Del. C. » Title 8 — · CHAPTER 1. General Corporation Law · Corporations

8 Del. C. § 151

Classes and series of stock; redemption; rights

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(a) Every corporation may issue 1 or more classes of stock or 1 or more series of stock within any class thereof, any or all of which classes may be of stock with par value or stock without par value and which classes or series may have such voting powers, full or limited, or no voting powers, and such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, and qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in the certificate of incorporation or of any amendment thereto, or in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors pursuant to authority expressly vested in it by the provisions of its certificate of incorporation. Any of the voting powers, designations, preferences, rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions of any such class or series of stock may be made dependent upon facts ascertainable outside the certificate of incorporation or of any amendment thereto, or outside the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors pursuant to authority expressly vested in it by its certificate of incorporation, provided that the manner in which such facts shall operate upon the voting powers, designations, preferences, rights and qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such class or series of stock is clearly and expressly set forth in the certificate of incorporation or in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors. The term “facts,” as used in this subsection, includes, but is not limited to, the occurrence of any event, including a determination or action by any person or body, including the corporation. The power to increase or decrease or otherwise adjust the capital stock as provided in this chapter shall apply to all or any such classes of stock.

(b) Any stock of any class or series may be made subject to redemption by the corporation at its option or at the option of the holders of such stock or upon the happening of a specified event; provided however, that immediately following any such redemption the corporation shall have outstanding 1 or more shares of 1 or more classes or series of stock, which share, or shares together, shall have full voting powers. Notwithstanding the limitation stated in the foregoing proviso:

(1) Any stock of a regulated investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 [15 U.S.C. § 80 a-1 et seq.], as heretofore or hereafter amended, may be made subject to redemption by the corporation at its option or at the option of the holders of such stock.

(2) Any stock of a corporation which holds (directly or indirectly) a license or franchise from a governmental agency to conduct its business or is a member of a national securities exchange, which license, franchise or membership is conditioned upon some or all of the holders of its stock possessing prescribed qualifications, may be made subject to redemption by the corporation to the extent necessary to prevent the loss of such license, franchise or membership or to reinstate it.

Any stock which may be made redeemable under this section may be redeemed for cash, property or rights, including securities of the same or another corporation, at such time or times, price or prices, or rate or rates, and with such adjustments, as shall be stated in the certificate of incorporation or in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(c) The holders of preferred or special stock of any class or of any series thereof shall be entitled to receive dividends at such rates, on such conditions and at such times as shall be stated in the certificate of incorporation or in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors as hereinabove provided, payable in preference to, or in such relation to, the dividends payable on any other class or classes or of any other series of stock, and cumulative or noncumulative as shall be so stated and expressed. When dividends upon the preferred and special stocks, if any, to the extent of the preference to which such stocks are entitled, shall have been paid or declared and set apart for payment, a dividend on the remaining class or classes or series of stock may then be paid out of the remaining assets of the corporation available for dividends as elsewhere in this chapter provided.

(d) The holders of the preferred or special stock of any class or of any series thereof shall be entitled to such rights upon the dissolution of, or upon any distribution of the assets of, the corporation as shall be stated in the certificate of incorporation or in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors as hereinabove provided.

(e) Any stock of any class or of any series thereof may be made convertible into, or exchangeable for, at the option of either the holder or the corporation or upon the happening of a specified event, shares of any other class or classes or any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock of the corporation, at such price or prices or at such rate or rates of exchange and with such adjustments as shall be stated in the certificate of incorporation or in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such stock adopted by the board of directors as hereinabove provided.

(f) If any corporation shall be authorized to issue more than 1 class of stock or more than 1 series of any class, the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional, or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights shall be set forth in full or summarized on the face or back of the certificate which the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, provided that, except as otherwise provided in § 202 of this title, in lieu of the foregoing requirements, there may be set forth on the face or back of the certificate which the corporation shall issue to represent such class or series of stock, a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional, or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated stock, the registered owner thereof shall be given a notice, in writing or by electronic transmission, containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to this section or § 156, § 202(a), § 218(a) or § 364 of this title or with respect to this section a statement that the corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, the rights and obligations of the holders of uncertificated stock and the rights and obligations of the holders of certificates representing stock of the same class and series shall be identical.

(g) When any corporation desires to issue any shares of stock of any class or of any series of any class of which the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, if any, or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, if any, shall not have been set forth in the certificate of incorporation or in any amendment thereto but shall be provided for in a resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of directors pursuant to authority expressly vested in it by the certificate of incorporation or any amendment thereto, a certificate of designations setting forth a copy of such resolution or resolutions and the number of shares of stock of such class or series as to which the resolution or resolutions apply shall be executed, acknowledged, filed and shall become effective, in accordance with § 103 of this title. Unless otherwise provided in any such resolution or resolutions, the number of shares of stock of any such series to which such resolution or resolutions apply may be increased (but not above the total number of authorized shares of the class) or decreased (but not below the number of shares thereof then outstanding) by a certificate likewise executed, acknowledged and filed setting forth a statement that a specified increase or decrease therein had been authorized and directed by a resolution or resolutions likewise adopted by the board of directors. In case the number of such shares shall be decreased the number of shares so specified in the certificate shall resume the status which they had prior to the adoption of the first resolution or resolutions. When no shares of any such class or series are outstanding, either because none were issued or because no issued shares of any such class or series remain outstanding, a certificate setting forth a resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of directors that none of the authorized shares of such class or series are outstanding, and that none will be issued subject to the certificate of designations previously filed with respect to such class or series, may be executed, acknowledged and filed in accordance with § 103 of this title and, when such certificate becomes effective, it shall have the effect of eliminating from the certificate of incorporation all matters set forth in the certificate of designations with respect to such class or series of stock. Unless otherwise provided in the certificate of incorporation, if no shares of stock have been issued of a class or series of stock established by a resolution of the board of directors, the voting powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other rights, if any, or the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, may be amended by a resolution or resolutions adopted by the board of directors. A certificate which:

(1) States that no shares of the class or series have been issued;

(2) Sets forth a copy of the resolution or resolutions; and

(3) If the designation of the class or series is being changed, indicates the original designation and the new designation,

shall be executed, acknowledged and filed and shall become effective, in accordance with § 103 of this title. When any certificate filed under this subsection becomes effective, it shall have the effect of amending the certificate of incorporation; except that neither the filing of such certificate nor the filing of a restated certificate of incorporation pursuant to § 245 of this title shall prohibit the board of directors from subsequently adopting such resolutions as authorized by this subsection.

8 Del. C. 1953, §  151;  56 Del. Laws, c. 50;  57 Del. Laws, c. 148, §§  8, 9;  57 Del. Laws, c. 421, §§  3, 4;  59 Del. Laws, c. 106, §  1;  64 Del. Laws, c. 112, §§  8-10;  65 Del. Laws, c. 127, §  4;  66 Del. Laws, c. 136, §  4;  67 Del. Laws, c. 376, §  4;  69 Del. Laws, c. 264, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 587, §  12;  71 Del. Laws, c. 339, §  18;  81 Del. Laws, c. 86, § 1; 
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 29 cases (14 in the last 5 years), 1959–2026 · leading case: Anderson v. Dobson
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Anderson v. Dobson (2007) ncwd “Speaking on the policy concerns driving this statutory scheme, the Grimes court continued to explain, The statutes relating to the issuance of stock that provide the policy context that is relevant here are 8 Del. C. §§ 151, 152, 153, 157, 161 and 166.”
Koppers Co., Inc. v. American Exp. Co. (1988) pawd “8 Del.C. § 151. In our view, this is not dispositive of the characterization of the Series B Preferred Stock under the margin regulations.”
Tankersley v. Albright (1974) ilnd “Legality of the Proposed Amendments There can be no doubt as to the validity of the proposed amendments under Delaware law as such provisions are expressly authorized by the corporation laws of that state, see 8 Del.”
In Re Farm Industries, Inc. (1963) delch “§ 102 and 8 Del.C. § 151 impose a mandatory requirement that such voting rights, in order to exist, must be set forth in the certificate of incorporation.”
Akcess Pacific Group LLC v. Winstar Communications Inc. (1999) nysd “8 Del.C. § 151 (1998). 3 . 15 U.S.C. § 78m (1999).”
Colon v. Bumble, Inc. (2023) delch · cites it 5× “” A charter can also grant new rights to a class of shares 4 8 Del. C. § 151(a) (providing that shares can have “no voting powers”).”
Robert Garfield v. Boxed, Inc. (2022) delch · cites it 4× “, 8 Del. C. § 151 (“Every corporation may issue 1 or more classes of stock or 1 or more series of stock within any class thereof .”
Cedarview Opportunities Master Fund, L.P. v. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (2018) delch · cites it 3× “100 Chief Justice Strine described the potential clash of these two interpretive principles in Shiftan: One could argue that these interpretive principles come into direct conflict in a very particular context.”
United Atlantic Ventures, LLC v. TMTG Sub Inc. f/k/a Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (2025) delch · cites it 3× “Section 151 In Count II, UAV avers that if I conclude the Lock-Up “was adopted prior to UAV[’s] shares being issued, the [] Lock-Up as imposed on UAV’s shares violates 8 Del. C. § 151.”167 Section 151(a), which authorizes and governs the issuance of classes of corporate stock,…”
Paul Nguyen v. View, Inc. (2017) delch · cites it 2× “29 8 Del. C. § 151. 30 8 Del. C. § 157. 31 8 Del.”
In re Fox Corporation/Snap Inc. Section 242 Litigation (2024) del · cites it 2× “But Section 242(b)(2) is an exception which requires a separate class vote of non-voting class shares “if the amendment would . . . alter or change the powers, preferences, or special rights of the shares of such class so as to affect them adversely.”
In re Fox Corporation/Snap Inc. Section 242 Litigation (2024) del · cites it 2× “But Section 242(b)(2) is an exception which requires a separate class vote of non-voting class shares “if the amendment would . . . alter or change the powers, preferences, or special rights of the shares of such class so as to affect them adversely.”
Show all 29 citing cases →
— 8 Del. C. § 151(a) — 16 cases
Tankersley v. Albright (1974) ilnd “Legality of the Proposed Amendments There can be no doubt as to the validity of the proposed amendments under Delaware law as such provisions are expressly authorized by the corporation laws of that state, see 8 Del.”
Colon v. Bumble, Inc. (2023) delch “” A charter can also grant new rights to a class of shares 4 8 Del. C. § 151(a) (providing that shares can have “no voting powers”).”
Cedarview Opportunities Master Fund, L.P. v. Spanish Broadcasting System, Inc. (2018) delch “100 Chief Justice Strine described the potential clash of these two interpretive principles in Shiftan: One could argue that these interpretive principles come into direct conflict in a very particular context.”
Robert Garfield v. Boxed, Inc. (2022) delch “, 8 Del. C. § 151 (“Every corporation may issue 1 or more classes of stock or 1 or more series of stock within any class thereof .”
United Atlantic Ventures, LLC v. TMTG Sub Inc. f/k/a Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (2025) delch “Section 151 In Count II, UAV avers that if I conclude the Lock-Up “was adopted prior to UAV[’s] shares being issued, the [] Lock-Up as imposed on UAV’s shares violates 8 Del. C. § 151.”167 Section 151(a), which authorizes and governs the issuance of classes of corporate stock,…”
— 8 Del. C. § 151(b) — 1 case
Colon v. Bumble, Inc. (2023) delch “” A charter can also grant new rights to a class of shares 4 8 Del. C. § 151(a) (providing that shares can have “no voting powers”).”
— 8 Del. C. § 151(c) — 1 case
In Re: Fannie mae/freddie Mac Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement Class Action Litigations (2018) dcd
— 8 Del. C. § 151(g) — 2 cases
In re Fox Corporation/Snap Inc. Section 242 Litigation (2024) del “But Section 242(b)(2) is an exception which requires a separate class vote of non-voting class shares “if the amendment would . . . alter or change the powers, preferences, or special rights of the shares of such class so as to affect them adversely.”
In re Fox Corporation/Snap Inc. Section 242 Litigation (2024) del “But Section 242(b)(2) is an exception which requires a separate class vote of non-voting class shares “if the amendment would . . . alter or change the powers, preferences, or special rights of the shares of such class so as to affect them adversely.”
— 8 Del. C. § 151(h)(5) — 1 case
Abramowski v. Nuvei Corporation (2024) ded
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