UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, AS SET FORTH IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT, RIGHTS OWNED BY OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY PERSON WHO IS OR BECOMES AN ACQUIRING PERSON (AS DEFINED IN THE RIGHTS AGREEMENT) AND CERTAIN TRANSFEREES THEREOF WILL BECOME NULL AND VOID AND WILL NO LONGER BE TRANSFERABLE.
Effective February 25, 2010, the Board of Directors of MathStar, Inc. (the “Company”) declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Common Stock”). The dividend is payable on March 12, 2010 (the “Record Date”) to the stockholders of record on that date. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from the Company one one-millionth of a share of Series A Preferred Stock, par value $0.001per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Stock”) at a price of $8.50 per one one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock (the “Purchase Price”), subject to adjustment. The description and terms of the Rights are set forth in a Tax Benefit Preservation Plan and Rights Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2010, as the same may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”), between the Company and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Agent”).
The Plan is intended to help protect the Company’s tax net operating loss carryforwards and have certain anti-takeover effects. The Rights may cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire the Company on terms not approved by the Board of Directors. Additionally, the Board of Directors may redeem the Rights, as discussed more fully below. The Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group from becoming or obtaining the right to become a “5-percent shareholder” (as such term is used in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) or, in certain cases, increasing such person’s or group’s ownership of Common Stock beyond a specified threshold, without the approval of the Board of Directors.
Until the earlier to occur of (i) 10 business days following a public announcement that a person or group of affiliated or associated persons (with certain exceptions, an “Acquiring Person”) has acquired beneficial ownership of 4.99% or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding or (ii) 10 business days (or such later date as may be determined by action of the Board of Directors prior to such time as any person or group of affiliated persons becomes an Acquiring Person) after the date of commencement of a tender offer or exchange offer the consummation of which would result in the beneficial ownership by a person or group of 4.99% or more of the then-outstanding shares of Common Stock (the earlier of such dates being called the “Distribution Date”), the Rights will be evidenced, with respect to any of the Common Stock certificates (or book entry shares in respect of the Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, by such Common Stock certificate (or such book entry shares) together with this Summary of Rights.
The Plan provides that, until the Distribution Date (or earlier expiration of the Rights), the Rights will be transferred with and only with the Common Stock. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier expiration of the Rights), new Common Stock certificates (or book entry shares in respect of the Common Stock) issued after the Record Date upon transfer or new issuances of Common Stock will contain a notation incorporating the Plan by reference and, with respect to any uncertificated book entry shares issued after the Record Date, proper notice will be provided that incorporates the Plan by reference. Until the Distribution Date (or earlier redemption or expiration of the Rights), the surrender for transfer of any certificates for shares of Common Stock (or book entry shares of Common Stock) outstanding as of the Record Date, even without a notation incorporating the Plan by reference (or such notice, in the case of Book Entry shares), notice or a copy of this Summary of Rights, will also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the shares of Common Stock represented by such certificate or book entry shares, as the case may be. As soon as practicable following the Distribution Date, separate certificates evidencing the Rights (“Right Certificates”) will be mailed to (or credited to the account of) holders of record of the Common Stock as of the close of business on the Distribution Date and such separate Right Certificates alone will evidence the Rights.
The Rights are not exercisable until the Distribution Date. The Rights will expire upon the earliest of the close of business on February 25, 2015 (unless that date is advanced or extended), the time at which the Rights are redeemed or exchanged under the Plan, the repeal of Section 382 of the Code or any successor statute if the Board determines that the Plan is no longer necessary for the preservation of the Company’s tax benefits, or the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no tax benefits may be carried forward.
The Purchase Price payable, and the number of shares of Preferred 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 Preferred Stock, (ii) upon the grant to holders of the Preferred Stock of certain rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Stock at a price, or securities convertible into Preferred Stock with a conversion price, less than the then-current market price of the Preferred Stock or (iii) upon the distribution to holders of the Preferred Stock of evidences of indebtedness or assets (excluding regular periodic cash dividends or dividends payable in Preferred Stock) or of subscription rights or warrants (other than those referred to above).
The Rights are also subject to adjustment in the event of a stock dividend on the Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, or subdivisions, consolidations or combinations of the Common Stock occurring, in any such case, prior to the Distribution Date.
Shares of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of the Rights will not be redeemable. Each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled, when, as and if declared, to a minimum preferential dividend payment of the greater of (a) $1.00 per share, and (b) an amount equal to 1,000,000 times the dividend declared per share of Common Stock. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, the holders of the Preferred Stock will be entitled to a minimum preferential liquidation payment of the greater of (a) $1,000 per share (plus any accrued but unpaid dividends), and (b) an amount equal to 1,000,000 times the payment made per share of Common Stock. Each share of Preferred Stock will have 1,000,000 votes, voting together with the Common Stock. Finally, in the event of any merger, consolidation or other transaction in
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which outstanding shares of Common Stock are converted or exchanged, each share of Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive 1,000,000 times the amount received per share of Common Stock. These rights are protected by customary anti-dilution provisions.
Because of the nature of the Preferred Stock’s dividend, liquidation and voting rights, the value of the one one-millionth interest in a share of Preferred Stock purchasable upon exercise of each Right should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.
In the event that any person or group of affiliated or associated persons becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right, other than Rights beneficially owned by the Acquiring Person (which will thereupon become void), will thereafter have the right to receive upon exercise of a Right and payment of the Purchase Price, that number of shares of Common Stock having a market value of two times the Purchase Price.
At any time after any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person and prior to the acquisition by such person or group of 50% or more of the voting power of the outstanding shares of Common Stock, the Board of Directors may exchange the Rights (other than Rights owned by such person or group which will have become void), in whole or in part, for shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock (or a series of the Company’s preferred stock having similar rights, preferences and privileges), at an exchange ratio of one share of Common Stock, or a fractional share of Preferred Stock (or of a share of a similar class or series of the Company’s preferred stock having similar rights, preferences and privileges) of equivalent value, per Right (subject to adjustment).
With certain exceptions, no adjustment in the Purchase Price will be required until cumulative adjustments require an adjustment of at least 1% in such Purchase Price. No fractional shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock will be issued (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-millionth of a share of Preferred Stock, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), and in lieu thereof an adjustment in cash will be made based on the market price of the Preferred Stock on the last trading day prior to the date of exercise.
At any time prior to the time an Acquiring Person becomes such, the Board of Directors may redeem the Rights in whole, but not in part, at a price of $0.001 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date of adoption of the Plan (the “Redemption Price”). The redemption of the Rights may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors in its sole discretion may establish. Immediately upon any redemption of the Rights, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the Redemption Price.
For so long as the Rights are then redeemable, the Company may, except with respect to the Redemption Price, amend the Plan in any manner. After the Rights are no longer redeemable, the Company may, except with respect to the Redemption Price, amend the Plan in any manner that does not adversely affect the interests of holders of the Rights.
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Until a Right is exercised or exchanged, 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.
This summary description of the Rights does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Plan, as the same may be amended from time to time, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
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