Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Capital Stock and Stock Restrictions

v3.19.1
Capital Stock and Stock Restrictions
12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Payments for Repurchase of Equity [Abstract]  
Capital Stock And Stock Restriction Agreements [Text Block]
Capital Stock and Stock Restriction Agreements:
Reverse Stock Split
All common stock, equity, share and per share amounts in the financial statements and notes have been retroactively adjusted to reflect a one-for-four reverse stock split, which was effective June 7, 2017.
Capital Stock Activity
The Board of Directors has the authority to issue up to 1,000,000 shares of preferred stock in one or more series and to fix the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, liquidation preferences, sinking fund terms and the number of shares constituting any series or the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by stockholders.
Share Repurchase Programs

In May 2017, the Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program whereby the Company may repurchase up to an aggregate of $2.0 million of its outstanding Class A Common Stock (the 2017 authorization). The 2017 authorization is in addition to the $0.1 million that was remaining from the August 2011 $20.0 million authorization (the 2011 authorization). There were 426,283 and 133,608 shares repurchased under the 2011 and 2017 authorizations during the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018 at a weighted average purchase price of $2.43 and $2.98 per share, respectively.  There was approximately $0.7 million remaining for additional share repurchases under the 2017 authorization as of March 31, 2019.
In fiscal years 2019 and 2018, the Company repurchased from employees 62,260 shares and 59,648 shares, respectively, to satisfy the minimum statutory tax withholding obligations on the vesting of restricted stock units and performance-based restricted stock units. These repurchases, which are not included in the authorized share repurchase programs, had a weighted-average purchase price of $3.18 and $2.92, respectively.
Voting Rights
The Company’s Common Stock is divided into two classes. Class A Common Stock is entitled to one vote per share, while Class B Common Stock is entitled to four votes per share. As of May 17, 2019, Robert C. Penny III, Robert W. Foskett and Patrick J. McDonough, Jr., as trustees of the Voting Trust containing common stock held for the benefit of the Penny family, have the exclusive power to vote over 49.8% of the votes entitled to be cast by the holders of the Company's common stock. Certain Penny family members also own, or are beneficiaries of, trusts that own shares outside of the Voting Trust. Messrs. Penny, Foskett and McDonough, as trustees of the Voting Trust and other trusts, control 53.9% of the voting power of the Company’s outstanding stock and therefore effectively control the Company.
Stock Restriction Agreements
The members of the Penny family (principal stockholders) have a Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement that prohibits, with limited exceptions, such members from transferring their Class B Common Stock acquired prior to November 30, 1995, without first offering such stock to the other members of the Penny family. If converted, Class B stock converts on a one-for-one basis into shares of Class A Common Stock upon a transfer.  As of March 31, 2019, a total of 3,484,287 shares of Class B Common Stock are subject to this Stock Transfer Restriction Agreement.
Shares Issued and Outstanding
The following table summarizes Common Stock transactions for fiscal years 2018 and 2019:
 
Common Shares Outstanding
 
 
(in thousands)
Class A
 
Class B
 
Treasury Shares
Total shares outstanding, March 31, 2017
12,015

 
3,484

 
(4,441
)
Purchases of Treasury Stock
(193
)
 

 
(193
)
Restricted stock grants, including conversion of certain RSUs and PSUs, net of forfeitures
324

 

 

Total shares outstanding, March 31, 2018
12,146


3,484

 
(4,634
)
Purchases of Treasury Stock
(489
)
 

 
(489
)
Restricted stock grants, including conversion of certain RSUs and PSUs, net of forfeitures
253

 

 

Total shares outstanding, March 31, 2019
11,910

 
3,484

 
(5,123
)

In April 2019, the Compensation Committee granted 0.1 million restricted stock units (RSUs) and approximately 0.1 million performance-based restricted stock units (PSUs) to executives and other employees pursuant to the Westell Technologies, Inc. 2015 Omnibus Incentive Compensation Plan (see Note 8).