Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Stockholders' Equity

v3.23.3
Stockholders' Equity
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2023
Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]  
Stockholders' Equity Note 10 – Stockholders’ Equity

Preferred Stock

The Company has 5,000,000 shares designated as Class A Preferred Stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. There are 1,040,000 shares of Class A Preferred Stock – Series 1 authorized; 1,500,000 shares of Class A Preferred Stock – Series 2 authorized; 700,000 shares of Class A Preferred Stock – Series 3 authorized; and 548,000 shares of Class A Preferred Stock – Series 4 authorized. There were no shares of Class A Preferred Stock of any series issued and outstanding at September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022. The Company has 15,000 shares designated as Class B Preferred Stock with a par value of $0.50 per share. There were no shares of Class B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding at September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022.

Common Stock

We are authorized to issue up to 308,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share. Following approval by stockholders at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders held on July 24, 2023, the Company filed an amendment to its articles of incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock from 154,000,000 to 308,000,000. Holders are entitled to one vote for each share of common stock.

Shelf Registration Statement

In March 2023, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-270606) with a capacity of $200 million, which was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on April 14, 2023. At September 30, 2022, $23.0 million remains available under that shelf registration statement. The Company’s prior shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239493) expired on July 1, 2023.

Aspire Capital Purchase Agreement

On June 26, 2020, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement (the “Aspire Purchase Agreement”) with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC (“Aspire Capital”) which provided that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth therein, the Company had the right, from time to time in its sole discretion during the 36-month term of the Aspire Purchase Agreement, to direct Aspire Capital to purchase up to $23.9 million of the Company’s common stock in the aggregate.

During the year ended September 30, 2023, we sold 2,779,713 shares of common stock to Aspire Capital under the Aspire Purchase Agreement resulting in proceeds to the Company of $3.4 million. As a result of these sales, we recorded approximately $105,000 of deferred costs to additional paid-in capital.

During the 36-month term of the Aspire Purchase Agreement, we sold 4,424,450 shares of common stock to Aspire Capital resulting in proceeds to the Company of $8.4 million. On June 26, 2023, the term of the Aspire Purchase Agreement expired and no additional shares of common stock will be sold under the agreement.

In consideration for entering into the Aspire Purchase Agreement, concurrently with the execution of the Aspire Purchase Agreement, the Company issued to Aspire Capital 212,130 shares of the Company’s common stock. The shares of common stock issued as consideration were valued at $681,000, based on the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the date the shares were issued. This amount and related expenses of $50,000, which total approximately $731,000, were recorded as deferred costs. The unamortized amount of deferred costs related to the Aspire Purchase Agreement remaining when the agreement terminated was $473,000 and was expensed at the time of termination. It is included in selling, general and administrative expenses on the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for the year ended September 30, 2023. The unamortized amount of deferred costs related to the Aspire Purchase Agreement of $578,000 at September 30, 2022 is included in other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

Private Investment in Public Equity

On April 12, 2023, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement (the “Stock Purchase Agreement”) with Frost Gamma Investments Trust (“FGI”), pursuant to which, on the date thereof, the Company issued and sold 5,000,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to FGI at a price of $1.00 per share, for a total investment of $5.0 million, through a private investment in public equity financing. Proceeds were recorded net of issuance costs of $31,000. The shares of common stock issued to FGI pursuant to the Stock Purchase Agreement were not registered under the Securities Act. The Company filed a registration statement under the Securities Act to register the resale of the shares of common stock issued to FGI, which was declared effective by the SEC on May 24, 2023.

Lincoln Park Capital Fund LLC Purchase Agreement

On May 2, 2023, the Company entered into a purchase agreement (the “Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement”) with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC (“Lincoln Park”), which provides that, upon the terms and subject to the conditions and limitations set forth therein, the Company may sell to Lincoln Park up to $100.0 million of shares (the “Purchase Shares”) of the Company’s common stock over the 36 month term of the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement. The Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement may be terminated by the Company at any time, at its sole discretion, without any cost or penalty, by giving one business day notice to Lincoln Park. Lincoln Park has covenanted not to in any manner whatsoever enter into or effect, directly or indirectly, any short selling or hedging of the Company’s common stock. The issuance of shares of common stock pursuant to the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement have been registered pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-270606), and a related prospectus supplement that was filed with the SEC on May 3, 2023.

Under the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, on any business day selected by the Company (the “Purchase Date”), provided that on such day the closing sale price per share of the Company’s common stock is above the Floor Price, as defined in the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, to require Lincoln Park to purchase up to 225,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Regular Purchase Amount”) at the Purchase Price (as defined below) per purchase notice (each such purchase, a “Regular Purchase”) provided, however, that (1) the limit on the Regular Purchase Amount will be increased to 250,000 shares, if the closing sale price of the Company’s common stock on the applicable Purchase Date is not below $6.00 and to 275,000 shares, if the closing sale price of the Company’s common stock on the applicable Purchase Date is not below $8.00. Lincoln Park’s committed obligation under each Regular Purchase shall not exceed $2,500,000 or 2,000,000 Purchase Shares per each Regular Purchase. The purchase price for Regular Purchases (the “Purchase Price”) shall be equal to the lesser of: (i) the lowest sale price of the Company’s common stock during the Purchase Date, or (ii) the average of the three lowest closing sale prices of the Company’s common stock on the 10 consecutive business days ending on the business day immediately preceding such Purchase Date. The Company shall have the right to submit a Regular Purchase notice to Lincoln Park as often as every business day. A Regular Purchase notice is delivered to Lincoln Park after the market has closed (i.e., after 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time) so that the Purchase Price is always fixed and known at the time the Company elects to sell shares to Lincoln Park.

In addition to Regular Purchases and provided that the Company has directed a Regular Purchase in full, the Company in its sole discretion may require Lincoln Park on each Purchase Date to purchase on the following business day (“Accelerated Purchase Date”) up to the lesser of (i) three (3) times the number of shares purchased pursuant to such Regular Purchase or (ii) 30% of the trading volume on the Accelerated Purchase Date (the “Accelerated Purchase”) at a purchase price equal to the lesser of 97% of (i) the closing sale price on the Accelerated Purchase Date, or (ii) the Accelerated Purchase Date’s volume weighted average price (the “Accelerated Purchase Price”). The Company may also direct Lincoln Park, on any business day on which an Accelerated Purchase has been completed and all of the shares to be purchased thereunder have been properly delivered to Lincoln Park in accordance with the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, to make additional purchases upon the same terms as an Accelerated Purchase (an “Additional Accelerated Purchase”).

The purchase price of Regular Purchases, Accelerated Purchases and Additional Accelerated Purchases and the minimum closing sale price for a Regular Purchase will be adjusted for any reorganization, recapitalization, non-cash dividend, stock split or other similar transaction occurring during the business days used to compute the purchase price. The aggregate number of shares that the Company can sell to Lincoln Park under the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement may in no case exceed 17,678,502 shares (subject to adjustment as described above) of the Company’s common stock (which is equal to approximately 19.99% of the shares of the Company’s common stock outstanding immediately prior to the execution of the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement) (the “Exchange Cap”), unless (i) shareholder approval is obtained to issue Purchase Shares above the Exchange Cap, in which case the Exchange Cap will no longer apply, or (ii) the average price of all applicable sales of the Company’s common stock to Lincoln Park under the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement equals or exceeds $1.26 per share (subject to adjustment as described above) (which represents the Minimum Price, as defined under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), on the Nasdaq Capital Market immediately preceding the signing of the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, such that the transactions contemplated by the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement are exempt from the Exchange Cap limitation under applicable Nasdaq rules).

In consideration for entering into the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, concurrently with the execution of the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, the Company issued 800,000 shares of the Company’s common stock to Lincoln Park. The shares of common stock issued as consideration were valued at $1.0 million, based on the closing price per share of the Company’s common stock on the date the shares were issued. This amount and related expenses of $57,000, which total approximately $1.1 million, were recorded as deferred costs. We are obligated to issue $1.0 million of shares of the Company’s common stock at the time Lincoln Park’s purchases cumulatively reach an aggregate amount of $50.0 million of Purchase Shares.

During the year ended September 30, 2023, we sold 1,225,000 shares of common stock to Lincoln Park under the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement resulting in proceeds to the Company of $1.4 million. As a result of these sales, we recorded approximately $30,000 of deferred costs to additional paid-in capital. The unamortized amount of deferred costs related to the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement is $1.0 million at September 30, 2023 and is included in other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Subsequent to September 30, 2023, we sold 1,800,000 shares of common stock to Lincoln Park under the Lincoln Park Purchase Agreement, resulting in proceeds to the Company of $1.7 million.

At-the-Market Sale Agreement

On May 12, 2023, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale Agreement (the “Jefferies Sales Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”), as sales agent, pursuant to which the Company may issue and sell, from time to time, through Jefferies, shares of the Company’s common stock, with an aggregate value of up to $75 million (not to exceed the lesser of 39,609,072 shares of common stock or the number of authorized, unissued and available shares of common stock at any time). Shares of common stock offered and sold pursuant to the Jefferies Sale Agreement have been registered pursuant to the Company’s effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-270606), and a related prospectus supplement that was filed with the SEC on May 12, 2023.

The Company is not obligated to sell any shares of common stock under the Jefferies Sales Agreement. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Jefferies Sales Agreement, Jefferies will use commercially reasonable efforts consistent with its normal trading and sales practices, to sell shares of common stock from time to time based upon the Company’s instructions, including any price, time or size limits specified by the Company. Upon delivery of a placement notice, and subject to our instructions in that notice, and the terms and conditions of the Jefferies Sales Agreement generally, Jefferies may sell the Company’s common stock by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market offering” as defined by Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act. Under the terms of the Sales Agreement, the Company cannot cause or request Jefferies to sell shares of common stock exceeding the number of shares of common stock authorized, unissued and available for issuance at any time. The Company will pay Jefferies a commission of 3% of the aggregate gross proceeds from each sale of common stock and has agreed to provide Jefferies with customary indemnification and contribution rights, including liabilities under the Securities Act and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company has also agreed to reimburse Jefferies for certain specified expenses. The Company incurred issuance costs of $207,000, which were recorded as deferred costs.

During the year ended September 30, 2023, we sold 1,277,259 shares of common stock under the Jefferies Sales Agreement resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $1.0 million. As a result of these sales, we recorded approximately $3,000 of deferred costs to additional paid-in capital. The unamortized amount of deferred costs related to the Jefferies Sales Agreement is $0.2 million at September 30, 2023 and is included in other assets on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Subsequent to September 30, 2023, we sold 90,156 shares of common stock under the Jefferies Sales Agreement, resulting in proceeds to the Company of $67,000.