Regulation S-B
 
Item 303 Management's Discussion and Analysis or Plan of Operation
Small business issuers that have not had revenues from operations in
each of the last two fiscal years, or the last fiscal year and any interim
period in the current fiscal year for which financial statements are furnished
in the disclosure document, shall provide the information in
paragraphs
(a) and (c) of this Item. All other issuers shall provide the information
in paragraphs (b) and
(c) of this Item.
a.
Plan of operation.
1.
Describe the small
business issuer's plan of operation for the next twelve months. This description
should include such matters as:
i. a
discussion of how long the small business issuer can satisfy its cash
requirements and whether it will have to raise additional funds in the
next twelve months;
ii. a
summary of any product research and development that the small business
issuer will perform for the term of the plan;
iii. any
expected purchase or sale of plant and significant equipment; and
iv. any
expected significant changes in the number of employees.
2. [Reserved]
b.
Management's Discussion
and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
1.
Full fiscal
years. Discuss the small business issuer's financial condition, changes
in financial condition and results of operations for each of the last
two fiscal years. This discussion should address the past and future financial
condition and results of operation of the small business issuer, with
particular emphasis on the prospects for the future. The discussion should
also address those key variable and other qualitative and quantitative
factors which are necessary to an understanding and evaluation of the
small business issuer. If material, the small business issuer should disclose
the following:
i. Any
known trends, events or uncertainties that have or are reasonably likely
to have a material impact on the small business issuer's short-term or
long-term liquidity;
ii. Internal
and external sources of liquidity;
iii. Any
material commitments for capital expenditures and the expected sources
of funds for such expenditures;
iv. Any
known trends, events or uncertainties that have had or that are reasonably
expected to have a material impact on the net sales or revenues or income
from continuing operations;
v. Any
significant elements of income or loss that do not arise from the small
business issuer's continuing operations;
vi. The
causes for any material changes from period to period in one or more line
items of the small business issuer's financial statements; and
vii. Any
seasonal aspects that had a material effect on the financial condition
or results of operation.
2. Interim
Periods. If the small business issuer must include interim financial
statements in the registration statement or report, provide a comparable
discussion that will enable the reader to assess material changes in financial
condition and results of operations since the end of the last fiscal year
and for the comparable interim period in the preceding year.
Instructions
to Item 303:
1. The
discussion and analysis shall focus specifically on material events and
uncertainties known to management that would cause reported financial
information not to be necessarily indicative of future operating results
or of future financial condition.
2. Small
business issuers are encouraged, but not required, to supply forward looking
information. This is distinguished from presently known data which will
impact upon future operating results, such as known future increases in
costs of labor or materials. This latter data may be required to be disclosed.
c.
Off-balance sheet
arrangements.
1.
In a separately-captioned
section, discuss the small business issuer's off-balance sheet arrangements
that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect
on the small business issuer's financial condition, changes in financial
condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital
expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors. The disclosure
shall include the items specified in paragraphs (c)(1)(i), (ii), (iii)
and (iv) of this Item to the extent necessary to an understanding of such
arrangements and effect and shall also include such other information
that the small business issuer believes is necessary for such an understanding.
i. The
nature and business purpose to the small business issuer of such off-balance
sheet arrangements;
ii. The
importance to the small business issuer of such off-balance sheet arrangements
in respect of its liquidity, capital resources, market risk support, credit
risk support or other benefits;
iii. The
amounts of revenues, expenses and cash flows of the small business issuer
arising from such arrangements; the nature and amounts of any interests
retained, securities issued and other indebtedness incurred by the small
business issuer in connection with such arrangements; and the nature and
amounts of any other obligations or liabilities (including contingent
obligations or liabilities) of the small business issuer arising from
such arrangements that are or are reasonably likely to become material
and the triggering events or circumstances that could cause them to arise;
and
iv. Any
known event, demand, commitment, trend or uncertainty that will result
in or is reasonably likely to result in the termination, or material reduction
in availability to the small business issuer, of its off-balance sheet
arrangements that provide material benefits to it, and the course of action
that the small business issuer has taken or proposes to take in response
to any such circumstances.
2.
As used in paragraph
(c) of this Item, the term off-balance sheet arrangement means
any transaction, agreement or other contractual arrangement to which an
entity unconsolidated with the small business issuer is a party, under
which the small business issuer has:
i. Any
obligation under a guarantee contract that has any of the characteristics
identified in paragraph 3 of FASB Interpretation No. 45, Guarantor's
Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect
Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others (November 2002) ("FIN 45"),
as may be modified or supplemented, and that is not excluded from the
initial recognition and measurement provisions of FIN 45 pursuant to paragraphs
6 or 7 of that Interpretation;
ii. A
retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated
entity or similar arrangement that serves as credit, liquidity or market
risk support to such entity for such assets;
iii. Any
obligation, including a contingent obligation, under a contract that would
be accounted for as a derivative instrument, except that it is both indexed
to the small business issuer's own stock and classified in stockholders'
equity in the small business issuer's statement of financial position,
and therefore excluded from the scope of FASB
Statement of Financial Accounting
Standards No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging
Activities (June 1998), pursuant to paragraph 11(a) of that Statement,
as may be modified or supplemented; or
iv. Any
obligation, including a contingent obligation, arising out of a variable
interest (as referenced in FASB Interpretation No. 46, Consolidation
of Variable Interest Entities (January 2003), as may be modified or
supplemented) in an unconsolidated entity that is held by, and material
to, the small business issuer, where such entity provides financing, liquidity,
market risk or credit risk support to, or engages in leasing, hedging
or research and development services with, the small business issuer.
Instructions
to paragraph (c) of Item 303.
1. No
obligation to make disclosure under paragraph (c) of this Item shall arise
in respect of an off-balance sheet arrangement until a definitive agreement
that is unconditionally binding or subject only to customary closing conditions
exists or, if there is no such agreement, when settlement of the transaction
occurs.
2. Small
business issuers should aggregate off-balance sheet arrangements in groups
or categories that provide material information in an efficient and understandable
manner and should avoid repetition and disclosure of immaterial information.
Effects that are common or similar with respect to a number of off-balance
sheet arrangements must be analyzed in the aggregate to the extent the
aggregation increases understanding. Distinctions in arrangements and
their effects must be discussed to the extent the information is material,
but the discussion should avoid repetition and disclosure of immaterial
information.
3. For
purposes of paragraph (c) of this Item only, contingent liabilities arising
out of litigation, arbitration or regulatory actions are not considered
to be off-balance sheet arrangements.
4. Generally,
the disclosure required by paragraph (c) of this Item shall cover the
most recent fiscal year. However, the discussion should address changes
from the previous year where such discussion is necessary to an understanding
of the disclosure.
5. In
satisfying the requirements of paragraph (c) of this Item, the discussion
of off-balance sheet arrangements need not repeat information provided
in the footnotes to the financial statements, provided that such discussion
clearly cross-references to specific information in the relevant footnotes
and integrates the substance of the footnotes into such discussion in
a manner designed to inform readers of the significance of the information
that is not included within the body of such discussion.
d.
Safe harbor.
1. The
safe harbor provided in
section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and
section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("statutory safe harbors")
shall apply to forward-looking information provided pursuant to
paragraph
(c) of this Item, provided that the disclosure is made by: an issuer;
a person acting on behalf of the issuer; an outside reviewer retained
by the issuer making a statement on behalf of the issuer; or an underwriter,
with respect to information provided by the issuer or information derived
from information provided by the issuer.
2.
For purposes of
paragraph (d) of this Item only:
i. All
information required by paragraph (c) of this Item is deemed to be a "forward
looking statement" as that term is defined in the statutory safe
harbors, except for historical facts.
ii. With
respect to paragraph (c) of this Item, the meaningful cautionary statements
element of the statutory safe harbors will be satisfied if a small business
issuer satisfies all requirements of that same paragraph (c) of this Item.
Regulatory History |
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57 FR 36453, Aug. 13, 1992
68 FR 5982, 5998, Feb. 5, 2003 |
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