Mod 10: Exchange issues Flashcards
Two functions of the equity market
- primary function - enable comps to raise new finance by communicating with a large pool of potential shareholders
- Secondary function - enable SHs to sell their shares (listed shares are more marketable => more attractive)
What affects share prices?
ANYTHING/speculation about anything! Examples: - company performance - interest rates - industry factors - announcements to market - market forces - bid rumours - currencies
Role of analysts
Popularity of analyst ratings over years has expanded their INFLUENCE OVER THE PRICE OF EQUITIES.
Slight change in analyst’s rating can have a dramatic effect on the share price => market capitalisation of that company
Three types of analysts:
- Buy-side analysts - work for large institutional investment firms (e.g. pension funds). Offer recommendations on shares their employer already own. Focus research on specific sectors or shares of interest to investment firm. Reports mainly for internal use.
- Sell-side analysts - employed by investment banks. Their recommendations and ratings are created to sell an investment and are typically offered free of charge to clients of the investment bank
- Independent analysts - provide unbias and objective ratings; many receive compensation by selling subscription based reports
Floatation or initial public offering (IPO)
when entity obtains a listing for it shares on the equity markets (stock exchange)
Reasons for seeking a stock market listing
- access to wider pool of finance
- improved marketability of shares
- enhanced public image
- original owners realising holding
- original owners selling holding to obtain funds for other projects
- easier to seek growth by acquisition
IPO
offer to sell shares in a company to the public for the FIRST TIME
- either existing shares that founders of the business wish to realise profits from their investment OR new shares issued to raise capital. Or a combination of both
The company will be normally advised on its IPO by an investment bank
Stages of an IPO
- company appoints an investment bank as lead manager
- Larger issues - lead manager assembles a SYNDICATE of banks to help in selling and distributing the shares. Syndicate will usually UNDERWRITE the issue. There will be a FEE to pay, regardless of whether all issues are taken up
- company will be VALUED by the bank (MOD 5)
- PROSPECTUS drawn up and issued (MOD 9)
- ISSUE is PUBLICISED. OFFER FOR SALE (at a fixed price) and an allocation procedure agreed
- UNDERWRITERS provide support after shares have been issued - acting as market makers, quoting bid and offer prices to the market for the shares => efficient and liquid market
Methods of raising additional equity finance
- Public issue
- Private Placing
- Rights issue
Public issue
Direct offering to the public at a fixed price (IPO)
An expensive method appropriate for large issues.
For companies with stock exchange listing only
Public issue details
- advertisement in the newspaper
- company selling the shares itself, investment bank will administer the issue
- very risky
- lack of guarantee => normally underwritten which adds cost
- HAS to be listed (plc or listed company)
Private placing
Shares are issued at a FIXED PRICE to institutional investors
Lower cost method, appropriate for small issues
Rights issue
Offer of further shares, at a given price, to existing shareholders in proportion to their existing holding
Private placing
- no prospectus
- no advertising
- no underwriting
- control passed to SMALL number institutional investors => could have MORE INFLUENCE than offer of sale
- cheaper method of making SMALL issues
- not offered to the general public => sold privately to clients of investment bank (usually institutions) at a FIXED ISSUE PRICE
- used in small issues where less cash is being raised
Rights issue: pre-emption rights
Under stock exchange requirements, when comps want to raise more capital through issue of further shares, they are OBLIGED to OFFER NEW SHARES TO THE EXISTING SHs.
PREVENTS the SHs having their VOTING RIGHTS DILUTED by a large issue of shares to a third party
Pricing of a rights issue
- discount to the current share price to ENCOURAGE the SHs to take up their rights or sell them on so that the share issue is FULLY SUBSCRIBED
- price discount acts as a SAFEGUARD should market price fall before the issue is completed (as if market price is below rights issue price then SHs would purchase from market => rights issue = unsuccessful