Equity Capital Markets Flashcards
What does a primary market mean in the context of ECM?
First time a security is offered on an exchange
What are the two main stock exchanges in the UK?
London Stock Exchange and Aquis Stock Exchange
What is the MTF for LSE and Aquis?
AIM | Aquis Growth Market
Are AIM and Aquis GM RIEs or MTFs?
MTFs, as they offer SME’s growth market facilities
What is the difference between the Listing Rules, Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, and the Prospectus Regulation Rules?
o Listing Rules (LRs): provisions for listing and continuing obligations, apply for premium listing companies and partially for standard listed
o Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules (DTRs):Dissemination of price-sensitive information
o PRRs: Content and form of a prospectus, exemptions, and approvals
Difference between premium and standard listing?
Premium:
- UK super-equivalent standard
- Meet highest standard of UK regulation
- Comply with Corporate Governance code
- Available for equity securities and those issued by Open- and Close-Ended Investment Companies
Standard:
- Meet minimum EU standards only
- No sponsor required
- Limited compliance with Corporate Governance code
- No transaction classifications
- Partial application of Listing Principles
- Only partial compliance with Listing Rules
- Available for equity securities, debt, and GDRs, but not OEICs/CEICs
What are the six high level principles for premium listed companies?
Premium listed companies must:
1) Ensure that directors understand their responsibilities and obligations as directors
2) Act with integrity towards its shareholders
3) All listed shares in a class must carry equal votes
4) If different classes of equity listed, aggregate voting rights proportionate to relative interests
5) Treat all shareholders of the same class equally
6) Communication of information should avoid the creation of a false market
Alongside the six principles for premium listings, what principles apply to both premium and standard listings?
Premium and standard listed companies:
1) Establish and maintain adequate procedures, systems, and controls
2) Deal with the FCA in an open and co-operative manner
What are the FCA listing rules for debt and equity issues?
- Minimum market capitalisation
o More than £30 million shares for equity issues (but only need minimum of £700,000 listed publically
o More than £200,000 debt for debt issues
What are the FCA listing rules for primary listings?
- Minimum market capitalisation
o More than £30 million shares for equity issues
o More than £200,000 debt for debt issues - Freely transferable without restrictions
- Applicant to be in accordance with local law and company constitution and have necessary consents
- All existing securities and further issues of securities fo the class must be admitted to listing
- Prospectus must be approved by the FCA
- Convertible securities must be convertible into securities on a regulated open market
- Free float at least 10% (free float is the amount available for trading)
Alongside the FCA’s primary listing rules for all companies, what additional requirements are there for premium issuers when they are issuing securities?
- Three years of published, consolidated, independently audited, current accounts
- At least 75% of the applicant’s business supported by three-year independent record of that activity
- Clean working capital statement; sufficient to cover 12 months
What is Listing Requirement 8, the role of the sponsor?
- Act with due care and skill
- Ensure issuers/directors properly advised under LRs and DTR
- Ensure issuer satisfies conditions
- Ensure all rules complied with
- Communicate and provide all information ot FCA
- Take reasonable steps to identify and manage conflicts
- Reasonable basis for working capital statement
What is the high growth segment of the stock exchange?
Segment of the main market allowing high growth companies to access capital without the full requirements of official listing requirements:
What rules are required to be satisfied to be classified as a high growth stock on the stock exchange?
- High revenue growth: at least 20% per year for last three years
- Minimum free float of 10%
- Minimum market capitalisation of £300 million
- Key adviser (similar to a sponsor)
- Produce prospectus
What is the regulatory status of high growth segment?
- Subject to LSE HGS rulebook, but outside of formal FCA listing regime
- EU directives apply (prospectus, transparency, market abuse)
What is the specialist fund segment of the market?
- A segment of the Main Market designed for closed-ended investment funds
What are the five methods of issuing stock to the public?
- Five methods available for bringing securities for an initial listing
o Offer for subscription
o Offer for sale
o Placing
o Intermediaries offer
o All four of the above are to raise funds
o And you can introduce something to an exchange not to raise funds, just trying to raise awareness
When issuing equity, what is the difference between an offer for sale and offer for subscription?
Offer for sale:
New shares and shares already in existent (but held by insiders/private individuals) given to issuing house and then sold to public
Offer for subscription:
Company issues new shares directly to the public. Unlike an offer for sale, shares are not in existence until applications received from investors