CENTEXCORPORATION and MELLONINVESTOR SERVICES LLC RightsAgreement Datedas of February 24, 2009 TABLEOF CONTENTS

Rights Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2009, between Centex Corporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company, as rights agent (the “Rights Agent”).

 

The Board of Directors of the Company has authorized and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each Common Share (as hereinafter defined) of the Company outstanding on March 6, 2009 (the “Record Date”), each Right representing the right to purchase one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (as hereinafter defined), upon the terms and subject to the conditions herein set forth, and has further authorized and directed the issuance of one Right with respect to each Common Share that shall become outstanding between the Record Date and the earliest of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date (as such terms are hereinafter defined).

 

Accordingly, in consideration of the premises and the mutual agreements herein set forth, the parties hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 1.   Definitions.  For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings indicated:

 

(a)    “Acquiring Person” shall mean any Person (other than any Exempt Person) who or which, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, shall be the Beneficial Owner of 4.9% or more of the Common Shares of the Company then outstanding, but shall not include the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any Subsidiary of the Company, or any entity holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan; provided, however, that

 

    (i)    any Person who would otherwise qualify as an Acquiring Person as of the date of this Agreement will not be deemed to be an Acquiring Person for any purpose of this Agreement prior to or after the date of this Agreement unless and until such time as (A) such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person thereafter becomes, individually or in the aggregate, by reason of a transaction or transactions after the date of this Agreement, the beneficial owner of additional Common Shares (x) representing up to one-half of one percent (0.5%) of the Common Shares then outstanding, if since the date of this Agreement, such Person has continuously beneficially owned 5% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, or (y) that are in an amount that would not result in such Person beneficially owning 5% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding, in any case, not including Common Shares obtained (1) pursuant to any agreement or regular-way purchase order for Common Shares that is in effect on or prior to the date of this Agreement and consummated in accordance with its terms after the date of this Agreement, or (2) as a result of a stock dividend, rights dividend, stock split or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated equally, or (B) any other Person who is the Beneficial Owner of Common Shares becomes an Affiliate or Associate of such Person after the date of this Agreement, provided that the foregoing exclusion in this clause (i) shall cease to apply with respect to any Person at such time as such Person, together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, Beneficially Owns less than 4.9% of the then-outstanding Common Shares, and

    (ii)    a Person will not be deemed to have become an Acquiring Person solely as a result of (a) a reduction in the number of Common Shares outstanding; (b) the exercise of any options, warrants, or rights or similar interests (including restricted stock) granted by the Company to its directors, officers and employees; (c) any unilateral grant of any security by the Company; or (d) an Exempt Transaction, in each case unless and until such time as (A) such Person or any Affiliate or Associate of such Person  thereafter  becomes the beneficial owner of any additional Common Shares, other than as a result of a stock dividend, stock split or similar transaction effected by the Company in which all holders of Common Shares are treated equally, or (B) any other Person who is the Beneficial Owner of Common Shares becomes an Affiliate or Associate of such Person after the date of this Agreement.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) the Board of Directors of the Company determines that a Person who would otherwise be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), has become such inadvertently, and (2) such Person divests as promptly as practicable or agrees in writing with the Company to divest a sufficient number of Common Shares so that such Person would no longer be an “Acquiring Person,” as defined pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(a), then such Person shall not be deemed to be an “Acquiring Person” for any purposes of this Agreement; provided, however, that the requirement in this clause (2) shall apply only if the actions specified therein are required by the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(b)    “Affiliate” and “Associate” shall have the respective meanings ascribed to such terms in Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act as in effect on the date of this Agreement, and to the extent not included within the foregoing, shall also include, with respect to any Person, any other Person (other than an Exempt Person) whose Common Shares would be deemed constructively owned by such first Person, pursuant to the provisions of Section 382; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed to be the Affiliate or Associate of another Persons solely because either or both Persons are or were directors of the Company.

 

(c)    A Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” any securities:

 

(i)           which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has the right to acquire (whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time) pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) or upon the exercise of conversion rights, exchange rights, warrants, options, or other rights (in each case, other than upon exercise or exchange of these Rights); provided , however , that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own” securities (including rights, options or warrants) which are convertible or exchangeable into Common Shares until such time as the convertible or exchangeable securities are exercised and converted or exchanged into Common Shares; and, provided further , however , that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own” securities tendered pursuant to a tender or exchange offer made by such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates until such tendered securities are accepted for purchase or exchange;

 

(ii)           which such Person or any of such Person's Affiliates or Associates, directly or indirectly, has or shares the right to vote or dispose of, or has “beneficial ownership” of (as defined under Rule 13d-3 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act), including pursuant to any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing); or

 

(iii)           which any other Person is the Beneficial Owner, if such Person or any of such Person’s Affiliates or Associates has any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) with such other Person (or any of such other Person's Affiliates or Associates) with respect to acquiring, holding, voting or disposing of any securities of the Company; provided, however, that a Person shall not be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own” any security (A) if such Person has the right to vote such security pursuant to an agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether or not in writing) which (1) arises solely from a revocable proxy given to such Person in response to a public proxy or consent solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, the applicable rules and regulations of the Exchange Act and (2) is not also then reportable on Schedule 13D under the Exchange Act (or any comparable or successor report), or (B) if such beneficial ownership arises solely as a result of such Person’s status as a “clearing agency,” as defined in Section 3(a)(23) of the Exchange Act; provided further, however, that nothing in this Section 1(c) shall cause a Person engaged in business as an underwriter of securities or member of a selling to group to be the “Beneficial Owner” of, or to “beneficially own,” any securities acquired through such Person's participation in good faith in an underwriting syndicate until the expiration of 40 calendar days after the date of such acquisition, or such later date as the Board of Directors of the Company may determine in any specific case.

 

Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, to the extent not within the foregoing provisions of this Section 1(c) a Person shall be deemed the “Beneficial Owner” of and shall be deemed to “beneficially own” or have “beneficial ownership” of, securities which such Person would be deemed to constructively own or which otherwise would be aggregated with shares owned by such Person pursuant to Section 382 and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.

 

(d)    “Business Day” shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday, or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New Jersey or Texas are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

 

(e)    “Close of Business” on any given date shall mean 5:00 P.M., Dallas, Texas time, on such date; provided, however, that, if such date is not a Business Day, it shall mean 5:00 P.M., Dallas, Texas time, on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

(f)    “Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

(g)    “Common Shares” when used with reference to the Company shall mean the shares of common stock, par value $0.25 per share, of the Company.  “Common Shares” when used with reference to any Person other than the Company shall mean the capital stock (or equity interest)

 

with the greatest voting power of such other Person or, if such other Person is a Subsidiary of another Person, the Person or Persons which ultimately control such first-mentioned Person.

 

(h)    “Company” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

(i)    “Distribution Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

 

(j)    “Exchange Act” shall mean the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(k)    “Exchange Ratio” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 24(a) hereof.

 

(l)    “Exempt Person” shall mean any Person whose Beneficial Ownership (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person) of 4.9% or more of the then-outstanding Common Shares, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, (i) will not jeopardize or endanger the availability to the Company of its NOLs or other Tax Benefits, or (ii) is otherwise in the best interests of the Company; provided, that, any Person shall cease to be an Exempt Person as of the date that such Person ceases to beneficially own 4.9% or more of the shares of the then outstanding Common Shares. Additionally, a Person shall cease to be an Exempt Person if the Board, in its sole discretion, makes a contrary determination with respect to the effect of such Person's Beneficial Ownership (together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person) regardless of the reason therefor.

 

(m)    “Exempt Transaction” shall mean any transaction that the Board determines, in its sole discretion, is exempt, which determination shall be irrevocable.

 

(n)    “Expiration Date” shall mean the earliest of (i) the Final Expiration Date, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed as provided in Section 23 hereof (the “Redemption Date”), (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged as provided in Section 24 hereof, (iv) the repeal of Section 382 or any successor statute if the Board determines that this Agreement is no longer necessary for the preservation of Tax Benefits, (v) the beginning of a taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward, and (vi) February 24, 2010 if Stockholder Approval has not been obtained.

 

(o)    “Final Expiration Date” shall be February 24, 2019.

 

(p)    “Independent Directors” shall mean members of the Board of Directors of the Company who are not officers, employees or Affiliates (or designees of Affiliates) of the Company.

 

(q)    “NASDAQ” shall mean the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System.

 

(r)    “NOLs” shall mean the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards.

 

(s)    “Person” shall mean any individual, firm, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, trust or other legal entity, or a group of Persons making a “coordinated acquisition” of shares or otherwise treated as an entity within the meaning of Section 1.382-3(a)(1) of the Treasury Regulations, and shall include any successor (by merger or

 

otherwise) of such individual or entity, but shall not include a Public Group (as such term is defined in Section 1.382-2T(f)(13) of the Treasury Regulations).

 

(t)    “Preferred Shares” shall mean shares of Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series D, par value $0.25 per share, of the Company having the rights and preferences set forth in the Certificate of Designations attached as Exhibit A hereto.

 

(u)    “Purchase Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 4 hereof.

 

(v)    “Record Date” shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

 

(w)    “Redemption Date” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7(a) hereof.

 

(x)    “Redemption Price” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 23(a) hereof.

 

(y)    “Right” shall have the meaning set forth in the second paragraph hereof.

 

(z)    “Right Certificate” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(a) hereof.

 

(aa)   “Rights Agent” shall have the meaning set forth in the preamble of this Agreement.

 

(bb)   “Section 382” shall mean Section 382 of the Code, or any successor provision or replacement provision.

 

(cc)   “Shares Acquisition Date” shall mean the first date of public announcement by the Company or an Acquiring Person that an Acquiring Person has become such.

 

(dd)   “Stockholder Approval” shall mean the approval of this Agreement by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding Common Shares of the Company entitled to vote, and voting together without regard to class, and that are present, or represented by proxy, at the meeting of stockholders of the Company duly held in accordance with the Company’s Articles of Incorporation (as amended) and applicable law.

 

(ee)   “Subsidiary” of any Person shall mean any corporation or other entity of which a majority of the voting power of the voting equity securities or equity interest is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

 

(ff)    “Summary of Rights” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3(b) hereof.

 

(gg)   “Tax Benefits” shall mean the net operating loss carry-overs, capital loss carry-overs, general business credit carry-overs, alternative minimum tax credit carry-overs and foreign tax credit carry-overs, as well as any “net unrealized built-in loss” within the meaning of Section 382, of the Company or any direct or indirect subsidiary thereof.

 

(hh)   “Trading Day” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 11(d) hereof.

 

(ii)     “Treasury Regulations” shall mean final, temporary and proposed income tax regulations promulgated under the Code, including any amendments thereto.

 

Section 2.   Appointment of Rights Agent.  The Company hereby appoints the Rights Agent to act as agent for the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof, and the Rights Agent hereby accepts such appointment.  The Company may from time to time appoint such co-Rights Agents as it may deem necessary or desirable.  The Rights Agent shall have no duty to supervise, and in no event shall be liable for, the acts or omissions of any such co-Rights Agent.

 

Section 3.   Issue of Right Certificates.

 

(a)    Until the tenth day after the Shares Acquisition Date (including such Shares Acquisition Date, which is after the date of this Agreement and prior to the issuance of the Rights) ( the “Distribution Date”), (i) the Rights will be evidenced (subject to the provisions of Section 3(b) hereof) by the certificates for Common Shares of the Company registered in the names of the holders thereof (which certificates shall also be deemed to be Right Certificates) and not by separate Right Certificates, and (ii) the right to receive Right Certificates will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of Common Shares of the Company.  As soon as practicable after the Distribution Date, the Company will prepare and execute, the Rights Agent will countersign, and the Company will send or cause to be sent (and the Rights Agent will, if requested and provided with all necessary information, send) by first-class, insured, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares of the Company as of the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company, a Right Certificate, in substantially the form of Exhibit B hereto (a “Right Certificate”), evidencing one Right for each Common Share so held (other than with respect to Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof).  As of the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced solely by such Right Certificates.  The Company shall promptly notify the Rights Agent in writing upon the occurrence of a Distribution Date.  Until such notice is received by the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent may presume conclusively for all purposes that the Distribution Date has not occurred.

 

(b)    On the Record Date, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the Company will send a copy of a Summary of Rights to Purchase Preferred Shares, in substantially the form of Exhibit C hereto (the “Summary of Rights”), by first-class, postage-prepaid mail, to each record holder of Common Shares as of the Close of Business on the Record Date, at the address of such holder shown on the records of the Company.  With respect to certificates for Common Shares of the Company outstanding as of the Record Date, until the Distribution Date, the Rights will be evidenced by such certificates registered in the names of the holders thereof together with a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto.  Until the Distribution Date (or the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Expiration Date), the surrender for transfer of any certificate for Common Shares of the Company outstanding on the Record Date, with or without a copy of the Summary of Rights attached thereto, shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby.

 

(c)    Certificates for Common Shares which become outstanding (including, without limitation, reacquired Common Shares referred to in the last sentence of this paragraph (c)) after the Record Date but prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date or the Expiration Date shall have impressed on, printed on, written on or otherwise affixed to them a legend in substantially the following form:

 

This certificate also evidences and entitles the holder hereof to certain rights as set forth in an Agreement between Centex Corporation and Mellon Investor Services LLC, dated as of February 24, 2009, as it may be amended from time to time (the “Agreement”), the terms of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference and a copy of which is on file at the principal executive offices of Centex Corporation.  Under certain circumstances, as set forth in the Agreement, such Rights (as defined in the Agreement) will be evidenced by separate certificates and will no longer be evidenced by this certificate.  Centex Corporation will mail to the holder of this certificate a copy of the Agreement without charge after receipt of a written request therefor.  As set forth in the Agreement, Rights beneficially owned by any Person (as defined in the Agreement) who becomes an Acquiring Person (as defined in the Agreement) become null and void.

 

With respect to such certificates containing the foregoing legend, until the Distribution Date, the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented by such certificates shall be evidenced by such certificates alone, and the surrender for transfer of any such certificate (prior to the earliest of the Distribution Date, the Redemption Date or the Expiration Date) shall also constitute the transfer of the Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company represented thereby.  If the Company purchases or acquires any Common Shares of the Company after the Record Date but prior to the Distribution Date, any Rights associated with such Common Shares of the Company shall be deemed cancelled and retired so that the Company shall not be entitled to exercise any Rights associated with the Common Shares of the Company which are no longer outstanding.

 

Section 4.   Form of Right Certificates.  The Right Certificates (and the forms of election to purchase Preferred Shares and of assignment to be printed on the reverse thereof) shall be substantially the same as Exhibit B hereto, and may have such marks of identification or designation and such legends, summaries or endorsements printed thereon as the Company may deem appropriate (but which do not affect the rights, duties or responsibilities of the Rights Agent) and as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Agreement, or as may be required to comply with any applicable law or with any applicable rule or regulation made pursuant thereto or with any applicable rule or regulation of any stock exchange or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or to conform to usage.  Subject to the provisions of Section 22 hereof, the Right Certificates shall entitle the holders thereof to purchase such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as shall be set forth therein at the price per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share set forth therein (the “Purchase Price”), but the number of such one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share and the Purchase Price shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

Section 5.   Countersignature and Registration.  The Right Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Company by its Chairman of the Board, its Chief Executive Officer, its President, any of its Vice Presidents or its Treasurer, either manually or by facsimile signature, shall have affixed thereto the Company’s seal or a facsimile thereof, and shall be attested by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company, either manually or by facsimile signature.  The Right Certificates shall be either manually or by facsimile signature countersigned by the Rights Agent and shall not be valid for any purpose unless countersigned.  In case any officer of the Company who shall have signed any of the Right Certificates shall cease to be such officer of the Company before countersignature by the Rights Agent and issuance and delivery by the Company, such

 

Right Certificates, nevertheless, may be countersigned by the Rights Agent and issued and delivered by the Company with the same force and effect as though the individual who signed such Right Certificates had not ceased to be such officer of the Company; and any Right Certificate may be signed on behalf of the Company by any individual who, at the actual date of the execution of such Right Certificate, shall be a proper officer of the Company to sign such Right Certificate, although at the date of the execution of this Agreement any such individual was not such an officer.

 

Following the Distribution Date, and receipt by the Rights Agent of notice to that effect and all other necessary information referred to in Section 3(a), the Rights Agent will keep or cause to be kept, at its office designated for such purpose, books for registration and transfer of the Right Certificates issued hereunder.  Such books shall show the names and addresses of the respective holders of the Right Certificates, the number of Rights evidenced on its face by each of the Right Certificates and the date of each of the Right Certificates.

 

Section 6.   Transfer, Split Up, Combination and Exchange of Right Certificates; Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Right Certificates.  Subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof, at any time after the Close of Business on the Distribution Date, and at or prior to the Close of Business on the earlier of the Redemption Date or the Expiration Date, any Right Certificate or Right Certificates (other than Right Certificates representing Rights that have become void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof or that have been exchanged pursuant to Section 24 hereof) may be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates entitling the registered holder to purchase a like number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered then entitled such holder to purchase.  Any registered holder desiring to transfer, split up, combine or exchange any Right Certificate or Right Certificates shall make such request in writing delivered to the Rights Agent, and shall surrender the Right Certificate or Right Certificates to be transferred, split up, combined or exchanged at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose.  The Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent.  Neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to take any action whatsoever with respect to the transfer of any such surrendered Right Certificate until the registered holder shall have completed and signed the certificate contained in the form of assignment of on the reverse side of such Rights Certificate and shall have provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.  Thereupon the Rights Agent shall countersign and deliver to the Person entitled thereto a Right Certificate or Right Certificates, as the case may be, as so requested.  The Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer, split up, combination or exchange of Right Certificates.  The Rights Agent shall promptly forward any such sum collected by it to the Company or to such Persons as the Company shall specify by written notice.  The Rights Agent shall have no duty or obligation under any Section of this Agreement which requires the payment of taxes or charges unless and until it is satisfied that all such taxes and/or charges have been paid.

 

Upon receipt by the Company and the Rights Agent of evidence reasonably satisfactory to them of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of a Right Certificate, and, in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security satisfactory to them, and, at the Company’s request,

 

reimbursement to the Company and the Rights Agent of all reasonable expenses incidental thereto, and upon surrender to the Rights Agent and cancellation of the Right Certificate if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Right Certificate of like tenor to the Rights Agent for delivery to the registered holder in lieu of the Right Certificate so lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

 

Section 7.   Exercise of Rights; Purchase Price; Expiration Date of Rights.

 

(a)    The registered holder of any Right Certificate may exercise the Rights evidenced thereby (except as otherwise provided herein), in whole or in part, at any time after the Distribution Date, upon surrender of the Right Certificate, with the form of election to purchase on the reverse side thereof duly executed, to the Rights Agent at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, together with payment of the Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share as to which the Rights are exercised, and an amount equal to any tax or charge required to be paid under Section 9 hereof, at or prior to the Expiration Date.

 

(b)    The Purchase Price for each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share purchasable pursuant to the exercise of a Right shall initially be $50, and shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in Section 11 hereof, and shall be payable in lawful money of the United States of America in accordance with paragraph (c) below.

 

(c)    Upon receipt of a Right Certificate representing exercisable Rights, with the form of election to purchase duly executed, accompanied by payment of the Purchase Price for the shares to be purchased and an amount equal to any applicable tax or charge required to be paid by the holder of such Right Certificate in accordance with Section 9 hereof by certified check, cashier’s check or money order payable to the order of the Company, the Rights Agent shall thereupon promptly (i) (A) requisition from any transfer agent of the Preferred Shares certificates for the number of Preferred Shares to be purchased and the Company hereby irrevocably authorizes any such transfer agent to comply with all such requests, or (B) requisition from the depositary agent depositary receipts representing such number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share as are to be purchased (in which case certificates for the Preferred Shares represented by such receipts shall be deposited by the transfer agent of the Preferred Shares with such depositary agent) and the Company hereby directs such depositary agent to comply with such request; (ii) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, promptly requisition from the Company the amount of cash to be paid in lieu of issuance of fractional shares in accordance with Section 14 hereof; (iii) promptly after receipt of such certificates or depositary receipts, cause the same to be delivered to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate, registered in such name or names as may be designated by such holder; and (iv) when necessary to comply with this Agreement, after receipt, promptly deliver such cash to or upon the order of the registered holder of such Right Certificate.

 

(d)    In case the registered holder of any Right Certificate shall exercise less than all the Rights evidenced thereby, a new Right Certificate evidencing Rights equivalent to the Rights remaining unexercised shall be issued by the Rights Agent to the registered holder of such Right Certificate or to such holder’s duly authorized assigns, subject to the provisions of Section 14 hereof.

 

(e)    Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Rights Agent nor the Company shall be obligated to undertake any action with respect to a registered holder upon the occurrence of any purported exercise as set forth in this Section 7 unless such registered holder shall have (i) completed and signed the certificate following the form of assignment or election to purchase set forth on the reverse side of the Rights Certificate surrendered for such assignment or exercise, and (ii) provided such additional evidence of the identity of the Beneficial Owner (or former Beneficial Owner) or any Affiliates or Associates thereof as the Company or the Rights Agent shall reasonably request.

 

Section 8.   Cancellation and Destruction of Right Certificates.  All Right Certificates surrendered for the purpose of exercise, transfer, split up, combination or exchange shall, if surrendered to the Company or to any of its agents, be delivered to the Rights Agent for cancellation or in cancelled form, or, if surrendered to the Rights Agent, shall be cancelled by it, and no Right Certificates shall be issued in lieu thereof except as expressly permitted by any of the provisions of this Agreement.  The Company shall deliver to the Rights Agent for cancellation and retirement, and the Rights Agent shall so cancel and retire, any other Right Certificate purchased or acquired by the Company otherwise than upon the exercise thereof.  The Rights Agent shall deliver all cancelled Right Certificates to the Company, or shall, at the written request of the Company, destroy such cancelled Right Certificates, and, in such case, shall deliver a certificate of destruction thereof to the Company.

 

Section 9.   Availability of Preferred Shares.  The Company covenants and agrees that it will cause to be reserved and kept available out of its authorized and unissued Preferred Shares or any Preferred Shares held in its treasury the number of Preferred Shares that will be sufficient to permit the exercise in full of all outstanding Rights in accordance with Section 7 hereof.  The Company covenants and agrees that it will take all such action as may be necessary to ensure that all Preferred Shares delivered upon exercise of Rights shall, at the time of delivery of the certificates for such Preferred Shares (subject to payment of the Purchase Price), be duly and validly authorized and issued and fully paid and nonassessable shares.

 

The Company further covenants and agrees that it will pay when due and payable any and all taxes and charges which may be payable in respect of the issuance or delivery of the Right Certificates or of any Preferred Shares upon the exercise of Rights.  The Company shall not, however, be required to pay any tax or charge which may be payable in respect of any transfer or delivery of Right Certificates to a Person other than, or the issuance or delivery of certificates or depositary receipts for the Preferred Shares in a name other than that of, the registered holder of the Right Certificate evidencing Rights surrendered for exercise or to issue or to deliver any certificates or depositary receipts for Preferred Shares upon the exercise of any Rights until any such tax or charge shall have been paid (any such tax or charge being payable by the holder of such Right Certificate at the time of surrender) or until it has been established to the Company’s or the Rights Agent’s satisfaction that no such tax or charge is due.

 

Section 10.   Preferred Shares Record Date.  Each Person in whose name any certificate for Preferred Shares is issued upon the exercise of Rights shall for all purposes be deemed to have become the holder of record of the Preferred Shares represented thereby on, and such certificate shall be dated, the date upon which the Right Certificate evidencing such Rights was duly surrendered and payment of the Purchase Price (and any applicable taxes or charges) was made;

 

provided, however, that, if the date of such surrender and payment is a date upon which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are closed, such Person shall be deemed to have become the record holder of such shares on, and such certificate shall be dated, the next succeeding Business Day on which the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company are open.  Prior to the exercise of the Rights evidenced thereby, the holder of a Right Certificate shall not be entitled to any rights of a holder of Preferred Shares for which the Rights shall be exercisable, including, without limitation, the right to vote, to receive dividends or other distributions or to exercise any preemptive rights, and shall not be entitled to receive any notice of any proceedings of the Company, except as provided herein.

 

Section 11.   Adjustment of Purchase Price, Number of Shares or Number of Rights.  The Purchase Price, the number of Preferred Shares covered by each Right and the number of Rights outstanding are subject to adjustment from time to time as provided in this Section 11.

 

(a) 

 

    (i)    In the event the Company shall at any time after the date of this Agreement (A) declare a dividend on the Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares, (B) subdivide the outstanding Preferred Shares, (C) combine the outstanding Preferred Shares into a smaller number of Preferred Shares or (D) issue any shares of its capital stock in a reclassification of the Preferred Shares (including any such reclassification in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation), except as otherwise provided in this Section 11(a), the Purchase Price in effect at the time of the record date for such dividend or of the effective date of such subdivision, combination or reclassification, and the number and kind of shares of capital stock issuable on such date, shall be proportionately adjusted so that the holder of any Right exercised after such time shall be entitled to receive the aggregate number and kind of shares of capital stock which, if such Right had been exercised immediately prior to such date and at a time when the Preferred Shares transfer books of the Company were open, such holder would have owned upon such exercise and been entitled to receive by virtue of such dividend, subdivision, combination or reclassification; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.

 

    (ii)    Subject to Section 24 hereof, in the event any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, each holder of a Right (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person) shall thereafter have a right to receive, upon exercise thereof at a price equal to the then current Purchase Price multiplied by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and in lieu of Preferred Shares, such number of Common Shares of the Company as shall equal the result obtained by (A) multiplying the then current Purchase Price by the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right is then exercisable and dividing that product by (B) 50% of the then current per share market price of the Common Shares of the Company (determined pursuant to Section 11(d) hereof) on the date of the occurrence of such event.  In the event that any Person shall become an Acquiring Person

 

and the Rights shall then be outstanding, the Company shall not take any action which would eliminate or diminish the benefits intended to be afforded by the Rights.  The Company shall give the Rights Agent written notice of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing, and the Rights Agent may rely on such notice in carrying out its duties under this Agreement and shall be deemed not to have any knowledge of the identity of any such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate, or the nominee of any of the foregoing unless and until it shall have received such notice.

 

From and after the occurrence of such event, any Rights that are or were acquired or beneficially owned by any Acquiring Person (or any Associate or Affiliate of such Acquiring Person) shall be void, and any holder of such Rights shall thereafter have no right to exercise such Rights under any provision of this Agreement.  No Right Certificate shall be issued pursuant to Section 3 hereof that represents Rights beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof; no Right Certificate shall be issued at any time upon the transfer of any Rights to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence or any Associate or Affiliate thereof or to any nominee of such Acquiring Person, Associate or Affiliate; and any Right Certificate delivered to the Rights Agent for transfer to an Acquiring Person whose Rights would be void pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be cancelled.

 

    (iii)    In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit the exercise in full of the Rights in accordance with subparagraph (ii) above, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exercise of the Rights.  In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exercise of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.

 

(b)    In case the Company shall fix a record date for the issuance of rights, options or warrants to all holders of Preferred Shares entitling them (for a period expiring within forty-five (45) calendar days after such record date) to subscribe for or purchase Preferred Shares (or shares having the same rights, privileges and preferences as the Preferred Shares (“equivalent preferred shares”)) or securities convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares at a price per Preferred Share or equivalent preferred share (or having a conversion price per share, if a security is convertible into Preferred Shares or equivalent preferred shares) less than the then current per share market price of the Preferred Shares (as defined in Section 11(d)) on such record date, the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of Preferred Shares which the aggregate offering price of the total number of Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares so to be offered (and/or the aggregate initial conversion price of the convertible securities so to be offered) would purchase at such current

 

market price and the denominator of which shall be the number of Preferred Shares outstanding on such record date plus the number of additional Preferred Shares and/or equivalent preferred shares to be offered for subscription or purchase (or into which the convertible securities so to be offered are initially convertible); provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of one Right.  In case such subscription price may be paid in a consideration part or all of which shall be in a form other than cash, the value of such consideration shall be as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights.  Preferred Shares owned by or held for the account of the Company shall not be deemed outstanding for the purpose of any such computation.  Such adjustment shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such rights, options or warrants are not so issued, the Purchase Price shall be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

(c)    In case the Company shall fix a record date for the making of a distribution to all holders of the Preferred Shares (including any such distribution made in connection with a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the continuing or surviving corporation) or evidences of indebtedness or assets (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend or a dividend payable in Preferred Shares) or subscription rights or warrants (excluding those referred to in Section 11(b) hereof), the Purchase Price to be in effect after such record date shall be determined by multiplying the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such record date by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the then-current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date, less the fair market value (as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent and shall be binding on the Rights Agent and holders of the Rights) of the portion of the assets or evidences of indebtedness so to be distributed or of such subscription rights or warrants applicable to one Preferred Share and the denominator of which shall be such then-current per share market price of the Preferred Shares on such record date; provided, however, that in no event shall the consideration to be paid upon the exercise of one Right be less than the aggregate par value of the shares of capital stock of the Company to be issued upon exercise of one Right.  Such adjustments shall be made successively whenever such a record date is fixed; and, in the event that such distribution is not so made, the Purchase Price shall again be adjusted to be the Purchase Price which would then be in effect if such record date had not been fixed.

 

(d) 

 

    (i)    For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of any security (a “Security” for the purpose of this Section 11(d)(i)) on any date shall be deemed to be the average of the daily closing prices per share of such Security for the thirty (30) consecutive Trading Days immediately prior to but not including such date; provided, however, that, in the event that the current per share market price of the Security is determined during a period following the announcement by the issuer of such Security of (A) a dividend or distribution on such Security payable in shares of such Security or Securities convertible into such shares, or (B) any subdivision, combination or reclassification of such Security and prior to the expiration

 

of thirty (30) Trading Days after but not including the ex-dividend date for such dividend or distribution, or the record date for such subdivision, combination or reclassification, then, and in each such case, the current per share market price shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect the current market price per share equivalent of such Security.  The closing price for each day shall be the last sale price, regular way, reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Dallas, Texas time or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the bid and asked prices, regular way, reported as of 4:00 P.M. Dallas, Texas time, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price reported at or prior to 4:00 P.M. Dallas, Texas time or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported as of 4:00 P.M. Dallas, Texas time by NASDAQ or such other system then in use, or, if on any such date the Security is not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Security selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.  The term “Trading Day” shall mean a day on which the principal national securities exchange on which the Security is listed or admitted to trading is open for the transaction of business, or, if the Security is not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, a Business Day.

 

    (ii)    For the purpose of any computation hereunder, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be determined in accordance with the method set forth in Section 11(d)(i).  If the Preferred Shares are not publicly traded, the “current per share market price” of the Preferred Shares shall be conclusively deemed to be the current per share market price of the Common Shares as determined pursuant to Section 11(d)(i) hereof (appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof), multiplied by one thousand.  If neither the Common Shares nor the Preferred Shares are publicly held or so listed or traded, “current per share market price” shall mean the fair value per share as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company, whose determination shall be described in a statement filed with the Rights Agent.

 

(e)    No adjustment in the Purchase Price shall be required unless such adjustment would require an increase or decrease of at least 1% in the Purchase Price; provided, however, that any adjustments which by reason of this Section 11(e) are not required to be made shall be carried forward and taken into account in any subsequent adjustment.  All calculations under this Section 11 shall be made to the nearest cent or to the nearest one ten-millionth of a Preferred Share or one ten-thousandth of any other share or security as the case may be.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of this Section 11(e), any adjustment required by this Section 11 shall be made no later than the earlier of (i) three years from the date of the transaction which requires such adjustment or (ii) the date of the expiration of the right to exercise any Rights.

 

(f)    If, as a result of an adjustment made pursuant to Section 11(a) hereof, the holder of any Right thereafter exercised shall become entitled to receive any shares of capital stock of the Company other than Preferred Shares, thereafter the number of such other shares so receivable upon exercise of any Right shall be subject to adjustment from time to time in a manner and on terms as nearly equivalent as practicable to the provisions with respect to the Preferred Shares contained in Section 11(a) through (c) hereof, inclusive, and the provisions of Sections 7, 9, and 10 hereof with respect to the Preferred Shares shall apply on like terms to any such other shares.

 

(g)    All Rights originally issued by the Company subsequent to any adjustment made to the Purchase Price hereunder shall evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable from time to time hereunder upon exercise of the Rights, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

 

(h)    Unless the Company shall have exercised its election as provided in Section 11(i) hereof, upon each adjustment of the Purchase Price as a result of the calculations made in Sections 11(b) and (c) hereof, each Right outstanding immediately prior to the making of such adjustment shall thereafter evidence the right to purchase, at the adjusted Purchase Price, that number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share (calculated to the nearest one one-millionth of a Preferred Share) obtained by (A) multiplying (x) the number of one one-thousandths of a share covered by a Right immediately prior to this adjustment by (y) the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment of the Purchase Price and (B) dividing the product so obtained by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after such adjustment of the Purchase Price.

 

(i)    The Company may elect, on or after the date of any adjustment of the Purchase Price, to adjust the number of Rights in substitution for any adjustment in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable upon the exercise of a Right.  Each of the Rights outstanding after such adjustment of the number of Rights shall be exercisable for the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share for which a Right was exercisable immediately prior to such adjustment.  Each Right held of record prior to such adjustment of the number of Rights shall become that number of Rights (calculated to the nearest one hundred-thousandth) obtained by dividing the Purchase Price in effect immediately prior to adjustment of the Purchase Price by the Purchase Price in effect immediately after adjustment of the Purchase Price.  The Company shall make a public announcement (and shall notify the Rights Agent in writing) of its election to adjust the number of Rights, indicating the record date for the adjustment, and, if known at the time, the amount of the adjustment to be made.  This record date may be the date on which the Purchase Price is adjusted or any day thereafter, but, if the Right Certificates have been issued, shall be at least 10 days later than the date of the public announcement.  If Right Certificates have been issued, upon each adjustment of the number of Rights pursuant to this Section 11(i), the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, cause to be distributed to holders of record of Right Certificates on such record date Right Certificates evidencing, subject to Section 14 hereof, the additional Rights to which such holders shall be entitled as a result of such adjustment, or, at the option of the Company, shall cause to be distributed to such holders of record in substitution and replacement for the Right Certificates held by such holders prior to the date of adjustment, and upon surrender thereof, if required by the Company, new Right Certificates evidencing all the Rights to which such holders shall be entitled after such adjustment.  Right Certificates so to be distributed shall be issued, executed

 

and countersigned in the manner provided for herein, and shall be registered in the names of the holders of record of Right Certificates on the record date specified in the public announcement.

 

(j)    Irrespective of any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price or in the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share issuable upon the exercise of the Rights, the Right Certificates theretofore and thereafter issued may continue to express the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which were expressed in the initial Right Certificates issued hereunder.

 

(k)    Before taking any action that would cause an adjustment reducing the Purchase Price below one one-thousandth of the then par value, if any, of the Preferred Shares issuable upon exercise of the Rights, the Company shall take any corporate action which may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and nonassessable Preferred Shares at such adjusted Purchase Price.

 

(l)    In any case in which this Section 11 shall require that an adjustment in the Purchase Price be made effective as of a record date for a specified event, the Company may elect to defer (and shall notify the Rights Agent in writing) until the occurrence of such event the issuing to the holder of any Right exercised after such record date of the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise over and above the Preferred Shares and other capital stock or securities of the Company, if any, issuable upon such exercise on the basis of the Purchase Price in effect prior to such adjustment; provided, however, that the Company shall deliver to such holder a due bill or other appropriate instrument evidencing such holder’s right to receive such additional shares upon the occurrence of the event requiring such adjustment.

 

(m)    Anything in this Section 11 to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company shall be entitled to make such reductions in the Purchase Price, in addition to those adjustments expressly required by this Section 11, as and to the extent that it, in its sole discretion, shall determine to be advisable in order that any consolidation or subdivision of the Preferred Shares, issuance wholly for cash of any Preferred Shares at less than the current market price, issuance wholly for cash of Preferred Shares or securities which by their terms are convertible into or exchangeable for Preferred Shares, dividends on Preferred Shares payable in Preferred Shares or issuance of rights, options or warrants referred to in Section 11(b) hereof, hereafter made by the Company to holders of the Preferred Shares shall not be taxable to such stockholders.

 

(n)    In the event that, at any time after the date of this Agreement and prior to the Distribution Date, the Company shall (i) declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares, or (ii) effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares) into a greater or lesser number of Common Shares, then, in any such case, (A) the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share purchasable after such event upon proper exercise of each Right shall be determined by multiplying the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share so purchasable immediately prior to such event by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately before such event and the denominator of which is the number of Common Shares outstanding immediately after such event, and (B) each Common Share outstanding immediately after such event shall have issued with respect to it that

 

number of Rights which each Common Share outstanding immediately prior to such event had issued with respect to it.  The adjustments provided for in this Section 11(n) shall be made successively whenever such a dividend is declared or paid or such a subdivision, combination or consolidation is effected.

 

Section 12.   Certificate of Adjusted Purchase Price or Number of Shares.  Whenever an adjustment is made as provided in Section 11 hereof, the Company shall promptly (a) prepare a certificate setting forth such adjustment and a brief statement of the facts accounting for such adjustment, (b) file with the Rights Agent and with each transfer agent for the Common Shares or the Preferred Shares and the Securities and Exchange Commission a copy of such certificate and (c) if such adjustment occurs at any time after the Distribution Date, mail a brief summary thereof to each holder of a Right Certificate in accordance with Section 25 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying on any such certificate and on any adjustment or statement therein contained and shall have no duty or liability with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have any knowledge of any adjustment or any such event unless and until it shall have received such certificate.

 

Section 13.   [Reserved].

 

Section 14.   Fractional Rights and Fractional Shares.

 

(a)    The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Rights or to distribute Right Certificates which evidence fractional Rights.  In lieu of such fractional Rights, there shall be paid to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Rights would otherwise be issuable, an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Right.  For the purposes of this Section 14(a), the current market value of a whole Right shall be the closing price of the Rights for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date on which such fractional Rights would have been otherwise issuable.  The closing price for any day shall be the last sale price, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, in either case, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange, as reported in the principal consolidated transaction reporting system with respect to securities listed on the principal national securities exchange on which the Rights are listed or admitted to trading or, if the Rights are not listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by NASDAQ or such other system then in use or, if on any such date the Rights are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in the Rights selected by the Board of Directors of the Company.  If on any such date no such market maker is making a market in the Rights, the fair value of the Rights on such date as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Company shall be used.

 

(b)    The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Preferred Shares (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share) upon exercise of the Rights or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Preferred Shares (other than

 

fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share).  Fractions of Preferred Shares in integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts, pursuant to an appropriate agreement between the Company and a depositary selected by it; provided that such agreement shall provide that the holders of such depositary receipts shall have all the rights, privileges and preferences to which they are entitled as beneficial owners of the Preferred Shares represented by such depositary receipts.  In lieu of fractional Preferred Shares that are not integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of Right Certificates at the time such Rights are exercised as herein provided an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of one Preferred Share.  For the purposes of this Section 14(b), the current market value of a Preferred Share shall be the closing price of a Preferred Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of such exercise.

 

(c)    The holder of a Right, by the acceptance of the Right, expressly waives such holder’s right to receive any fractional Rights or any fractional shares upon exercise of a Right (except as provided above).

 

(d)    Whenever a payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares is to be made by the Rights Agent, the Company shall (i) as promptly as practicable prepare and deliver to the Rights Agent a certificate setting forth in reasonable detail the facts related to such payments and the prices and/or formulas utilized in calculating such payments, and (ii) provide sufficient monies to the Rights Agent in the form of fully collected funds to make such payments.  The Rights Agent shall be fully protected in relying upon such a certificate and shall have no duty with respect to, and shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any payment for fractional Rights or fractional shares under any Section of this Agreement relating to the payment of fractional Rights or fractional shares unless and until the Rights Agent shall have received such a certificate and sufficient monies.

 

Section 15.   Rights of Action.

 

(a)    All rights of action in respect of this Agreement, excepting the rights of action given to the Rights Agent under Section 18 and Section 20 hereof, are vested in the respective registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the registered holders of the Common Shares); and any registered holder of any Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), without the consent of the Rights Agent or of the holder of any other Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, of the Common Shares), may, in such holder’s own behalf and for such holder’s own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against the Company to enforce, or otherwise act in respect of, such holder’s right to exercise the Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate in the manner provided in such Right Certificate and in this Agreement.  Without limiting the foregoing or any remedies available to the holders of Rights, it is specifically acknowledged that the holders of Rights would not have an adequate remedy at law for any breach of this Agreement, and will be entitled to specific performance of the obligations under, and injunctive relief against actual or threatened violations of the obligations of any Person subject to, this Agreement.

 

(b)    Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall have any liability to any holder of a Right or other Person as a result of its inability to perform any of its obligations under this Agreement by reason of any preliminary or permanent injunction or other order, judgment, decree or ruling (whether interlocutory or final) issued by a court or by a governmental, regulatory, self-regulatory or administrative agency or commission, or any statute, rule, regulation or executive order promulgated or enacted by any governmental authority, prohibiting or otherwise restraining performance of such obligation.

 

Section 16.    Agreement of Right Holders.  Every holder of a Right, by accepting the same, consents and agrees with the Company and the Rights Agent and with every other holder of a Right that:

 

(a)    prior to the Distribution Date, the Rights will be transferable only in connection with the transfer of the Common Shares;

 

(b)    after the Distribution Date, the Right Certificates are transferable only on the registry books of the Rights Agent if surrendered at the office of the Rights Agent designated for such purpose, duly endorsed or accompanied by a proper instrument of transfer; and

 

(c)    the Company and the Rights Agent may deem and treat the Person in whose name the Right Certificate (or, prior to the Distribution Date, the associated Common Shares certificate) is registered as the absolute owner thereof and of the Rights evidenced thereby (notwithstanding any notations of ownership or writing on the Right Certificate or the associated Common Shares certificate made by anyone other than the Company or the Rights Agent) for all purposes whatsoever, and neither the Company nor the Rights Agent shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

 

Section 17.   Right Certificate Holder Not Deemed a Stockholder.  No holder, as such, of any Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise of the Rights represented thereby, nor shall anything contained herein or in any Right Certificate be construed to confer upon the holder of any Right Certificate, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in Section 25 hereof), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by such Right Certificate shall have been exercised in accordance with the provisions hereof.

 

Section 18.   Concerning the Rights Agent.  The Company agrees to pay to the Rights Agent reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder, and, from time to time, on demand of the Rights Agent, its reasonable expenses and counsel fees and other disbursements incurred in the preparation, delivery, amendment, administration and execution of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder.  The Company also agrees to indemnify the Rights Agent for, and to hold it harmless against, any loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense (including, without limitation, the reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) incurred for any action taken,

 

suffered or omitted by the Rights Agent in connection with the acceptance, administration, exercise and performance of its duties under this Agreement, except to the extent that such loss, liability, damage, judgment, fine, penalty, claim, demand, settlement, cost or expense shall have been determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be a result of the Rights Agent’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct.  The provisions of this Section 18 and Section 20 below shall survive the termination of this Agreement, the exercise or expiration of the Rights and the resignation, replacement or removal of the Rights Agent.

 

The Rights Agent shall be authorized and protected and shall incur no liability for, or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in connection with, its administration of this Agreement and the exercise and performance of its duties hereunder, in reliance upon any Right Certificate or certificate for the Preferred Shares or Common Shares or for other securities of the Company, instrument of assignment or transfer, power of attorney, endorsement, affidavit, letter, notice, direction, consent, certificate, statement, or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to be signed, executed and, where necessary, verified or acknowledged, by the proper Person or Persons, or otherwise upon the advice of counsel as set forth in Section 20 hereof.  The Rights Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any event of which it was supposed to receive notice thereof hereunder, and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability for failing to take any action in connection therewith unless and until it has received such notice.

 

Section 19.   Merger or Consolidation or Change of Name of Rights Agent.  Any Person into which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person resulting from any merger or consolidation to which the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent shall be a party, or any Person succeeding to the shareholder services business of the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent, shall be the successor to the Rights Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto; provided that such Person would be eligible for appointment as a successor Rights Agent under the provisions of Section 21 hereof.  In case at the time such successor Rights Agent shall succeed to the agency created by this Agreement, any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, any such successor Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature of the predecessor Rights Agent and deliver such Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, any successor Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in the name of the predecessor Rights Agent or in the name of the successor Rights Agent; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

 

In case at any time the name of the Rights Agent shall be changed and at such time any of the Right Certificates shall have been countersigned but not delivered, the Rights Agent may adopt the countersignature under its prior name and deliver Right Certificates so countersigned; and, in case at that time any of the Right Certificates shall not have been countersigned, the Rights Agent may countersign such Right Certificates either in its prior name or in its changed name; and, in all such cases, such Right Certificates shall have the full force provided in the Right Certificates and in this Agreement.

 

Section 20.   Rights and Duties of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent undertakes to perform only the duties and obligations specifically imposed by this Agreement (and no implied duties) upon the following terms and conditions, by all of which the Company and the holders of Right Certificates, by their acceptance thereof, shall be bound:

 

(a)    The Rights Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be legal counsel for the Company or an employee of the Rights Agent), and the advice or opinion of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with such advice or opinion.

 

(b)    Whenever in the performance of its duties under this Agreement the Rights Agent shall deem it necessary or desirable that any fact or matter be proved or established by the Company prior to taking, suffering or omitting to take any action hereunder, such fact or matter (unless other evidence in respect thereof be herein specifically prescribed) may be deemed to be conclusively proved and established by a certificate signed by any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Secretary of the Company and delivered to the Rights Agent; and such certificate shall be full and complete authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall incur no liability for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it under the provisions of this Agreement in reliance upon such certificate.

 

(c)    The Rights Agent shall be liable hereunder to the Company and any other Person only for its own gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.  Anything to the contrary notwithstanding, in no event shall the Rights Agent be liable for special, punitive, indirect, consequential or incidental loss or damage of any kind whatsoever (including but not limited to lost profits), even if the Rights Agent has been advised of the likelihood of such loss or damage.  Any liability of the Rights Agent under this Agreement will be limited to an amount equal to forty-eight (48) times the amount of the annual fees paid by the Company to the Rights Agent.

 

(d)    The Rights Agent shall not be liable for or by reason of any of the statements of fact or recitals contained in this Agreement or in the Right Certificates (except its countersignature thereof) or be required to verify the same, but all such statements and recitals are and shall be deemed to have been made by the Company only.

 

(e)    The Rights Agent shall not have any liability for or be under any responsibility in respect of the validity of this Agreement or the execution and delivery hereof (except the due execution hereof by the Rights Agent) or in respect of the validity or execution of any Right Certificate (except its countersignature thereof); nor shall it be responsible for any breach by the Company of any covenant or condition contained in this Agreement or in any Right Certificate; nor shall it be responsible for any change in the exercisability of the Rights (including the Rights becoming null and void pursuant to Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) or any adjustment in the terms of the Rights (including the manner, method or amount thereof) provided for in Section 3, 11, 23 or 24 hereof, or the ascertaining of the existence of facts that would require any such change or adjustment (except with respect to the exercise of Rights evidenced by Right Certificates after receipt of the certificate described in Section 12 hereof, upon which the Rights Agent may rely); nor shall it by

 

any act hereunder be deemed to make any representation or warranty as to the authorization or reservation of any Preferred Shares to be issued pursuant to this Agreement or any Right Certificate or as to whether any Preferred Shares will, when issued, be validly authorized and issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

(f)    The Company agrees that it will perform, execute, acknowledge and deliver or cause to be performed, executed, acknowledged and delivered all such further and other acts, instruments and assurances as may reasonably be required by the Rights Agent for the carrying out or performing by the Rights Agent of the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(g)    The Rights Agent is hereby authorized and directed to accept instructions with respect to the performance of its duties hereunder from any one of the Chairman of the Board, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, any Vice President, the Secretary or the Treasurer of the Company, and to apply to such officers for advice or instructions in connection with its duties, and such instructions shall be full authorization and protection to the Rights Agent and the Rights Agent shall not be liable for or in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it in accordance with instructions of any such officer or for any delay in acting while waiting for those instructions.  The Rights Agent shall be fully authorized and protected in relying upon the most recent instructions received by any such officer.

 

(h)    The Rights Agent and any stockholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee of the Rights Agent may buy, sell or deal in any of the Rights or other securities of the Company or become pecuniarily interested in any transaction in which the Company may be interested, or contract with or lend money to the Company or otherwise act as fully and freely as though it were not Rights Agent under this Agreement.  Nothing herein shall preclude the Rights Agent or any such stockholder, affiliate, director, officer or employee from acting in any other capacity for the Company or for any other Person.

 

(i)    The Rights Agent may execute and exercise any of the rights or powers hereby vested in it or perform any duty hereunder either itself (through its directors, officers and employees) or by or through its attorneys or agents, and the Rights Agent shall not be answerable or accountable for any act, default, neglect or misconduct of any such attorneys or agents or for any loss to the Company or any other Person resulting from any such act, default, neglect or misconduct, absent gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct (each as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction) in the selection and continued employment thereof.

 

(j)    No provision of this Agreement shall require the Rights Agent to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder or in the exercise of its rights if it believes that the repayment of such funds or adequate indemnification against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

(k)    If, with respect to any Rights Certificate surrendered to the Rights Agent for exercise or transfer, the certificate attached to the form of assignment or form of election to purchase, as the case may be, has not been completed, the Rights Agent shall not take any further action with respect to such exercise or transfer without first consulting with the Company.

 

Section 21.   Change of Rights Agent.  The Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent may resign and be discharged from its duties under this Agreement upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing mailed to the Company and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares known to the Rights Agent, by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail.  The Company may remove the Rights Agent or any successor Rights Agent upon thirty (30) days’ notice in writing, mailed to the Rights Agent or successor Rights Agent, as the case may be, and to each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares by registered or certified mail, and to the holders of the Right Certificates by first-class mail.  If the Rights Agent shall resign or be removed or shall otherwise become incapable of acting, the Company shall appoint a successor to the Rights Agent.  If the Company shall fail to make such appointment within a period of thirty (30) days after giving notice of such removal or after it has been notified in writing of such resignation or incapacity by the resigning or incapacitated Rights Agent or by the holder of a Right Certificate (which holder shall, with such notice, submit such holder’s Right Certificate for inspection by the Company), then the registered holder of any Right Certificate may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a new Rights Agent.  Any successor Rights Agent, whether appointed by the Company or by such a court, shall be a Person organized and doing business under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States, in good standing, which is authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust or stock transfer powers and is subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authority and which (a) has at the time of its appointment as Rights Agent a combined capital and surplus of at least $50 million or (b) is a direct or indirect Subsidiary of such a Person.  After appointment, the successor Rights Agent shall be vested with the same powers, rights, duties and responsibilities as if it had been originally named as Rights Agent without further act or deed; but the predecessor Rights Agent shall deliver and transfer to the successor Rights Agent any property at the time held by it hereunder, and execute and deliver any further assurance, conveyance, act or deed necessary for the purpose.  Not later than the effective date of any such appointment, the Company shall file notice thereof in writing with the predecessor Rights Agent and each transfer agent of the Common Shares or Preferred Shares, and mail a notice thereof in writing to the registered holders of the Right Certificates.  Failure to give any notice provided for in this Section 21, however, or any defect therein, shall not affect the legality or validity of the resignation or removal of the Rights Agent or the appointment of the successor Rights Agent, as the case may be.

 

Section 22.   Issuance of New Right Certificates.  Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Agreement or of the Rights to the contrary, the Company may, at its option, issue new Right Certificates evidencing Rights in such form as may be approved by the Board of Directors of the Company to reflect any adjustment or change in the Purchase Price and the number or kind or class of shares or other securities or property purchasable under the Right Certificates made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

Section 23.   Redemption.

 

(a)    The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time prior to such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, redeem all but not less than all the then outstanding Rights at a redemption price of $.01 per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock split, stock dividend or similar transaction occurring after the date hereof (such redemption price being hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”).  The redemption of the Rights by the Board

 

of Directors of the Company may be made effective at such time, on such basis and with such conditions as the Board of Directors of the Company, in its sole discretion, may establish.

 

(b)    Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 23, and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise the Rights will terminate and the only right thereafter of the holders of Rights shall be to receive the Redemption Price.  The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such redemption (and shall notify the Rights Agent in writing); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, any such notice shall not affect the validity of such redemption.  Within 10 days after such action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the redemption of the Rights, the Company shall mail a notice of redemption to all the holders of the then outstanding Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent or, prior to the Distribution Date, on the registry books of the transfer agent for the Common Shares.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of redemption will state the method by which the payment of the Redemption Price will be made.  Neither the Company nor any of its Affiliates or Associates may redeem, acquire or purchase for value any Rights at any time in any manner other than that specifically set forth in this Section 23 or in Section 24 hereof, and other than in connection with the purchase of Common Shares prior to the Distribution Date.

 

Section 24.   Exchange.

 

(a)    The Board of Directors of the Company may, at its option, at any time after any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, exchange all or part of the then outstanding and exercisable Rights (which shall not include Rights that have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) for Common Shares at an exchange ratio of one Common Share per Right, appropriately adjusted to reflect any adjustment in the number of Rights pursuant to Section 11(i) (such exchange ratio being hereinafter referred to as the “Exchange Ratio”).  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Board of Directors of the Company shall not be empowered to effect such exchange at any time after any Person (other than the Company, any Subsidiary of the Company, any employee benefit plan of the Company or any such Subsidiary, or any Person holding Common Shares for or pursuant to the terms of any such plan), together with all Affiliates and Associates of such Person, becomes the Beneficial Owner of 50% or more of the Common Shares then outstanding.

 

(b)    Immediately upon the action of the Board of Directors of the Company ordering the exchange of any Rights pursuant to paragraph (a) of this Section 24 and without any further action and without any notice, the right to exercise such Rights shall terminate and the only right thereafter of a holder of such Rights shall be to receive that number of Common Shares equal to the number of such Rights held by such holder multiplied by the Exchange Ratio.  The Company shall promptly give public notice of any such exchange (and shall notify the Rights Agent in writing); provided, however, that the failure to give, or any defect in, such notice shall not affect the validity of such exchange.  The Company promptly shall mail a notice of any such exchange to all of the holders of such Rights at their last addresses as they appear upon the registry books of the Rights Agent.  Any notice which is mailed in the manner herein provided shall be deemed given, whether or not the holder receives the notice.  Each such notice of exchange will state the

 

method by which the exchange of the Common Shares for Rights will be effected, and, in the event of any partial exchange, the number of Rights which will be exchanged.  Any partial exchange shall be effected pro rata based on the number of Rights (other than Rights which have become void pursuant to the provisions of Section 11(a)(ii) hereof) held by each holder of Rights.

 

(c)    In the event that there shall not be sufficient Common Shares issued but not outstanding or authorized but unissued to permit any exchange of Rights as contemplated in accordance with this Section 24, the Company shall take all such action as may be necessary to authorize additional Common Shares for issuance upon exchange of the Rights.  In the event the Company shall, after good faith effort, be unable to take all such action as may be necessary to authorize such additional Common Shares, the Company shall substitute, for each Common Share that would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of a Right, a number of Preferred Shares or fraction thereof such that the current per share market price of one Preferred Share multiplied by such number or fraction is equal to the current per share market price of one Common Share as of the date of issuance of such Preferred Shares or fraction thereof.

 

(d)    The Company shall not be required to issue fractions of Common Shares or to distribute certificates which evidence fractional Common Shares.  In lieu of such fractional Common Shares, the Company shall pay to the registered holders of the Right Certificates with regard to which such fractional Common Shares would otherwise be issuable an amount in cash equal to the same fraction of the current market value of a whole Common Share.  For the purposes of this Section 24(d), the current market value of a whole Common Share shall be the closing price of a Common Share (as determined pursuant to the second sentence of Section 11(d)(i) hereof) for the Trading Day immediately prior to the date of exchange pursuant to this Section 24.

 

Section 25.   Notice of Certain Events.

 

(a)    In case the Company shall, at any time after the Distribution Date, propose (i) to pay any dividend payable in stock of any class to the holders of the Preferred Shares or to make any other distribution to the holders of the Preferred Shares (other than a regular quarterly cash dividend), (ii) to offer to the holders of the Preferred Shares rights or warrants to subscribe for or to purchase any additional Preferred Shares or shares of stock of any class or any other securities, rights or options, (iii) to effect any reclassification of the Preferred Shares (other than a reclassification involving only the subdivision of outstanding Preferred Shares), (iv) to effect any consolidation or merger into or with, or to effect any sale or other transfer (or to permit one or more of its Subsidiaries to effect any sale or other transfer), in one or more transactions, of 50% or more of the assets or earning power of the Company and its Subsidiaries (taken as a whole) to, any other Person, (v) to effect the liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, or (vi) to declare or pay any dividend on the Common Shares payable in Common Shares or to effect a subdivision, combination or consolidation of the Common Shares (by reclassification or otherwise than by payment of dividends in Common Shares), then, in each such case, the Company shall give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of such proposed action, which shall specify the record date for the purposes of such stock dividend, or distribution of rights or warrants, or the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer, liquidation, dissolution, or winding up is to take place and the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or

 

Preferred Shares, if any such date is to be fixed, and such notice shall be so given in the case of any action covered by clause (i) or (ii) above at least 10 days prior to the record date for determining holders of the Preferred Shares for purposes of such action, and, in the case of any such other action, at least 10 days prior to the date of the taking of such proposed action or the date of participation therein by the holders of the Common Shares and/or Preferred Shares, whichever shall be the earlier.

 

(b)    In case the event set forth in Section 11(a)(ii) hereof shall occur, then the Company shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, give to the Rights Agent and each holder of a Right Certificate, in accordance with Section 26 hereof, a notice of the occurrence of such event, which notice shall describe such event and the consequences of such event to holders of Rights under Section 11(a)(ii) hereof.

 

Section 26.   Notices.  Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Rights Agent or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Company shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Rights Agent) as follows:

 

Centex Corporation

2728 N. Harwood Street

Dallas, TX  75201

Attention:  Corporate Secretary

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 21 hereof, any notice, statement or demand authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or by the holder of any Right Certificate to or on the Rights Agent shall be sufficiently given or made if in writing and sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed (until another address is filed in writing with the Company) as follows:

 

Mellon Investor Services LLC

600 N. Pearl, Suite 100

Dallas, Texas  75201

Attention:  David M. Cary

 

With a copy to:

 

Mellon Investor Services LLC

480 Washington Boulevard

Jersey City, NJ 07310

Attention: General Counsel

Facsimile: (201) 680-4610

 

Notices or demands authorized by this Agreement to be given or made by the Company or the Rights Agent to the holder of any Right Certificate shall be sufficiently given or made if sent by first-class mail, postage prepaid, addressed to such holder at the address of such holder as shown on the registry books of the Company

 

Section 27.   Supplements and Amendments.  Subject to this Section 27, the Company may from time to time supplement or amend this Agreement without the approval of any holders of Right Certificates in order to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision contained herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provisions herein, to shorten or lengthen any time period hereunder or to make or amend any other provisions with respect to the Rights which the Company may deem necessary or desirable, any such supplement or amendment to be evidenced by a writing signed by the Company and the Rights Agent; provided, however, that, from and after such time as any Person becomes an Acquiring Person, this Agreement shall not be amended in any manner which would adversely affect the interests of the holders of Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person); provided, further that, the Rights Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any supplement or amendment that affects the Rights Agent’s own rights, duties, obligations, or immunities under this Agreement; provided, further that, the Rights Agent may refrain from entering into any supplement or amendment until the Company has delivered to the Rights Agent (if it so requests in writing) a certificate from an appropriate officer of the Company that states that the proposed supplement or amendment complies with this Section 27.

 

Section 28.   Determinations and Actions by the Board.

 

(a)    For all purposes of this Agreement, any calculation of the number of Common Shares or any other class of capital stock outstanding at any particular time, including for purposes of determining the particular percentage of such outstanding Common Shares of which any Person is the Beneficial Owner, shall be made in accordance with the last sentence of Rule 13d-3(d)(1)(i) of the General Rules and Regulations under the Exchange Act or the provisions of Section 382.

 

(b)    The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power and authority to administer this Agreement and to exercise all rights and powers specifically granted to the Board or to the Company, or as may be necessary or advisable in the administration of this Agreement, including, without limitation, the right and power to (i) interpret the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) make all determinations and calculations deemed necessary or advisable for the administration of this Agreement (including without limitation a determination to redeem or not redeem the Rights or amend this Agreement).

 

(c)    All such actions, calculations, interpretations and determinations (including, for purposes of clause (y) below, all omissions with respect to the foregoing) which are done or made by the Board in good faith, shall (x) be final, conclusive and binding on the Company, the Rights Agent, the holders of the Rights and all other Persons, and (y) not subject the Board, or any of the directors on the Board, to any liability to any person, including without limitation the Rights Agent and the holders of the Rights.  Unless otherwise notified, the Rights Agent shall always be entitled to assume that the Board acted in good faith and the Rights Agent shall be fully protected and shall incur no liability in reliance thereon.

 

Section 29.   Annual Review by Independent Directors.  A committee of Independent Directors (the “Committee”), which shall be the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company (or any successor committee) as long as the members of such committee meet such requirements, shall review and evaluate this

 

Agreement at least annually in order to consider whether the maintenance of this Agreement continues to be in the best interests of the Company and the stockholders of the Company.  Following each such review, the Committee shall communicate its conclusions to the full Board of Directors of the Company, including any recommendation in light thereof as to whether this Agreement should be modified or the Rights should be redeemed.  The Committee, when considering whether this Agreement should be modified or the Rights should be redeemed, shall have the power and authority (a) to set their own agenda, (b) to retain, at the expense of the Company, its choice of legal counsel, investment bankers and other advisors and (c) to review all information of the Company and to consider any and all factors it deems relevant to an evaluation of whether this Agreement should be modified or the Rights should be redeemed.

 

Section 30.   Successors.  All the covenants and provisions of this Agreement by or for the benefit of the Company or the Rights Agent shall bind and inure to the benefit of their respective successors and assigns hereunder.

 

Section 31.   Benefits of this Agreement.  Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to give to any Person other than the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Agreement; but this Agreement shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Company, the Rights Agent and the registered holders of the Right Certificates (and, prior to the Distribution Date, the Common Shares).

 

Section 32.   Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or restriction of this Agreement is held by a court of competent jurisdiction or other authority to be invalid, void or unenforceable, the remainder of the terms, provisions, covenants and restrictions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and shall in no way be affected, impaired or invalidated; and provided further, that if any such excluded term, provision, covenant or restriction shall materially adversely affect the rights, immunities, duties or obligations of the Rights Agent, the Rights Agent shall be entitled to resign immediately.

 

Section 33.   Governing Law.  This Agreement and each Right Certificate issued hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the State of Delaware and for all purposes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of such State applicable to contracts to be made and performed entirely within such State.

 

Section 34.   Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and each of such counterparts shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original, and all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

 

Section 35.   Descriptive Headings.  Descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not control or affect the meaning or construction of any of the provisions hereof.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed and attested, all as of the day and year first above written.

 

Attest:			CENTEX CORPORATION
By	/s/ Drew F. Nachowiak		By	/s/ Brian J. Woram
	Name: Drew F. Nachowiak			Brian J. Woram
	Title: Assistant Secretary			Senior Vice President
Attest:			MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC,
			as Rights Agent
By	/s/ Patricia T. Knight		By	/s/ David M. Cary
	Name: Patricia T. Knight			David M. Cary
	Title: Relationship Manager			Vice President

 

Pursuant to the authority conferred upon the Board of Directors by the Restated Articles of Incorporation of the said Corporation, the Executive Committee of said Board of Directors effective February 24, 2009, adopted the following resolution creating a series of 250,000 shares of Preferred Stock designated as Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series D:

 

RESOLVED, that pursuant to the authority vested in the Board of Directors of this Corporation in accordance with the provisions of its Restated Articles of Incorporation (as hereafter amended or supplemented, the "Articles of Incorporation"), a series of Preferred Stock of the Corporation be and it hereby is created, and that the designation and amount thereof and the voting powers, preferences and relative, participating, optional and other special rights of the shares of such series, and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof are as follows:

 

Section 1.    Designation and Amount.     The shares of such series shall be designated as "Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series D", par value $.25 per share (the "Series D Preferred Stock"), and the number of shares constituting such series shall be 250,000.

 

Section 2.    Dividends and Distributions.

 

(a)           Subject to the prior and superior rights of the holders of any shares of any series of Preferred Stock ranking prior and superior to the shares of Series D Preferred Stock with respect to dividends, the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available therefor, quarterly dividends payable in cash on the 1st day of January, April, July and September in each year (each such date being referred to herein as a "Quarterly Dividend Payment Date"), commencing on the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date after the first issuance of a share or fraction of a share of Series D Preferred Stock, in an amount per share (rounded to the nearest cent), subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1000 times the aggregate per share amount of all cash dividends, and 1000 times the aggregate per share amount (payable-in-kind) of all non-cash dividends or other distributions other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock or a subdivision of the outstanding shares of Common Stock (by reclassification or otherwise), declared on the Common Stock, par value $.25 per share, of the Corporation (the "Common Stock") since the immediately preceding Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, or, with respect to the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, since the first issuance of any share or fraction of a share of Series D Preferred Stock.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount to which holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after

 

such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(b)           The Corporation shall declare a dividend or distribution on the Series D Preferred Stock as provided in paragraph (a) above immediately after it declares a dividend or distribution on the Common Stock (other than a dividend payable in shares of Common Stock).

 

(c)           Dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative on outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock from the Quarterly Dividend Payment Date next preceding the date of issue of such shares of Series D Preferred Stock, unless the date of issue of such shares is prior to the record date for the first Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in which case dividends on such shares shall begin to accrue from the date of issue of such shares, or unless the date of issue is a Quarterly Dividend Payment Date or is a date after the record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock entitled to receive a quarterly dividend and before such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date, in either of which events such dividends shall begin to accrue and be cumulative from such Quarterly Dividend Payment Date. Accrued but unpaid dividends shall not bear interest.  Dividends paid on the shares of Series D Preferred Stock in an amount less than the total amount of such dividends at the time accrued and payable on such shares shall be allocated pro rata on a share-by-share basis among all such shares at the time outstanding.  The Board of Directors may fix a record date for the determination of holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock entitled to receive payment of a dividend or distribution declared thereon, which record date shall be no more than 30 days prior to the date fixed for the payment thereof.

 

Section 3.    Voting Rights.     The holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall have the following voting rights:

 

(a)           Subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, each share of Series D Preferred Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to 1000 votes on all matters submitted to a vote of the stockholders of the Corporation.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the number of votes per share to which holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event shall be adjusted by multiplying such number by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

(b)           Except as otherwise provided herein, in any other Certificate of Designations creating a series of Preferred Stock or any similar stock, or by law, the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock and the holders of shares of Common Stock and any other capital stock of the Corporation having general voting rights shall vote together as one class on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders of the Corporation.

 

(c)           Except as set forth herein, holders of Series D Preferred Stock shall have no special voting rights and their consent shall not be required (except to the extent they are entitled to vote with holders of Common Stock as set forth herein) for taking any corporate action.

 

Section 4.    Certain Restrictions.

 

(a)           Whenever quarterly dividends or other dividends or distributions payable on the Series D Preferred Stock as provided in Section 2 are in arrears, thereafter and until all accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions, whether or not declared, on shares of Series D Preferred Stock outstanding shall have been paid in full, the Corporation shall not

 

(i)           declare or pay dividends on, make any other distributions on, or redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series D Preferred Stock;

 

(ii)           declare or pay dividends on or make any other distributions on any shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series D Preferred Stock, except dividends paid ratably on the Series D Preferred Stock and all such parity stock on which dividends are payable or in arrears in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are then entitled;

 

 (iii)           redeem or purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration shares of any stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series D Preferred Stock, provided that the Corporation may at any time redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire shares of any such junior stock in exchange for shares of any stock of the Corporation ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon dissolution, liquidation or winding up) to the Series D Preferred Stock;

 

(iv)           purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of Series D Preferred Stock, or any shares of stock ranking on a parity with the Series D Preferred Stock, except in accordance with a purchase offer made in writing or by publication (as determined by the Board of Directors) to all holders of such shares upon such terms as the Board of Directors, after consideration of the respective annual dividend rates and other relative rights and preferences of the respective series and classes, shall determine in good faith will result in fair and equitable treatment among the respective series or classes.

 

(b)     The Corporation shall not permit any subsidiary of the Corporation to purchase or otherwise acquire for consideration any shares of stock of the Corporation unless the Corporation could, under subparagraph (a) of this Section 4, purchase or otherwise acquire such shares at such time and in such manner.

 

Section 5.    Reacquired Shares.     Any shares of Series D Preferred Stock purchased or otherwise acquired by the Corporation in any manner whatsoever shall be retired and cancelled promptly after the acquisition thereof.  All such shares shall upon their cancellation become authorized but unissued shares of Preferred Stock and may be reissued as part of a new

 

series of Preferred Stock to be created by resolution or resolutions of the Board of Directors, subject to the conditions and restrictions on issuance set forth herein.

 

Section 6.    Liquidation, Dissolution or Winding Up.     Upon any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Corporation, no distribution shall be made (i) to the holders of shares of stock ranking junior (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) to the Series D unless, prior thereto, the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall have received an amount equal to accrued and unpaid dividends and distributions thereon, whether or not declared to the date of such payment, provided that the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall be entitled to receive an aggregate amount per share, subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth, equal to 1000 times the aggregate amount to be distributed per share to holders of shares of Common Stock, or (ii) to the holders of shares of stock ranking on a parity (either as to dividends or upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up) with the Series D Preferred Stock, except distributions made ratably on the Series D Preferred Stock and all such parity stock in proportion to the total amounts to which the holders of all such shares are entitled upon such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time after the Rights Declaration Date (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the aggregate amount to which holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock were entitled immediately prior to such event under the proviso in clause (i) of the preceding sentence shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 7.    Consolidation, Merger, etc.     In case the Corporation shall enter into any consolidation, merger, combination, conversion, share exchange or other transaction in which the shares of Common Stock are exchanged for or changed into other stock, a member’s interest, a partnership interest, a beneficial interest in a trust or other owner’s interest, or securities, cash and/or any other property, then in any such case the shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall at the same time be similarly exchanged or changed in an amount per share (subject to the provision for adjustment hereinafter set forth) equal to 1000 times the aggregate amount of stock, member’s interest, partnership interest, beneficial interest in a trust or other owner’s interest, securities, cash and/or any other property (payable in kind), as the case may be, into which or for which each share of Common Stock is changed or exchanged.  In the event the Corporation shall at any time (i) declare any dividend on Common Stock payable in shares of Common Stock, (ii) subdivide the outstanding Common Stock, or (iii) combine the outstanding Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, then in each such case the amount set forth in the preceding sentence with respect to the exchange or change of shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall be adjusted by multiplying such amount by a fraction the numerator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the denominator of which is the number of shares of Common Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to such event.

 

Section 8.    No Redemption; No Sinking Fund.

 

(a)           The shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall not be redeemable.

 

 

(b)           The shares of Series D Preferred Stock shall not be subject to or entitled to the operation of a retirement or sinking fund.

 

Section 9.    Ranking.     The Series D Preferred Stock shall rank junior to all other series of the Corporation's Preferred Stock as to the payment of dividends and distribution of assets, unless the terms of any such series shall provide otherwise.

 

Section 10.   Amendment.     The Articles of Incorporation shall not be further amended in any manner which would materially alter or change the powers, preferences or special rights of the Series D Preferred Stock so as to affect them adversely without the affirmative vote of the holders of two-thirds or more of the outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock, voting separately as a class.

 

Section 11.   Fractional Shares.     Series D Preferred Stock may be issued in fractions of a share which shall entitle the holder, in proportion to such holder’s fractional shares, to exercise voting rights, receive dividends, participate in distributions and to have the benefit of all other rights of holders of Series D Preferred Stock.

 

NOT EXERCISABLE AFTER FEBRUARY 24, 2019 OR EARLIER IF REDEMPTION OR EXCHANGE OCCURS OR AS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED IN THE AGREEMENT.  THE RIGHTS ARE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION AT $.01 PER RIGHT AND TO EXCHANGE ON THE TERMS SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT.

 

This certifies that  __________, or registered assigns, is the registered owner of the number of Rights set forth above, each of which entitles the owner thereof, subject to the terms, provisions and conditions of the Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2009 (the “Agreement”), between Centex Corporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), and Mellon Investor Services LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company (the “Rights Agent”), to purchase from the Company at any time after the Distribution Date (as such term is defined in the Agreement) and prior to 5:00 P.M., Dallas, Texas time, on _________, _____ (or earlier as specified in the Agreement) at the principal office of the Rights Agent, or at the office of its successor as Rights Agent, one one-thousandth of a fully paid non-assessable share of Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series D, par value $0.25 per share, of the Company (the “Preferred Shares”), at a purchase price of $50 per one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share (the “Purchase Price”), upon presentation and surrender of this Right Certificate with the Form of Election to Purchase duly executed.  The number of Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon exercise hereof) set forth above, and the Purchase Price set forth above, are the number and Purchase Price as of           , ____, based on the Preferred Shares as constituted at such date.  As provided in the Agreement, the Purchase Price and the number of one one-thousandths of a Preferred Share which may be purchased upon the exercise of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are subject to modification and adjustment upon the happening of certain events.

 

This Right Certificate is subject to all of the terms, provisions and conditions of the Agreement, which terms, provisions and conditions are hereby incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof and to which Agreement reference is hereby made for a full description of the rights, limitations of rights, obligations, duties and immunities hereunder of the Rights Agent, the Company and the holders of the Right Certificates.  Copies of the Agreement are on file at the principal executive offices of the Company and the offices of the Rights Agent.

 

This Right Certificate, with or without other Right Certificates, upon surrender at the principal office of the Rights Agent, may be exchanged for another Right Certificate or Right Certificates of like tenor and date evidencing Rights entitling the holder to purchase a like aggregate number of Preferred Shares as the Rights evidenced by the Right Certificate or Right Certificates surrendered shall have entitled such holder to purchase.  If this Right Certificate

shall be exercised in part, the holder shall be entitled to receive upon surrender hereof another Right Certificate or Right Certificates for the number of whole Rights not exercised.

 

Subject to the provisions of the Agreement, the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate (i) may be redeemed by the Company at a redemption price of $.01 per Right or (ii) may be exchanged in whole or in part for Preferred Shares or shares of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $.25 per share.

 

No fractional Preferred Shares will be issued upon the exercise of any Right or Rights evidenced hereby (other than fractions which are integral multiples of one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, which may, at the election of the Company, be evidenced by depositary receipts), but, in lieu thereof, a cash payment will be made, as provided in the Agreement.

 

No holder of this Right Certificate shall be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of the Preferred Shares or of any other securities of the Company which may at any time be issuable on the exercise hereof, nor shall anything contained in the Agreement or herein be construed to confer upon the holder hereof, as such, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote for the election of directors or upon any matter submitted to stockholders at any meeting thereof, or to give or withhold consent to any corporate action, or to receive notice of meetings or other actions affecting stockholders (except as provided in the Agreement), or to receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, until the Right or Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate shall have been exercised as provided in the Agreement.

 

This Right Certificate shall not be valid or obligatory for any purpose until it shall have been countersigned by the Rights Agent.

 

WITNESS the facsimile signature of the proper officers of the Company and its corporate seal.  Dated as of           , ____.

 

 

ATTEST:		CENTEX CORPORATION
Name:		Name:
Title:		Title:
Countersigned:

 

 

MELLON INVESTOR SERVICES LLC,
as Rights Agent
By
	Name:
	Title:

FOR VALUE RECEIVED                                  hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto

 

(Please print name and address of transferee)

 

 

this Right Certificate, together with all right, title and interest therein, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                      Attorney, to transfer the within Right Certificate on the books of the within-named Company, with full power of substitution.

 

 

 

Signature Guaranteed:

All Guarantees must be made by a financial institution (such as a bank or broker) which is a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”), the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program (“MSP”), or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (“SEMP”) and must not be dated.  Guarantees by a notary public are not acceptable.

 

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Agreement).

 

 

		Signature

To:  CENTEX CORPORATION

 

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to exercise                             Rights represented by this Right Certificate to purchase the Preferred Shares issuable upon the exercise of such Rights and requests that certificates for such Preferred Shares be issued in the name of:

 

Please insert social security or other identifying number

 

_________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)

_________________________________________________________________________

 

If such number of Rights shall not be all the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate, a new Right Certificate for the balance remaining of such Rights shall be registered in the name of and delivered to:

 

Please insert social security or other identifying number

 

_________________________________________________________________________
(Please print name and address)

________________________________________________________________________

 

Dated: _______________________________
		Signature

 

Signature Guaranteed:

 

All Guarantees must be made by a financial institution (such as a bank or broker) which is a participant in the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (“STAMP”), the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program (“MSP”), or the Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (“SEMP”) and must not be dated.  Guarantees by a notary public are not acceptable.

The undersigned hereby certifies that the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate are not beneficially owned by an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Agreement).

 

		Signature

 

 

The signature in the Form of Assignment or Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, must conform to the name as written upon the face of this Right Certificate in every particular, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

 

In the event the certification set forth above in the Form of Assignment or the Form of Election to Purchase, as the case may be, is not completed, the Company and the Rights Agent will deem the beneficial owner of the Rights evidenced by this Right Certificate to be an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate thereof (as defined in the Agreement) and such Assignment or Election to Purchase will not be honored.

 

 

 

 

Effective February 24, 2009, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Centex Corporation, a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), adopted a rights plan and declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a “Right”) for each outstanding share of common stock, par value $0.25 per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”).  The dividend is payable on March 6, 2009 to the stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 6, 2009.  The specific terms of the Rights are contained in a Rights Agreement, dated as of February 24, 2009, between the Company and Mellon Investor Services LLC, as Rights Agent (the “Rights Plan”).

 

Following is a summary of the Rights Plan.  Please note, however, that this description is only a summary, and is not complete, and should be read together with the entire Rights Agreement, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form 8-A dated on or about February 25, 2009.  Upon written request, the Company will provide a copy of the Rights Agreement free of charge to any of its stockholders.

 

The Board adopted the Rights Plan in an effort to protect stockholder value by attempting to protect against the possible limitation on our ability to use net operating loss carry-overs, capital loss carry-overs, general business credit carry-overs, alternative minimum tax credit carry-overs and foreign tax credit carry-overs, as well as any “net unrealized built-in losses” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, of the Company (collectively, “Tax Benefits”) to reduce potential future federal and state income tax obligations.  We have experienced and continue to experience substantial operating losses, and under the Internal Revenue Code and rules adopted by the Internal Revenue Service, and certain states, the Company may “carryforward” these losses in certain circumstances to offset any current and future earnings and thus reduce the Company's federal and state income tax liability.  To the extent that the Tax Benefits do not otherwise become limited, we believe that the Company will be able to carry forward a significant amount of the Tax Benefits and therefore these Tax Benefits could be a substantial asset to the Company.  However, if we experience an “Ownership Change,” as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Company's ability to use the Tax Benefits will be substantially limited or delayed, which could therefore significantly impair the value of that asset.

 

The Rights Plan is intended to act as a deterrent to any person or group acquiring 4.9% or more of our outstanding Common Stock (an “Acquiring Person”) without the approval of the Board.  Stockholders who own 4.9% or more of the Company's outstanding Common Stock as of the close of business on February 24, 2009 will not trigger the Rights Plan so long as they do not (i) acquire additional shares of Common Stock representing (a) one-half of one percent (0.5%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (if they have continuously owned 5.0% or more since the date of the Rights Plan) or (b) such number of additional shares of Common Stock as long as the aggregate shares owned by such stockholder is less than 5.0% (if they have

 

not continuously owned 5% or more) or (ii) fall under 4.9% ownership of Common Stock and then re-acquire shares that in the aggregate equal 4.9% or more of the Common Stock.  A 4.9% limit has been included in the Rights Plan because the tests for an “Ownership Change” under Section 382 are measured in part by changes in the ownership by stockholders owning 5% or more of our Common Stock.  The Rights Plan does not exempt any future acquisitions of Common Stock by Acquiring Persons.  The Board may, in its sole discretion, exempt any person or group from being deemed an Acquiring Person for purposes of the Rights Plan if it determines the acquisition by such person or group will not jeopardize tax benefits or is otherwise in the Company’s best interests.

 

 

The Rights.  The Rights will initially trade with, and will be inseparable from, the Common Stock.  The Rights will be evidenced only by certificates that represent shares of Common Stock.  New Rights will accompany any new shares of Common Stock we issue after March 6, 2009 until the Distribution Date described below.

 

Exercise Price.  Each Right will allow its holder to purchase from the Company one one-thousandth of a share of Junior Participating Preferred Stock, Series D (“Preferred Share”) for $50 (the “Exercise Price”), once the Rights become exercisable.  This portion of a Preferred Share will give the stockholder approximately the same dividend, voting, and liquidation rights as would one share of Common Stock.  Prior to exercise, the Right does not give its holder any dividend, voting, or liquidation rights.

 

Exercisability.  The Rights will not be exercisable until 10 days after the public announcement that a person or group has become an “Acquiring Person” by obtaining beneficial ownership of 4.9% or more of the outstanding Common Stock or, if already the beneficial owner of at least 4.9% of the outstanding Common Stock, by acquiring additional shares of Common Stock representing (a) one-half of one percent (0.5%) or more of the shares of Common Stock then outstanding (if they have continuously owned 5.0% or more since the date of the Rights Plan) or (b) such number of additional shares of Common Stock so that the aggregate shares owned by such stockholder is equal to or greater than 5.0% (otherwise).

 

The date when the Rights become exercisable is the “Distribution Date.”  Until that date, the Common Stock certificates will also evidence the Rights and any transfer of shares of Common Stock will constitute a transfer of Rights.  After that date, the Rights will separate from the Common Stock and be evidenced by book-entry credits or by Rights certificates that we will mail to all eligible holders of Common Stock.  Any Rights held by an Acquiring Person are null and void and may not be exercised.

 

Consequences of a Distribution.

 

If a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person which triggers a Distribution, all holders of Rights except the Acquiring Person may, for the payment of $50, purchase shares of Common Stock with a market value of $100, based on the market price of the Common Stock as of the acquisition that resulted in such person or group becoming an Acquiring Person.

 

 

Each one one-thousandth of a Preferred Share, if issued:

 

●	will not be redeemable

 

●	will entitle holders to an amount equal to the dividend paid on one share of Common Stock (if any)

 

●	will entitle holders upon liquidation to receive an amount equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock

 

●	will have the same voting power as one share of Common Stock

 

●	will entitle holders to a per share payment equal to the payment made on one share of Common Stock, if shares of Common Stock are exchanged via merger, consolidation, conversion, share exchange, or a similar transaction.

 

The value of one one-thousandth interest in a Preferred Share should approximate the value of one share of Common Stock.

 

Expiration.  The Rights and the Rights Plan will expire on the earliest of (i) February 24, 2019, (ii) the time at which the Rights are redeemed pursuant to the Rights Agreement, (iii) the time at which the Rights are exchanged pursuant to the Rights Agreement, (iv) the repeal of Section 382 of the Code or a successor statute if the Board determines that the Rights Agreement is no longer necessary for the preservation of Tax Benefits, (v) the beginning of the taxable year of the Company to which the Board determines that no Tax Benefits may be carried forward, and (vi) February 24, 2010, if stockholder approval has not been obtained for the Rights Agreement prior to such date.

 

Redemption.  The Board may redeem the Rights for $.01 per Right at any time before any person or group becomes an Acquiring Person.  If the Board redeems any Rights, it must redeem all of the Rights.  Once the Rights are redeemed, the only right of the holders of Rights will be to receive the redemption price of $.01 per Right.  The redemption price will be adjusted if we have a stock split or stock dividends of Common Stock.

 

Exchange.  After the Distribution Date, but before an Acquiring Person owns 50% or more of the outstanding Common Stock, the Board may extinguish the Rights by exchanging one share of Common Stock or an equivalent security for each Right, other than Rights held by the Acquiring Person.

 

Anti-Dilution Provisions.  The Board may adjust the purchase price of the Preferred Shares, the number of Preferred Shares issuable and the number of outstanding Rights to prevent dilution that may occur from a stock dividend, a stock split, a reclassification of the Preferred Shares or Common Stock.  No adjustments to the Exercise Price of less than 1% will be made.

 

Annual Review.  A committee of independent directors of the Company will review and evaluate the Rights Agreement at least annually in order to consider whether the maintenance of the

 

Rights Agreement continues to be in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders.  Following each such review, the committee shall communicate its conclusions to the full Board, including any recommendation in light thereof as to whether the Rights Agreement should be modified or the Rights should be redeemed.

 

Amendments.  The terms of the Rights Agreement may be amended by the Board without the consent of the holders of the Rights.  After a person or group becomes an Acquiring Person, the Board may not amend the Rights Agreement in a way that adversely affects holders of the Rights (other than an Acquiring Person or an Affiliate or Associate of an Acquiring Person).