Skip to main content

SEBI asks banks to compensate retail investors if they fail to allot shares in an IPO

SEBI asks banks to compensate retail investors if they fail to allot shares in an IPO
Markets regulator Sebi today said retail investors applying for shares in IPOs would need to be compensated if bankers fail to make the allotment despite their eligibility.Besides, the public issue banker would need to pay an interest amount of 15 per cent to the investors for failing to resolve the grievance within 15 days, while they may also face Sebi's action for such failures.
Putting in place a framework to compensate retail investors who fail to get securities in an IPO, Sebi said there should be a uniform policy for calculation of minimum compensation payable to investors.While calculating minimum compensation, several factors need to be taken into account like opportunity loss suffered by the investor due to non-allotment of shares; number of times the issue was oversubscribed in the relevant category; probability of allotment; and listing gains if any on the day of listing.
"It is also proposed that in case of issues which are subscribed between 90-100 per cent -- that is non-oversubscribed issues --- the applicants would be compensated for all the shares which they would have been allotted," Sebi noted.However, no compensation would be payable to the applicant in case the listing price is below the issue price, it said in a circular, which would come into force with immediate effect.
While the process of Applications Supported By Block Amount (ASBA) has resulted in almost complete elimination of complaints pertaining to refunds, Sebi said there have been instances where the applicants in an IPO have failed to get allotment of specified securities and in the process have suffered an opportunity loss due to failure on part of bankers to process the applications even when they have been submitted within time.
Other factors are -- failure on part of the Self Certified Syndicate Banks (SCSBs) to make bids in the concerned exchange system even after the amount has been blocked in the investorsâ€[TM] bank account and any other failures on part of an SCSB which has resulted in the rejection of the application form.
"Any applicant whose application has not been considered for allotment, due to failure on the part of the SCSB, shall have the option to seek redressal of the same within three months of the listing date with the concerned SCSB."On receipt of such application, the SCSB would be required to resolve the same within 15 days, failing which it would have to pay interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum for any delay beyond the said period of 15 days.," Sebi noted.
In case bankers fail to redress such grievances within the stipulated time, additionally "Sebi may initiate action as deemed fit".The regulator has asked bankers to resolve all pending issues related to non-allotment of specified securities whether on the the regulator's complaint redressal system -- SCORES portal -- or otherwise.

The Economic Times, New Delhi, 19th February 2018

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Data storage norm splits digital payments industry

Data storage norm splits digital payments industry  India’s nascent digital payment industry could be thrown into disarray due to the demand by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that all user data be stored within the country, fears an industry grouping, which has termed the decision as “heavy-handed”, even as others, including the country’s largest digital payment provider Paytm, have hailed the move.  In a bid to narrow the growing schism, the industry is planning to send a formal representation to the regulator highlighting its concerns, a top official told ET.  “We are trying to build a consensus on the issue," said the person adding that the representation to the central bank will be ready this week.  RBI on April 6, mandated all payment companies—global and local—to set up data storage facilities within India by October. The stringent six-month deadline has attracted the ire of several sections of the industry that fear it will lead to a disruption of wel...

Sebi to finalise options in commodities today

The Commodity Derivatives Advisory Committee of the Securities and Exchange Board of India ( Sebi) will meet on Friday with senior officials of the latter, to give a final shape to the rules on options trading in commodity futures, beside revising the warehousing norms to ensure good delivery on settlement. The decision taken, after discussing with the advisory committee, will be placed before the regulator’s board, to finalise the regulations. According to knowledgeable sources, three commodities in each segment, agricultural and non- agricultural, have been proposed for introducing options. It appears commodities from the soya and guar segments are preferred in the former. From the non- agri segment, it is likely that gold, silver and crude oil will be finalised. All these These have better liquidity and both the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange and the Multi Commodity Exchange, respectively, will be able to introduce the options. In the equity segments, options ar...

E tailers global warehouses may come under tax net

E tailers  global warehouses may come under tax net Warehouses of e-commerce companies based in countries such as Australia, Japan, Italy,  Spain, the Netherlands, and Russia may not be exempted from paying the income tax in India  once the multilateral instrument (MLI) to prevent base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS)  comes into force. BEPS refers to the reporting framework mooted by the Organisation for Economic  Co-operation and Development (OECD) and signed by over 100 countries, including India, to  prevent exploiting gaps and mismatches in tax rules to shift profits by multinational  companies (MNCs) artificially to low-tax regimes. The representatives of 68 countries on June 7 this year signed an agreement (MLI) in Paris  to amend their tax treaties to bring them in alignment with measures to prevent BEPS.  However, there is still time for synchronising tax treaties with the multilateral  instrument. India has submitte...