Item 8.01 Other Events.
Risks Related to our Capital Stock
If we fail to comply with the continued minimum closing bid requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) by November 28, 2022, or other requirements for continued listing, including stockholder equity requirements, our Common Stock may be delisted and the price of our Common Stock and our ability to access the capital markets could be negatively impacted.
Our common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), is listed for trading on Nasdaq. We must satisfy Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements, including, among other things, the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) (the “Minimum Bid Price Requirement”). If a company’s common stock trades for 30 consecutive business days below the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, Nasdaq will send a deficiency notice, advising that such company has been afforded a “compliance period” of 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the applicable requirements. Thereafter, if such company does not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement prior to the expiration of the initial period, such company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar day compliance period, provided (i) it meets the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on Nasdaq, including stockholder equity requirements (except for the Minimum Bid Price Requirement), which we may be unable to satisfy, and (ii) it provides written notice to Nasdaq of its intention to cure this deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. In the event the company does not regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement prior to the expiration of the initial period, and if it appears to the Staff of the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (the “Staff”) that the company will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if the company is not otherwise eligible, the Staff will provide the company with written notification that its securities are subject to delisting from Nasdaq. At that time, the company may appeal the delisting determination to a hearings panel.
On December 3, 2021, the Staff notified us that we did not comply with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement, and we had 180 calendar days, or until June 1, 2022, to regain compliance. On May 17, 2022, under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A)(ii), we submitted a request to Nasdaq for an additional 180-day extension to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement and notice of our intention to cure the deficiency, including by effecting a reverse stock split if necessary. On June 2, 2022 we were provided an additional 180 calendar day compliance period, or until November 28, 2022, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. The closing bid price of our securities must be at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of ten consecutive business days to regain compliance. We intend to monitor the closing bid price of our Common Stock and may, if appropriate, consider available options, including implementation of a reverse stock split, to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement. If we seek to implement a reverse stock split in order to remain listed on Nasdaq, the announcement or implementation of such a reverse stock split could negatively affect the price of our Common Stock. However, there can be no assurance that we will regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement prior to November 28, 2022.
If we are unable to regain compliance with the Minimum Bid Price Requirement by November 28, 2022, or if we fail to meet any of the other continued listing requirements, including stockholder equity requirements, our securities may be delisted from Nasdaq, which could reduce the liquidity of our Common Stock materially and result in a corresponding material reduction in the price of our Common Stock. In addition, delisting could harm our ability to raise capital through alternative financing sources on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and may result in the potential loss of confidence by investors, employees and business development opportunities. Such a delisting likely would impair your ability to sell or purchase our Common Stock when you wish to do so. Further, if we were to be delisted from Nasdaq, our Common Stock may no longer be recognized as a “covered security” and we would be subject to regulation in each state in which we offer our securities. Thus, delisting from Nasdaq could adversely affect our ability to raise additional financing through the public or private sale of equity securities, would significantly impact the ability of investors to trade our securities and would negatively impact the value and liquidity of our Common Stock.
If we implement a reverse stock split the liquidity of our Common Stock may be adversely effected.
Under Nevada law, our board of directors may take action to effect a reverse split of our Common Stock and a corresponding decrease to our authorized capital stock, without stockholder approval pursuant to Nevada Revised Statutes 78.207 if required to comply with the Nasdaq Minimum Bid Price Requirement and if deemed to be in the interests of the Company. However, there can be no assurance that the market price per new share of our Common Stock after the reverse stock split will remain unchanged or increase in proportion to the reduction in the number of old shares of our Common Stock outstanding before the reverse stock split. The liquidity of the shares of our Common Stock may be affected adversely by any reverse stock split given the reduced number of shares of our Common Stock that will be outstanding following the reverse stock split, especially if the market price of our Common Stock does not increase as a result of the reverse stock split. In addition, the reverse stock split may increase the number of stockholders who own odd lots (less than 100 shares) of our Common Stock, creating the potential for such stockholders to experience an increase in the cost of selling their shares and greater difficulty effecting such sales.
Following any reverse stock split, the resulting market price of our Common Stock may not attract new investors and may not satisfy the investing requirements of those investors. Although we believe that a higher market price of our Common Stock may help generate greater or broader investor interest, there can be no assurance that the reverse stock split will result in a share price that will attract new investors, including institutional investors. In addition, there can be no assurance that the market price of our Common Stock will satisfy the investing requirements of those investors. As a result, the trading liquidity of our Common Stock may not necessarily improve.