NYSE MKT Listing Standards

NYSE MKT has established quantitative and qualitative standards for initial listing of U.S. and foreign companies. For details, please review the NYSE MKT Company Guide and the topics below.

¹Required in the latest fiscal year, or two of the three most recent fiscal years.

²Public shareholders and public float do not include shareholders or shares held directly or indirectly by any officer, director, controlling shareholder or other concentrated (i.e. 10 percent or greater), affiliated, or family holdings.

³Option 3 requires a daily trading volume of 2,000 shares during the six months prior to listing.

Foreign Applicants
Foreign issuer applicants who do not meet the distribution guidelines outlined above may alternatively qualify with 800 round-lot public shareholders worldwide, 1 million publicly held shares worldwide and a $3 million market value of public float worldwide.

Initial Public Offerings
In certain circumstances, NYSE MKT may approve an issue for listing "subject to official notice of issuance" immediately prior to effectiveness of the issuer applicant’s initial public offering. While NYSE MKT has not adopted special criteria for IPOs, added emphasis is placed on the company’s financial strength, including an objective evaluation of the anticipated value and offering price, and its demonstrated earnings history and/or outlook.

Qualitative Standards
In evaluating listing eligibility, NYSE MKT also considers qualitative factors such as the nature of a company's business, market for its products, reputation of its management, historical record and pattern of growth, financial integrity, demonstrated earnings power, and future outlook. NYSE MKT also considers the laws, customs and practices of the applicant's country of domicile regarding matters such as the election and composition of the board of directors, issuance of quarterly earning statements, shareholder approval requirements, and quorum requirements.

Corporate Governance Standards
NYSE MKT requires listed companies to adhere to its corporate governance standards. Questions should be directed to the Listing Qualifications department at 212-656-4217. For new rules, please visit our Corporate Governance site.

Conflicts of Interest
NYSE requires a listed company to utilize its audit committee to conduct an appropriate review of all related party transactions on an ongoing basis. For more information, please see Section 120 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.

Independent Directors and Audit Committee
NYSE MKT has various requirements regarding a company's independent directors and audit committee. Any domestic issuer applying for listing on the NYSE MKT must be prepared to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. Ongoing compliance is also required for listed companies. For more information, please see Section 121and Part 8 (Corporate Governance Requirements) of the NYSE MKT Company Guide. For the Audit Committee Certification Forms and Rules, click here.

Quorum
NYSE MKT expects that an appropriate quorum of the shares issued and outstanding and entitled to vote will be provided for by the bylaws of companies applying for the original listing of voting securities. A quorum of at least 33-1/3 percent is recommended. For more information, please see Section 123 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.

Shareholder Approval
NYSE MKT requires listed companies to obtain shareholder approval for certain corporate actions that would result in discounted stock and/or option issuances as well as other potentially dilutive transactions. For more information, please see Sections 711, 712, and 713 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.

Voting Rights
Common Stock: See Section 122 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.
Preferred Stock: See Section 124 of the NYSE MKT Company Guide.