Securities Regulation Code NOTES
Securities Regulation Code NOTES
TOPIC OUTLINE:
1. Purpose
2. Securities
3. Registration and Reportorial Requirements
4. Filing of General Information Sheet
5. Filing of Annual Financial Statements
6. Insider Trading and Other Fraudulent Transactions
7. Mandatory Tender Offer Rule
PURPOSE: The Securities Regulations Code or RA No. 8799 aims to protect the investing public primarily through a system of disclosure and
provide punishment for fraudulent practices.
PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC: The Securities Regulations Code protects the public as follows:
1. Requiring full disclosure of information to the public regarding the securities that are being offered and the issuers, and including the filing
and approval of the registration statement and the approval of the prospectus;
2. The requirement of regularly submitting material information to the SEC;
3. Close monitoring of the securities and other circumstances that may affect the same as well as the persons involved including brokers,
issuers, the exchange itself, etc. in order to ensure compliance with pertinent laws and regulations;
4. Prohibiting and penalizing different fraudulent practices and transactions; and
5. Providing the SEC the powers and functions.
SECURITIES
Securities are shares, participation or interests in a corporation or in a commercial enterprise or profit-making venture and evidenced by a
certificate, contract, instruments, whether written or electronic in character. (Section 31)
The main feature of a security is that a person purchases or acquires the same in the expectation of obtaining passive income or asset
appreciation, that is income or gain obtained through the effort of another person. This feature makes them attractive and desirable and
necessitates the protection of the investing public.
They include:
1. Shares of stocks, bonds, debentures, notes evidences of indebtedness, asset-backed securities;
2. Investment contracts, certificates of interest or participation in a profit-sharing agreement, certifies of deposit for a future subscription;
3. Fractional undivided interests in oil, gas or other mineral rights;
4. Derivatives like option and warrants;
5. Certificates of assignments, certificates of participation, trust certificates, voting trust certificates or similar instruments
6. Proprietary or nonproprietary membership certificates in corporations; and
7. Other instruments as may in the future be determined by the Commission.
Investment contract is a contract, transaction, or scheme whereby a person invests his money in a common enterprise and is led to expect
profits primarily from the efforts of others.
Requisites:
1. An investment of money:
2. In a common enterprise;
3. With expectation of profits;
4. Primarily from the efforts of others (this modifies the Howey Test which requires profits to be derived solely from the efforts of others)
REGISTRATION
The Commission may audit the financial statements, assets and other information of firm applying for registration of its securities whenever it
deems the same necessary to insure full disclosure or to protect the interest of the investors and the public in general.
Procedure:
1. Filing of SWORN REGISTRATION STATEMENT containing the information as the SEC may by rule require.
a. Signatories to registration statement: Executive officer, principal operating officer, principal financial officer, comptroller, principal
accounting officer, corporate secretary.
b. Written consent of the expert named as having certified any part of the registration statement, whenever necessary.
c. Where the registration statement includes shares to be sold by selling shareholders, a written certification by such selling
shareholders as to the accuracy of any part of the registration statement contributed to by such selling shareholders shall also be
filed.
2. PAYMENT of the filing fees which shall not exceed 1/10 of 1% of the aggregate price at which such securities are proposed to be offered.
3. PUBLICATION of notice of the filing of the registration statement in two newspapers of general circulation once for two consecutive weeks.
4. Within 45 days after the date of filing, or by such later date to which the issuer has consented, the SEC shall give an ORDER declaring the
registration statement effective or rejecting it.
5. PROSPECTUS under oath that all requirements satisfied and all statements in registration statement and in such prospectus are correct.
The SEC may exempt other transactions where not necessary in public interest or for protection of investors such as small amount or limited
character of public offering. However, an exemption fee of 1/10 of 1% of the maximum aggregate price or issued value of the securities should
be paid.
REPORTORIAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Annual report composed of a Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement, and a Statement of Cash Flows certified by a CPA and a management
discussion and analysis of results of operation.
2. Other periodical reports for interim fiscal periods and current reports on significant developments of the issuer as the SEC may prescribe as
necessary to keep current information on the operation of the business and financial condition of the issuer.
The issuer shall likewise furnish to each holder of such equity security an annual report in such form and containing such information as the SEC
shall prescribe.
All corporations shall file their GIS within 30 calendar days from:
1. Stock Corporations - date of annual stockholders' meeting
2. Non-Stock Corporations - date of annual members' meeting
3. Foreign Corporations - anniversary date of the issuance of SEC license
1. Corporations using the calendar year: depending on the last numerical digit of their SEC registration or license number in accordance with
the schedule set by the SEC.
However, any corporations may file their AFS regardless of the last numerical digit or license number on or before the first day stated in the
coding schedule.
The AFS, other than the consolidated financial statements, shall have the stamped "received by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)” or its
authorized banks, unless the BIR allows an alternative proof of submission for its authorized banks.
INSIDER TRADING: is committed whenever an insider, in possession of a material non-public information, transacts on the securities.
Material Non-Public Information: Information that will affect the price of the security or would influence a person in deciding whether to buy,
sell, or hold a security which is not available to the public.
Insider:
1. The issuer
2. A director or officer of the issuer or a person controlling the issuer.
3. A person whose relationship or former relationship to the issuer gives or gave him access to material non-public information.
4. A government employee, or director, or officer of an exchange, clearing agency, and/or self-regulatory organization who has access to
material non-public information.
5. A person who learns such information by a communication from any of the foregoing insiders.
Exceptions: a person in possession of material non-public information can buy or sell securities:
1. When he can prove that the information was not gained from an insider;
2. If the other party is identified and that he:
a. Disclosed the information; or
b. Had reason to believe that the other party is also in possession of the information.
Presumption: a purchase or sale of a security of the issuer made by an insider or such insider's spouse or relatives by affinity or consanguinity
within the 2nd degree, legitimate or common-law, shall be presumed to have been effected while in possession of material non-public
information if transacted:
1. After such information came into existence;
2. But prior to the dissemination of such information to the public and the lapse of a reasonable time for the market to absorb such
information.
Insider Trading vis a vis Tender Offer the answer above (Illustration 2) will not apply if the information is relative to a tender offer, because it is
unlawful for any person (other than the tender offeror, and not just an "insiders") who is in possession of material nonpublic information
relating to such tender offer, to buy or sell the securities of the issuer that are sought or to be sought by such tender offer if such person knows
or has reason to believe that the information is nonpublic and has been acquired directly or indirectly from the tender offeror, those acting on
its behalf, the issuer of the securities sought or to be sought by such tender offer, or any insider of such issuer.
Liability for disclosure: It shall be unlawful for any insider to communicate material nonpublic information about the issuer or the security to
any person who, by virtue of the communication, becomes an insider, where the insider communicating the information knows or has reason
to believe that such person will likely buy or sell a security of the issuer whole in possession of such information.
This is regardless of whether the one to whom the communication was given actually traded on the securities.
1. Wash sale - any transaction in a security which involves no change in the beneficial ownership. A series of buy and sale transaction may be
placed by one and the same beneficial owner in the exchange which would not affect any change of ownership of the shares transacted.
2. Matched Order - refers to an order or orders for the purchase or sale of security with the knowledge that a simultaneous order or orders of
substantially the same size, time and price for the sale or purchase of such security has, or will be entered by or for the same or different
parties.
Wash Sale and Matched Orders are not in themselves illegal. But they are considered fraudulent whenever they are resorted to in order to
create a false or misleading appearance of active trading.
3. Marking the close - placing of purchase or sale order, at or near the close of the trading period in order to affect the closing price likewise
affecting the opening price the following day.
4. Painting the tape - akin to marking the close but the activity is made during normal trading hours which involves buying activity among
nominee accounts at increasingly higher or lower prices or causing fictitious reports to appear on the ticker tape
5. Squeezing the float - part or portion of the issue/security which is outstanding but intentionally held by dealers or other person with a view
of reselling them later for profit. Thereby affecting supply of the security or its availability while demand remains the same or increases, driving
the prices up.
7. Boiler Room Operations - involves an intensive selling campaign through numerous salesmen by telephone or through direct mail offerings
for securities of either a certain type or from a specific issuer. Investors are induced to purchase through hard-sell techniques based on
unfounded predictions and mailing of misleading market letters.
8. Circulating or Disseminating Information On Share Price Movement - involves people providing information that the price of any security
listed in the exchange will or is likely to rise or fall because of manipulative market operations of any one or more persons conducted for the
purpose of raising or depressing the price of the security and thus inducing the purchase or sale of such security.
9. Making False or Misleading Statements - with respect to any material fact, which he knew or had some reasonable grounds to believe was
so false or misleading for the purpose of inducing the purchase or sale of any security.
10. Pegging or Fixing or Stabilizing the price of security effected either alone or with others through any series of transactions for the purchase
or sale thereof, if done for such purpose.
11. Short Sale - selling the security which the vendor does not own and borrowed only from another. This is not illegal per se but only
regulated.
A tender offer is an offer by a person or group of persons to the stockholders of a corporation to tender their shares for purchase.
Purpose: The rule on mandatory tender offer seeks to protect minority shareholders and provide them with a fair price for their share
whenever a person or group of persons intends to buy a sizable number of shares in the company.
Mandatory Tender Offer: applies to any person who intends to acquire at least 35% over a period of 12 months (previously 30, increased by
the SEC pursuant to Section 72.1 of the SRC) of any class of any equity security of a:
1. Listed corporations; or
2. Corporations with:
a. Assets of at least P50M and
b. Having at least 200 shareholders who each have at least 100 shares
The rule shall likewise apply even if the acquisition is less than 35% but will result in ownership of over 50% of the total outstanding equity
securities of the public company.
The offeror would be required to accept any and all securities thus tendered.
Note that the percentage requirements likewise apply even in indirect acquisitions.
Process:
1. The offeror will make an announcement of his intention in a newspaper of general circulation, prior to the commencement of the offer;
2. At least 2 business days prior to the date of the commencement of the tender offer:
a. File SEC Form 19-1 with the SEC including all exhibits thereto and pay the prescribed filing fees
b. Hand deliver a copy of such form including all exhibits to the target company at its principal executive office and to each Exchange
where such class of the target company's securities are listed for trading.
3. Report the results of the tender offer by filing with the Commission, not later than ten (10) calendar days after the termination of the tender
offer, copies of the final amendments to the form.
INSIDER TRADING WHERE INFORMATION RELATES TO A TENDER OFFER: if the information is relative to a tender offer, it is unlawful for any
person (other than the tender offeror) who is in possession of material nonpublic information relating to such tender offer, to buy or sell the
securities of the issuer that are sought or to be sought by such tender offer if such person knows or has reason to believe that the information
is nonpublic and has been acquired directly or indirectly from the tender offeror, those acting on its behalf, the issuer of the securities sought or
to be sought by such tender offer or any insider of such issuer.