Will I Lose My Shares If a Company Is Delisted? (2024)

A company that seeks to sell its stock on a major public exchange must meet numerous listing requirements. Failure to comply with these mandates on an ongoing basis could result in a delisting of the stock from the exchange.

The main purpose of exchange listing requirements is to increase market transparency and investor confidence.

Key Takeaways

  • Companies with stocks trading on public exchanges must meet stringent and ongoing listing requirements.
  • The mandates include share price minimums, certain shareholder thresholds, and the timely filing of required financial reports with regulators.
  • Failure to continually comply with these rules could cause a stock to be delisted from an exchange.
  • The main purpose of exchange listing requirements is to boost investor confidence.
  • Shareholders retain all rights in delisted stocks but face increased risk and higher transaction costs in the less liquid over-the-counter markets.

What Are SomeListing Requirements?

To list a stock on an exchange, a company would likely need to:

  • Ensure its shares trade at or above a minimum price.
  • Have the required minimum number of shareholders.
  • Meet regulatory requirements for reporting financial results.
  • Comply with exchange rules promoting diversity among corporate leaders.

For example, the New York Stock Exchange(NYSE)requireslisted companies to have at least 1.1 million publicly-traded shares with a minimum aggregate value of $40 million for initial public offerings. Furthermore, failure to file regular financial reports on forms such as 10-Qs and 10-Ks with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), would eventually lead the exchange to delist a company's stock.

In 2021, the Nasdaq Stock Market adopted a rule requiring listed companies to have at least one female director as well as another identifying as LGBTQ+ or as a member of an under-represented racial or ethnic minority. Companies may also comply by publicly disclosing why their boards lack such representation.

How Delisting Works

Companies may choose to delist their shares (if they're planning to list them in a different jurisdiction, for example). More commonly, delisting happens at the initiative of the exchange after a company fails to comply with continuing listing requirements.

Each exchange has its own procedures for delisting a stock. The Nasdaq will begin the process once a stock trades below its required minimum share price or the price required to satisfy the required market cap minimum for 30 trading days.

The Nasdaq's listing qualifications department will then issue notice to the company giving it up to 60 calendar days to respond and up to 180 days to remedy the issue. If the listing requirement remains unmet after the expiration of this grace period, the stock may be delisted. Some violations of listing requirements, including the failure to timely solicit proxies or a staff determination that continued listing is not in the public interest, can result in an immediate delisting.

What Happens to Delisted Stocks?

A delisted stock may continue to trade over-the-counter. Because over-the-counter markets lack the liquidity offered by the major exchanges, traders are likely to face higher transaction costs and wider bid-ask spreads. Those negatives aside, the very fact of the delisting often serves to undermine investor confidence. If the company is not able to quickly regain an exchange listing, institutional investors and investment banking analysts will likely stop following the company.

Individual investors would find it harder to obtain relevant information. They have also tended to lose interest in over-the-counter stocks over time, further draining trading volume.

Academic research has found over-the-counter stocks tend to have low liquidity and generate "severely negative and volatile" returns for investors.

Selling Shares and Impact on Ownership

For insolvent companies, a delisting may precede a bankruptcy filing. But in other instances it may not signify a material change in the company's worth. Shareholders retain their legal rights and equity interest in a delisted stock even if they cannot sell their stake as readily as previously.

In any event, a delisting is rarely a good sign. Prudent shareholders will closely scrutinize its cause and, at the minimum, review their investment rationale.

If a delisted company enters bankruptcy, investors in its preferred shares are entitled to be repaid from liquidation proceeds ahead of common stockholders.

Real-World Example

Shares of the J.C. Penney retail chain were delisted in May 2020 after 100 years on the NYSE, following a protracted decline in the company's fortunes. NYSE deemed the stock "no longer suitable" to trade on the exchange in May 2020, three days after the company filed for bankruptcy protection.

J.C. Penney's common stock was cancelled on Jan. 30, 2021, when the company completed the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process, and no longer trades on any exchange or market.

Can a Delisted Stock Be Relisted?

A delisted stock may be subsequently relisted, though that's rare. A company delisted as a result of an acquisition or merger may subsequently be listed again, as in the case of Burger King. The fast-food chain went public twice before eventually merging with Tim Hortons.

Why Do Stocks Get Delisted?

Stocks are delisted either voluntarily by the company or at the insistence of the stock exchange. A company may choose to delist if it is going private, restructuring, or planning to shift the listing to another jurisdiction. If the company is unable to meet the listing requirements an exchange is likely to begin delisting procedures, often giving the company a limited time to regain compliance.

How Do I Sell a Delisted Stock?

Delisted stocks often continue to trade over-the-counter. OTC Markets Group Inc. quotes prices and facilitates trading for approximately 12,000 over-the-counter securities.

The Bottom Line

A delisting does not directly affect shareholders' rights or claims on the delisted company. It will, however, often depress the share price and make holdings harder to sell, even as thousands of securities trade over-the-counter.

Will I Lose My Shares If a Company Is Delisted? (2024)

FAQs

Will I Lose My Shares If a Company Is Delisted? ›

Investors holding shares after a delisting will only be able to sell them OTC. That generally means less liquidity, finding it harder to locate buyers at the price you want, and potentially being left in the dark about what the company is up to.

How do I get my money from a delisted stock? ›

Though delisting does not affect your ownership, shares may not hold any value post-delisting. Thus, if any of the stocks that you own get delisted, it is better to sell your shares. You can either exit the market or sell it to the company when it announces buyback.

How long can a stock stay under $1 before delisting? ›

With investors trying to exit their positions, sellers outweigh buyers, causing a stock's price to fall. If a stock's share price drops below $1.00 and remains below that level for 30 days, the exchange may notify the company that it is not in compliance with listing requirements and is at risk of being delisted.

Can I sell shares of a delisted company? ›

The corporation must honour the delisting price. If the firm has been delisted for more than a year, the shareholder might approach the company and negotiate a private sale of the shares to the promoters. This will be an off-market transaction, with the price agreed upon by the seller and buyer.

Do I lose my money if a stock is delisted? ›

You don't automatically lose money as an investor, but being delisted carries a stigma and is generally a sign that a company is bankrupt, near-bankrupt, or can't meet the exchange's minimum financial requirements for other reasons. Delisting also tends to prompt institutional investors to not continue to invest.

What happens to shareholders money when a stock is delisted? ›

When a company delists voluntarily, shareholders will usually receive cash to buy them out or shares in the new, acquiring company. 6 When it is forced to go, the outcome is usually different. No special offer comes.

What happens if I don t sell my shares when a company goes private? ›

A company can create more shares and hold it in treasury. This is basically nothing more than a board approval to create more shares. Until the shares are sold to the public through a secondary IPO or other means, this is also a financial non-event.

Do shorts have to cover before delisting? ›

If you short a stock and it then rises in price to the point where the losses exceed the liquidation value of your trading account, you will receive a margin call. At this point, you must deposit more collateral to cover the position. If you don't, the position will be closed and your balance wiped out.

How long does the delisting process take? ›

Companies have 10 days on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to respond to a notification letter from the exchange. Failure to respond can result in delisting procedures which is on a case by case basis but can range from one to seven months.

How many stocks are delisted every year? ›

According to data acquired by Finbold, a total of 179 companies have been delisted from the major United States exchanges between 2020 and 2021. In 2021, the number of companies on Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stands at 6,000, dropping 2.89% from last year's figure of 6,179.

How can I check if I have shares in a company? ›

Share and shareholder information is placed on the Companies House register. This means anyone who is interested can freely (and relatively simply) look up a company on the Companies House search and see how many shares are in the company, the type of shares these are – and who owns them.

What to do with suspended shares? ›

If the suspended company complies with all regulations, the exchange might revoke the suspension, and the shares will start trading again. If the company gets suspended and eventually closes, shareholders will have to write it off as a loss.

Can I sell my shares back to the company? ›

The simplest solution for selling private shares is to approach the issuing company and ask how other investors liquidated their stakes. Some private companies have buyback programs, which allow investors to sell their shares back to the issuing company.

How do you liquidate unlisted shares? ›

The Selling Procedure

The investor must send the unlisted shares they wish to sell, together with the corresponding amounts, to the DEMAT account of the purchasers or broker. Payment is made on the same day the dealer receives the unlisted shares in his DEMAT Account.

Do delisted stocks pay dividends? ›

If a stock is delisted, it means that it is no longer trading on a major stock exchange. However, it is still possible for a delisted stock to pay dividends, as long as the company remains in business and is still generating profits.

Do I lose my money if a stock is delisted on Robinhood? ›

If a stock that you own delists, you'll be able to sell it in the market, but you won't be able to purchase additional shares. Once a stock delists, the in-app market data will no longer reflect the current trading price.

What happens if all shareholders sell their shares? ›

If everyone were to sell, there is no market in that stock (or other assets) anymore until sellers and buyers find a price they are willing to transact at. When a stock is falling it does not mean there are no buyers. The stock market works on the economic concepts of supply and demand.

What happens to share price after divestment? ›

Overall, this study finds that divestment announcements decrease the share price of the fossil fuel companies, and thus, we conclude that 'divestors' can influence the share price of their target companies.

What happens if a stock goes to zero? ›

If a stock falls to or close to zero, it means that the company is effectively bankrupt and has no value to shareholders. “A company typically goes to zero when it becomes bankrupt or is technically insolvent, such as Silicon Valley Bank,” says Darren Sissons, partner and portfolio manager at Campbell, Lee & Ross.

Can shareholders be forced to sell shares? ›

A shareholder cannot typically force another shareholder to sell their shares unless there is a contractual obligation entitling them to do so. For example, if there is a provision enabling such a sale in the company's Articles of Association, Shareholder Agreement or another valid contract.

Can a private company force me to sell my shares? ›

The company that sold you the preferred stock can usually, but not always, force you to sell the shares back at a predetermined price. Companies might choose to call preferred stock if the interest rates they're paying are significantly higher than the going rate in the market.

Can I keep my shares if a company goes private? ›

What Happens to Shareholders When a Company Goes Private? Shareholders agree to accept the offer to be bought out by investors. They give up ownership in the company in exchange for a premium price for each share that they own. They can no longer buy shares in the company through a broker.

How do short sellers push the price down? ›

A short seller, who profits by buying the shares to cover her short position at lower prices than the selling prices, can drive the price of a stock lower by selling short a larger number of shares.

What happens to put if company gets delisted? ›

When a company delists voluntarily, stockholders will receive a cash buyout or shares in the new, acquiring company.

Can I sell my delisted stock on Robinhood? ›

Therefore, if your stock is delisted from the NYSE or Nasdaq, Robinhood will only let you sell the stock, but not buy additional shares. Bear in mind that the prices of delisted stocks can drop significantly.

Does the stock market double every 10 years? ›

How long has it historically taken a stock investment to double? NYU business professor Aswath Damodaran has done the math. According to his math, since 1949 S&P 500 investments have doubled ten times, or an average of about seven years each time.

Where can I buy delisted stock? ›

Delisted shares cannot be traded on the stock exchange, to sell these shares one needs to trade them in the over-the-counter market. With Stocx, you can sell or liquidate your shares anytime you please. There are a lot of investors in Stocx that want to invest in various companies.

What stocks are being delisted? ›

Recently Delisted Stocks
DateSymbolCompany Name
Jun 14, 2023CYXTQCyxtera Technologies Inc
Jun 14, 2023CVTCvent Holding Corp
Jun 13, 2023RUTHRuths Hospitality Group Inc
Jun 12, 2023HSKAHeska Corp
148 more rows

How do I find all my shares in my name? ›

It's a company's job to aid its shareholders where it reasonably can, you are their part owner after all. Often the company will maintain a third-party share registry to manage such enquiries and to keep track of shareholder records. Therefore, call the company and ask for their relevant share registry.

How do I track down old shares? ›

Gretel is a free platform that searches for lost shares, as well as bank accounts, pensions, Child Trust Funds, life insurance, and more. Gretel delivers concrete, actionable results about the whereabouts of your shares in minutes, putting you in control. And it's free.

How do I claim old shares? ›

Procedure of Recovery of Shares
  1. Fill up the form IEPF 5 with the details such as Aadhar, company's name, bank details, amount to be claimed, demand account, and so on.
  2. Once done, upload the form and note down the Service Request Number.
  3. Tap on the Pay option to secure the acknowledgment.

Can you sell a suspended stock? ›

A trading suspension occurs when the SEC stops trading in a stock to protect investors. That means you can't buy or sell shares in a company whose stock faces trading suspension.

How long can shares be suspended for? ›

The federal securities laws allow the SEC to suspend trading in any stock for up to ten trading days when the SEC determines that a trading suspension is required in the public interest and for the protection of investors.

Can a company cancel your shares? ›

In normal circ*mstances, a company decides to cancel shares only when the business is winding up and all shares need to be pulled out of the market and accrued profits distributed back to shareholders. This is a common scenario.

What is the difference between a share and a stock? ›

Stock vs Share: Key Differences

Stocks represent part ownership of a company A stock is a financial instrument representing part ownership in single or multiple organizations. A share is a single unit of stock. It's a financial instrument representing the part ownership of a company.

Who buys my shares when I sell them? ›

When you sell your stocks, you'll need to quote a bid price – the minimum amount you're willing to accept for your shares. If a buyer is willing to pay that price, your market order to sell will be filled, and the shares exchanged. Most of the time, these buyers are institutions like banks and hedge funds.

Is it illegal to sell a stock and buy it back? ›

The wash-sale rule prohibits selling an investment for a loss and replacing it with the same or a "substantially identical" investment 30 days before or after the sale. If you do have a wash sale, the IRS will not allow you to write off the investment loss which could make your taxes for the year higher than you hoped.

What is the difference between unlisted and delisted shares? ›

Unlisted shares are those that have not yet been listed on stock exchanges, whereas delisted shares are those that were originally listed but have since been removed from the category of listed shares for various reasons.

Are unlisted shares safe? ›

If you are trading in unlisted shares, the same taxation laws applicable for listed shares will apply. But one does not have to pay any security transaction tax (STT) in case of unlisted shares. An unlisted share which is held for a period of more than 24 months becomes a long-term capital asset.

Why are unlisted shares expensive? ›

Due to low competition and participants, the unlisted shares price has probable undervaluation rates and if you have knowledge of investing you can earn huge profits by purchasing them at an early stage before they get a valuation and become expensive.

Is delisting of shares taxable? ›

Any gain from sale of shares is called capital gain. In case of delisting of shares within a year of their purchase, a 15% short-term capital gains tax is applicable . If delisting happens after one year of share purchase, a capital gains tax of 10% is payable if gains exceed Rs.

What happens to shareholders when a company is liquidated? ›

What happens to a company's shares during liquidation? Once a company enters liquidation, the trading of its shares is halted. These shares will then be “deemed worthless”, a term given to shares in companies that no longer exist.

How do investors make money off of stocks that don t pay dividends? ›

Thus, investors who buy stocks that do not pay dividends prefer to see these companies reinvest their earnings to fund other projects. They hope these internal investments will yield higher returns via a rising stock price. Smaller companies are more likely to pursue these strategies.

How do I get my money back from delisted shares? ›

Promoter or acquirer will buy back the shares through a reverse book building process. Promoters are required to make a public announcement of buyback by sending out a letter of offer to eligible shareholders and a bidding form. In this case, you, as an eligible shareholder can exit by tendering your shares.

Why can't i sell my Robinhood stock? ›

You may receive this message if you have an outstanding pending order for the shares of stock you'd like to sell. You'll need to cancel any outstanding orders before you can sell the shares. To view your pending orders in your mobile app: Tap the Account icon in the bottom right corner of your home screen.

How do I recover lost stock money? ›

How to Recover From a Big Trading Loss
  1. Learn from your mistakes. Successful traders need to be able to recognize their strengths and weaknesses—and plan around them. ...
  2. Keep a trade log. ...
  3. Write it off. ...
  4. Slowly start to rebuild. ...
  5. Scale up and scale down. ...
  6. Use limit and stop orders. ...
  7. Get a second opinion.
Mar 9, 2023

What is the process of delisting shares? ›

After the payment to all shareholders is completed, company must make final application to the Stock exchanges (within 1 year) requesting for delisting of shares. Once the compliance department verifies that all requirements are met, the stock exchange will dispose the application and delist the shares.

Do I get $3000 back from stock loss? ›

If your capital losses exceed your capital gains, the amount of the excess loss that you can claim to lower your income is the lesser of $3,000 ($1,500 if married filing separately) or your total net loss shown on line 16 of Schedule D (Form 1040). Claim the loss on line 7 of your Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.

Will the stock market recover in 2023? ›

Looking ahead to second-quarter reports, analysts are calling for S&P 500 earnings to fall 6.4% compared to a year ago. Fortunately, analysts are projecting S&P 500 earnings growth will rebound back into positive territory in the second half of 2023.

How do I claim lost stock shares? ›

If an investor does not have or loses their stock certificate, they are still the owner of their shares and entitled to all the rights that come with them. If an investor wants a stock certificate, or if it is lost, stolen, or damaged, they can receive a new one by contacting a company's transfer agent.

Can a company take back my shares? ›

As a shareholder you are not required to sell your shares back to the company in a share buyback; the company cannot make you do so; however, companies do offer a premium over the market price of the share to entice investors to sell.

Can you be forced to sell shares? ›

A shareholder cannot typically force another shareholder to sell their shares unless there is a contractual obligation entitling them to do so. For example, if there is a provision enabling such a sale in the company's Articles of Association, Shareholder Agreement or another valid contract.

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