Fast-growing European companies can now apply for admission to trading on the new segment of the LSE's Main Market.
On 27 March, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) published the final version of the rulebook[1] for the high-growth segment of its Main Market (Rulebook). The LSE has also confirmed that companies, and potential key advisers on their behalf, may now apply for admission to trading on the new segment.[2]
The main changes to the draft version of the Rulebook—introduced as a result of the feedback received from a range of stakeholders—include the following:
In addition to the Rulebook, the LSE has also published on its website the following documents in relation to the high-growth segment:[3]
Implications
As the high-growth segment is a segment of the LSE's Main Market, it is an EU-regulated market. Accordingly, in addition to the Rulebook, issuers will be required to comply with the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules and the Prospectus Rules. Furthermore, companies will be required to comply with the LSE's Admission and Disclosure Standards. However, because the new high-growth segment will not be a listed segment, securities admitted to it will not be admitted to the Official List and will not be subject to the Listing Rules.
The new segment of the Main Market extends the primary markets offering for high-growth companies that would not qualify for admission to the premium listing segment. It provides issuers with a transitional route to the Official List and is intended to help them prepare for the listed markets over time, while also aiming to ensure that appropriate standards of investor protection are maintained.
Contacts
If you have any questions or would like more information on the issues discussed in this LawFlash, please contact either of the following Morgan Lewis lawyers:
London
Iain Wright
[2]. For a detailed background on the new high-growth segment, view our 15 February 2013 LawFlash, "London Stock Exchange Publishes Draft Rulebook for New Fast-Growth Segment," available here.