Listing requirements

Minimum size

The ASX listing requirements are tailored to support both early stage and mature companies. Listing on ASX can be completed via an Initial Public Offering (IPO), where capital is raised at the time of listing, or via a Compliance listing, where capital is not raised at the time of listing. The Listing rules set out the specific requirements that an organisation has to meet to list on ASX&rsquo s market and are underpinned by a set of principles that ensure the quality of the market ASX operates.  To be eligible to list on ASX, a company must satisfy minimum admission criteria, including structure, size and number of shareholders.

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Note: This is a general guide to listing requirements and is not exhaustive, nor a guarantee of a successful listing application. For full details of the ASX listing rules please refer to  Compliance and disclosure.

Spread (distribution) of shareholders

The company must have at least 300 shareholders with holdings valued at a minimum of $2000 each, and at least 50% of the company&rsquo s shares must be held by parties unrelated to the company and its directors. If between 50% and 75% of shares are held by related parties, the company must have at least 350 shareholders. If more than 75% of the company&rsquo s shares are held by related parties, the company must have at least 400 shareholders.

It is not necessary to have the required spread before the listing application is made. Typically approval for listing is granted subject to the company meeting the shareholder spread requirement through the offer of shares associated with the listing application.

Ongoing reporting

Financial reporting is required on a half yearly and annual basis in Australia.  Certain companies that are listed under a listing category for companies without a track record of revenue or profit are required to also prepare and file quarterly cash flow statements. In addition, mining and oil & gas exploration companies are required to file quarterly reports on activities including changes in tenement interests, issued and quoted securities.

Dual listing &ndash recognition of comparable obligations

A company that is already listed on a foreign exchange can also list on ASX. It can do this as a  full ASX Listing or as an ASX Foreign Exempt Listing.

A company that dual lists on ASX as a  full ASX Listing must generally comply with all of the ASX Listing Rules in the same way as an Australian company. However, ASX may in limited circumstances exempt companies already listed on a major stock exchange from compliance with specific ASX listing rule requirements.

A company that dual lists on ASX as an ASX Foreign Exempt Listing must comply primarily with the rules of its foreign home exchange and is exempt from complying with most of ASX&rsquo s Listing Rules. The continuous disclosure rules do not apply to an ASX Foreign Exempt Listing, but it must immediately release on ASX any information that it publicly releases on its home exchange. Other than for certain New Zealand companies, very high financial thresholds apply for a company to be admitted as an ASX Foreign Exempt Listing.

See a list of  ASX Foreign Exempt Listings  for details of these companies, or refer to the details tab on the  company information page  on this website for a particular company to find out if it is an ASX Foreign Exempt Listing.

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