Note 5 - Capital Stock and Transactions with Related Parties

12 Months Ended

Apr. 27, 2013

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

5. CAPITAL STOCK AND TRANSACTIONS WITH RELATED PARTIES

The Company paid special cash dividends on common stock of $118.1 million ($2.55 per share) on December 27, 2012, $106.3 million ($2.30 per share) on February 14, 2011 and $62.3 million ($1.35 per share) on January 22, 2010.

On January 25, 2013, the Company sold 400,000 shares of Special Series D Preferred Stock, par value $1 per share (“Series D Preferred”) for an aggregate purchase price of $20 million. Series D Preferred has a liquidation preference of $50 per share and accrues dividends on this amount at an annual rate of 3% through April 30, 2014 and, thereafter, at an annual rate equal to 370 basis points above the 3-Month LIBOR. Dividends are cumulative and payable quarterly. Unpaid dividends at April 27, 2013 were $141,000. The Series D Preferred is nonvoting and is redeemable at the option of the Company beginning May 1, 2014 at $50 per share. The net proceeds of $19.7 million were used to repay borrowings under the Credit Facilities. In addition, the Company has 150,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, par value $1 per share, which are held as treasury stock and, therefore, such shares have no liquidation value.

In April 2012, the Board of Directors authorized an increase in the Company’s Stock Buyback Program from 800,000 to 1.6 million shares of common stock. As of April 27, 2013, 502,060 shares were purchased under the program and 1,097,940 shares were available for purchase. There were no shares purchased during the last three fiscal years.

The Company is a party to a management agreement with Corporate Management Advisors, Inc. (“CMA”), a corporation owned by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. This agreement was originated in 1991 for the efficient use of management of two public companies at the time. In 1994, one of those public entities, through a merger, no longer was managed in this manner. Under the terms of the agreement, CMA provides, subject to the direction and supervision of the Board of Directors of the Company, (i) senior corporate functions (including supervision of the Company’s financial, legal, executive recruitment, internal audit and management information systems departments) as well as the services of a Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and (ii) services in connection with acquisitions, dispositions and financings by the Company, including identifying and profiling acquisition candidates, negotiating and structuring potential transactions and arranging financing for any such transaction. CMA, through its personnel, also provides, to the extent possible, the stimulus and creativity to develop an innovative and dynamic persona for the Company, its products and corporate image. In order to fulfill its obligations under the management agreement, CMA employs numerous individuals, whom, acting as a unit, provide management, administrative and creative functions for the Company. The management agreement provides that the Company will pay CMA an annual base fee equal to one percent of the consolidated net sales of the Company, and further provides that the Compensation and Stock Option Committee and the Board of Directors may from time to time award additional incentive compensation to CMA. The Board of Directors on numerous occasions contemplated incentive compensation and, while shareholder value has increased over 2,000% since the inception of this agreement, no incentive compensation has been paid. We incurred management fees to CMA of $6.6 million for Fiscal 2013, $6.3 million for Fiscal 2012 and $6.0 million for Fiscal 2011. Included in accounts payable were amounts due CMA of $3.1 million at April 27, 2013 and $3.0 million at April 28, 2012.