if a security convertible into Common Stock or
equivalent common stock) less than the current market price (as
determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share of Common
Stock on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect
after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the
Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by
a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares
of Common Stock outstanding on such record date, plus the number
of shares of Common Stock which the aggregate offering price of
the total number of shares of Common Stock and/or equivalent
common stock so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial
conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered)
would purchase at such current market price, and the denominator
of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding on such record date, plus the number of additional
shares of Common Stock and/or equivalent common stock to be
offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the
convertible securities so to be offered are initially
convertible). In case such subscription price may be paid by
delivery of consideration part or all of which may be in a form
other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as
determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination shall
be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall
be conclusive for all purposes. Shares of Common Stock owned by
or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed
outstanding for the purpose of any such computation. Such
adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date
is fixed, and in the event that such rights, options or warrants
are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the
Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date
had not been fixed.
(3) In case the Company shall fix a record date for a
distribution to all holders of Common Stock (including any such
distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in
which the Company is the continuing corporation) of evidences of
indebtedness, cash (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend
out of the earnings or retained earnings of the Company), assets
(other than a dividend payable in Common Stock, but including any
dividend payable in stock other than Common Stock) or
subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in
Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after
such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a
fraction, the numerator of which shall be the current market
price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per share
of Common Stock on such record date, less the fair market value
(as determined in good faith by the Board, whose determination
shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and
shall be conclusive for all purposes) of the portion of the cash,
assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of
such subscription rights or warrants applicable to a share of
Common Stock and the denominator of which shall be such current
market price (as determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) per
share of Common Stock on such record date. Such adjustments
shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed,
and in the event that such distribution is not so made, the
Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which
would have been in effect if such record date had not been fixed.
(4) For the purpose of any computation hereunder, other than
computations made pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the
"current market price" per share of Common Stock on any date
shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per
share of such Common Stock for the thirty (30) consecutive
Trading Days (as such term is hereinafter defined) immediately
prior to such date, and for purposes of computations made
pursuant to Section 11(a)(iii) hereof, the "current market price"
per share of Common Stock on any date shall be deemed to be the
average of the daily closing prices per share of such Common
Stock for the ten (10) consecutive Trading Days immediately
following such date; provided, however, that in the event that
the current market price per share of the Common Stock is
determined during a period following the announcement by the
issuer of such Common Stock of (A) a dividend or distribution on
such Common Stock payable in shares of such Common Stock or
securities convertible into shares of such Common Stock (other
than the Rights), or (B) any subdivision, combination or
reclassification of such Common Stock, and prior to the
expiration of the requisite thirty (30) Trading Day or ten (10)
Trading Day period, as set forth above, after the ex-dividend
date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for
such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in
each such case, the "current market price" shall be properly
adjusted to take into account ex-dividend trading. The closing
price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or,
in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the
closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case as
reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting
system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading
on the principal national securities exchange on which the shares
of Common Stock are listed or admitted to trading or, if the
shares of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on
any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if
not so quoted, the average of the high bid and the low asked
prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by The Nasdaq
Stock Market, Inc. ("Nasdaq") or such other system then in use,
or, if on any such date the shares of Common Stock are not quoted
by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and
asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a
market in the Common Stock selected by the Board. If on any such
date no market maker is making a market in the Common Stock, the
fair value of such shares on such date as determined in good
faith by the Board shall be used. The term "Trading Day" shall
mean a day on which Nasdaq or any national securities exchange on
which the shares of Common Stock are listed or admitted to
trading is open for the transaction of business or, if the shares
of Common Stock are not listed or admitted to trading on Nasdaq
or any national securities exchange, a Business Day. If the
Common Stock is not publicly held or not so listed or traded,
"current market price" per share shall mean the fair value per
share as determined in good faith by the Board, whose
determination shall be described in a statement filed with the
Rights Agent and shall be conclusive for all purposes.
(5) Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, no
adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such
adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least one
percent (1%) in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any
adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not
required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into
account in any subsequent adjustment. All calculations under
this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the
nearest one hundred-thousandth of a share of Common Stock or
other security, as the case may be. Notwithstanding the first
sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this
Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three
(3) years from the date of the transaction which mandates such
adjustment, or (ii) the Expiration Date.
(6) If as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) or Section 13(a) hereof, the holder of any
Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any
securities other than Common Stock, thereafter the number of such
other securities so receivable upon exercise of any Right and the
Purchase Price thereof shall be subject to adjustment from time
to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as
practicable to the provisions with respect to the Common Stock
contained in Sections 11(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j),
(k) and (m), and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, 10, 13 and 14
hereof with respect to the Common Stock shall apply on like terms
to any such other securities; provided, however, that the Company
shall not be liable for its inability to reserve and keep
available for issuance upon exercise of the Rights pursuant to
Section 11(a)(ii) a number of shares of Common Stock greater than
the number then authorized by the Company's Certificate of
Incorporation but not outstanding or reserved for other purposes.
(7) All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to
any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall
evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price,
the number of shares of Common Stock purchasable from time to
time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to
further adjustment as provided herein.
(8) Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as
provided in Section 11(i), upon each adjustment of the Purchase
Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and
(c), each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of
such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase,
at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of shares of Common
Stock (calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth) obtained
by (i) multiplying (x) the number of shares covered by a Right
immediately prior to this adjustment, by (y) the Purchase Price
in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase
Price, and (ii) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase
Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase
Price.
(9) The Company may elect on or after the date of any adjustment
of the Purchase Price to adjust the number of Rights, in lieu of
any adjustment in the number of shares of Common Stock
purchasable upon the exercise of a Right. Each of the Rights
outstanding after the adjustment in the number of Rights shall be
exercisable for the number of shares of Common Stock for which a
Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment. Each
Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of
Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the
nearest one-hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase
Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after
adjustment of the Purchase Price. The Company shall make a
public announcement of its election to adjust the number of
Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if
known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made. This
record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is
adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Rights Certificates
have been issued, shall be at least ten (10) days later than the
date of the public announcement. If Rights Certificates have
been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights
pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as
practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of
Rights Certificates on such record date Rights Certificates
evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights
to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such
adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be
distributed to such holders of record in substitution and
replacement for the Rights Certificates held by such holders
prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if
required by the Company, new Rights Certificates evidencing all
the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such
adjustment. Rights Certificates so to be distributed shall be
issued, executed and countersigned in the manner provided for
herein (and may bear, at the option of the Company, the adjusted
Purchase Price) and shall be registered in the names of the
holders of record of Rights Certificates on the record date
specified in the public announcement.
(10) Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase
Price or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon the
exercise of the Rights, the Rights Certificates theretofore and
thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price per
shares and the number of shares which were expressed in the
initial Rights Certificates issued hereunder.
(11) Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment
reducing the Purchase Price below the then stated value, if any,
of the shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of the
Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in
the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the
Company may validly and legally issue such number of shares of
fully paid and nonassessable Common Stock at such adjusted
Purchase Price.
(12) In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an
adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record
date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer until
the occurrence of such event the issuance to the holder of any
Right exercised after such record date the number of shares of
Common Stock and other capital stock or securities of the
Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the
number of shares of Common Stock and other capital stock or
securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on
the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such
adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to
such holder a due xxxx or other appropriate instrument evidencing
such holder's right to receive such additional shares (fractional
or otherwise) or securities upon the occurrence of the event
requiring such adjustment.
(13) Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding,
the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the
Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly
required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that in their
good faith judgment the Board shall determine to be advisable in
order that any (i) consolidation or subdivision of the Common
Stock, (ii) issuance wholly for cash of any shares of Common
Stock at less than the current market price, (iii) issuance
wholly for cash of shares of Common Stock or securities which by
their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for shares of
Common Stock, (iv) stock dividends or (v) issuance of rights,
options or warrants referred to in this Section 11, hereafter
made by the Company to holders of its Common Stock shall not be
taxable to such stockholders.
(14) The Company covenants and agrees that it shall not, at any
time after the Distribution Date, (i) consolidate with any other
Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction
that complies with Section 11(o) hereof), (ii) merge with or into
any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a
transaction which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), or (iii)
sell or transfer (or permit any Subsidiary to sell or transfer),
in one transaction, or a series of related transactions, assets
or earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or
earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a
whole) to any other Person or Persons (other than the Company
and/or any of its Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each
of which complies with Section 11(o) hereof), if (x) at the time
of or immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale there
are any rights, warrants or other instruments or securities
outstanding or agreements in effect that would substantially
diminish or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights or (y) prior to, simultaneously with or
immediately after such consolidation, merger or sale, the
shareholders of the Person who constitutes, or would constitute,
the "Principal Party" for purposes of Section 13(a) hereof shall
have received a distribution of Rights previously owned by such
Person or any of its Affiliates and Associates. The Company
shall not consummate any such consolidation, merger, sale or
transfer unless prior thereto the Company and such other Person
shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement evidencing compliance with this Section
11(n).
(15) The Company covenants and agrees that, after the
Distribution Date, it will not, except as permitted by
Section 23, Section 24 or Section 27 hereof, take (or permit any
Subsidiary to take) any action if at the time such action is
taken it is reasonably foreseeable that such action will diminish
substantially or otherwise eliminate the benefits intended to be
afforded by the Rights.
(16) Anything in this Agreement to the contrary notwithstanding,
in the event that the Company shall at any time after the Record
Date and prior to the Distribution Date (i) declare or pay any
dividend on the outstanding shares of Common Stock payable in
shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding shares of
Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding shares of Common
Stock into a smaller number of shares, the number of Rights
associated with each share of Common Stock then outstanding, or
issued or delivered thereafter but prior to the Distribution
Date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the number of
Rights thereafter associated with each share of Common Stock
following any such event shall equal the result obtained by
multiplying the number of Rights associated with each share of
Common Stock immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the
numerator of which shall be the number of shares of Common Stock
outstanding immediately prior to the occurrence of such event and
the denominator of which shall be the number of shares of Common
Stock outstanding immediately following the occurrence of such
event.
Section 12. Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number
of Shares. Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in
Section 11 or Section 13 hereof, the Company shall (a) promptly
prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief
statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b)
promptly file with the Rights Agent, and with each transfer agent
for the Common Stock, a copy of such certificate, and (c) mail a
brief summary thereof to each holder of a Rights Certificate (or,
if prior to the Distribution Date, to each holder of a
certificate representing shares of Common Stock) in accordance
with Section 26 hereof. The Rights Agent shall be fully
protected in relying on any such certificate and on any
adjustment therein contained and shall not be deemed to have
knowledge of any adjustment unless and until it shall have
received such certificate.
Section 13. Consolidation, Merger or Sale or Transfer of
Assets or Earning Power.
(1) In the event that, at any time after a Person has become an
Acquiring Person, (x) the Company shall consolidate with, or
merge with and into, any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of
the Company in a transaction that complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), and the Company shall not be the continuing or surviving
corporation of such consolidation or merger, (y) any Person
(other than a Subsidiary of the Company in a transaction that
complies with Section 11(o) hereof) shall consolidate with, or
merge with or into, the Company, and the Company shall be the
continuing or surviving corporation of such consolidation or
merger and, in connection with such consolidation or merger, all
or part of the outstanding shares of Common Stock shall be
changed into or exchanged for stock or other securities of any
other Person or cash or any other property, or (z) the Company
shall sell or otherwise transfer (or one or more of its
Subsidiaries shall sell or otherwise transfer), in one
transaction or a series of related transactions, assets or
earning power aggregating more than 50% of the assets or earning
power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to
any Person or Persons (other than the Company or any Subsidiary
of the Company in one or more transactions each of which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof), then, and in each such case and
except as contemplated by Section 13(d) hereof, proper provision
shall be made so that: (i) each holder of a Right, except as
provided in Section 7(e) hereof, shall thereafter have the right
to receive, upon the exercise thereof at the then current
Purchase Price in accordance with the terms of this Agreement,
such number of validly authorized and issued, fully paid, non-
assessable and freely tradeable shares of Common Stock of the
Principal Party (as such term is hereinafter defined), not
subject to any liens, encumbrances, rights of first refusal or
other adverse claims, as shall be equal to the result obtained by
(1) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of
shares of Common Stock for which a Right is exercisable
immediately prior to the first occurrence of a Section 13 Event
(or, if a Section 11(a)(ii) Event has occurred prior to the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event, multiplying the number of
shares for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to the
first occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event by the Purchase
Price in effect immediately prior to such first occurrence), and
(2) dividing that product (which, following the first occurrence
of a Section 13 Event, shall be referred to as the "Purchase
Price" for each Right and for all purposes of this Agreement) by
50% of the current market price (determined pursuant to
Section 11(d) hereof) per share of the Common Stock of such
Principal Party on the date of consummation of such Section 13
Event; (ii) such Principal Party shall thereafter be liable for,
and shall assume, by virtue of such Section 13 Event, all the
obligations and duties of the Company pursuant to this Agreement;
(iii) the term "Company" shall thereafter be deemed to refer to
such Principal Party, it being specifically intended that,
subject to clause (v) below, the provisions of Section 11 hereof
shall apply only to such Principal Party following the first
occurrence of a Section 13 Event; (iv) such Principal Party shall
take such steps (including, but not limited to, the reservation
of a sufficient number of shares of its Common Stock) in
connection with the consummation of any such transaction as may
be necessary to assure that the provisions hereof shall
thereafter be applicable, as nearly as reasonably may be, in
relation to its shares of Common Stock thereafter deliverable
upon the exercise of the Rights; and (v) the provisions of
Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall be of no effect following the
first occurrence of any Section 13 Event.
(2) "Principal Party" shall mean
(1) in the case of any transaction described in clause (x) or
(y) of the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is
the issuer of any securities into which shares of Common Stock of
the Company are converted in such merger or consolidation, and if
no securities are so issued, the Person that is the other party
to such merger or consolidation; and
(2) in the case of any transaction described in clause (z) of
the first sentence of Section 13(a), the Person that is the party
receiving the greatest portion of the assets or earning power
transferred pursuant to such transaction or transactions;
provided, however, that in any such case, (1) if the Common Stock
of such Person is not at such time and has not been continuously
over the preceding twelve (12) month period registered under
Section 12 of the Exchange Act, and such Person is a direct or
indirect Subsidiary of another Person the Common Stock of which
is and has been so registered, "Principal Party" shall refer to
such other Person; (2) in case such Person is a Subsidiary,
directly or indirectly, of more than one Person, the Common
Stocks of two or more of which are and have been so registered,
"Principal Party" shall refer to whichever of such Persons is the
issuer of the Common Stock having the greatest aggregate market
value; and (3) in case such Person is owned, directly or
indirectly, by a joint venture formed by two or more Persons that
are not owned, directly or indirectly, by the same Person, the
rules set forth in (1) and (2) above shall apply to each of the
chains of ownership having an interest in such joint venture as
if such party were a "Subsidiary" of both or all of such joint
ventures and the Principal Parties in each such chain shall bear
the obligations set forth in this Section 13 in the same ratio as
their direct or indirect interests in such Person bear to the
total of such interests.
(3) The Company shall not consummate any such consolidation,
merger, sale or transfer unless the Principal Party shall have a
sufficient number of authorized shares of its Common Stock which
have not been issued or reserved for issuance to permit the
exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with this Section 13
and unless prior thereto the Company and such Principal Party
shall have executed and delivered to the Rights Agent a
supplemental agreement providing for the terms set forth in
paragraphs (a) and (b) of this Section 13 and further providing
that, as soon as practicable after the date of any consolidation,
merger or sale of assets mentioned in paragraph (a) of this
Section 13, the Principal Party will
(1) prepare and file a registration statement under the Act,
with respect to the Rights and the securities purchasable upon
exercise of the Rights on an appropriate form, and will use its
best efforts to cause such registration statement to (A) become
effective as soon as practicable after such filing and (B) remain
effective (with a prospectus at all times meeting the
requirements of the Act) until the Expiration Date;
(2) use its best efforts to qualify or register the Rights and
the securities purchasable upon exercise of the Rights under the
blue sky laws of such jurisdictions as may be necessary or
appropriate; and
(3) deliver to holders of the Rights historical financial
statements for the Principal Party and each of its Affiliates
that comply in all respects with the requirements for
registration on Form 10 under the Exchange Act.
The provisions of this Section 13 shall similarly apply to
successive mergers or consolidations or sales or other transfers.
In the event that a Section 13 Event shall occur at any time
after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, the Rights
which have not theretofore been exercised shall thereafter become
exercisable in the manner described in Section 13(a).
(4) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
Section 13 shall not be applicable to a transaction described in
subparagraphs (x) and (y) of Section 13(a) if (i) such
transaction is consummated with a Person or Persons (or a wholly
owned subsidiary of any such Person or Persons) who acquired
shares of Common Stock pursuant to a Permitted Offer, (ii) the
price per share of Common Stock paid in such transaction is not
less than the price per share of Common Stock paid to all holders
of shares of Common Stock whose shares were purchased pursuant to
such Permitted Offer, and (iii) the form of consideration paid in
such transaction is the same as the form of consideration paid
pursuant to such Permitted Offer. Upon consummation of any such
transaction contemplated by this Section 13(d), all Rights
hereunder shall expire.
Section 14. Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.
(1) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
Rights, except prior to the Distribution Date as provided in
Section 11(i) or (p) hereof, or to distribute Rights Certificates
that evidence fractional Rights. In lieu of such fractional
Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights
would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same
fraction of the current market value of a whole Right. For
purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a
whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the
Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such
fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable. The
closing price of the Rights for any day shall be the last sale
price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such
day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular
way, in either case as reported in the principal consolidated
transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or
admitted to trading on the principal national securities exchange
on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading, or if the
Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national
securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted,
the average of the high bid and the low asked prices in the over-
the-counter market, as reported by Nasdaq or such other system
then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by
any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked
prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a
market in the Rights selected by the Board. If on any such date
no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair
value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by
the Board shall be used.
(2) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Rights or to
distribute certificates that evidence fractional shares of Common
Stock. In lieu of fractional shares of Common Stock, the Company
shall pay to the registered holders of Rights Certificates at the
time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in
cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a
whole share of Common Stock. For purposes of this Section 14(b),
the current market value of a whole share of Common Stock shall
be the closing price of a share of Common Stock (as determined
pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately
prior to the date of such exercise.
(3) The holder of a Right by the acceptance of the Rights
expressly waives his right to receive any fractional Rights or
any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right, except as
permitted by this Section 14.
Section 15. Rights of Action. All rights of action in respect
of this Agreement, except the rights of action expressly given to
the Rights Agent in Section 18 hereof, are vested in the
respective registered holders of the Rights Certificates (and,
prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the
Common Stock); and any registered holder of any Rights
Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common
Stock), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder
of any other Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution
Date, of the Common Stock), may, in his own behalf and for his
own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit,
action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise
act in respect of, his right to exercise the Rights evidenced by
such Rights Certificate in the manner provided in such Rights
Certificate and in this Agreement. Without limiting the
foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it
is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not
have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement
and shall be entitled to specific performance of the obligations
hereunder and injunctive relief against actual or threatened
violations of the obligations hereunder of any Person subject to
this Agreement.
Section 16. Agreement of Rights Holders. Every holder of a
Right by accepting the same consents and agrees with the Company
and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:
(1) prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be
transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common
Stock;
(2) after the Distribution Date, the Rights Certificates are
transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if
surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such
purposes, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of
transfer and with the appropriate forms and certificates duly
completed and fully executed;
(3) subject to Section 6(a) and Section 7(f) hereof, the Company
and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name
a Rights Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the
associated Common Stock certificate) is registered as the
absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby
(notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the
Rights Certificates or the associated Common Stock certificate
made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for
all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights
Agent, subject to the last sentence of Section 7(e) hereof, shall
be required to be affected by any notice to the contrary; and
(4) notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary,
neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability
to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its
inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement
by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other
order, decree or ruling issued by a court of competent
jurisdiction or by a governmental, regulatory or administrative
agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or
executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental
authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of
such obligation; provided, however, the Company must use its best
efforts to prevent the issuance of any such order, decree or
ruling and to have any such order, decree or ruling lifted or
otherwise overturned as soon as possible.
Section 17. Rights Certificate Holder Not Deemed a
Stockholder. No holder, as such, of any Rights Certificate shall
be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any
purpose the holder of the Common Stock or any other securities of
the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of
the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained
herein or in any Rights Certificate be construed to confer upon
the holder of any Rights Certificate, as such, any of the rights
of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the
election of directors or upon any matter submitted to
stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold
consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings
or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in
Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription
rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such
Rights Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with
the provisions hereof.
Section 18. Concerning the Rights Agent.
(1) The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable
compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder and, from
time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable
expenses and counsel fees and disbursements and other
disbursements incurred in the administration and execution of
this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties
hereunder. The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent
for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability or
expense, incurred without gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct on the part of the Rights Agent, for anything done or
omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance and
administration of this Agreement, including the costs and
expenses of defending against any claim of liability in the
premises.
(2) The Rights Agent shall be protected and shall incur no
liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or
omitted by it in connection with its administration of this
Agreement in reliance upon any Rights Certificate or certificate
for Common Stock or for other securities of the Company,
instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney,
endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent,
certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it
to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary,
verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or
otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20
hereof.
Section 19. Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of
Rights Agent.
(1) Any corporation into which the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated,
or any corporation resulting from any merger or consolidation to
which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a
party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate trust or
stock transfer business of the Rights Agent or any successor
Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under
this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or
any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto;
provided, however, that such corporation would be eligible for
appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of
Section 21 hereof. In case at the time such successor Rights
Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any
of the Rights Certificates shall have been countersigned but not
delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the
countersignature of a predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time
any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned,
any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Rights
Certificates either in the name of the predecessor or in the name
of the successor Rights Agent; and in all such cases such Rights
Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Rights
Certificates and in this Agreement.
(2) In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be
changed and at such time any of the Rights Certificates shall
have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may
adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver
Rights Certificates so countersigned; and in case at that time
any of the Rights Certificates shall not have been countersigned,
the Rights Agent may countersign such Rights Certificates either
in its prior name or in its changed name; and in all such cases
such Rights Certificates shall have the full force provided in
the Rights Certificates and in this Agreement.
Section 20. Duties of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent
undertakes the duties and obligations imposed by this Agreement
upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the
Company and the holders of Rights Certificates, by their
acceptance thereof, shall be bound:
(1) The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be
legal counsel for the Company), and the opinion of such counsel
shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the
Rights Agent as to any action taken or omitted by it in good
faith and in accordance with such opinion.
(2) Whenever in the performance of its duties under this
Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable
that any fact or matter (including, without limitation, the
identity of any Acquiring Person and the determination of
"current market price") be proved or established by the Company
prior to taking or suffering any action hereunder, such fact or
matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein
specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved
and established by a certificate signed by the Chairman of the
Board, the President, any Executive Vice President or Vice
President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary
or any Assistant Secretary of the Company and delivered to the
Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full authorization to
the Rights Agent for any action taken or suffered in good faith
by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon
such certificate.
(3) The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder only for its own
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.
(4) The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any
of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement
or in the Rights Certificates or be required to verify the same
(except as to its countersignature on such Rights Certificates),
but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to
have been made by the Company only.
(5) The Rights Agent shall not be under any responsibility in
respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and
delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights
Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Rights
Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it
be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or
condition contained in this Agreement or in any Rights
Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any adjustment
required under the provisions of Section 11, Section 13 or
Section 24 hereof or responsible for the manner, method or amount
of any such adjustment or the ascertaining of the existence of
facts that would require any such adjustment (except with respect
to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Rights Certificates after
receipt of a certificate describing any such adjustment,
delivered pursuant to Section 12); nor shall it by any act
hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to
the authorization or reservation of any shares of Common Stock or
other securities to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any
Rights Certificate or as to whether any shares of Common Stock or
other securities will, when so issued, be validly authorized and
issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
(6) The Company agrees that it will perform, execute,
acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed,
acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts,
instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the
Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights
Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.
(7) The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept
instructions with respect to the performance of its duties
hereunder from the Chairman of the Board, the President, any
Executive Vice President or Vice President, the Secretary, any
Assistant Secretary, the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer of
the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or
instructions in connection with its duties, and it shall not be
liable for any action taken or suffered to be taken by it in good
faith in accordance with instructions of any such officer. Any
application by the Rights Agent for written instructions from the
Company may, at the option of the Rights Agent, set forth in
writing any action proposed to be taken or omitted by the Rights
Agent with respect to its duties or obligations under this Rights
Agreement and the date on and/or after which such action shall be
taken or omitted and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for any
action taken or omitted in accordance with a proposal included in
any such application on or after the date specified therein
(which date shall not be less than five Business Days after the
date any such officer actually receives such application, unless
any such officer shall have consented in writing to an earlier
date) unless, prior to taking or omitting any such action, the
Rights Agent has received written instructions in response to
such application specifying the action to be taken or omitted.
(8) The Rights Agent and any stockholder, director, officer or
employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the
Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily
interested in any transaction in which the Company may be
interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or
otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights
Agent under this Agreement. Nothing herein shall preclude the
Rights Agent from acting in any other capacity for the Company or
for any other legal entity.
(9) The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights
or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder
either itself or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the
Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act,
default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or
for any loss to the Company resulting from any such act, default,
neglect or misconduct; provided, however, reasonable care was
exercised in the selection and continued employment thereof.
(10) No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights
Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any
financial liability in the performance of any of its duties
hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if there shall be
reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or
adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
(11) If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to
the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate
attached to the form of assignment or form of election to
purchase, as the case may be, has not been completed, the Company
and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the rights
evidenced by such Rights Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or
an Affiliate or Associate thereof and such assignment or election
to purchase will not be honored.
Section 21. Change of Rights Agent. The Rights Agent or any
successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its
duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days' notice in
writing mailed to the Company, and to each transfer agent of the
Common Stock, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders
of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail. The Company may
remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty
(30) days' notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or
successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer
agent of the Common Stock, by registered or certified mail, and
to the holders of the Rights Certificates by first-class mail.
If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise
become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor
to the Rights Agent. If the Company shall fail to make such
appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving
notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing
of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or
incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Rights
Certificate (who shall, with such notice, submit his Rights
Certificate for inspection by the Company), then any registered
holder of any Rights Certificate may apply to any court of
competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent.
Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or
by such a court, shall be (a) a corporation organized and doing
business under the laws of the United States (or of any state of
the United States) in good standing, which is authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers
and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authority and which has at the time of its appointment as Rights
Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or
(b) an affiliate of a corporation described in clause (a) of this
sentence. After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be
vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities
as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without
further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall
deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property
at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any
further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the
purpose. Not later than the effective date of any such
appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing
with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the
Common Stock, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the
registered holders of the Rights Certificates. Failure to give
any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any
defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the
resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of
the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.
Section 22. Issuance of New Rights Certificates.
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the
Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new
Rights Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be
approved by its Board to reflect any adjustment or change in the
Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other
securities or property purchasable under the Rights Certificates
made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement. In
addition, in connection with the issuance or sale of shares of
Common Stock following the Distribution Date and prior to the
redemption or expiration of the Rights, the Company (a) shall,
with respect to shares of Common Stock so issued or sold pursuant
to the exercise of stock options or under any employee plan or
arrangement, or upon the exercise, conversion or exchange of
securities issued by the Company prior to the Distribution Date,
and (b) may, in any other case, if deemed necessary or
appropriate by the Board, issue Rights Certificates representing
the appropriate number of Rights in connection with such issuance
or sale; provided, however, that (i) no such Rights Certificate
shall be issued if, and to the extent that, the Company shall be
advised by counsel that such issuance would create a significant
risk of material adverse tax consequences to the Company or the
Person to whom such Rights Certificate would be issued, and (ii)
no such Rights Certificate shall be issued if, and to the extent
that, appropriate adjustment shall otherwise have been made in
lieu of the issuance thereof.
Section 23. Redemption and Termination.
(1) The Board may, at its option, at any time prior to the
earlier of (i) the close of business on the tenth Business Day
(or such later date as may be determined by the Board pursuant to
clause (i) of the first sentence of Section 3(a) with respect to
the Distribution Date) following the Stock Acquisition Date (or,
if the Stock Acquisition Date shall have occurred prior to the
Record Date, the close of business on the tenth Business Day
following the Record Date) or (ii) the Final Expiration Date,
redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a
redemption price of $.001 per Right, as such amount may be
appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend
or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such
redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the "Redemption
Price"). The redemption of the Rights by the Board may be made
effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as
the Board in its sole discretion may establish. The Company may,
at its option, pay the Redemption Price in cash, shares of Common
Stock (based on the "current market price," as defined in Section
11(d) hereof, of the Common Stock at the time of redemption) or
any other form of consideration, or any combination of any of the
foregoing, deemed appropriate by the Board. Notwithstanding
anything contained in this Agreement to the contrary, the Rights
shall not be exercisable after the first occurrence of a Section
11(a)(ii) Event until such time as the Company's right of
redemption hereunder has expired.
(2) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
redemption of the Rights, evidence of which shall have been filed
with the Rights Agent and without any further action and without
any notice, the right to exercise the Rights shall terminate and
the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to
receive the Redemption Price for each Right so held. Promptly
after the action of the Board ordering the redemption of the
Rights, the Company shall give notice of such redemption to the
Rights Agent and the holders of the then outstanding Rights by
mailing such notice to all such holders at each holder's last
address as it appears upon the registry books of the Rights Agent
or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the
Transfer Agent for the Common Stock. Any notice which is mailed
in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or
not the holder receives the notice. Each such notice of
redemption will state the method by which the payment of the
Redemption Price will be made.
(3) The Company may, at its option, discharge all of its
obligations with respect to the Rights by (i) issuing a press
release announcing the manner of redemption of the Rights in
accordance with this Agreement and (ii) mailing payment of the
Redemption Price to the registered holders of the Rights at their
last addresses as they appear on the registry books of the Rights
Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books
of the Transfer Agent of the Common Shares, and upon such action,
all outstanding Rights and Right Certificates shall be null and
void without any further action by the Company.
Section 24. Exchange.
(1) The Board may, at its option, at any time after a
Section 11(a)(ii) Event, exchange all or part of the then
outstanding and exercisable Rights (which (i) shall not include
Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of
Section 7(e) hereof, and (ii) shall include, without limitation,
any Rights issued after the Distribution Date) for shares of
Common Stock at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock
per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split,
stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date
hereof (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the
"Exchange Ratio"). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board
shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after
any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the
Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such
Subsidiary, or any entity holding Common Stock for or pursuant to
the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and
Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or
more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding.
(2) Immediately upon the action of the Board ordering the
exchange of any Rights pursuant to subsection (a) of this
Section 24, evidence of which shall have been filed with the
Rights Agent, and without any further action and without any
notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the
only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to
receive that number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number
of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange
Ratio. The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such
exchange; provided, however, that the failure to give, or any
defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such
exchange. The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such
exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last
addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights
Agent. Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided
shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the
notice. Each such notice of exchange shall state the method by
which the exchange of shares of Common Stock for Rights will be
effected and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of
Rights which will be exchanged. Any partial exchange shall be
effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than
Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of
Section 7(e) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.
(3) In the event that there shall not be sufficient shares of
Common Stock issued but not outstanding or authorized but
unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in
accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such
action as may be necessary to authorize additional shares of
Common Stock for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.
(4) The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of
shares of Common Stock or to distribute certificates which
evidence fractional shares of Common Stock. In lieu of such
fractional shares of Common Stock, there shall be paid to the
registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which
such fractional shares of Common Stock would otherwise be
issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the
current market value of a whole share of Common Stock. For the
purposes of this subsection (d), the current market value of a
whole share of Common Stock shall be the closing price per share
of Common Stock (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of
Section 11(d) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to
the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.
Section 25. Notice of Certain Events.
(1) In case the Company shall propose, at any time after the
Distribution Date, (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of
any class to the holders of Common Stock or to make any other
distribution to the holders of Common Stock (other than a regular
quarterly cash dividend out of earnings or retained earnings of
the Company), or (ii) to offer to the holders of Common Stock
rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional
shares of Common Stock or shares of stock of any class or any
other securities, rights or options, or (iii) to effect any
reclassification of its Common Stock (other than a
reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding
shares of Common Stock), or (iv) to effect any consolidation or
merger into or with any other Person (other than a Subsidiary of
the Company in a transaction which complies with Section 11(o)
hereof), or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit
one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other
transfer), in one transaction or a series of related
transactions, of more than 50% of the assets or earning power of
the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to any other
Person or Persons (other than the Company and/or any of its
Subsidiaries in one or more transactions each of which complies
with Section 11(o) hereof), or (v) to effect the liquidation,
dissolution or winding up of the Company, then, in each such
case, the Company shall give to each holder of a Rights
Certificate, to the extent feasible and in accordance with
Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall
specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend,
distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such
reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer,
liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the
date of participation therein by the holders of the shares of
Common Stock, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice
shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i)
or (ii) above at least twenty (20) days prior to the record date
for determining holders of the shares of Common Stock for
purposes of such action, and in the case of any such other
action, at least twenty (20) days prior to the date of the taking
of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by
the holders of the shares of Common Stock, whichever shall be the
earlier.
(2) In case a Section 11(a)(ii) Event shall occur, then, in any
such case, (i) the Company shall as soon as practicable
thereafter give to each holder of a Rights Certificate, to the
extent feasible and in accordance with Section 26 hereof,
a notice of the occurrence of such event, which shall specify the
event and the consequences of the event to holders of Rights
under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof, and (ii) all references in the
preceding paragraph to Common Stock shall be deemed thereafter to
refer also to Common Stock and/or, if appropriate, other
securities.
Section 26. Notices. Notices or demands authorized by this
Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the
holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Company shall be
sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage
prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing
with the Rights Agent) as follows:
Standex International Corporation
0 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx
Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Chief Executive Officer
with a copy to:
Xxxx and Xxxx LLP
00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Xxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Subject to the provisions of Section 21, any notice or demand
authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company
or by the holder of any Rights Certificate to or on the Rights
Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class
mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed
in writing with the Company) as follows:
BankBoston, N.A.
c/o Boston EquiServe Limited Partnership
000 Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Client Administration
Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or
made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any
Rights Certificate (or, if prior to the Distribution Date, to the
holder of certificates representing shares of Common Stock) shall
be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail,
postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such
holder as shown on the registry books of the Company.
Section 27. Supplements and Amendments. Except as provided in
the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, for so long as the
Rights are then redeemable, the Company may, in its sole and
absolute discretion, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company
so directs, supplement or amend any provision of this Agreement
in any respect without the approval of any holders of the Rights.
At any time when the Rights are no longer redeemable, except as
provided in the penultimate sentence of this Section 27, the
Company may, by approval of a majority of the members of the
Board, and the Rights Agent shall, if the Company so directs,
supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any
holders of Rights in order (i) to cure any ambiguity or (ii) to
correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be
defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein,
provided that no such supplement or amendment shall adversely
affect the interests of the holders of Rights as such (other than
an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring
Person). Upon the delivery of a certificate from an appropriate
officer of the Company which states that the proposed supplement
or amendment is in compliance with the terms of this Section 27,
the Rights Agent shall execute such supplement or amendment.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Agreement to the
contrary, no supplement or amendment shall be made which changes
the Redemption Price. Prior to the Distribution Date, the
interests of the holders of Rights shall be deemed coincident
with the interests of the holders of Common Stock.
Section 28. Successors. All the covenants and provisions of
this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights
Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective
successors and assigns hereunder.
Section 29. Actions by the Board of Directors, etc. The Board
shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this
Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically
granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or
advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including,
without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the
provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations
deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this
Agreement (including a determination to redeem or not redeem the
Rights or to amend this Agreement). All such actions,
calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for
purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the
foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith,
shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the
Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other parties,
and (y) not subject the Board to any liability to the holders of
the Rights.
Section 30. Benefits of this Agreement. Nothing in this
Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the
Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the
Rights Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date,
registered holders of the Common Stock) any legal or equitable
right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement
shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the
Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Rights
Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, registered
holders of the Common Stock).
Section 31. Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or
restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent
jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or
unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants
and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and
effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated;
provided, however, that notwithstanding anything in this
Agreement to the contrary, if any such term, provision, covenant
or restriction is held by such court or authority to be invalid,
void or unenforceable and the Board determines in its good faith
judgment that severing the invalid, void or unenforceable
language from this Agreement would adversely affect the purpose
or effect of this Agreement, the right of redemption set forth in
Section 23 hereof shall be reinstated and shall not expire until
the close of business on the tenth day following the date of such
determination by the Board.
Section 32. Governing Law. This Agreement, each Right and
each Rights Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a
contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all
purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with
the laws of Delaware applicable to contracts made and to be
performed entirely within Delaware.
Section 33. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in
any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall
for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such
counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
Section 34. Descriptive Headings. Descriptive headings of the
several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience
only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction
of any of the provisions hereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this
Agreement to be duly executed and their respective corporate
seals to be hereunto affixed and attested, all as of the day and
year first above written.
Attest: STANDEX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
(corp. seal)
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
Title: Secretary Title: President/CEO
Attest: BANKBOSTON, N.A.
(corp. seal)
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. XxXxxx
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx Name: Xxxxxx X. XxXxxx
Title: Account Manager Title: Senior Account Manager
Exhibit A
[Form of Rights Certificate]
Certificate No. R- ______ Rights
NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER DECEMBER 10, 2008 OR EARLIER IF REDEEMED OR
EXCHANGED BY THE COMPANY. THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION
AT $.001 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE
RIGHTS AGREEMENT. UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHTS
BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERM IS
DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND ANY SUBSEQUENT HOLDER OF
SUCH RIGHTS MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID. [THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED BY
THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE ARE OR WERE BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY A
PERSON WHO WAS OR BECAME AN ACQUIRING PERSON OR AN AFFILIATE OR
ASSOCIATE OF AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS SUCH TERMS ARE DEFINED IN
THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT). ACCORDINGLY, THIS RIGHTS CERTIFICATE AND
THE RIGHTS REPRESENTED HEREBY MAY BECOME NULL AND VOID IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SPECIFIED IN SECTION 7(e) OF SUCH AGREEMENT.]1
The portion of the legend in brackets shall be inserted only if
applicable and shall replace the preceding sentence.
STANDEX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
Rights Certificate
This certifies that ____________, or registered assigns, is
the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above,
each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, dated as of
December 10, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement"), between Standex
International Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), and BankBoston, N.A. (the "Rights Agent"), to
purchase from the Company after the Distribution Date (as such
term is defined in the Rights Agreement) and at any time prior to
5:00 p.m. (New York time) on December 10, 2008 at the office of
the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, or its successors
as Rights Agent, one share of Common Stock (the "Common Stock")
of the Company, $1.50 par value per share, at a purchase price of
$95.00 in cash per share (the "Purchase Price"), upon
presentation and surrender of this Rights Certificate with the
Form of Election to Purchase and related Certificate duly
executed. The number of Rights evidenced by this Rights
Certificate (and the number of shares of Common Stock which may
be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the
Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price
as of the close of business on December 10, 1998, based on the
Common Stock as constituted at such date. Capitalized terms used
herein and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings
ascribed to such terms in the Rights Agreement.
Upon the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii) Event, if the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate are beneficially
owned by (i) an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of
any such Acquiring Person (as such terms are defined in the
Rights Agreement), (ii) a transferee of any such Acquiring
Person, Associate or Affiliate who becomes a transferee after the
Acquiring Person becomes an Acquiring Person, or (iii) under
certain circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement, a
transferee of a person who, concurrently with or after such
transfer, became an Acquiring Person, or an Affiliate or
Associate of an Acquiring Person, such Rights shall become null
and void and no holder hereof shall have any right with respect
to such Rights from and after the occurrence of such
Section 11(a)(ii) Event.
As provided in the Rights Agreement, the Purchase Price and
the number and kind of shares of Common Stock or other securities
which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate are subject to modification and
adjustment upon the happening of certain events, including
Section 11(a)(ii) Events.
This Rights Certificate is subject to all of the terms,
provisions and conditions of the Rights Agreement, which terms,
provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by
reference and made a part hereof and to which Rights Agreement
reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights,
limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities
hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the
Rights Certificates, which limitations of rights include the
temporary suspension of the exercisability of such Rights under
the specific circumstances set forth in the Rights Agreement.
Copies of the Rights Agreement are on file at the principal
offices of the Company and are available upon written request to
the Company.
This Rights Certificate, with or without other Rights
Certificates, upon surrender at the office of the Rights Agent
designated for such purpose, with the Form of Election and
Certificate set forth on the reverse side duly executed, may be
exchanged for another Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to
purchase a like aggregate number of shares of Common Stock as the
Rights evidenced by the Rights Certificate or Rights Certificates
surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase. If this
Rights Certificate shall be exercised in part, the holder shall
be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Rights
Certificate or Rights Certificates for the number of whole Rights
not exercised.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the
Rights evidenced by this Certificate may be redeemed by the
Company at its option at a redemption price of $.001 per Right at
any time prior to the earlier of (i) the Distribution Date and
(ii) the Final Expiration Date.
Subject to the provisions of the Rights Agreement, the
Company may, at its option, at any time after a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, exchange all or part of the Rights evidenced by this
Certificate for shares of the Company's Common Stock and/or other
securities having the same rights, privileges and preferences as
the Common Stock.
No fractional shares of Common Stock will be issued upon the
exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby, but in lieu
thereof a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Rights
Agreement.
No holder of this Rights Certificate, as such, shall be
entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any
purpose the holder of shares of Common Stock or of any other
securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on
the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Rights
Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder
hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the
Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or
upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof,
or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to
receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting
stockholders (except as provided in the Rights Agreement), or to
receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the
Right or Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate shall have
been exercised as provided in the Rights Agreement.
This Rights Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for
any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights
Agent.
WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of
the Company and its corporate seal.
Dated as of _______________
ATTEST: STANDEX INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION
___________________________ By:___________________________
Secretary
Title:_________________________
COUNTERSIGNED:
BankBoston, N.A.
By:___________________________
Authorized Signature
[Form of Reverse Side of Rights Certificate]
FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be executed by the registered holder if such
holder desires to transfer the Rights Certificate.)
FOR VALUE RECEIVED _____________________________________________
hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______
(Please print name and address of transferee)
_________________________________________________________________
________ this Rights Certificate, together with all right, title
and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and
appoint ______________________ Attorney, to transfer the within
Rights Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with
full power of substitution.
Dated: ________________
_____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced
by this Rights Certificate are not beneficially owned by, or
being assigned to, an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof (as such terms are defined pursuant to the
Rights Agreement).
Dated: ______________
_____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Assignment and Certificate
must correspond to the name as written upon the face of this
Rights Certificate in every particular, without alteration or
enlargement or any change whatsoever.
FORM OF ELECTION TO PURCHASE
(To be executed if holder desires to exercise
Rights represented by the Rights Certificate.)
To: BankBoston, N.A.
The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise
___________ Rights represented by this Rights Certificate to
purchase the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of
the Rights (or such other securities of the Company or of any
other person which may be issuable upon the exercise of the
Rights) and requests that certificates for such shares be issued
in the name of and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
__________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________
__________
If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights
evidenced by this Rights Certificate, a new Rights Certificate
for the balance of such Rights shall be registered in the name of
and delivered to:
Please insert social security
or other identifying number
__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
__________
(Please print name and address)
_________________________________________________________________
__________
Dated: ______________
_____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
Certificate
The undersigned hereby certifies by checking the appropriate
boxes that:
(1) the Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate [ ] are
[ ] are not being exercised by or on behalf of a Person who is or
was an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as
such terms are defined pursuant to the Rights Agreement);
(2) after due inquiry and to the best knowledge of the
undersigned, the undersigned [ ] did [ ] did not acquire the
Rights evidenced by this Rights Certificate from any Person who
is, was or became an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or
Associate thereof.
Dated: _______________
_____________________________
Signature
Signature Guaranteed:
NOTICE
The signature to the foregoing Election to Purchase and
Certificate must correspond to the name as written upon the face
of this Rights Certificate in every particular, without
alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.
Exhibit B
SUMMARY OF RIGHTS TO
PURCHASE COMMON STOCK
On December 10, 1998, the Board of Directors of Standex
International Corporation (the "Company"), declared a dividend of
one Right for each outstanding share of the Company's Common
Stock, $1.50 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), to
stockholders of record at the close of business on January 25,
1999 (the "Record Date"). Each Right entitles the registered
holder to purchase from the Company one share of Common Stock, at
a Purchase Price of $95.00 in cash, subject to adjustment. The
description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Rights
Agreement dated as of December 10, 1998 (the "Rights Agreement")
between the Company and BankBoston, N.A., as Rights Agent.
Initially, the Rights will be attached to all Common Stock
certificates representing shares then outstanding, and no
separate Rights Certificates will be distributed. The Rights
will separate from the Common Stock and a Distribution Date will
occur upon the earlier of (i) 10 business days (or such later
date as may be determined by the Board of Directors of the
Company) following the later of (a) the first date of a public
announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated
persons (an "Acquiring Person") has acquired, or obtained the
right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of the
outstanding shares of Common Stock or (b) the first date on which
an executive officer of the Company has actual knowledge that an
Acquiring Person has become such (the "Stock Acquisition Date"),
or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined
by the Board of Directors of the Company) following the
commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer that would
result in a person or group beneficially owning 15% or more of
such outstanding shares of Common Stock. Until the Distribution
Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the rights), (i) the
Rights will be evidenced by the Common Stock certificates and
will be transferred with and only with such Common Stock
certificates, (ii) new Common Stock certificates issued after the
Record Date will contain a notation incorporating the Rights
Agreement by reference and (iii) the surrender for transfer of
any certificates for Common Stock outstanding, even without such
notation, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights
associated with the Common Stock represented by such certificate.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date
and will expire upon the close of business on December 10, 2008
(the "Final Expiration Date") unless earlier redeemed or
exchanged as described below. As soon as practicable after the
Distribution Date, separate Rights Certificates will be mailed to
holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business
on the Distribution Date and, thereafter, the separate Rights
Certificates alone will represent the Rights. Except as
otherwise determined by the Board of Directors, and except for
shares of Common Stock issued upon exercise, conversion or
exchange of then outstanding options, convertible or exchangeable
securities or other contingent obligations to issue shares, only
shares of Common Stock issued prior to the Distribution Date will
be issued with Rights.
In the event that any Person becomes an Acquiring Person,
unless the event causing the 15% threshold to be crossed is a
Permitted Offer (as defined in the Rights Agreement), then,
promptly following the first occurrence of such event, each
holder of a Right (except as provided below and in Section 7(e)
of the Rights Agreement) shall thereafter have the right to
receive, upon exercise, that number of shares of Common Stock of
the Company (or, in certain circumstances, cash, property or
other securities of the Company) which equals the exercise price
of the Right divided by 50% of the current market price (as
defined in the Rights Agreement) per share of Common Stock at the
date of the occurrence of such event. However, Rights are not
exercisable following such event until such time as the Rights
are no longer redeemable by the Company as described below.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, following the occurrence of
such event, all Rights that are, or (under certain circumstances
specified in the Rights Agreement) were, beneficially owned by
any Acquiring Person will be null and void. The event summarized
in this paragraph is referred to as a "Section 11(a)(ii) Event."
In the event that, at any time after any Person becomes an
Acquiring Person, (i) the Company is consolidated with, or merged
with and into, another entity and the Company is not the
surviving entity of such consolidation or merger (other than a
consolidation or merger which follows a Permitted Offer) or if
the Company is the surviving entity, but shares of its
outstanding Common Stock are changed or exchanged for stock or
securities (of any other person) or cash or any other property,
or (ii) 50% or more of the Company's assets or earning power is
sold or transferred, each holder of a Right (except Rights which
previously have been voided as set forth above) shall thereafter
have the right to receive, upon exercise, that number of shares
of common stock of the acquiring company which equals the
exercise price of the Right divided by 50% of the current market
price of such common stock at the date of the occurrence of the
event. The events summarized in this paragraph are referred to
as "Section 13 Events." A Section 11(a)(ii) Event and Section 13
Events are collectively referred to as "Triggering Events."
At any time after the occurrence of a Section 11(a)(ii)
Event, subject to certain conditions, the Board of Directors of
the Company may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by
such Acquiring Person which have become void), in whole or in
part, at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock per Right
(subject to adjustment).
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of
Common Stock or other securities or property issuable, upon
exercise of the Rights are subject to adjustment from time to
time to prevent dilution (i) in the event of a stock dividend on,
or a subdivision, combination or reclassification of, the Common
Stock, (ii) if holders of the Common Stock are granted certain
rights or warrants to subscribe for Common Stock or convertible
securities at less than the then-current market price of the
Common Stock, or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the
Common Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding
regular periodic cash dividends paid out of earnings or retained
earnings) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those
referred to above).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price
will be required until cumulative adjustments amount to at least
1% of the Purchase Price. No fractional shares of Common Stock
will be issued and, in lieu thereof, an adjustment in cash will
be made based on the market price of the Common Stock on the last
trading date prior to the date of exercise.
At any time prior to the earlier of (i) the tenth Business
Day (or such later date as may be determined by the Board of
Directors of the Company) after the Stock Acquisition Date, or
(ii) the Final Expiration Date, the Company may redeem the Rights
in whole, but not in part, at a price of $.001 per Right (the
"Redemption Price"), payable in cash or stock. Immediately upon
the action of the Board of Directors ordering redemption of the
Rights, the Rights will terminate and the only right of the
holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price. The
Rights may also be redeemable following certain other
circumstances specified in the Rights Agreement.
Until a Right is exercised, the holder thereof, as such,
will have no rights as a stockholder of the Company, including,
without limitation, the right to vote or to receive dividends.
While the distribution of the Rights will not be taxable to
stockholders or to the Company, stockholders may, depending upon
the circumstances, recognize taxable income in the event that the
Rights become exercisable for Common Stock (or other
consideration) of the Company or for common stock of the
acquiring company as set forth above.
Subject to certain exceptions, any of the provisions of the
Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board of Directors of the
Company prior to such time as the Rights are no longer
redeemable.
A copy of the Rights Agreement has been filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission as an Exhibit to the Company's
Current Report on Form 8-K dated December __, 1998. A copy of
the Rights Agreement is available free of charge from the
Company. This summary description of the Rights does not purport
to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to
the Rights Agreement, which is incorporated herein by reference.
