Report on Initial Public Offering Applications, Delisting and Suspensions (As at 31 March 2020)

First Comment Letters Issued⁽⁷⁾

March 2020

Average number of days taken between the date of application and the date of issue of related first comment letter

Guidance issued to potential new listing applicants or their advisers on matters relating to the Listing Rules

March 2020

Average number of days taken between the date of request for guidance and the date of issue of written response⁽⁸⁾

Market Operations

31 Mar 2020

Report on Initial Public Offering Applications, Delisting and Suspensions
(As at 31 March 2020)

				Main Board	GEM	Total
New Applications Accepted⁽¹⁾
	a.		March 2020	20	4	24
	b.		2020 Year-to-date	52	5	57
Approvals in principle granted⁽¹⁾
	a.	March 2020		10	2	12
	b.	2020 Year-to-date		31	2	33
Active applications⁽¹⁾(as at 31 March 2020)
1.	Under processing
	a.	New applications accepted since 1 January 2020		49	5	54
	b.	Others		57 __________	11 __________	68 __________
		Sub-total		106	16	122
2.	Approval in principle granted
	a.	Approvals granted since 1 January 2020		10	2	12
	b.	Others		5 __________	0 __________	5 __________
Total				121	18	139

Inactive applications⁽²⁾ (since 1 January 2020)
1.	Lapsed
	a.	Approval in principle granted but not listed prior to application lapsed	16	0	16
	b.	Others	34	19	53
2.	Rejected		0	0	0
3.	Withdrawn		4	0	4
4.	Returned⁽³⁾		0 __________	0 __________	0 __________
	Total		54	19	73

5.	Renewals⁽⁴⁾		32	6	38
6.	Returned cases resubmitted⁽⁵⁾		0 __________	0 __________	0 __________
	Total		32	6	38
No. of new listings (since 1 January 2020)
1.	Newly listed companies⁽⁶⁾		40	2	42
2.	Transfer of listing from GEM to Main Board		2 __________	N/A __________	2 __________
Total			42	2	44

⁽¹⁾	Includes application(s) by investment vehicle(s) pursuant to Chapters 20 and 21 of the Main Board Listing Rules, application(s) for transfer of listing from GEM to the Main Board, and deemed new applicant(s)pursuant to Main Board Listing Rule 8.21C or Main Board Listing Rule 14.84, and very substantial acquisition(s) treated as reverse takeover(s) pursuant to Main Board Listing Rule 14.06(6)/GEM Listing Rule 19.06(6).
⁽²⁾	Includes any application (or renewal) not approved, returned, rejected or withdrawn within six months from date of application.
⁽³⁾	Applications accepted for vetting but subsequently returned on the ground that the information in the listing application proof or related documents is not substantially complete.
⁽⁴⁾	Includes all applications accepted within three months following a lapsed, rejected or withdrawn application by the same applicant.
⁽⁵⁾	Applications resubmitted to the Exchange after an 8-week moratorium from the date of the return letter.
⁽⁶⁾	Not include transfer of listing from GEM to the Main Board.
⁽⁷⁾	First comment letters are the first letters issued by Listing Department staff that contain the comments on the respective listing applications. It only covers the first comment letters issued this month. For reports issued from January 2011 onwards, non-business days have been subtracted from “the average number of days taken”. The figures exclude cases for a transfer of listing from GEM to the Main Board. If included, the number of first comment letters issued is 15 and the average number of days taken is 13.
⁽⁸⁾	Covers only the guidance letters issued this month. For the reports issued from January 2011 onwards, non-business days have been subtracted from "the average number of days taken".

Delisting and Suspension Information
(As at 31 March 2020)

			Main Board	GEM	Total
(a)	Number of delisted companies (since 1 January 2020)
	a.	Withdrawal of listing pursuant to privatisation	3	0	3
	b.	Transfer of listing from GEM to Main Board	N/A	2	2
	c.	Cancellation of listing pursuant to delisting procedures under the Listing Rules	8	1	9
	d.	Voluntary withdrawal of listing	1 __________	0 __________	1 __________
Total			12	3	15
(b)	Number of companies in suspension for three months or more (as at 31 March 2020)
	a.	Main Board companies in delisting procedures under Practice Note 17⁽⁹⁾	11	N/A	11
	b.	Companies given notice for delisting⁽¹⁰⁾	0	1	1
	c.	Other suspended companies⁽¹¹⁾	33	13	46
	d.	Delisting approved by the Listing Committee	15* __________	1* __________	16 __________
Total			59	15	74

Other Information
(As at 31 March 2020)

			Main Board	GEM	Total
(c)	Number of listed companies (as at 31 March 2020)		2,096	377	2,473

⁽⁹⁾	Main Board companies that are placed in a three stage process of delisting under Practice Note 17 to the Main Board Listing Rules for failure to maintain sufficient operations or assets.
⁽¹⁰⁾	The Exchange has decided to commence procedures under Main Board Rule 6.10 or GEM Rule 9.15 to cancel the listing of companies on the grounds set out in Main Board Rule 6.01 or GEM Rule 9.14.
⁽¹¹⁾	The Exchange may cancel the listing of companies if trading in their securities has remained suspended for 18 continuous months under Main Board Rule 6.01A or 12 continuous months under GEM Rule 9.14A. Depending on the specific facts and circumstances of a suspended company, the Exchange may at any time publish a delisting notice stating its right to delist the company if it fails to resume trading within a shorter period specified in the notice.

*	14 Main Board companies and 1 GEM company have applied to the Exchange to review the delisting decisions. The review procedures are in progress.

This report is updated on the last trading day of each month.

Ends

Updated 01 Apr 2020