Welcome to the annual meeting for Citi Trends Inc. Our host for today's call is Ken Seipel, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Citi Trends. At this time, all participants will be in a listen-only mode. I will now turn the call over to your host, Ken. You may begin. Well, good morning. I'm Ken Seipel, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Citi Trends. I'll be presiding over today's meeting. On behalf of the company, I want to thank you and welcome you to our virtual 2026 annual meeting of stockholders. Today, we'll first confirm the presence of a quorum, then proceed with the items outlined in the meeting notice, along with any other matters properly raised. Any stockholder who has not checked in online and intends to vote or change or revoke their proxy, please do so now by joining the meeting as a stockholder. Only record holders as of the record date for the meeting or nominee holders who have a valid legal proxy from a record holder or their broker will be able to vote at today's meeting. At this time, I would like to introduce the current directors in attendance. With me are David Heath, Margaret Jenkins, Cara Robinson, Charles Liu, Michael Kvitko, and Benjamin Faw, and Pamela Edwards. Lovesh Puri, our General Counsel and Board Secretary, is serving as secretary of the meeting. Also attending today's meeting is Suzy O'Mara from Deloitte, our independent registered public accounting firm. She'll be able to answer any inappropriate questions that you may have. Beth VanDerb eck has been designated as the Inspector of Election for today's meeting. Once the formal business of this meeting is completed, we'll open the floor for general question and answer session. Stockholders may submit questions by following the instructions on the meeting website. The meeting is now formally called to order. During the meeting, only those stockholders of record or as of the close of business on April 15th, 2026, will be recognized. The company has in its possession a list of stockholders of record as of record date, including their names, addresses, and shareholdings. We also have an affidavit of mailing from Broadridge confirming that the notice of internet availability of proxy materials was distributed to stockholders beginning on May 1st, 2026. I also have a copy of the 2025 annual report, which includes financial statements certified by Deloitte. A copy of the annual report was sent and made available to each shareholder entitled to vote at this meeting, and an electronic copy of the annual report is available on the website used to access this meeting. The notice of meeting and affidavit of mailing together with the attachments thereto, and the 2026 annual report, will be filed with the minutes of this meeting. This brings us to the first item on the agenda, which is the determination of a quorum. The amended and restated bylaws of Citi Trends provide that a quorum shall constitute the presence, virtually or by proxy, of the holders of at least one-third of the shares of our common stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote at the meeting. Mr. Puri, can you report on whether a quorum is present? Mr. Chairman, I have been advised by the Inspector of Election that the holders of at least one-third of the outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote are present virtually or by proxy at the meeting. Therefore, a quorum is present. Thank you. Since a quorum is present, this meeting will proceed. It is now 9:05 A.M. and the polls are now open. If you intend to vote online during today's virtual meeting, please do so via the website used to access this meeting. Please note that if you previously voted by proxy, whether by mail, telephone, or internet, you should not vote online unless you wish to change your vote. Your submission of an online ballot will revoke all prior proxies. If any stockholder desires to vote online, please follow the voting instructions available on the meeting website during the meeting. After voting has been completed on all matters on the agenda, we will close the polls, and the Inspector of Election will provide her preliminary report. We have three items of business to vote on today, as described in the notice of the meeting and proxy statement. First, number one, the election of directors. The board has nominated eight individuals to serve one-year terms expiring at the 2027 annual meeting or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. The nominees are Pamela Edwards, David Heath, Margaret Jenkins, Mike Kvitko, Charles Liu, Cara Robinson, Benjamin Faw, and myself, Ken Seipel. The board recommends a vote for each nominee. No other valid nominations were received in accordance with the bylaws. Therefore, the nominations are now closed. Item number two, advisory vote on executive compensation. This is a non-binding advisory vote to approve the compensation of the company's named executive officers as disclosed in the proxy statement. The board recommends a vote for this proposal. Item number three, ratification of auditors. This is to ratify the appointment of Deloitte as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 30th, 2027. The board recommends a vote for the ratification. All agenda items are deemed duly placed before the meeting. If there is any stockholder present who wishes to vote online or to change or revoke any proxy previously submitted, please follow the voting instructions available on the meeting website at this time. Since all stockholders have had the opportunity to vote, it is now 9:08 A.M., and I declare the polls closed. I will ask the Inspector of Election to present preliminary voting results. Excuse me. Sure. Mr. Chairman, on the motion for the election of directors, a majority of the shares represented at this meeting and entitled to vote have been cast in favor of the election of each of the nominated directors to serve a new one-year term to expire at the 2027 annual meeting of stockholders, or until their respective successors are duly elected and qualified. Also, a majority of the shares represented at this meeting and entitled to vote have been cast on an advisory basis for the approval of the compensation of the company's named executive officers, as disclosed in the proxy statement, and for the ratification of Deloitte & Touche as the company's independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending January 30, 2027. Thank you, Beth. We expect to report the results of the voting on a Form 8-K to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within four business days of this meeting. Okay, thank you. Based on the preliminary results, I declare that, one, the board's slate of directors has been elected. Two, the non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation has passed. Three, the appointment of Deloitte & Touche has been ratified. These results will be recorded in the minutes of this meeting. With the formal business concluded, the meeting is now adjourned. We'll begin our general Q&A session. We will now proceed to our general question and answer session. Okay, having no questions, we will conclude the meeting. Thank you all for your support and attending our 2026 annual meeting. That concludes today's meeting. Thank you for your participation. You may now disconnect.
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