EXHIBIT 4.5
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
General
Our authorized capital stock consists of 50,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.001 per share, of which 1,000,000 shares are designated as series A preferred stock, 100,000 are designated as series C preferred stock and 3,000,000 shares are designated as series 1 preferred stock. As of December 26, 2023, 1,055,636 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding, 50,000 shares of Series C preferred stock issued and outstanding and 2,408,053 shares of series 1 preferred stock were issued and 2,343,953 outstanding.
In addition, as of December 26, 2023, there were an aggregate of 28,796 shares of our common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of our outstanding stock options at a weighted average exercise price of $50.67 per share.
Common Stock
Voting Power; Dividends. Holders of our common stock are entitled to one vote for each share held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders and have the right to vote cumulatively for the election of directors. This means that in the voting at our annual meeting, each stockholder or his proxy, may multiply the number of his shares by the number of directors to be elected then cast the resulting total number of votes for a single nominee, or distribute such votes on the ballot among the nominees as desired. Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends, if any, as may be declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available therefor, subject to any preferential dividend rights for our outstanding preferred stock.
Liquidation, Dissolution and Winding Up. Upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our common stock are entitled to receive ratably our net assets available after the payment of all debts and other liabilities and subject to the prior rights of holders of any of our outstanding preferred stock.
Preemptive and Other Rights. Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. The rights, preferences and privileges of holders of our common stock are subject to, and may be adversely affected by, the rights of the holders of shares of any series of our preferred stock that we may designate and issue in the future.
Our common stockholders may not receive any assets or funds until our creditors have been paid in full and the preferential or participating rights of our preferred stockholders have been satisfied. If we participate in a corporate merger, consolidation, purchase or acquisition of property or stock, or other reorganization, any payments or shares of stock allocated to our common stockholders will be distributed pro-rata to holders of our common stock on a per share basis. If we redeem, repurchase or otherwise acquire for payment any shares of our common stock, we will treat each share of common stock identically.
We may issue additional shares of our common stock and our preferred stock, if authorized by the board, without the common stockholders’ approval, unless required by Delaware law or a stock exchange on which our securities are traded. If we receive the appropriate payment, shares of our common stock that we issue will be fully paid and nonassessable.
Nasdaq Capital Market. Our shares of common stock are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol CETX.
Transfer Agent and Registrar. The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Clear Trust LLC, Lutz, Florida.
Preferred Stock
Under our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors is authorized, without further stockholder action, to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series, with such powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other rights and such qualifications, limitations and restrictions thereof as shall be set forth in the resolutions providing therefor. We have no present plans to issue any additional shares of preferred stock.
Series A Preferred Stock
Pursuant to the certificate of designation relating to those shares, each issued and outstanding share of series A preferred stock is entitled to the number of votes equal to the result of (i) the total number of shares of common stock outstanding at the time of such vote multiplied by 1.01, and divided by (ii) the total number of shares of series A preferred stock outstanding at the time of such vote, at each meeting of our stockholders with respect to any and all matters presented to our stockholders for their action or consideration, including the election of directors.
Our series A preferred stock has equal distribution rights with our common stockholders upon liquidation, dissolution or winding-up of our company, and otherwise has no pre-emptive, subscription, conversion or redemption rights.
Series C Preferred Stock
On October 3, 2019, pursuant to Article IV of our Articles of Incorporation, our Board of Directors voted to designate a class of preferred stock entitled Series C Preferred Stock, consisting of up to one hundred thousand (100,000) shares, par value $0.001. Under the Certificate of Designation, holders of Series C Preferred Stock are entitled to the number of votes per share equal to the result of (i) the total number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at the time of such vote multiplied by 10.01, and divided by (ii) the total number of shares of Series C Preferred Stock outstanding at the time of such vote, at each meeting of our shareholders with respect to any and all matters presented to our shareholders for their action or consideration, including the election of directors.
Series 1 Preferred
As of December 26, 2023, 2,408,053 shares of series 1 preferred stock (the “series 1 preferred”), were issued and 2,343,953 outstanding having the following powers, preferences and rights:
Dividends. Holders of the series 1 preferred are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at the rate of 10% of the purchase price per year, payable semiannually on the last day of March and September in each year. Dividends may also be paid, at our option, in additional shares of series 1 preferred, valued at their liquidation preference. The series 1 preferred ranks senior to the common stock with respect to dividends. Dividends will be entitled to be paid prior to any dividend to the holders of our common stock.
Liquidation Preference. The series 1 preferred has a liquidation preference of $10.00 per share, equal to its purchase price. In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company, any amounts remaining available for distribution to stockholders after payment of all liabilities of our company will be distributed first to the holders of series 1 preferred, and then pari passu to the holders of the series A preferred stock and our common stock. The holders of series 1 preferred have preference over the holders of our common stock on any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our company. The holders of series 1 preferred also have preference over the holders of our series A preferred stock.
Voting Rights. Except as otherwise provided in the certificate of designation, preferences and rights or as required by law, the series 1 preferred vote together with the shares of our common stock (and not as a separate class) at any annual or special meeting of stockholders. Except as required by law, each holder of shares of series 1 preferred is entitled to two votes for each share of series 1 preferred held on the record date as though each share of series 1 preferred were two shares of our common stock. Holders of the series 1 preferred vote as a class on any amendment altering or changing the powers, preferences or rights of the series 1 preferred so as to affect them adversely.
No Conversion. The series 1 preferred are not convertible into or exchangeable for shares of our common stock or any other security.
Rank. The series 1 preferred ranks with respect to distribution rights upon our liquidation, winding-up or dissolution and dividend rights, as applicable:
● | senior to our series A preferred stock, common stock and any other class of capital stock we issue in the future unless the terms of that stock provide that it ranks senior to any or all of the series 1 preferred; | |
● | on a parity with any class of capital stock we issue in the future the terms of which provide that it will rank on a parity with any or all of the series 1 preferred; | |
● | junior to each class of capital stock issued in the future the terms of which expressly provide that such capital stock will rank senior to the series 1 preferred and the common stock; and | |
● | junior to all of our existing and future indebtedness. |
In addition, the series 1 preferred, with respect to rights upon our liquidation, winding-up or dissolution, will be structurally subordinated to existing and future indebtedness of our company and subsidiaries, as well as the capital stock of our subsidiaries held by third parties.
Redemption. We may mandatorily redeem any or all of the series 1 preferred at any time and from time to time at our option, by giving notice (by issuing a press release or otherwise making a public announcement, by mailing a notice of redemption or otherwise). If we redeem fewer than all of the outstanding shares of series 1 preferred, we may select the shares to be redeemed by redeeming shares proportionally, by lot, or by any other equitable method. The mandatory redemption price for any shares of series 1 preferred is an amount equal to the $10.00 purchase price per share plus any accrued but unpaid dividends to the date fixed for redemption.
From and after any applicable redemption date, if funds necessary for the redemption are available and have been irrevocably deposited or set aside, then:
● | the shares will no longer be deemed outstanding; | |
● | the holders of the shares, as such, will cease to be stockholders; and | |
● | all rights with respect to the shares of series 1 preferred will terminate except the right of the holders to receive the redemption price, without interest. |
We may also repurchase, outside of our mandatory redemption rights, any shares of series 1 preferred in privately-negotiated transactions or in open market purchases on Nasdaq, subject to applicable regulations regarding issuer repurchases of their capital stock. In such cases, we would most likely do so at prices lower than the price at which we are entitled to mandatorily redeem the shares.
No Other Rights. The holders of the series 1 preferred have no preemptive or preferential or other rights to purchase or subscribe to any stock, obligations, warrants or other securities of ours.
Trading. The series 1 preferred is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol CETXP.
Transfer Agent and Registrar. Clear Trust, LLC, Florida, is the transfer agent and registrar for our series 1 preferred.
Anti-Takeover Provisions
The terms of our shares of series A, none are issued and outstanding at this time, and series C preferred stock, held by Saagar Govil, our CEO, may also have the effect of discouraging a takeover of our company. Pursuant to the certificate of designation for our Series A preferred stock, each outstanding share of Series A preferred stock is entitled to the number of votes equal to the result of (i) the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding at the time of such vote multiplied by 1.01, divided by (ii) the total number of shares of our series A preferred stock outstanding at the time of such vote, at each meeting of stockholders of our company with respect to any and all matters presented to our stockholders for their action or consideration, including the election of directors. Pursuant to the certificate of designation for our Series C preferred stock, each issued and outstanding Series C Preferred Share shall be entitled to the number of votes equal to the result of: (i) the number of shares of common stock of the Company (The “Common Shares”) issued and outstanding at the time of such vote multiplied by 10.01; divided by (ii) the total number of Series C Preferred Shares issued and outstanding at the time of such vote, at each meeting of shareholders of the Company with respect to any and all matters presented to the shareholders of the Company for their action or consideration, including the election of directors. Holders of Series C Preferred Shares shall vote together with the holders of Common Shares as a single class. As a result of Saagar Govil’s ownership of our Series C preferred stock, our management stockholders control, and will control in the future, substantially all matters requiring approval by the stockholders of our company, including the election of all directors and approval of significant corporate transactions. Given this continuing voting interest of our series A preferred stock and series C preferred stock, its holder will be able to exert significant influence over all corporate activities including the outcome of tender offers, mergers, proxy contests or other purchases of common stock, which could discourage others from initiating changes of control.
Our certificate of incorporation, in order to combat “greenmail,” provides in general that any direct or indirect purchase by us of any of our voting stock or rights to acquire voting stock known to be beneficially owned by any person or group which holds more than 5% of a class of our voting stock and which has owned the securities being purchased for less than two years must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of voting stock, subject to certain exceptions. The prohibition of “greenmail” may tend to discourage or foreclose certain acquisitions of our securities, which might temporarily increase the price of our securities. Discouraging the acquisition of a large block of our securities by an outside party may also have a potential negative effect on takeovers. Parties seeking control of our company through large acquisitions of our securities will not be able to resort to “greenmail” should their bid fail, thus making such a bid less attractive to persons seeking to initiate a takeover effort.
We are subject to the provisions of Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of Delaware. Section 203 prohibits certain publicly held Delaware corporations from engaging in a “business combination” with an “interested stockholder” for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an “interested stockholder,” unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. A “business combination” includes mergers, asset sales and other transactions resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. Subject to certain exceptions, an “interested stockholder” is a person or entity who, together with affiliates and associates, owns (or within the preceding three years, did own) 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock. The statute contains provisions enabling a corporation to avoid the statute’s restrictions if the stockholders holding a majority of the corporation’s voting stock approve.
Indemnification of Directors and Officers
Our certificate of incorporation provides that any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (whether or not by or in the right of the company) by reason of the fact that he is or was a director, officer, incorporator, employee or agent of the company, or is or was serving at the request of the company as a director, officer, incorporator, employee or agent of another company, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall be entitled to be indemnified by the company to the full extent then permitted by law or to the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction shall deem proper or permissible under the circumstance, whichever is greater, against expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amount paid in settlement incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding. Such right of indemnification shall inure whether or not the claim asserted is based on matters which pre-date the company’s adoption of the indemnification provisions in its certificate of incorporation. Furthermore, such right of indemnification will continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, incorporator, employee or agent and will inure to the benefit of the heirs and personal representatives of such person.