Chapter 5 Flashcards
What is capital?
Funds available to run the business of a company
How does a company fund its business?
Equity finance- issuing shares
Debt finance- borrowing
Hybrid investment- characteristics of both debt and equity
Retaining profits used for the business
What are shares?
‘Bundle of rights’- voting rights
What are the incentives for investing?
Receipt of income- dividends
Capital gain- growth in the value of the company and therefore individual shares
Effect of equity finance on the balance sheet?
Increase share capital to show nominal value of shares issued
Increase cash (current assets) to show the cash received for the shares
What is the nominal/ par value?
Minimum subscription price for that share. Represents a unit of ownership rather than actual value of share.
Common- 1p, 5p, £1.
Statutory concerns with nominal/ par value?
s542(1) CA 2006- shares in ltd company having share capital must have fixed nominal value
s542(2) CA 2006- any allotment of a share that does not have a fixed nominal value is void
s580 CA 2006- share may not be allowed at a discount to NV BUT can be allowed for more than it’s NV- ‘premium’
What is the issued share capital?
ISC- amount of shares in issue at any time.
Made up of;
- Shares purchased by the first members of the company (subscriber shares)
- Further shares issued after the company has been incorporated
Define ‘allotment’
s558 CA 2006- person acquire unconditional right to be included in the company’s register of members in respect of those shares
Define ‘paid up’ share
Not necessary for shareholders to pay full amount due on their shares immediately- amount of nominal capital paid= paid up share capital
What is ‘called up’ share capital?
s547 CA 2006
Amount outstanding on a share demanded by the company at anytime
Difference between allowing and transferring shares?
Allotment- contract between the company and a new/existing shareholder under which the company agrees to issue new shares in return for the purchaser paying the subscription price
Transfer- contract to sell existing shares in the company between an existing shareholder and the purchaser
What are treasury shares?
Bought back by the company and are held by the company in treasury
How many steps are there for allotting and issuing new shares?
5
What are the steps for issuing shares?
- Check whether there is a cap or ceiling on the number of shares which can be issued
- Do the directors have authority to allot shares in the proposed allotment?
- Do pre-emption rights need to be disapplied?
- Does the company need to create a new class of shares?
- Directors allot new shares by BR
When will there be a cap on the number of shares that can be issued?
Company incorporated under CA 1985 will have had an authorised share capital which acted as a cap
Company incorporated under CA 2006 will not automatically have one- shareholders will have to amend articles of association by SR to include a cap
Check- memorandum, articles and any resolutions that have altered these documents
How can a cap on issued shares be removed?
Company incorporated under CA 1985- s121 CA 1985 states by OR
Company incorporated under CA 2006- limit in articles can be removed (or limit increased) by SR under s21(1) CA 2006
Where do directors get their authority to allot shares?
s549 CA 2006- directors of a company must not exercise any power of the company to allot shares in the company except in accordance with s551 CA or s550 CA 2006
Why is s550 relevant to private company’s with one class of share?
Provides that directors have the power to allot shares of the same class unless they are prohibited from doing so by articles
Helps smaller companies simplify the process of issuing shares