03/13/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 03/13/2024 09:09
As anticipated, the FCA has published the second tranche of its proposed new sourcebook for the UK listing regime.
In December 2023, the FCA published its Consultation Paper Detailed proposals for listing rules reforms (CP 23/31) (the December Consultation). This included:
While the December Consultation dealt with the entirety of the FCA's proposals for reform of the current Listing Rules, the first tranche of the draft new UKLR was primarily focused on the rules for the new commercial companies category.
The second tranche of the draft new UKLR deals with all remaining parts of the new UKLR, including the new transition category for existing standard listed issuers of equity shares that are not eligible for a different listing category.
With the second tranche, the first tranche has also been republished to form a complete draft instrument of the new UKLR. The FCA has also published a further draft instrument with proposed consequential changes to the other parts of the FCA Handbook.
In the December Consultation, the FCA stated that it is working to an accelerated reform timetable and expects the new UKLR to go live early in the second half of 2024, with two weeks between publication of the final rules and implementation.
There have been no further timetable announcements, other than that the consultation period for responses on the second tranche and the consequential changes instrument will close on 2 April 2024 (i.e. later than the 22 March 2024 date which applies to the first tranche).
While most of the rules for the commercial companies category were included in the first tranche, there are some additions. In particular:
The Listing Principles (UKLR 2): The reformed listing regime is underpinned by a single set of Listing Principles which combines the current Listing Principles and Premium Listing Principles (except as mentioned above).
There is also some additional guidance on:
Other cross-cutting chapters: The second tranche also includes the rules:
Listing categories other than the commercial companies category: Rules for each of the listing categories other than the commercial companies category are included as set out in the table below.
UKLR 11 | Closed-ended investment funds |
UKLR 12 | Open-ended investment companies |
UKLR 13 | Shell companies, including SPACs |
UKLR 14 |
International commercial companies with a secondary UK listing |
UKLR 15 |
GDR issuers |
UKLR 16-19 |
Issuers with listed securities in the listing categories for non-equity shares, debt, securitised derivatives, as well as warrants and options |
UKLR 22 |
Transition category issuers i.e. those LR 14 standard listed issuers that are not shell companies or secondary listed issuers but have listed equity shares (UKLR 22) |
UKLR 23 |
Listing particulars relating to listing applications for debt securities on the Professional Securities Market |
For key points on these categories, please see our previous post.
Sponsor rules: Additional rules have been added to UKLR 4 (Sponsors: responsibilities of issuers) and UKLR 24 (Sponsors) in relation to the sponsor requirements that will apply to the closed-ended investment funds and shell company categories.
Transitional provisions: In addition to the transitional provisions mentioned above, there are various other transitional provisions, including in relation to transfers between listing categories.