PROPOSAL
3
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THE REVERSE STOCK SPLIT PROPOSAL
Background
Our
Common Stock is listed for quotation on the Nasdaq Capital Market and trades
under the symbol “SPDE”.
On June 19, 2007, we
received notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market informing us that we were not in
compliance with Rule 4310(c)(4) which requires us to maintain a minimum closing
bid price of $1.00 per share (the “Rule”) and were given 180 days,
or until December 17, 2007, to regain compliance. For the 30 consecutive
business days prior to June 19, 2007, the bid price of our Common Stock closed
below $1.00 per share. If at any time before December 17, 2007, the closing bid
price of our Common Stock is equal to or greater than $1.00 for a minimum of 10
consecutive trading days, which period Nasdaq may increase up to a maximum of
20 consecutive trading days at its discretion pursuant to Rule 4310(c)(8)(E),
we would be deemed to have complied with the Rule. However, between June 19 and
October 10, 2007, the closing bid price of our Common Stock has
ranged from $0.54 to $0.79. If we are unable to demonstrate
compliance with the Rule by December 17, 2007, Nasdaq will notify us that our
Common Stock will be delisted from the Nasdaq Stock Market. At that time, we
may appeal the decision to a Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Panel.
At
each of our 2002 and 2003 Annual Meetings of stockholders, we sought and
received stockholder approval for a reverse stock split. However, while on
several occasions historically we have not been in compliance with this Rule,
we subsequently received notice from Nasdaq that we had regained compliance
with the Rule without the need to implement the reverse stock split. These
previous approvals of stockholders have since expired.
Purpose
of the Reverse Stock Split
The purpose of the reverse
stock split is to increase the market price per share of our Common Stock. The
Board intends to implement a reverse split only if it believes that a decrease
in the number of shares outstanding is likely to improve the trading price of
our Common Stock and necessary to continue our listing on Nasdaq. If the
reverse stock split is authorized by stockholders but we otherwise regain
compliance with the Rule, the Board will have the discretion to implement the
reverse stock split once through December 31, 2008, or implement no reverse
stock split at all. The Board has requested that stockholders approve an
exchange ratio range, as opposed to approval of a specified exchange ratio, in
order to give the Board maximum discretion to determine the exchange ratio
based upon prevailing market conditions at the time. No further action on the
part of the stockholders will be required to either implement or abandon the
reverse stock split.
The reverse stock split is
not intended as, and is not a part of or first step in, a “going
private” transaction pursuant to Rule 13e-3 under the Exchange
Act.
Board of
Directors Determination
Our Board of Directors has
unanimously adopted a resolution approving, and recommending to our
stockholders for their approval, a proposal to amend our Certificate of
Incorporation, as amended, authorizing a reverse split of the shares of our
Common Stock at a ratio, to be established by the Board in its sole discretion,
not to exceed one-for-six, or to abandon the reverse stock split. The amendment
to the Certificate of Incorporation will implement the reverse stock split by
reducing the number of shares of our Common Stock issued and outstanding, as
well as treasury shares, by the ratio to be determined by the Board of
Directors, not to exceed one-for-six.
You are now being asked to
vote upon amendments to our Certificate of Incorporation to effect the reverse
stock split. If stockholder approval is received, our Board of Directors will
have the sole discretion pursuant to Section 242(c) of the Delaware General
Corporation Law to elect, as it determines to be in the best interests of the
Company and our stockholders, whether or not to effect the reverse stock split,
and if so, the number of shares of our common stock up to a maximum of 6 that
will be combined into one share of our Common Stock. Our Board of Directors
believes that stockholder approval of amendments granting the Board this
discretion, rather than approval of a specified exchange ratio, provides our
Board of Directors with maximum flexibility to react to then-current market
conditions and, therefore, is in the best interests of the Company and our
stockholders. In determining the ratio of the reverse stock split to implement,
our Board of Directors will consider, among other things, prevailing market
conditions, the trading price of our Common Stock, the number of round lot
holders of our Common Stock and the steps that we will need to take in order to
maintain compliance with the trading price requirements and other listing
regulations of the Nasdaq Capital Market.
If approved by the
stockholders, our Board of Directors will have the authority to effect a
reverse stock split on only one occasion, unless the stockholders subsequently
approve an additional reverse stock split.
Reasons
for the Reverse Stock Split
The Board has determined
that the continued listing of our Common Stock on Nasdaq is in the best
interests of our stockholders. If our Common Stock were delisted from Nasdaq,
trading in our Common Stock would have to be conducted on the OTC Bulletin
Board or in the non-Nasdaq over-the-counter market, also referred to as the
“pink sheets”. The Board
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