Toro Corp. (TORO) Risk Analysis

As a publicly traded company, the SEC, Nasdaq Capital Market, and other regulatory bodies subject us to increased scrutiny on the way we manage and operate our business by urging us or mandating us to take a series of actions that have nowadays become an area of focus among policymakers and investors. Listed companies are occasionally encouraged to follow best practices and often must comply with these rules and/or practices addressing a variety of corporate governance and anti-fraud matters, such as director independence, board committees, corporate transparency, ethical behavior, sustainability and prevention of and controls relating to corruption and fraud. While we believe we follow all requirements that regulatory bodies may from time to time impose on us, our internal processes and procedures might not be as advanced or mature as those implemented by other listed shipping companies with a longer experience and presence in the U.S. capital markets, which could be an area of concern to our investors and expose us to greater operational risks.

Dividends on the Series A Preferred Shares accrue and are cumulative from their issue date and are payable quarterly on each distribution payment date declared by the Board, out of funds legally available for such purpose. The dividend rate for the period from, and including, the issue date to, but excluding, the reset date will be 1.00% per annum of the stated amount of $1,000 per share; however, for each quarterly dividend period commencing on or after the reset date, the dividend rate will be the dividend rate in effect for the prior quarterly dividend period multiplied by a factor of 1.3, provided that the dividend rate will not exceed 20% per annum in respect of any quarterly dividend period. The rights of the holders of our Series A Preferred Shares rank senior to the obligations to holders of our common shares. This means that, unless accumulated dividends have been paid or set aside for payment on all of our outstanding Series A Preferred Shares for all past completed dividend periods, no distributions may be declared or paid on our common shares subject to limited exceptions. Likewise, in the event of our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding-up, no distribution of our assets may be made to holders of our common shares until we have paid to holders of our Series A Preferred Shares a liquidation preference equal to $1,000 per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends. In addition, our Series A Preferred Shares are convertible, in whole or in part, at their holder's option, to common shares at any time and from time to time from and after the third anniversary of their issue date and prior to the seventh anniversary of such date. The conversion of our Series A Preferred Shares could result in significant dilution to our shareholders at the time of conversion. See also "-Risks Relating to our Common Shares-Future issuances of common shares or other equity securities, including as a result of an conversion of Series A Preferred Shares, or the potential for such issuances, may impact the price of our common shares and could impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings. Shareholders may experience significant dilution as a result of any such issuances." Accordingly, the existence of the Series A Preferred Shares and the ability of a holder to convert the Series A Preferred Shares into common shares on or after the third and prior to the seventh anniversary of their issue date could have a material adverse effect on the value of our common shares. See "Item 10. Additional Information-B. Memorandum and Articles of Incorporation-Description of the Series A Preferred Shares" for a more detailed description of the Series A Preferred Shares.

The stock market in general, and the market for shipping companies in particular, have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, investors may experience rapid and substantial losses on their investment in our common shares that are unrelated to our operating performance. Our stock price has been volatile and may continue to be volatile, which may cause our common shares to trade above or below what we believe to be their fundamental value. Furthermore, significant historical fluctuations in the market price of our former parent company's common shares have been accompanied by reports of strong and atypical retail investor interest, including on social media and online forums, and, as our common shares were distributed to our former parent company's common shareholders in connection with the Spin-Off, we may have a similar shareholder base and experience similar patterns of investment. Since completion of the Spin-Off, the price of our common shares has been volatile, ranging from a low of $1.42 per share on March 24, 2023 to a high of $6.50 per share on August 14, 2023. As of February 29, 2024, the closing bid price of our common shares was $6.15 per common share. Our shares may continue to experience volatility as the market evaluates our prospects as an independent publicly traded company. Market volatility and trading patterns may create several risks for investors, including but not limited to the following: - the market price of our common shares may experience rapid and substantial increases or decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects, or macro or industry fundamentals;- to the extent volatility in our common shares is caused by a "short squeeze" in which coordinated trading activity causes a spike in the market price of our common shares as traders with a short position make market purchases to avoid or to mitigate potential losses, investors may purchase common shares at inflated prices unrelated to our financial performance or prospects, and may thereafter suffer substantial losses as prices decline once the level of short-covering purchases has abated; and - if the market price of our common shares declines, you may be unable to resell your shares at or above the price at which you acquired them. We cannot assure you that the equity issuance of our common shares will not fluctuate, increase or decline significantly in the future, in which case you could incur substantial losses. We may incur rapid and substantial increases or decreases in our stock price in the foreseeable future that may not coincide in timing with the disclosure of news or developments by or affecting us. Accordingly, the market price of our common shares may decline or fluctuate rapidly, regardless of any developments in our business. Overall, there are various factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could negatively affect the market price of our common shares or result in fluctuations in the price or trading volume of our common shares, which include but are not limited to: - investor reaction to our business strategy;- the sentiment of the significant number of retail investors whom we believe hold our common shares, in part due to direct access by retail investors to broadly available trading platforms, and whose investment thesis may be influenced by views expressed on financial trading and other social media sites and online forums;- the amount and status of short interest in our common shares, access to margin debt, trading in options and other derivatives on our common shares and any related hedging and other trading factors;- our continued compliance with the listing standards of the Nasdaq Capital Market and any action we may take to maintain such compliance, such as a reverse stock split;- regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries, especially changes in laws or regulations applicable to our industry;- variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;- our ability or inability to raise additional capital and the terms on which we raise it;- our dividend strategy;- our continued compliance with our debt covenants;- variations in the value of our fleet;- declines in the market prices of stocks generally;- trading volume of our common shares;- sales of our common shares by us or our shareholders;- speculation in the press or investment community about our Company, our industry or our securities;- general economic, industry and market conditions; and - other events or factors, including those resulting from such events, or the prospect of such events, including war, terrorism and other international conflicts, public health issues including health epidemics or pandemics, and natural disasters such as fire, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados or other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in the United States or elsewhere, could disrupt our operations or result in political or economic instability. The sale of significant volumes of our common shares, or the perception in the market that this will occur, may decrease their market price and have an adverse impact on our business, including due to Nasdaq minimum bid price requirements. Some companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their common shares have been subject to securities class-action litigation. If instituted against us, such litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of management's attention and resources, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results and growth prospects. There can be no guarantee that the price of our common shares will remain at or rise above its current level or that future sales of our common shares will not be at prices lower than those initially distributed or sold to investors.

Toro has an authorized share capital of 3,900,000,000 common shares that it may issue without further shareholder approval. Our business strategy may require the issuance of a substantial amount of additional shares and in the year ended December 31, 2023, we issued 8,500,000 common shares to Pani Corp. ("Pani"), a company controlled by Toro's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, for gross proceeds of $19,465,?000, less issuance costs of $817,764. Based on market conditions, we may also opportunistically seek to issue equity securities, including additional common shares. We cannot assure you at what price the offering of our shares in the future, if any, will be made but they may be offered and sold at a price significantly below the current trading price of our common shares or the acquisition price of common shares by shareholders and may be at a discount to the trading price of our common shares at the time of such sale. Purchasers of the common shares we sell, as well as our existing shareholders, will experience significant dilution if we sell shares at prices significantly below the price at which they invested. Further, our Series A Preferred Shares are convertible, in whole or in part, at their holder's option, to common shares at any time and from time to time from and after the third anniversary of their issue date and prior to the seventh anniversary of such date. All 140,000 Series A Preferred Shares outstanding as of the date of this Annual Report are beneficially owned by Castor. Subject to certain adjustments, the "Conversion Price" for any conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares shall be the lower of (i) 150% of the volume weighted average price ("VWAP") of our common shares over the five consecutive trading day period commencing on and including the Distribution Date, and (ii) the VWAP of our common shares over the 10 consecutive trading day period expiring on the trading day immediately prior to the date of delivery of written notice of the conversion; provided, that, in no event shall the Conversion Price be less than $2.50. The number of common shares to be issued to a converting holder shall be equal to the quotient of (i) the aggregate stated amount of the Series A Preferred Shares converted plus Accrued Dividends (but excluding any dividends declared but not yet paid) thereon on the date on which the conversion notice is delivered divided by (ii) the Conversion Price. If converted by Castor, Castor will have registration rights in relation to the common shares issued upon conversion. See "Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions-B. Related Party Transactions-Contribution and Spin-Off Distribution Agreement." The issuance of additional common shares upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Shares could result in significant dilution to our shareholders at the time of conversion. In addition, we may issue additional common shares or other equity securities of equal or senior rank in the future in connection with, among other things, our Equity Incentive Plan (under which a total of 1,240,000 restricted common have already been granted subject but remain unvested as of February 29, 2024), debt prepayments or future vessel acquisitions, without shareholder approval, in a number of circumstances. To the extent that we issue restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, options or warrants to purchase our common shares in the future and those stock appreciation rights, options or warrants are exercised or as the restricted stock units vest, our shareholders may experience further dilution. Holders of shares of our common shares have no preemptive rights that entitle such holders to purchase their pro rata share of any offering of shares of any class or series and, therefore, such sales or offerings could result in increased dilution to our shareholders. Our issuance of additional common shares or other equity securities of equal or senior rank, or the perception that such issuances may occur, could have the following effects: - our existing shareholders' proportionate ownership interest in us will decrease;- the earnings per share and the per share amount of cash available for dividends on our common shares (as and if declared) could decrease;- the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding common share could be diminished;- the market price of our common shares could decline; and - our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional securities at a time and price that we deem appropriate could be impaired. The market price of our common shares could also decline due to sales, or the announcements of proposed sales, of a large number of common shares by our large shareholders (including sales of common shares issued upon conversion, if any, of the Series A Preferred Shares), or the perception that these sales could occur.

We are organized in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, which does not have a well-developed body of corporate or case law, and as a result, shareholders may have fewer rights and protections under Marshall Islands law than under a typical jurisdiction in the United States. Our corporate affairs are governed by our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws and by the Marshall Islands Business Corporations Act (the "BCA"). The provisions of the BCA resemble provisions of the corporation laws of a number of states in the United States. However, there have been few judicial cases in the Marshall Islands interpreting the BCA. The rights and fiduciary responsibilities of directors under the laws of the Marshall Islands are not as clearly established as the rights and fiduciary responsibilities of directors under statutes or judicial precedent in existence in the United States. The rights of shareholders of companies incorporated in the Marshall Islands may differ from the rights of shareholders of companies incorporated in the United States. While the BCA provides that its provisions shall be applied and construed in a manner to make them uniform with the laws of the State of Delaware and other states with substantially similar legislative provisions, there have been few, if any, court cases interpreting the BCA in the Marshall Islands and we cannot predict whether Marshall Islands courts would reach the same conclusions as U.S. courts. Thus, you may have more difficulty in protecting your interests in the face of actions by our management, directors or controlling shareholders than shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a United States jurisdiction which has developed a relatively more substantial body of case law would. The Marshall Islands has no established bankruptcy act, and as a result, any bankruptcy action involving us would have to be initiated outside the Marshall Islands, and our shareholders may find it difficult or impossible to pursue their claims in such other jurisdictions.

We are incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. Our principal executive office is located in Cyprus. In addition, the majority of our directors and officers are non-residents of the United States, and substantially all of their assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States if you believe that your rights have been infringed under securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and of other jurisdictions may prevent or restrict you from enforcing a judgment against our assets or our directors and officers. Although you may bring an original action against us or our affiliates in the courts of the Marshall Islands, and the courts of the Marshall Islands may impose civil liability, including monetary damages, against us or our affiliates for a cause of action arising under Marshall Islands law, it may be impracticable for you to do so.

Our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands shall be the sole and exclusive forum for asserting any internal corporate claim, intra-corporate claim or claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine and that the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York shall be the sole and exclusive forum for any action asserting a claim arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. If the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York does not have jurisdiction over the claims assigned to it by our exclusive forum provisions, any other federal district court of the United States may hear such claims. While the validity of exclusive forum provisions has been upheld under the law of certain jurisdictions, uncertainty remains as to whether our exclusive forum provisions will be fully or partially recognized by all jurisdictions. If a court were to find either exclusive forum provision contained in our articles of association to be inapplicable or unenforceable (in whole or in part) in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition. The exclusive forum provision in our Bylaws will not relieve us of our duties to comply with federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder, and our shareholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations. In particular, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all claims brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Our exclusive forum provision may limit a shareholder's ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with us or our directors or other employees or increase the costs associated with bringing litigation against us or our directors, employees or officers, which may discourage lawsuits against such parties.

Several provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws could make it difficult for our shareholders to change the composition of our Board in any one year, preventing them from changing the composition of management. In addition, the same provisions may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that shareholders may consider favorable. These provisions include: - authorizing our Board to issue "blank check" preferred shares without shareholder approval;- providing for a classified Board with staggered, three-year terms;- establishing certain advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our Board or for proposing matters that can be acted on by shareholders at shareholder meetings;- prohibiting cumulative voting in the election of directors;- prohibiting any owner of 15% or more of our voting stock from engaging in a business combination with us within three years after the owner acquired such ownership, except under certain conditions;- limiting the persons who may call special meetings of shareholders; and - establishing supermajority voting provisions with respect to amendments to certain provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. On the Distribution Date, our Board declared a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right"), for each outstanding common share and adopt a shareholder rights plan, as set forth in the Shareholder Protection Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement") entered into between Toro and Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, Inc., as rights agent, on such same date. Each Right allows its holder to purchase from Toro one common share (or one one-thousandth of a share of Series C Participating Preferred Shares), for the Exercise Price of $22 once the Rights become exercisable. This portion of a Series C Participating Preferred Share will give the shareholder approximately the same dividend, voting and liquidation rights as would one common share. The Rights Agreement is intended to protect shareholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics. In general terms, it imposes a significant penalty upon any person or group that acquires 15% or more of our outstanding common shares without the approval of our Board. If a shareholder's beneficial ownership of our common shares as of the time of the public announcement of the rights plan and associated dividend declaration is at or above the applicable threshold, that shareholder's then-existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if at any time after such announcement, the shareholder increases its ownership percentage by 1% or more. Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Petros Panagiotidis, and Mr. Panagiotidis' controlled affiliates are exempt from these provisions. For a full description of the rights plan, see "Item 10. Additional Information-B. Shareholder Protection Rights Agreement." The Rights may have anti-takeover effects. The Rights will cause substantial dilution to any person or group that attempts to acquire us without the approval of our Board. As a result, the overall effect of the Rights may be to render more difficult or discourage any attempt to acquire us. Because our Board can approve a redemption of the Rights for a permitted offer, the Rights should not interfere with a merger or other business combination approved by our Board. In addition to the Rights above, we have issued 40,000 Series B Preferred Shares, representing 99.5% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding share capital, net of treasury shares, as of February 29, 2024 to an entity controlled by Mr. Panagiotidis. See "-Our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who may be deemed to beneficially own, directly or indirectly, a majority of our outstanding common shares and 100% of our Series B Preferred Shares, has control over us" and "Item 10. Additional Information-B. Memorandum and Articles of Association." In addition, our future credit facilities may contain covenants prohibiting or limiting a change of control. See "-We expect that any new or amended credit facility we enter into will contain restrictive covenants that we may not be able to comply with due to economic, financial or operational reasons and may limit our business and financing activities" for associated risks. The foregoing anti-takeover provisions could substantially impede the ability of public shareholders to benefit from a change in control and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our common shares and your ability to realize any potential change of control premium.