EX-4.1 2 calm2024x10kex41.htm EX-4.1 calm2024x10kex41
Exhibit 4.1
To Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2025
Of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
 
 
DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL
 
STOCK
Authorized Capital Stock
Pursuant to
 
the Fourth Amended
 
and Restated
 
Certificate of
 
Incorporation (the
 
“Restated Charter”)
 
of Cal-Maine
 
Foods, Inc.
(“we,” “us,” “our” or the
 
“Company”), our authorized capital stock consists
 
of 120,000,000 shares of common
 
stock with a par
value
 
of
 
$0.01
 
per
 
share
 
(“Common
 
Stock”)
 
and
 
10,000,000 shares
 
of
 
preferred
 
stock
 
with
 
a
 
par
 
value
 
of
 
$0.01
 
per
 
share
(“Preferred Stock”).
The Restated Charter authorizes the Company to issue shares of Preferred Stock from time to time in one or more series without
stockholder approval, each such series to have rights and preferences, including voting
 
rights, dividend rights, conversion rights,
redemption privileges and liquidation preferences, as the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) may determine.
The number
 
of authorized
 
shares of
 
Preferred Stock
 
may be
 
increased or
 
decreased (but
 
not below
 
the number
 
of shares
 
then
outstanding) by
 
the affirmative
 
vote of
 
the holders
 
of a
 
majority in
 
voting power
 
of the
 
stock of
 
the Company
 
entitled to
 
vote
generally in
 
the election
 
of directors,
 
irrespective of
 
the provisions
 
of Section 242(b)(2) of
 
the Delaware
 
General Corporation
Law (the “DGCL”), voting together as a single class, without
 
a separate vote of the holders of Preferred Stock, unless
 
a vote by
any holders of one or more
 
series of Preferred Stock is required
 
by the express terms of any
 
series of Preferred Stock as provided
for or fixed pursuant to the provisions of the Restated Charter.
Common Stock
Voting Rights
The holders
 
of shares
 
of Common
 
Stock are
 
entitled to
 
one vote
 
for each
 
such share
 
on each
 
matter properly
 
submitted to
 
the
stockholders of the Company on which the holders of Common Stock are entitled to vote.
Dividends
Except as otherwise required by law or the Restated Charter, and subject to
 
the rights of the holders of shares of Preferred Stock,
the holders of shares of
 
Common Stock are entitled to receive
 
such dividends and other distributions (payable
 
in cash, property
or capital stock of
 
the Company) when, as and
 
if declared thereon by
 
the Board from time to
 
time out of any
 
assets or funds of
the Company legally available therefor and share equally on a per share basis in such dividends and distributions.
The Company
 
has a
 
variable dividend
 
policy adopted
 
by the
 
Board. Pursuant
 
to the
 
policy, the
 
Company pays
 
a dividend
 
to
holders of shares of Common Stock on a quarterly basis for each quarter for which the Company reports net income attributable
to Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., computed in accordance
 
with generally accepted accounting principles in
 
the U.S., in an amount equal
to one-third (1/3)
 
of such
 
quarterly net
 
income. Dividends
 
are paid
 
to stockholders
 
of record
 
as of
 
the 60
th
 
day following
 
the
last day of such quarter, except for the
 
fourth fiscal quarter. For the fourth quarter,
 
the Company pays dividends to stockholders
of record
 
on the
 
65
th
 
day after
 
the quarter
 
end. Dividends
 
are payable
 
on the
 
15
th
 
day following
 
the record
 
date. Following
 
a
quarter for
 
which the
 
Company does
 
not report
 
net income
 
attributable to
 
Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.,
 
the Company
 
will not
 
pay a
dividend for a subsequent profitable quarter until
 
the Company is profitable on a cumulative basis
 
computed from the date of the
last quarter for which a dividend was paid. The dividend policy is subject to periodic review by the Board.
Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up
Except as otherwise required by law or the Restated Charter, in the event
 
of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution
or winding-up of
 
the Company,
 
after payment
 
or provision
 
for payment
 
of the
 
debts and
 
other liabilities
 
of the
 
Company, and
subject to
 
the rights
 
of the
 
holders of
 
shares of
 
Preferred Stock
 
in respect
 
thereof, the
 
holders of
 
shares of
 
Common Stock are
Exhibit 4.1
To Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2025
Of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
 
 
entitled to receive all of the remaining assets of
 
the Company available for distribution to its stockholders, ratably in
 
proportion
to the number of shares of Common Stock held by them.
Preemptive and Other Rights
The holders of shares of Common Stock are not entitled to preemptive or subscription rights.
Choice of Forum
The Restated Charter provides that,
 
unless a majority of the
 
Board, acting on behalf of
 
the Company, consents in writing
 
to the
selection of
 
an alternative
 
forum, the
 
Court of
 
Chancery of
 
the State
 
of Delaware
 
(or, if
 
the Court
 
of Chancery
 
does not
 
have
jurisdiction, another state court located within the State of
 
Delaware or, if no state court located within the State of Delaware
 
has
jurisdiction, the
 
federal district
 
court for
 
the District
 
of Delaware),
 
shall be
 
the sole
 
and exclusive
 
forum for
 
(i) any derivative
action or
 
proceeding brought
 
on behalf
 
of the
 
Company under
 
Delaware law,
 
(ii) any action
 
asserting a
 
claim of
 
breach of
 
a
fiduciary
 
duty
 
owed
 
by
 
any
 
current
 
or
 
former
 
director,
 
officer
 
or
 
other
 
employee
 
of
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
the
 
Company
 
or
 
the
Company’s stockholders,
 
(iii) any action
 
asserting a
 
claim against
 
the Company
 
or any
 
of its directors,
 
officers or other
 
employees
arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, the Company’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, (iv) any action asserting a
claim against
 
the Company
 
or any
 
of its
 
directors, officers
 
or other
 
employees governed
 
by the
 
internal affairs
 
doctrine of
 
the
State of Delaware or
 
(v) any other action asserting
 
an “internal corporate claim,” as
 
defined in Section 115 of
 
the DGCL, in all
cases subject to the court’s having personal jurisdiction over all indispensable parties named as defendants.
The Restated Charter further provides that, unless a majority of the Board, acting on behalf of the Company, consents in writing
to the selection of an alternative forum,
 
the federal district courts of the United States of America will be
 
the sole and exclusive
forum for the resolution of any action asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities
 
Act of 1933, as amended.
These exclusive forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for
disputes with
 
us or
 
our directors,
 
officers, or
 
other employees,
 
which may
 
discourage lawsuits
 
against us
 
and our
 
directors, officers
and other
 
employees. If
 
a court
 
were to
 
find such
 
provisions in
 
the Restated
 
Charter to
 
be inapplicable
 
or unenforceable
 
in an
action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions.
Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Charter and Bylaw Provisions and the DGCL
Certain provisions of
 
the Restated Charter
 
and the
 
Amended and Restated
 
Bylaws of the
 
Company (the “Restated
 
Bylaws”) could
make it
 
more difficult
 
to acquire
 
the Company
 
or control
 
of the
 
Company by
 
means of
 
a merger,
 
tender offer,
 
proxy contest,
removal
 
of
 
incumbent
 
directors
 
or
 
otherwise. These
 
provisions,
 
which
 
are
 
summarized
 
below,
 
are
 
expected
 
to
 
safeguard
 
the
Company against coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover
 
bids and to encourage persons seeking to
 
acquire control
of
 
the
 
Company
 
to
 
first
 
negotiate
 
with
 
the
 
Board.
 
While
 
it
 
is
 
possible
 
that
 
these
 
provisions
 
could
 
deter
 
transactions
 
that
stockholders may otherwise consider to be in
 
their best interest, these provisions are not
 
intended to preclude such transactions,
but rather to provide the Board with the time and opportunity to evaluate the adequacy and fairness of a proposed takeover offer
or other proposed action,
 
consider alternative methods of maximizing
 
stockholder value, and, as
 
appropriate, negotiate the best
possible outcome for all stockholders.
Authorized but Unissued Stock and Undesignated Preferred Stock
We have authorized shares
 
of Common Stock and
 
Preferred Stock available for
 
future issuance without
 
stockholder approval. We
may
 
issue
 
these
 
additional
 
shares
 
for
 
a
 
variety
 
of
 
corporate
 
purposes,
 
including
 
public
 
offerings
 
to
 
raise
 
additional
 
capital,
corporate
 
acquisitions,
 
stock
 
dividends
 
on
 
our
 
capital
 
stock
 
or
 
equity
 
compensation
 
plans.
 
The
 
existence
 
of
 
unissued
 
and
unreserved Common Stock and Preferred Stock may enable the Board to issue shares to persons friendly to
 
current management
or to issue Preferred Stock with terms that could render more difficult
 
or discourage a third-party attempt to obtain control of us,
Exhibit 4.1
To Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2025
Of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
 
 
thereby protecting
 
the continuity of
 
our management. The
 
rights of
 
the holders of
 
shares of
 
Common Stock will
 
be subject
 
to,
and may
 
be adversely
 
affected by,
 
the rights
 
of holders
 
of any
 
Preferred Stock we
 
may issue
 
in the
 
future. For
 
example, if
 
we
issue
 
Preferred
 
Stock,
 
the
 
issuance
 
could
 
adversely
 
affect
 
the
 
voting
 
power
 
of
 
holders
 
of
 
shares
 
of
 
Common
 
Stock
 
and
 
the
likelihood that such holders will receive dividend payments and payments upon liquidation.
Number of Directors; Classified Board; Removal of Directors; Vacancies
The Restated
 
Charter provides
 
for a
 
Board of
 
not less
 
than three
 
nor more
 
than 12
 
directors. Within such
 
limit, the
 
number of
members of the entire Board may be fixed only by the Board from time to time in
 
accordance with the Restated Bylaws, and not
by stockholders.
The Restated Charter provides
 
for the division of
 
the Board into three
 
classes as nearly equal
 
in size as practicable
 
with staggered
three-year terms. Directors may be removed by
 
the stockholders only for cause and only
 
by the affirmative vote of the holders of
at least a majority of the
 
voting power of all then outstanding
 
shares of capital stock entitled to
 
vote generally in the election of
directors, voting together as a single class.
 
Any vacancy on the Board, however occurring, including a
 
vacancy resulting from an
enlargement of the Board, may be filled only by the vote of a majority
 
of the directors then in office and not by the stockholders,
and any person so
 
elected by the Board
 
will hold office until
 
the next election of
 
the class to which
 
such person has been
 
assigned
by the Board.
Pursuant to such structure, it would take at least two election cycles
 
for any individual or group to gain control of the
 
Board. The
limitations on the
 
removal of directors
 
and the filling
 
of vacancies could
 
have the
 
effect of making
 
it more difficult
 
for a
 
third
party to acquire, or of discouraging a third party from acquiring, control of the Company.
No Cumulative Voting
The Restated Charter does not provide for cumulative voting in director elections.
Stockholder Action; Special Meetings
The Restated Charter provides that stockholder action may not
 
be taken by written consent in lieu of a meeting and provides that
special meetings
 
of the
 
stockholders may
 
be called
 
only by
 
the Board
 
Chair or
 
by the
 
Board and
 
may not
 
be called
 
by stockholders.
These provisions
 
could have
 
the effect
 
of delaying
 
until the
 
next annual
 
stockholders’
 
meeting stockholder
 
actions that
 
are favored
by the holders of
 
a majority of our
 
outstanding voting power.
 
These provisions may also
 
discourage another person or
 
entity from
making a tender offer for
 
the Common Stock, because that
 
person or entity, even if
 
it acquired securities with a
 
majority of our
outstanding voting power, would
 
be able to
 
take action as
 
a stockholder only at
 
a duly called
 
stockholders’ meeting and not by
written consent.
Amendments to Restated Charter
The Restated Charter
 
requires the affirmative
 
vote of
 
the holders of
 
at least 66
2
3
% of
 
the voting power
 
of all
 
then outstanding
shares of capital stock of the Company entitled to vote
 
generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single
 
class, to
amend, alter or repeal any provision of the Restated Charter.
Amendments to Restated Bylaws
The Restated Bylaws are subject to amendment, alteration or repeal by the stockholders of the Company by the affirmative vote
of the holders of
 
at least 66
2
3
% of the voting
 
power of all then
 
outstanding shares of capital
 
stock of the Company
 
entitled to vote
generally in the election
 
of directors, voting together
 
as a single class. Additionally, the
 
Board has the power
 
to amend, alter or
repeal the Restated Bylaws.
Exhibit 4.1
To Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2025
Of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
 
 
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations
The
 
Restated
 
Bylaws
 
provide
 
advance
 
notice
 
requirements
 
for
 
stockholders
 
seeking
 
to
 
bring
 
business
 
before
 
meetings
 
of
stockholders or to
 
nominate candidates for
 
election as directors
 
at meetings of
 
stockholders. The Restated
 
Bylaws also specify
certain
 
requirements
 
regarding
 
the
 
form
 
and
 
content
 
of
 
the
 
stockholders’ notices.
 
These
 
provisions
 
may
 
deter
 
takeovers
 
by
requiring that any stockholder
 
wishing to conduct a
 
proxy contest have its
 
position solidified well in
 
advance of the meeting
 
at
which directors are
 
to be elected
 
and by providing
 
the incumbent Board
 
with sufficient notice
 
to allow them
 
to put an
 
election
strategy in place.
Limitation of Liability and Indemnification
Our Restated Charter provides that no director or officer of the Company shall have any personal liability to the Company or
 
its
stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, to the fullest extent permitted by law. In
addition, the Company
 
is required to
 
indemnify its directors and
 
officers to the
 
fullest extent permitted by
 
the law. A director’s
right to
 
indemnification includes
 
the right
 
to be
 
paid by
 
the Company
 
the expenses
 
incurred in
 
defending or
 
otherwise participating
in any proceeding in advance of
 
its final disposition, but only if
 
such director presents to the Company
 
a written undertaking to
repay
 
such
 
amount
 
if
 
it
 
shall
 
ultimately
 
be
 
determined
 
that
 
such
 
director
 
is
 
not
 
entitled
 
to
 
be
 
indemnified
 
by
 
the
 
Company.
Notwithstanding
 
the
 
foregoing,
 
except for
 
proceedings
 
to
 
enforce
 
any
 
director’s
 
or
 
officer’s
 
rights
 
to
 
indemnification or
 
any
director’s rights to advancement
 
of expenses, the Company
 
shall not be obligated
 
to indemnify any director
 
or officer, or advance
expenses of any director, in
 
connection with any proceeding initiated by
 
such person unless such proceeding was
 
authorized by
the Board. These rights are not exclusive of any rights to which any such persons may otherwise be or become entitled.
Delaware Anti-Takeover Law
The Company is subject to Section 203
 
of the DGCL (“Section 203”).
 
Under this provision, we may not
 
engage in any “business
combination” with any interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date the stockholder
 
became an interested
stockholder, unless: (i) prior to
 
that date, the Board
 
approved either the business
 
combination or the transaction
 
that resulted in
the
 
stockholder
 
becoming
 
an
 
interested
 
stockholder;
 
(ii) upon
 
completion
 
of
 
the
 
transaction
 
that
 
resulted
 
in
 
the
 
stockholder
becoming an interested stockholder, the interested
 
stockholder owned at least 85% of
 
the voting stock outstanding at the
 
time the
transaction began;
 
or (iii) on
 
or following
 
that date,
 
the business
 
combination is
 
approved by
 
the Board
 
and authorized
 
at an
annual or special meeting of stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the outstanding voting
 
stock that is not
owned by the interested stockholder.
Section 203 defines “business combination” to
 
include, subject to limited exceptions:
 
(i) any merger or consolidation
 
involving
the corporation and the interested stockholder; (ii) any sale, transfer, pledge or other disposition
 
of 10% or more of the assets of
the corporation involving the
 
interested stockholder; (iii) any
 
transaction that results
 
in the issuance or
 
transfer by the corporation
of any stock of the corporation to
 
the interested stockholder; (iv) any transaction involving the corporation that has
 
the effect of
increasing
 
the proportionate
 
share
 
of
 
the
 
stock
 
of
 
any
 
class or
 
series
 
of
 
the
 
corporation beneficially
 
owned
 
by
 
the
 
interested
stockholder; or
 
(v) the receipt
 
by the
 
interested stockholder of
 
the benefit
 
of any
 
loans, advances, guarantees,
 
pledges or
 
other
financial benefits provided by or through the corporation.
In
 
general,
 
Section 203
 
defines
 
an
 
“interested
 
stockholder”
 
as
 
any
 
entity
 
or
 
person
 
beneficially
 
owning
 
15%
 
or
 
more
 
of
 
the
outstanding voting stock
 
of the corporation
 
and any entity
 
or person affiliated
 
with or controlling
 
or controlled by
 
the entity or
person.
The restrictions of Section 203 do
 
not apply to corporations that
 
have elected, in the manner
 
provided therein, not to be
 
subject
to Section 203. The Company has not made such an
 
election. Accordingly, the Company would be subject to Section 203 in the
event of a business combination.
Exhibit 4.1
To Annual Report on Form 10-K for Fiscal 2025
Of Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.
 
 
Listing
The Common Stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “CALM.”
Transfer Agent
Computershare Trust Company of Louisville, Kentucky, is the Transfer
 
Agent and Registrar for the Common Stock.