Share Registry Services

A share registrar is responsible for maintaining an up-to-date statutory record of registered shareholders who own company stocks and the number of shares owned at a specific date. Share registrars must comply with all the necessary legal compliance requirements of a public listed company in Hong Kong.

Publicly listed companies in Hong Kong are required to keep an accurate record of their shareholders as well as the shares they own. Share registrars are appointed to maintain and manage the shareholder register and listing of this data. By outsourcing to a share registrar like BoardRoom, this helps to reduce the administrative strain on the company’s internal resources. A share registrar also manages share transfers, all aspects of shareholder communications, all corporate actions and ensure the smooth running of an AGM meeting with shareholders and the Board of Directors.

An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is the process in which a private company goes public and offers shares to the public in a new stock issuance on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“Stock Exchange”). Companies do this by working with an IPO sponsor which are typically investment banks, as well as other professional parties including a share registrar like BoardRoom, to work through the necessary due diligence, pricing, transition, and more. Companies embark on an IPO listing as it can provide the company with access to new capital funding and greatly increase the rate at which they are able to grow and expand their business.

The help of a share registrar during your IPO process cannot be understated. When a company decides to go for an IPO listing to raise capital from the public, it is mandatory for the company to appoint an experienced share registrar. The share registrar can help navigate the company through complex IPO listing requirements to ensure a smooth IPO process. After a successful IPO listing, the Hong Kong share registrar will be responsible for keeping a record of shareholders, the number of shares they have subscribed, and any transfer of shares/removal of shares throughout the IPO process.  Furthermore, after IPO, the appointed share registrar will accompany you to go through post-IPO listing life with the company.

A share registrar should be consulted before listing application submission to The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited for Main board or GEM listing. A share registrar familiar with the IPO process in Hong Kong will be able to put together a detailed plan for preparing your company for the IPO process. The guidance from a professional share registrar is invaluable as it helps to increase the chances for a successful IPO listing.

An Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a yearly meeting that all Hong Kong companies, which usually have more than one member, must hold. In it, the business must update all the shareholders on the company’s current financial situation, presenting financial statements and giving them the opportunity to ask about the company’s performance. Shareholders can then vote at an AGM to make important decisions for the company, such as the appointment, or removal, of a director. For private entities with a small number of shareholders, the running of an AGM can be conducted internally. However, for public listed companies in Hong Kong, the scrutineers for AGM must be acted by qualified entities according to the Hong Kong Listed Rules. Appointing the share registrar to provide meeting services would be the best solution to reduce costs and ensure smooth running of the AGM.

AGMs can be held in person at a venue, virtually through a live streaming service, or a combination of both otherwise known as hybrid AGMs. How the AGM is conducted depends on the terms defined in the company’s articles of association (Articles), or any other shareholders’ agreement, on whether the physical presence of shareholders is required at the annual general meeting.

If the physical presence of shareholders is required in the Articles, a physical AGM must be held, unless a special resolution is passed to remove such requirements. If the physical presence of shareholders is not required in the Articles, then a company can consider running an AGM virtually or using a hybrid approach.

Once a company has decided on the date of the AGM, the appointed share registrar will distribute the AGM notice and proxy forms to all shareholders notifying them of the location, time, and date of the meeting, and ensure that shareholders have a clear understanding of the contents of the AGM. In addition, a professional share registrar should provide shareholders with a dedicated point of contact, such as a telephone hotline or an email address to handle shareholders’ questions or inquiries regarding the upcoming AGM.

Part of BoardRoom’s share registry services is to ensure that the organisation and execution of AGMs are carried out seamlessly, and with clear communication and high shareholder satisfaction. Our share registry services team can also act as a scrutineer for AGM’s and conduct vote-taking and polling exercises.

Shareholder or investor services refer to the record keeping and administrative work provided by a third-party company like BoardRoom. Specific services include acting as a share/warrant/bond/unit registrar and transfer agent, meeting management (hybrid / virtual meeting) and scrutineer services, dividend and income distributions, shareholder communications, IPO services, and other corporate actions.

With experience providing companies across the APAC region share registry services, BoardRoom understands that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. We can help your business with running shareholder meetings, running proxy votes, guiding it through its IPO, serving as a share registrar and much more. We will tailor a personalised solution for your business to ensure it gets streamlined and efficient service. To get a better idea of how our share registry services could benefit your company in specific, reach out to us today.