The National Stock Exchange is one of India’s two stock exchange units. The NSE is home to multiple market indices and individual shares. According to December 2023, it had secured 6th rank among the world’s largest stock exchanges.
Wondering why it has such a huge market capitalisation? NSE has pledged impartiality and justice to both investors and listers. This fairness of judgment has helped it garner trust from everyone closely associated with it. One particular section that deserves special mention is the NSE guidelines on corporate action in share market.
By the end of this article, you will be armed with details on the regulatory compliance of the common corporate actions provided by NSE. Additionally, you will learn about the popular corporate events. Read along to know more.
Common Corporate Actions Regulated By NSE
These are known as activities undertaken by publicly traded companies that directly influence the stock market. Some of the recurrent corporate actions are
- Cash dividend
- Stock split
- Merging & acquisitions
- A Company selling sections of its assets
- Reverse split
- A company implementing rights issue
For instance, some of the upcoming corporate actions include dividend announcements for major companies like JK Cement and JSW Steel Limited. Others include buying back shares of KDDL Ltd, the split of PG Electroplast Ltd, etc.
Investors must be well aware of the latest corporate actions beforehand as they influence the share prices significantly. Hence, this will help them to utilise the information to make accurate data-driven decisions.
NSE Guidelines On Corporate Actions
The rules professed by the National Stock Exchange are generally by SEBI; hence, maintaining compliance is paramount. Any kind of violation of the regulations will lead to a hefty penalty. The four major divisions for the corporate action laws are as follows,
● Bonus, Stock Splits and Consolidations
Firstly, the adjustment factor for the bonus ratio of A: B will be (A+B)/B and for stock splits and consolidations, it will be A/B
Hence, the strike price will be calculated by dividing the old price by the adjustment factor. The new market lot and position will be decided by multiplying the old lot and position by the adjustment factor.
In case the above calculations result in any fractions, they are minimised by
- Compute the value of the position before adjustment
- Compute the value of the position, taking into account the exact adjustment factor
- Carry out rounding off for the Strike Price and Market Lot
- Compute the value of the position based on the revised strike price and market lot
● Dividends
The strike price for dividends under 2% (considered ordinary) will not be adjusted. However, for those at or above this dividend percentage, the strike price will be adjusted.
There are certain guidelines for deciding whether a dividend is over 2% (termed extraordinary). Usually, the closing price of the day before the announcement date is considered the market price. In case the announcement is made after the market closes, the closing price of the day will be considered the market price.
However, suppose the dividend rate is altered. In such instances, the communicated rate and the closing price of the previous day to the date of the AGM together will decide if the rate is extraordinary or not.
● Mergers
When the record date of the merger is announced, the expiration date will also be declared to the members. Additionally, after the announcement of the record date, no future and options contract will be introduced that will be invalid after the merger.
However, according to the rules “Un-expired contracts outstanding as on the last cum-date would be compulsorily settled at the settlement price. The settlement price shall be the closing price of the underlying on the last cum-date.”
● Rights
The adjustment factor for rights ratio A: B is (P-E)/P. Hence, to arrive at the new lot size, the adjustment factor must be divided by the old lot size. Also, to decide on the new strike price, the adjustment factor must be multiplied by the old strike price.
Wrapping Up
As corporate actions directly affect prices, it is necessary to maintain the rules and regulations predetermined by NSE. Check out more on the latest and upcoming corporate activities on Motilal Oswal’s Research 360 for improved and data-driven strategies.