(10) Stockholders' Equity

Preferred Stock

Liberty Broadband's preferred stock is issuable, from time to time, with such designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other rights, qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, as shall be stated and expressed in a resolution or resolutions providing for the issue of such preferred stock adopted by Liberty Broadband's board of directors.

Liberty Broadband Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock”) was issued as a result of the Combination on December 18, 2020. Each share of Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock of GCI Liberty outstanding immediately prior to the closing of the Combination was converted into one share of newly issued Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock. The Company is required to redeem all outstanding shares of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock out of funds legally available, at the liquidation price plus all unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) accrued from the most recent dividend payment date through the redemption date, on the first business day following March 8, 2039. There were 7,300,000 shares of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock authorized and 7,183,812 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2023. An additional 42,700,000 shares of preferred stock of the Company are authorized and are undesignated as to series. The Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock is accounted for as a liability on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets because it is mandatorily redeemable. As a result, all dividends paid on the Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock are recorded as interest expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock has one-third of a vote per share.

The liquidation price is measured per share and shall mean the sum of (i) $25, plus (ii) an amount equal to all unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) accrued with respect to such share have been added to and then remain part of the liquidation price as of such date. The fair value of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock of $203 million was recorded at the time of the Combination. The fair value of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock as of December 31, 2023 was $158 million (Level 1).

The holders of shares of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock are entitled to receive, when and as declared by the Liberty Broadband board of directors, out of legally available funds, preferential dividends that accrue and cumulate as provided in the certificate of designations for the Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock.

Dividends on each share of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock accrue on a daily basis at a rate of 7.00% per annum of the liquidation price.

Accrued dividends are payable quarterly on each dividend payment date, which is January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15 of each year, commencing January 15, 2021. If Liberty Broadband fails to pay cash dividends on the Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock in full for any four consecutive or non-consecutive dividend periods then the dividend rate shall increase by 2.00% per annum of the liquidation price until cured. On December 13, 2023, the Company announced that its board of directors had declared a quarterly cash dividend of approximately $0.44 per share of Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock which was paid on January 16, 2024 to shareholders of record of the Liberty Broadband Preferred Stock at the close of business on January 2, 2024.

Common Stock

Liberty Broadband's Series A common stock (“LBRDA”) has one vote per share, Liberty Broadband's Series B common stock (“LBRDB”) has ten votes per share and Liberty Broadband’s Series C common stock (“LBRDK”) has no votes per share (except as otherwise required by applicable law). Each share of the Series B common stock is exchangeable at the option of the holder for one share of Series A common stock. All series of our common stock participate on an equal basis with respect to dividends and distributions.

As of December 31, 2023, Liberty Broadband reserved 4 million shares of LBRDB and LBRDK common stock for issuance under exercise privileges of outstanding stock Awards.

Purchases of Common Stock

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company repurchased 3 million shares of LBRDA and LBRDK for aggregate cash consideration of $227 million. There were no repurchases of LBRDB during the year ended December 31, 2023.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 24 million shares of LBRDA and LBRDK for aggregate cash consideration of $2.9 billion. There were no repurchases of LBRDB during the year ended December 31, 2022.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased 26 million shares of LBRDA and LBRDK for aggregate cash consideration of $4.3 billion under the authorized repurchase program. There were no repurchases of LBRDB during the year ended December 31, 2021.

All of the foregoing shares obtained have been retired and returned to the status of authorized and available for issuance. As of December 31, 2023, the Company had approximately $1.8 billion available to be used for share repurchases under the Company’s share repurchase program.

Exchange Agreement with Chairman

On June 13, 2022, Liberty Broadband entered into an Exchange Agreement with its Chairman of the board of directors, John C. Malone, and a revocable trust of which Mr. Malone is the sole trustee and beneficiary (the “JM Trust”) (the “Exchange Agreement”), whereby, among other things, Mr. Malone agreed to an arrangement under which his aggregate voting power in the Company would not exceed 49% (the “Target Voting Power”) plus 0.5% (under certain circumstances).

The Exchange Agreement provides for exchanges by the Company and Mr. Malone or the JM Trust of shares of LBRDB for shares of LBRDK in connection with certain events, including (i) any event that would result in a reduction in the outstanding votes that may be cast by holders of the Company’s voting securities or an increase of Mr. Malone’s beneficially-owned voting power in the Company (an “Accretive Event”), in each case, such that Mr. Malone’s voting power in the Company would exceed the Target Voting Power plus 0.5%; or (ii) from and after the occurrence of any Accretive Event, in connection with any event that would result in an increase in the outstanding votes that may be cast by holders of the Company’s voting securities or a decrease of Mr. Malone’s beneficially-owned voting power in the Company (a “Dilutive Event”), in each case, such that Mr. Malone’s voting power in the Company falls below the Target Voting Power less 0.5%. Additionally, the Exchange Agreement contains certain provisions with respect to fundamental events at the Company, meaning any combination, consolidation, merger, exchange offer, split-off, spin-off, rights offering or dividend, in each case, as a result of which holders of LBRDB are entitled to receive securities of the Company, securities of another person, property or cash, or a combination thereof.

In connection with an Accretive Event, Mr. Malone or the JM Trust will be required to exchange with the Company shares of LBRDB (as exchanged, the “Exchanged Series B Shares”) for an equal number of shares of LBRDK (as exchanged, the “Exchanged Series C Shares”) so as to maintain Mr. Malone’s voting power as close as possible to, without exceeding, the Target Voting Power, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Exchange Agreement.

In connection with a Dilutive Event, Mr. Malone and the JM Trust may exchange the Exchanged Series C Shares with the Company for an equal number of shares of LBRDB equal to the lesser of (i) the number of shares of LBRDB which would maintain Mr. Malone’s voting power as close as possible to, without exceeding, the Target Voting Power and (ii) the number of Exchanged Series B Shares at such time, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Exchange Agreement.

Under the Exchange Agreement, the JM Trust exchanged 215,647 shares of LBRDB for the same number of LBRDK on June 13, 2022, and exchanged 211,255 shares of LBRDB for the same number of LBRDK on July 19, 2022. Additionally, the JM Trust exchanged 54,247 shares of LBRDB for the same number of LBRDK on January 23, 2023.