PubCoCEO™

Guest Post By: Todd Heinzl

Welcome to Part One of our uplisting series: UpListing to a Senior Exchange in 2018. This is the first part of a multi-part series on UpListing and how it can benefit your company and your shareholders. 2017 was a banner year for UpListings with PubcoCEO publishing, on a quarter by quarter basis, the success of those companies who met the requirements and successfully uplisted to either NASDAQ, NYSE or NYSE American. This could be your company too.

At UpListing.com our prospective clients always ask us the same questions: How do we get started? Do I qualify for an Uplisting? Do I need to raise capital in order to Uplist? How do we know what exchange to list on? What are the benefits to a higher exchange? As in the old real estate adage: location, location, location, the answer to these uplisting questions is also simple: plan, plan, and plan and when that is complete – plan again.

 

Planning

The initial planning session should include focused discussions with both C-Suite level management as well as Board of Directors. Management should discuss the benefits of how listing on a higher exchange will affect the future growth of the company and how it will provide the company with the ability to raise capital at a higher valuation which will increase the accretive value of the enterprise.

 

Benefits of Uplisting

Most company CEO’s already “know” the benefits of uplisting to a higher exchange. In addition to the increased liquidity a company usually sees from uplisting, there are other major advantages. Uplisting to a major exchange provides your company with regulatory oversight in terms of monitoring against potential trading violations. Companies get the opportunity to be included in indexes such as the NASDAQ and S&P as well as the Russell 2000 & 3000. Companies also have a greater chance to receive analyst coverage if traded to a major exchange. When engaged in merger or acquisition talks, a company’s stock is viewed as a more attractive bargaining chip if it’s listed on a national or global exchange. It will be easier to raise capital on better terms on a higher exchange and you will now be eligible to raise capital pursuant to a shelf registration such as an S-3 or F-3 which allows the company to raise funds at their discretion and terms over the course of the year.

 

Choosing The Right Exchange 

Choosing the right exchange is an exercise in both quantitative and qualitative evaluation. At Uplisting.com we work with companies whose stock trades are undervalued and have a relatively low price and market capitalization. These stocks are typically known as microcap or penny stocks (By definition, microcap stocks have a market capitalization between $50 million and $300 million). Many of these companies trade over-the-counter (OTC) and are quoted on OTC systems such as the OTCQB, OTCQX and OTC Pink, formerly known as the “Pink Sheets.” Factors these companies will rely upon in choosing the right exchange will include sector, visibility and liquidity. We encourage you to speak to the exchanges before making this decision and can assist you in setting up these meetings.

 

We look forward to being able to assist your company in these planning and decision-making stages while at the same time educating the C-Suite and Board of Directors on roles and responsibilities in the process of growing from a micro-cap OTC listed company to a company listed and trading on a major global stock exchange.

In Part Two of our Series we will explore the requirements of the exchanges and, specifically that of Corporate Governance. Companies must adhere to additional requirements, such as corporate governance and exchange listing metrics and fees, to uplist to a higher exchange. We educate our companies on how good corporate governance attracts a stronger Board of Directors, provides operational assurances with your Investment Banking professionals; and demonstrates to the regulatory community you are serious about being a public company worthy of trading in a higher exchange.

 

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About Todd Heinzl:

Currently Managing Director of The Governance Box (GBX) and UpListing.com, Todd Heinzl holds over 25 years of experience in the investment and financial services industry. With a focus on assisting globally minded micro and small cap companies achieve up-listing results for their shareholders, UpListing.com offers CEO’s and their Board of Directors uplist strategic plans, through collaboration, in the development and implementation of effective uplist strategy and governance policy. As managing director of both financial advising enterprises, Mr. Heinzl works with companies from a variety of industries with a focus on their corporate governance and subsequently to facilitate their uplisting to senior exchanges such as NASDAQ and NYSE American. Mr. Heinzl is a member in good standing with the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI), and the Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI).

 

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