Class F Stock - Explained (2024)

Class F stock is founders stock that is a unique class of common stock, which was generated by the Funded Founder Institute. This type of stock has become sufficiently common that I feel the need to explain it as part of this general venture financing lecture series. In startup ventures, the corporation is likely to issue preferred shares to investors. These preferred shares offer numerous control and financial protections to investors.


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Characteristics of Class F Stock?

The class F stock is similar to preferred shares in they they provide special voting and protective provisions that are favorable to founders.

  • Voting - Generally, class F stock will have 10 votes per share, rather than 1 vote per share characteristic of traditional common stock. This is a super-voting characteristic and is common in companies where the founders highly value close control regarding outside equity investors.
  • Protective Provisions - Regarding protective provisions, the class F stock may have any number of protective provisions common to preferred shares. Most commonly, the articles of incorporation or bylaws will require that certain shareholder actions require a majority vote by class F shareholders.
  • Directors - The class F stockholders have authority to elect one director, who has 2 votes in comparison to the one vote of other directors.
  • Participation - The Class F common stock and the Class A common stock otherwise participate equally with respect to dividends and distributions and other economic rights.
  • Conversion - The Class F common stock can be converted into Class A at any time at the option of the holder, and will automatically convert if the holder dies or if the Class F common stock is transferred to someone other than another Class F holder or an entity for the benefit of a Class F holder.

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Class F Stock - Explained (2024)

FAQs

Class F Stock - Explained? ›

Class F Shares are a particular breed of Preferred Stock issued only to founders. The shares are bestowed with super-voting rights: each Class F Share is equal to 10 Class A Shares

Class A Shares
In finance, a class A share refers to a share classification of common or preferred stock that typically has enhanced benefits with respect to dividends, asset sales, or voting rights compared to Class B or Class C shares.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Class_A_share
.

What is a Class F stock? ›

Class F Common Stock was developed by the Founder Institute to give founders voting control over their startups. The “F” stands for “Founder” but you can call the stock whatever you want. The key feature of Class F Common Stock is its voting rights.

What is Series F stock? ›

Series F Stock means the series of Preferred Stock authorized and designated as Series F Convertible Preferred Stock at the date of the Certificate, including any shares thereof authorized and designated after the date of the Certificate.

Which class of stock gives you voting rights? ›

Investors in common shares—also known as ordinary shares—are usually given at least one vote for each share they hold. This entitles the owners to vote at annual meetings, where board members are elected, company decisions are made, and shareholders are allowed to voice their concerns.

What do different classes of stock mean? ›

The company created three share classes of the company's stock as a result. Class-A shares are held by regular investors and carry one vote per share. Class-B shares, held primarily by Brin and Page, have 10 votes per share. Class-C shares are typically held by employees and have no voting rights.

What is the difference between A shares and F shares? ›

A typical fee might be 1% per year. If you wish to pay fees, investors have to buy a certain type of mutual fund share called Class “F”. Other investors prefer to pay a commission rather than a fee and have the commission built into the price of the mutual fund. This is the Class “A” fund.

Should I buy Class A or B shares? ›

If you're a smaller investor who is looking for an affordable way to invest in a company, Class B shares may be the best option. If you're an institutional investor who wants more control over the company's decisions, Class A shares may be a better choice.

How often does F stock pay dividends? ›

Ford Motor Company ( F ) pays dividends on a quarterly basis. Ford Motor Company ( F ) has increased its dividends for 3 consecutive years. This is a positive sign of the company's financial stability and its ability to pay consistent dividends in the future.

What are F series investments? ›

Fee-based mutual funds (series F units)

When an investor buys a mutual fund in a fee-based account they will purchase series F units of the fund. Series F units are only available in fee-based accounts as they do not include a trailing commission as a component of their MER.

What is stock Y vs F? ›

Y-stocks, which are sometimes called Y-shares, are American depositary receipts (ADRs) trading in the U.S. market but represent a foreign stock. F-stocks are foreign stocks trading in the local foreign market.

What stock has no voting rights? ›

One main difference from common stock is that preferred stock comes with no voting rights. So when it comes time for a company to elect a board of directors or vote on any form of corporate policy, preferred shareholders have no voice about the future of the company.

What stock has super voting rights? ›

An example of a company that uses super-voting stock is Alphabet, the parent company of Google. It has three classes of shares: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Its Class B shares are super-voting shares, which confer 10 votes per share. They are only held by founders and insiders, and can't be publicly traded.

Should I buy Class A or C shares? ›

Investors generally should consider Class A shares (the initial sales charge alternative) if they expect to hold the investment over the long term. Class C shares (the level sales charge alternative) should generally be considered for shorter-term holding periods.

What are the 4 main types of stock? ›

Here's what you should know about the different types of stocks.
  • Common stock. Common stock is probably what you think of when you are looking to invest in stocks. ...
  • Preferred stock. Preferred stock is more like a bond than it is a stock. ...
  • Large-cap stock. ...
  • Mid-cap stock. ...
  • Small-cap stock. ...
  • Growth stock. ...
  • Value stock. ...
  • Foreign stock.
Mar 9, 2023

Do Class C shares have voting rights? ›

Class A shares generally have more voting power and higher priority for dividends, while Class B shares are common shares with no preferential treatment. Class C shares can refer to shares given to employees or alternate share classes available to public investors, with varying restrictions and voting rights.

What is a Class D stock? ›

Definition. A mutual fund class D share is a less common type of mutual fund share that usually doesn't have a front- or back-end transaction fee. Because of its lower costs, it's a good investment option for do-it-yourself investors.

What are Class F 1 shares? ›

Class F-1 shares are primarily available through certain financial services platforms that support self-directed investors. Class F-2, F-3, 529-F-2, 529-F-3 and ABLE-F-2 shares are used in fee-based programs at most broker-dealers.

What are Class F units? ›

Class F units are lower-fee versions of traditional direct retail investment units. They are distributed through investment advisors and financial planners who charge their clients on an assets-under-management basis rather than by individual transaction.

What are C class stocks? ›

Class C shares are often purchased by investors who have less than $1 million in assets to invest in a fund family and who have a shorter-term investment horizon, because during those first years Class C shares will generally be more economical to purchase, hold and sell than Class A shares.

Is Class B stock preferred stock? ›

There are also Class B shares which are referred to as preferred shares in certain companies. Before investing in the shares, investors will look at different financial ratios which will help them value the share and aid in the decision of investing in the stock.

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