o
|
Preliminary
Proxy Statement
|
o
|
Confidential,
for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
|
x
|
Definitive
Proxy Statement
|
o
|
Definitive
Additional Materials
|
o
|
Soliciting
Material Pursuant to Rule
§240.14a-12
|
VALUE
LINE, INC.
|
(Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
|
(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the
Registrant)
|
x
|
No
fee required.
|
o
|
Fee
computed on table below per Securities Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(l) and
0-11.
|
1.
|
Title
of each class of securities to which transaction
applies:
|
|
2.
|
Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
|
|
3.
|
Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to
Securities Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the
filing fee is calculated and state how it was
determined):
|
|
4.
|
Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
|
|
5.
|
Total
fee paid:
|
|
o
|
Fee
paid previously with preliminary materials.
|
|
o
|
Check
box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Securities Exchange
Act Rule 0-1l(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee
was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration
statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
|
|
1.
|
Amount
Previously Paid:
|
|
2.
|
Form,
Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
|
|
3.
|
Filing
Party:
|
|
4.
|
Date
Filed:
|
|
1.
|
To
elect directors of Value Line, Inc.; and
|
|
2.
|
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the
meeting.
|
By order of the Board of Directors | |
THOMAS
T. SARKANY,
|
|
Secretary
|
|
New
York, New York
|
|
August
6, 2010
|
|
|
|
||||||
Name
of Beneficial
Owner |
Number
of shares Beneficially
Owned |
Percentage
of Shares Beneficially
Owned(1) |
||||||
Arnold
Bernhard & Co., Inc.(1)
|
8,633,733 | 86.5 | % | |||||
220
East 42nd Street
|
||||||||
New
York, NY 10017
|
(1)
|
Jean
Bernhard Buttner, Former Chairman of the Board, and Former Chief Executive
Officer of the Company, owns all of the outstanding voting stock of Arnold
Bernhard & Co., Inc.
|
|
|
|
||||||
Name
and Address of
Beneficial Owner |
Number
of Shares Beneficially
Owned |
Percentage
of Shares Beneficially
Owned(1) |
||||||
Howard
A. Brecher
|
200 | * | ||||||
Mitchell
E. Appel
|
200 | * | ||||||
Stephen
R. Anastasio
|
100 | * | ||||||
Thomas
T. Sarkany
|
0 | * | ||||||
William
Reed
|
0 | * | ||||||
Alfred
Fiore
|
0 | * | ||||||
Stephen
Davis
|
0 | * | ||||||
All directors and executive officers as a group (7 persons) |
500
|
*
|
*
|
Less
than one percent
|
●
|
The
Audit Committee has primary responsibility for discussing reporting and
control policies with management and the Company’s independent auditor, as
appropriate, with respect to risk oversight including the
Corporation’s major business and financial risk exposures, and providing
the Board with advice and recommendations regarding the ongoing
development of risk oversight and management policies that set out the
roles and respective accountabilities of the Board, the Committee, and
management. The policies cover the areas of risk oversight, design of
compliance and control mechanisms, and assessment of
effectiveness. The Audit Committee’s meeting agendas include
discussions of individual risk areas throughout the
year.
|
|
●
|
The
Board’s other standing committee, which is the Compensation Committee,
oversee risks associated with their areas of
responsibility. The Compensation Committee reviews risks
associated with our compensation policies and practices relating to
executive officers.
|
|
●
|
The
Board also considers risks relating to our financial and strategic plans,
in part by receiving regular reports from the heads of our principal
business and corporate functions. These reports are provided in
connection with regular Board meetings and are discussed, as appropriate,
at Board meetings.
|
Nominee,
Age as of June 30, 2010 and Principal Occupation
|
Director
Since
|
|
Howard
A. Brecher (56). Acting Chairman and Acting CEO since November 2009; Chief
Legal Officer; Vice President; Secretary until January 2010; Vice
President and Secretary of the Value Line Funds since June 2008; Secretary
of EULAV Asset Management, LLC (“EULAV”) since February 2009; Director,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and General Counsel of Arnold
Bernhard & Co., Inc.
|
1992
|
|
Mr.
Brecher has been an officer of the Company for more than 17 years. In
addition to Chief Legal Officer, he has served as Secretary and Vice
President of the Company. Mr. Brecher is a graduate of Harvard University,
Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. He also holds a Master’s
Degree in tax law from New York University.
|
||
Stephen
Davis (58). Managing Member, Davis Investigative Group,
LLC
|
2010
|
|
Mr. Davis has been a senior government official and has successfully managed his own business servicing the financial services industry and other clients for over 15 years. | ||
Alfred
Fiore (54). Chief of Police, Westport CT
|
2010
|
|
Mr. Fiore currently serves as the senior official of a municipal department with both executive and budget responsibilities. | ||
William
Reed (65). President, W.E. Reed
|
2010
|
|
Mr.
Reed has successfully managed his own private business for over 40
years.
|
||
Mitchell
E. Appel (39). Chief Financial Officer since April 2008 and from September
2005 to November 2007; President of each of the Value Line Funds since
June 2008; President of EULAV and EULAV Securities, Inc. since February
2009; Treasurer from June to September 2005; Chief Financial Officer, XTF
Asset Management from November 2007 to April 2008.
|
2010
|
|
Mr.
Appel has served as a Director on the VLI Board since February 2010 in
addition to being Chief Financial Officer of VLI since September 2005
(excluding November 2007 - April 2008). His relevant experience also
includes being President of each of the Value Line Mutual Funds since 2008
and President of the Advisor and Distributor of the Funds, both
subsidiaries of the Company. He has held officer positions in previous
roles with other asset management companies prior to VLI and has an MBA
from New York University.
|
||
Stephen
R. Anastasio (51). Treasurer since September 2005; Treasurer of each of
the Value Line Funds from September 2005 to August 2008; Chief Financial
Officer from 2003 to September 2005. Mr. Anastasio has been employed by
Value Line, Inc. for more than 20 years including the roles of CFO,
Treasurer, Chief Accountant and Corporate Controller. He has served as a
Director on the VLI Board since February 2010 in addition to being
Treasurer of VLI since September 2005. His relevant experience also
includes being Treasurer of each of the Value Line Mutual Funds from 2005
to 2008. Mr. Anastasio is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University and
is a Certified Public Accountant.
|
2010
|
Nominee,
Age as of June 30, 2010 and Principal Occupation
|
Director
Since
|
|
Thomas
T. Sarkany (64). Mutual Fund Marketing Director; Director of Copyright
Data; Secretary since January 2010; Director of the Value Line Mutual
Funds since June 2008. Mr. Sarkany has served as a Director on the VLI
Board since February 2010 and the Value Line Mutual Funds Board since June
2008. He has been employed as Marketing Director withValue Line for over
15 years. Mr. Sarkany holds a Masters Degree in Finance and has over 30
years of broad ranged experience in the financial services
industry.
|
2010
|
Annual Compensation | ||||||||||||||||||||
All
Other
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Name
and Principal Position
|
Fiscal
|
Salary
|
Bonus
|
Compensation
|
Total
|
|||||||||||||||
Year
|
($)
|
($)
|
(a)($)
|
($)
|
||||||||||||||||
Howard
A. Brecher
|
2010 | 64,281 | 416,516 | — | 480,797 | |||||||||||||||
Acting
Chairman &
|
2009 | 64,281 | 416,514 | — | 480,795 | |||||||||||||||
CEO;
Vice President(b)
|
2008 | 63,836 | 438,437 | 7,935 | 510,208 | |||||||||||||||
Jean
B. Buttner
|
2010 | 467,816 | — | — | 467,816 | |||||||||||||||
Former
Chairman of the
|
2009 | 935,632 | — | — | 935,632 | |||||||||||||||
Board
& Former CEO(b)
|
2008 | 935,632 | — | 22,933 | 958,565 | |||||||||||||||
Mitchell
E. Appel
|
2010 | 206,236 | 99,382 | 305,618 | ||||||||||||||||
Chief
Financial Officer(d)
|
2009 | 204,677 | 78,764 | — | 283,441 | |||||||||||||||
2008 | 81,402 | 63,750 | 10,118 | 155,270 | ||||||||||||||||
David
T. Henigson
|
2010 | 591,403 | 37,919 | — | 629,322 | |||||||||||||||
Former
Vice President(b)
|
2009 | 382,500 | 164,920 | — | 547,420 | |||||||||||||||
2008 | 382,500 | 173,599 | 27,968 | 584,067 | ||||||||||||||||
Stephen
R. Anastasio
|
2010 | 130,355 | 118,661 | — | 249,016 | |||||||||||||||
Treasurer
|
2009 | 121,044 | 103,208 | — | 224,252 | |||||||||||||||
2008 | 117,458 | 72,322 | 14,600 | 204,380 | ||||||||||||||||
Thomas
T. Sarkany
|
2010 | 158,000 | 107,735 | — | 265,735 | |||||||||||||||
Secretary(c)
|
2009 | 156,750 | 164,008 | — | 320,758 | |||||||||||||||
2008 | 153,000 | 149,479 | 19,018 | 321,497 |
(a) | Employees of the Company are members of the Profit Sharing and Savings Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan provides for a discretionary annual contribution out of net operating income which is (subject to legal limitations) proportionate to the salaries of eligible employees. The Company did not make a contribution to the plan for the years ended April 30, 2010 and April 30, 2009. Each employee’s interest in the Plan is invested in such proportions as the employee may elect in shares of one or more of the mutual funds which are available for investment by plan participants, for which a subsidiary of the Company acts as investment adviser. Contributions under the Plan vest in accordance with a schedule based upon the employee’s length of service and are payable upon request at the time of the employee’s retirement, death, total disability, or termination of employment. |
(b) | Mr. Brecher was appointed Acting Chairman and Acting CEO upon the resignation of Jean B. Buttner in November 2009. |
(c) | Mr. Sarkany was appointed Secretary in January 2010. |
(d) | Mr. Appel served as CFO from September 2005 to November 2007 and since April 2008. |
2010
|
2009
|
|||||||
Audit
fees
|
$ | 157,800 | $ | 155,500 | ||||
Audit-related
fees
|
15,970 | 13,310 | ||||||
Tax
fees
|
166,640 | 68,640 | ||||||
All
other fees
|
4,020 | 4,005 |
(a)
|
Base
salaries and bonuses should be maintained at levels consistent with
competitive market compensation; and
|
(b)
|
A
portion of the executive compensation should reflect the performance of
the Company and the individual.
|
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE
|
William
Reed.
|
Alfred
Fiore
|
Stephen
Davis
|
Forrester
Research, Inc.
|
National
Research Corporation
|
Resource
America, Inc.
|
Cohen
& Steers, Inc.
|
Morningstar,
Inc.
|
The
Street.com, Inc.
|
Courier
Corp.
|
Martha
Stewart Living Omnimedia
|
1.
|
The
Audit Committee shall be directly responsible for the appointment,
compensation, retention and oversight of the work of any independent
auditor engaged (including resolution of disagreements between management
and the auditor regarding financial reporting) for the purpose of
preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or
attest services for the Company, and the independent auditor shall report
directly to the Audit Committee.
|
|||
2.
|
Procedures
for the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints regarding
accounting, internal accounting controls, or auditing matters have been
established as follows:
|
|||
a.
|
Anyone
with concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters or
complaints regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing
matters may confidentially, and anonymously if they wish, submit such
concerns or complaints to any of the Company’s officers. All such concerns
and complaints will be forwarded to the CEO. A record of all such
complaints and concerns received will be provided to the Audit Committee
each fiscal quarter by the Company’s Legal Counsel or any of its
officers.
|
|||
The
Audit Committee will evaluate the merits of any concerns or complaints
received by it and authorize such follow-up actions, if any, as it deems
necessary or appropriate to address the substance of the concern or
complaint.
|
||||
The
Company will not discipline, discriminate against or retaliate against any
employee who reports a complaint or concern, unless it is determined that
the report was made with knowledge that it was false.
|
||||
3.
|
The
Audit Committee shall have the authority to engage independent counsel and
other advisers, as it determines necessary to carry out its
duties.
|
|||
4.
|
The
Company shall provide for appropriate funding, as determined by the Audit
Committee, in its capacity as a committee of the board of directors, for
payment of:
|
|||
a.
|
Compensation
to any independent auditor engaged for the purpose of preparing or issuing
an audit report or performing other audit, review or attest services for
the Company;
|
|||
b.
|
Compensation
to any advisers employed by the Audit Committee under paragraph (3);
and
|
|||
c.
|
Ordinary
administrative expenses of the Audit Committee that are necessary or
appropriate in carrying out its
duties.
|
5.
|
The
Audit Committee shall pre-approve all audit and permitted non-audit
services to be provided by the independent auditor. The Audit Committee
may delegate authority to pre-approve all auditing and permitted non-audit
services in accordance with pre-approval policies and procedures
established by the Audit Committee, provided that the Audit Committee is
informed of each service so approved at the next meeting of the Audit
Committee. These pre-approval requirements are subject to the exception
for the de minimus provision of services set forth in Securities and
Exchange Commission Regulation S-X, Section 2.01(c)(7)
(i)(C).
|
|||
6.
|
The
Audit Committee shall meet with the independent auditor prior to the audit
to review the planning and staffing of the audit and approve the proposed
fee for the audit.
|
|||
7.
|
The
Audit Committee shall receive written periodic reports from the
independent auditor delineating all relationships between the independent
auditor and the Company. This report shall be consistent with Independence
Standards Board Standard No. 1 regarding the auditor’s independence. The
Audit Committee shall actively engage in dialogue with the independent
auditor with respect to any disclosed relationships or services that may
impact the objectivity and independence of the auditor, and if determined
by the Audit Committee, recommend that the Board take appropriate action
to insure the independence of the auditor.
|
|||
8.
|
The
Audit Committee shall receive the report of the independent auditor, prior
to the filing of the independent auditor’s audit report with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, with respect to:
|
|||
a.
|
All
critical accounting policies and practices to be used;
|
|||
b.
|
All
alternative treatments within generally accepted accounting principles for
policies and practices related to material items that have been discussed
with management of the Company, including:
|
|||
i.
|
Ramifications
of the use of such alternative disclosures and treatments;
and
|
|||
ii.
|
The
treatment preferred by the independent auditor; and
|
|||
c.
|
Other
material written communications between the independent auditor and the
management of the Company, such as any management letter or schedule of
unadjusted differences.
|
|||
9.
|
The
Audit Committee shall receive any report by the Company’s chief financial
officer and/or chief executive officer concerning:
|
|||
a.
|
any
significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the design or operation
of internal control over financial reporting of the Company which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the Company’s ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial data;
|
|||
b.
|
and
any fraud regarding company business, whether or not material, that
involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
|
|||
10.
|
The
Audit Committee shall discuss with the independent auditor the matters
required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61
relating to the conduct of the audit, including:
|
|||
a.
|
Any
difficulties encountered in the course of the audit work, including any
restrictions on the scope of activities or access to required
information;
|
b.
|
Significant
financial reporting issues and judgments; and
|
|||
c.
|
Any
major changes to the Company’s auditing and accounting principles and
practices.
|
|||
11.
|
Obtain
from the independent auditor assurance that Section 10A of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 has not been implicated.
|
|||
12.
|
Review
the Company’s annual audited financial statements and the report thereon
with the independent auditor and management prior to the publication of
such statements.
|
|||
13.
|
Review
periodically with management the Company’s major financial risk exposures
and the steps management has taken to monitor and control those
exposures.
|
|||
14.
|
Adopt
the report (to be prepared by the Company’s legal counsel) required by the
rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission to be included in the
Company’s annual proxy statement, which shall include a statement of
whether the Audit Committee recommends to the Board of Directors that the
audited financial statements be included in the Company’s annual report on
Form 10-K.
|
|||
15.
|
Review
and reassess the adequacy of this Charter annually and submit it to the
Board for approval.
|
Value
Line, Inc.
|
|
THIS
PROXY WILL BE VOTED AS DIRECTED HEREIN BY THE UNDERSIGNED SHAREHOLDER. IF
NO DIRECTION IS GIVEN, THIS
PROXY WILL BE VOTED “FOR” THE ELECTION OF NOMINEES AS DIRECTORS. |
||
Please
mark your votes as
indicated
in this example
|
x
|
FOR all
nominees
listed
(except
as marked
to
the contrary).
|
WITHHOLD
AUTHORITY
to
vote FOR ALL
NOMINEES
listed.
|
|||
1. ELECTION
OF NOMINEES AS DIRECTORS
|
o
|
o
|
||
Nominees:
|
||||
01
H.A. Brecher, 02 M.E. Appel,
|
||||
03
S.R. Anastasio, 04 W.E. Reed
|
||||
05
A. Fiore, 06 S. Davis, 07 T. Sarkany
|
Mark
Here for
Address
Change
or
Comments
SEE
REVERSE
|
o
|
Non-Transferable
|
Non-Transferable
|
||
IMPORTANT
NOTICE REGARDING THE
AVAILABILITY
OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE
ANNUAL
SHAREHOLDERS’ MEETING TO BE HELD
ON AUGUST 17, 2010:
Copies of this Proxy Statement, the form of the
Proxy
and our 2010 Annual Report to Shareholders are available online
at
http://www.shareholdermaterial.com/ValueLine
|
Choose
MLinkSM for fast,
easy and secure 24/7 online access to your future proxy materials,
investment plan statements, tax documents and more. Simply log on to Investor
ServiceDirect® at
www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd
where step-by-step instructions will prompt you through
enrollment.
|
Address
Change/Comments
|
BNY
MELLON SHAREOWNER SERVICES
|
||
(Mark
the corresponding box on the reverse side)
|
P.O.
BOX 3550
|
||
SOUTH
HACKENSACK, NJ 07606-9250
|
|||
WO#
79970
|