Bid Price and Stockholders' Equity
Rule 5505: Initial Listing of Primary Equity Securities
A Company applying to list its Primary Equity Security on the Capital Market must meet all of the requirements set forth in Rule 5505(a) and at least one of the Standards in Rule 5505(b).
(a) Initial Listing Requirements for Primary Equity Securities:
(1) (A) Minimum bid price of $4 per share
Rule 5550: Continued Listing of Primary Equity Securities
A Company that has its Primary Equity Security listed on the Capital Market must continue to meet all of the requirements set forth in Rule 5550(a) and at least one of the Standards set forth in Rule 5550(b). Failure to meet any of the continued listing
requirements will be processed in accordance with the provisions set forth in the Rule 5800 Series.
(b) Continued Listing Standards for Primary Equity Securities:
(1) Equity Standard: Stockholders’ equity of at least $2.5 million;
(2) Market Value of Listed Securities Standard: Market Value of Listed Securities of at least $35 million; or
(3) Net Income Standard: Net income from continuing operations of $500,000 in the most recently completed fiscal year or in two of the three most recently completed fiscal years.
Issue: At issue in this matter is whether the Company should remain listed, yet suspended from trading, notwithstanding that the Company has not received approval of its listing application for listing of the newly-merged company, which
was treated as a change of control for purposes of Rule 5110(a), and because the Company does not comply with the Capital Market $4 bid price initial listing requirement of Rule 5505(a)(1)(A). Moreover, it is unclear whether the Company meets all other initial
listing standards for listing on the Capital Market.
Prior to its merger, the Company did not comply with Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires a Capital Market company to maintain a minimum of $2.5 million in stockholders’ equity for continued listing.
Determination: Reverse the Panel decision to delist the Company.
It is clear from the record, the Company has had difficulty in resolving what it believes to be the only Capital Market initial listing requirement that it does not meet, namely the $4 bid price requirement. Although it appears that there is some disagreement
over whether the Company meets all other listing standards other than bid price, the Listing Council need not settle this factual issue. The Listing Council notes that the Company received approval of, and implemented, a stock split as it had committed to
do. The Company requested an extension until September 30, 2014 to evidence compliance with all Capital Market initial listing standards. In light of the brief nature of the extension and because the Company’s securities are currently suspended from trading
on Nasdaq, the Listing Council is willing to grant the Company a brief extension to evidence compliance with all initial listing requirements for listing on the Capital Market and to receive approval of an application for listing thereon from Staff.
Accordingly, the Listing Council reverses the Panel decision to delist the Company and grants the Company through September 30, 2014 to inform the Listing Council that it has achieved compliance with all requirements for initial listing on the Capital
Market and received approval of an initial listing application for listing thereon. Should the Company fail to meet the terms of this decision, the Company’s securities will be delisted from Nasdaq.