Additional requirements for premium listing (commercial company)

Part

LR Listing Rules

Chapter

Additional requirements for premium listing (commercial company)

Printed on: 29/10/2024

Rulebook at: 31/12/2012

LR 6

Additional requirements for premium listing (commercial company)

LR 6.1

Application

01/07/2005

LR 6.1.1

This chapter applies to a new applicant for the admission of equity shares to premium listing (commercial company) except where LR 6.1.1A R applies.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.1A

This chapter does not apply where a company with an existing premium listing of equity shares introduces a new holding company to its existing group and no transaction as defined in LR 10.1.3 R is being undertaken that would otherwise increase the assets or liabilities of the group.

01/10/2012

Applicant must satisfy requirements in this chapter

LR 6.1.2

An applicant for the admission of equity shares to a premium listing (commercial company) must satisfy the requirements in this chapter (in addition to those in LR 2).

06/04/2010

Historical financial information

LR 6.1.3

(1) A new applicant for the admission of equity shares to a premium listing must have published or filed historical financial information that:

(a) covers at least three years; [Note: article 44 CARD]
(b) has a latest balance sheet date that is not more than six months before the date of the prospectus or listing particulars for the relevant shares and not more than nine months before the date the shares are admitted to listing unless LR 5.6.21 R applies;
(c) includes the consolidated accounts for the applicant and all its subsidiary undertakings;
(d) has been audited or reported on in accordance with the standards acceptable under item 20.1 of Annex I of the PD Regulation; and
(e) is not subject to a modified report, except as set out in LR 6.1.3A G or LR 5.6.21 R.

(2) A new applicant must:

(a) take all reasonable steps to ensure that the person providing the opinion pursuant to LR 6.1.3R (1)(e) and LR 6.1.3DR (3) is independent of it; and
(b) obtain written confirmation from the person providing the opinion pursuant to LR 6.1.3R (1)(e) and LR 6.1.3DR (3) that it complies with guidelines on independence issued or approved by its national accountancy or auditing bodies.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.3A

The FSA may accept that LR 6.1.3R (1)(e) and LR 6.1.3DR (3) have been satisfied where a modified report is present only as a result of:

(1) the presence of an emphasis-of-matter paragraph which arises in any of the earlier periods required by LR 6.1.3 R and the opinion on the final period is unmodified; or
(2) the opinion on the historical financial information for the final period under LR 6.1.3 R includes an emphasis-of-matter paragraph with regard to going concern and LR 6.1.16 R is complied with.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.3B

The historical financial information required by LR 6.1.3R (1) must:

(1) represent at least 75% of the new applicant's business for the full period referred to in LR 6.1.3R (1)(a); and
(2) put prospective investors in a position to make an informed assessment of the business for which admission is sought.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.3C

(1) In determining what amounts to 75% of the new applicant's business for the purpose of LR 6.1.3BR (1), the FSA will consider the size, in aggregate, of all of the acquisitions that the new applicant has entered into during the period required by LR 6.1.3R (1)(a) and up to the date of the prospectus, relative to the size of the new applicant as enlarged by the acquisitions.
(2) In ascertaining the size of the acquisitions relative to the new applicant for the purposes of LR 6.1.3B R, the FSA will take into account factors such as the assets, profitability and market capitalisation of the businesses.
(3) The figures used should be the latest available for the acquired entity and the new applicant as enlarged by the acquisition or acquisitions.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.3D

Where the new applicant has made an acquisition or series of acquisitions such that its own consolidated financial information is insufficient to meet the 75% requirement in LR 6.1.3B R, there must be historical financial information relating to the acquired entity or entities which has been published or filed and that:

(1) covers the period from at least three years prior to the date under LR 6.1.3R (1)(b) up to at least the date of acquisition by the new applicant;
(2) is presented in a form that is consistent with the accounting policies adopted in the financial information required by LR 6.1.3 R;
(3) is not subject to a modified report, except as set out in LR 6.1.3A G; and
(4) in aggregate with its own historical financial information represents at least 75% of the enlarged new applicant's business for the full period referred to in LR 6.1.3R (1)(a).

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.3E

The purpose of LR 6.1.3B R is to ensure that the issuer has representative financial information throughout the period required by LR 6.1.3R (1)(a) and to assist prospective investors to make a reasonable assessment of what the future prospects of the new applicant's business might be. Investors are then able to consider the new applicant's historic revenue earning record in light of its particular competitive advantages, the outlook for the sector in which it operates and the general macro economic climate. The FSA may consider that a new applicant does not have representative historical financial information and that its equity shares are not eligible for a premium listing if a significant part or all of the new applicant's business has one or more of the following characteristics:

(1) a business strategy that places significant emphasis on the development or marketing of products or services which have not formed a significant part of the new applicant's historical financial information;
(2) the value of the business on admission will be determined, to a significant degree, by reference to future developments rather than past performance;
(3) the relationship between the value of the business and its revenue or profit-earning record is significantly different from those of similar companies in the same sector;
(4) there is no record of consistent revenue, cash flow or profit growth throughout the period of the historical financial information;
(5) the new applicant's business has undergone a significant change in its scale of operations during the period of the historical financial information or is due to do so before or after admission;
(6) it has significant levels of research and development expenditure or significant levels of capital expenditure.

01/10/2012

Control of assets and independence

LR 6.1.4

A new applicant for the admission of equity shares to a premium listing must demonstrate that:

(1) [deleted]
(2) it controls the majority of its assets and has done so for at least the period referred to in LR 6.1.3R (1)(a) ; and
(3) it will be carrying on an independent business as its main activity.

01/10/2012

Mineral companies

LR 6.1.8

If a mineral company applies for the admission of its equity shares and cannot comply with LR 6.1.3R (1)(a) because it has been operating for a shorter period:

(1) it must have published or filed historical financial information since the inception of its business; and
(2) LR 6.1.3R (1)(b) to (e) and (2) apply to the mineral company only with regard to the period for which it has published or filed historical financial information pursuant to (1).

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.9

LR 6.1.3BR (1) and LR 6.1.4 R do not apply to a mineral company that applies for the admission of its equity shares.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.10

(1) This rule applies to a mineral company that is a new applicant for the admission of its equity shares.
(2) If the mineral company does not hold controlling interests in a majority (by value) of the properties, fields, mines or other assets in which it has invested, it must demonstrate that it has a reasonable spread of direct interests in mineral resources and has rights to participate actively in their extraction, whether by voting or through other rights which give it influence in decisions over the timing and method of extraction of those resources.

06/04/2010

Scientific research based companies

LR 6.1.11

If a scientific research based company applies for the admission of its equity shares to a premium listing and cannot comply with LR 6.1.3R (1)(a) because it has been operating for a shorter period:

(1) it must have published or filed historical financial information since the inception of its business; and
(2) LR 6.1.3R (1)(b) to (e) and (2) apply to the scientific research based company only with regard to the period for which it has published or filed historical financial information under (1).

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.12

An applicant for the admission of equity shares to a premium listing of a scientific research based company does not need to satisfy LR 6.1.3B R or LR 6.1.4 R but must:

(1) demonstrate its ability to attract funds from sophisticated investors prior to the marketing at the time of listing;
(2) intend to raise at least £10 million pursuant to a marketing at the time of listing;
(3) have a capitalisation, before the marketing at the time of listing, of at least £20 million (based on the issue price and excluding the value of any equity shares which have been issued in the six months before listing);
(4) have as its primary reason for listing the raising of finance to bring identified products to a stage where they can generate significant revenues; and
(5) demonstrate that it has a three year record of operations in laboratory research and development including:

(a) details of patents granted or details of progress of patent applications; and
(b) the successful completion of, or the successful progression of, significant testing of the effectiveness of its products.

01/10/2012

Other cases where the FSAmay modify accounts and track record requirements

LR 6.1.13

The FSA may modify or dispense with LR 6.1.3R (1)(a) or LR 6.1.3B R if it is satisfied that it is desirable in the interests of investors and that investors have the necessary information available to arrive at an informed judgment about the applicant and the equity shares for which a premium listing is sought.

[Note: article 44 CARD]

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.14

Before modifying or dispensing with LR 6.1.3B R, the FSA must also be satisfied that there is an overriding reason for the applicant seeking a premium listing (rather than seeking admission to a market more suited to a company without sufficient historical financial information to be eligible for a premium listing).

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.15

For the purposes of LR 6.1.14 G the FSA will take into account factors such as whether the applicant:

(1) is attracting significant funds from sophisticated investors;
(2) is undertaking a significant marketing of equity shares in connection with the admission and has demonstrated that having listed status is a significant factor in the ability to raise funds; and
(3) has demonstrated that it will have a significant market capitalisation on admission.

06/04/2010

Working capital

LR 6.1.16

An applicant for the admission of shares must satisfy the FSA that it and its subsidiary undertakings (if any) have sufficient working capital available for the group's requirements for at least the next 12 months from the date of publication of the prospectus or listing particulars (as the case may be) for the shares that are being admitted.

01/07/2005

LR 6.1.17

The FSA may dispense with the requirement under LR 6.1.16 R if an applicant already has equity shares listed, and the FSA is satisfied that the prospectus or listing particulars (as the case may be) contain satisfactory proposals for providing the additional working capital thought by the applicant to be necessary.

06/04/2010

LR 6.1.18

The FSA may dispense with the requirement under LR 6.1.16 R if the FSA is satisfied that:

(1) the applicant's business is entirely or substantially, that of banking, insurance or providing similar financial services;
(2) the applicant's solvency and capital adequacy is regulated by the FSA or is suitably regulated by another regulatory body; and
(3) the applicant is meeting its solvency and capital adequacy requirements and is expected to do so for the next 12 months without having to raise further capital.

01/07/2005

Shares in public hands

LR 6.1.19

(1) If an application is made for the admission of a class of shares, a sufficient number of shares of that class must, no later than the time of admission, be distributed to the public in one or more EEA States.
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), account may also be taken of holders in one or more states that are not EEA States, if the shares are listed in the state or states.
(3) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a sufficient number of shares will be taken to have been distributed to the public when 25% of the shares for which application for admission has been made are in public hands.
(4) For the purposes of paragraphs (1), (2) and (3), shares are not held in public hands if they are held, directly or indirectly by:

(a) a director of the applicant or of any of its subsidiary undertakings; or
(b) a person connected with a director of the applicant or of any of its subsidiary undertakings; or
(c) the trustees of any employees' share scheme or pension fund established for the benefit of any directors and employees of the applicant and its subsidiary undertakings; or
(d) any person who under any agreement has a right to nominate a person to the board of directors of the applicant; or
(e) any person or persons in the same group or persons acting in concert who have an interest in 5% or more of the shares of the relevant class.

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (3), treasury shares are not to be taken into consideration when calculating the number of shares of the class. [Note: article 48 CARD]

06/08/2007

LR 6.1.20

The FSA may modify LR 6.1.19 R to accept a percentage lower than 25% if it considers that the market will operate properly with a lower percentage in view of the large number of shares of the same class and the extent of their distribution to the public. For that purpose, the FSA may take into account shares of the same class that are held (even though they are not listed) in states that are not EEA States.

[Note: article 48 CARD]

06/08/2007

Shares of a non-EEA company

LR 6.1.21

The FSA will not admit shares of a company incorporated in a non-EEA State that are not listed either in its country of incorporation or in the country in which a majority of its shares are held, unless the FSA is satisfied that the absence of the listing is not due to the need to protect investors.

[Note: article 51 CARD]

01/07/2005

Warrants or options to subscribe

LR 6.1.22

(1) The total of all issued warrants to subscribe for equity shares or options to subscribe for equity shares must not exceed 20% of the issued equity share capital (excluding treasury shares) of the applicant as at the time of issue of the warrants or options.
(2) Rights under employees' share schemes are not included for the purpose of the 20% limit in paragraph (1).

01/07/2005

Settlement

LR 6.1.23

To be listed, the constitution of the company and the terms of its equity shares must be compatible with electronic settlement.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.24

In LR 6.1.23 R, electronic settlement includes settlement by a "relevant system" (as defined in the Uncertificated Securities Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3755))

01/07/2005

LR 6.1.24A

LR 6.1.23 R is intended to ensure that that there is nothing inherent within the constitution of a company which prevents electronic settlement of its equity shares. The FSA recognises that for some companies there may be external factors which affect the eligibility of an equity share for electronic settlement.

01/10/2012

Pre-emption rights

LR 6.1.25

If the law of the country of its incorporation does not confer on shareholders rights which are at least equivalent to LR 9.3.11 R, an overseas company applying for a premium listing must:

(1) ensure its constitution provides for rights which are at least equivalent to the rights provided for in LR 9.3.11 R (as qualified by LR 9.3.12 R); and
(2) be satisfied that conferring such rights would not be incompatible with the law of the country of its incorporation.

01/10/2012

Externally managed companies

LR 6.1.26

A company applying for the admission of equity shares to premium listing must satisfy the FSA that the discretion of its board to make strategic decisions on behalf of the company has not been limited or transferred to a person outside the issuer's group, and that the board has the capability to act on key strategic matters in the absence of a recommendation from a person outside the issuer's group.

01/10/2012

LR 6.1.27

In considering whether a company applying for the admission of equity shares to premium listing has satisfied LR 6.1.26 R, the FSA will consider, among other things, whether the board of the issuer consists solely of non-executive directors and whether significant elements of the strategic decision-making of or planning for the company take place outside the issuer's group, for example with an external management company.

01/10/2012