ESMA · ESMA_QA_2028 Answer Published

Class by class disclosure; TD Art. 9(1)

Regulation
Transparency Directive (TD) Directive 2004/109/EC
Topic
Notifications of major shareholdings
Submitted
2009-04-30
Answered
2009-04-30

Question

Pursuant to Article 9(1) of the TD “[t]he voting rights shall be calculated on the basis of all the shares to which voting rights are attached even if the exercise thereof is suspended. Moreover this information shall also be given in respect of all the shares which are in the same class and to which voting rights are attached.” Is the provision concerning “class by class disclosure” an autonomous obligation? In other words, must a notification be made when the person reaches, exceeds or falls below the relevant thresh-olds in terms of a single class of shares (e.g. ordinary shares) calculated on the basis of all shares of that class issued, or it is only an additional disclosure requirement which arises only in the case in which an obligation of notification is met in terms of all the shares with voting rights held calculated on the basis of all the voting shares issued?

Answer

[ESMA31-67-127 TD Q10] The calculation of notification thresholds will be made on the basis of all the shares with voting rights attached. The class by class disclosure is therefore not considered as basis for calculation of thresholds but only as an additional disclosure requirement in cases where the notification obligation has arisen.

This Q&A is published by European Securities and Markets Authority and is non-binding. It does not constitute legal advice. Updated weekly from official ESA sources.

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