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Allotment meaning

What does Allotment mean?
In company practice, an allotment is the company’s act of appropriating new shares to an applicant so the applicant acquires the unconditional right to be entered in the register of members for those shares. Under the Companies Act 2006, section 558, shares are taken to be allotted at that point; this statutory meaning applies in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Irish company law uses the term in the same way under the Companies Act 2014, although there is no identical statutory definition. Key features and practice points: - Directors must have authority to allot and must comply with statutory pre-emption rights on the allotment of equity securities, unless disapplied. - Allotment precedes issue: a person becomes a member only when their name is entered in the register; share certificates follow. - The timing of allotment matters: it determines compliance with pre-emption procedures and triggers the duty to file a return of allotment (UK: form SH01 to Companies House within one month; Ireland: Companies Registration Office return within the statutory period). Allotment concerns the creation of new shares and is distinct from the transfer of existing shares.
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View the related Checklists about Allotment

CHECKLISTS
Allotting Shares and Disapplying Pre-emption: Checklist for UK Listed Companies - CA 2006 Authorisations, Investor Guidelines, Listing Rules/DTRs, Filings and Market Disclosures (pre-29 July 2024 regime)

STOP PRESS: A major overhaul of the UK listing framework took effect on 29 July 2024, removing the premium and standard segments and introducing a single listing category for equity shares in commercial companies. The commercial companies category is strongly disclosure-led, with an emphasis on transparency, and sits alongside other listing categories, such as shell companies, secondary listing and closed-ended investment fund categories. A new UK Listing Rules sourcebook came into force to deliver and implement the reforms, and the previous Listing Rules sourcebook was revoked in full. For further details, see Practice Note: Reform of the UK listing regime—fundamentals. This Checklist reflects the regime as it stood before 29 July 2024. The allotment and issue of shares are governed by statutory rules, which vary according to the type of company proposing the allotment (private or public, listed or unlisted) and whether that company has a single class or multiple classes of shares. This checklist sets out the procedure for a listed company to allot shares and to...

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CHECKLISTS
On-market share buybacks by UK premium listed companies: step-by-step legal and regulatory checklist (pre-29 July 2024 regime)

STOP PRESS: A major, wide-ranging overhaul of the UK listing framework took effect on 29 July 2024, abolishing the premium and standard listing segments and introducing a unified category for equity shares of commercial companies. That commercial companies category is strongly disclosure-led and sits alongside other listing categories, including the shell companies, secondary listing and closed ended investment fund categories. A new UK Listing Rules sourcebook commenced to deliver these reforms, and the previous Listing Rules sourcebook was withdrawn at the same time. For more detail, see Practice Note: Reform of the UK listing regime—fundamentals for guidance. This Checklist represents the listing regime as it existed before 29 July 2024. A limited company may acquire its own shares if certain conditions set out in the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) are satisfied under that statute. This is commonly referred to as a share buyback or a purchase of own shares. In addition to the provisions of the CA 2006, further rules and guidelines are relevant to a listed company...

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CHECKLISTS
UK bond issuance: timeline, key documents, parties, ratings, clearing and admission to trading, with update on POATRs 2024 and FCA admission rules effective 19 January 2026

STOP PRESS: The UK’s prospectus framework presently derives from the EU Prospectus Regulation, preserved in domestic law following Brexit as the UK Prospectus Regulation. The government has been reassessing this regime within a broader programme to modernise UK capital markets and make the UK a more appealing place to list. In this context, the UK Prospectus Regulation will give way to the Public Offers and Admission to Trading Regulations 2024 (the POATRs), and all detailed requirements connected to admission to trading will sit within Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) admission rules. The FCA issued its final rules (PS25/9) on 15 July 2025, with implementation expected on 19 January 2026. These changes form part of efforts to reform the capital markets in the UK and enhance the attractiveness of the UK as a listing venue. For more detail on the principal features of the POATRs framework pertinent to the debt capital markets, see Practice Note: The UK Prospectus Regulation—essentials [Archived] — Reform of the UK prospectus regime. Note that numerous steps...

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View the related News about Allotment

NEWS
Privy Council confirms shareholders' personal, non-derivative right to challenge improper share allotments causing dilution; clarifies Foss v Harbottle exceptions and limits on ratification (Tianrui v China Shanshui, Cayman Islands)

Tianrui (International) Holding Company v China Shanshui Cement Group (Cayman Islands) [2024] UKPC 36 What are the practical implications of this case? The Privy Council has now articulated the juridical basis on which a shareholder may bring a personal claim to hold a board to the company’s constitution, without resort to a derivative action, following an allotment of shares. As the judgment explains (paras [3]–[4]), authorities of the highest level — from the Privy Council, the UK Supreme Court, the High Court of Australia and other appellate courts — have long recognised that shareholders may proceed personally to contest such allotments, rather than by derivative action on the company’s behalf, notwithstanding that the directors’ duty to exercise the power of allotment for proper purposes is owed to the company alone, not to shareholders individually. Although that personal standing had rarely been doubted, the precise juridical rationale had seldom been determined or even closely discussed; this decision supplies the explanation...

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NEWS
Greencoat launches €25m share buyback to reduce capital; Euronext Dublin repurchases cancelled; financed from operating cash flow; programme to 8 November 2024 under 15% shareholder authority

Greencoat stated that the aim of the programme, due to conclude by 8 November 2024, is to lower its share capital. All such shares repurchased on the Euronext Dublin exchange will then be cancelled. Counsel details for the European owner and operator of renewable energy infrastructure assets were not available straightaway publicly. The infrastructure firm noted that J&E Davy, among Ireland’s largest asset managers and financial advisers, together with RBC Europe Ltd, are acting as principals for the process. Greencoat intends to fund the programme via operating cash flow...

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NEWS
Ireland: Ryanair announces €700m buyback via Citigroup (Dublin shares) and J&E Davy (Nasdaq ADS); all repurchased shares cancelled; final dividend; 34% profit rise; block trades possible; counsel unconfirmed

The budget Irish carrier said two brokers will execute the programme, which is slated to conclude by 31 October 2024. Citigroup Global Markets Europe AG will buy back Ryanair stock valued at up to €300m from Euronext Dublin. Wealth manager J&E Davy Unlimited Co will purchase American depositary shares — US dollar-denominated equity in a non‑US company — worth as much as €400m on the Nasdaq stock market. Ryanair said all repurchased shares will be cancelled. Legal counsel details for the buyback were not immediately disclosed. Shareholders gave the green light to the buyback at the company’s general meeting in September 2023...

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View the related Practice Notes about Allotment

PRACTICE NOTES
Share-based remuneration for UK non-executive directors: independence, employees’ share scheme status, Listing/AIM, UK MAR, pre-emption, financial assistance, FSMA, disclosure and practical structuring options

Meaning of ‘non-executive director’ The broad definition of ‘director’ is not closed. Under the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006), a director is any person who occupies the office of director, whatever title they hold. Accordingly, this covers both executive and non-executive directors (NEDs). Executive directors are typically authorised, either by the company’s constitution or by authority delegated from the board, to manage the company’s day-to-day affairs, and they usually have a full-time service contract. NEDs generally: have no executive powers play a pivotal role in the company’s corporate governance are not employees of the company There are a number of challenges around granting shares to NEDs. This Practice Note considers the issues to assess when offering shares or share-based remuneration to NEDs, including: the potential impact on the NED’s independence the share dealing provisions of Assimilated Regulation (EU) 596/2014 for the UK, and the Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) 596/2014) previously and for the EU ...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Pre-emption rights on allotments by unlisted public companies (Companies Act 2006): statutory regime, communication, exceptions, disapplication (ss 570–571, 573), treasury shares, liabilities and filings

Pre-emption rights on allotment Pre-emption rights on allotment provide every shareholder in a company with a means to guard against dilution of their percentage stake where this could result from a share allotment, the issue of rights to subscribe for shares, the conversion of securities into shares, or a disposal of treasury shares by that company. This Practice Note addresses the pre-emption rights applicable to an allotment of equity securities by a public company that is neither a listed company nor an AIM company (that is, an unlisted public company), as prescribed in the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006). Close attention should be paid to the breadth of those statutory pre-emption rights, because an unlisted public company must observe them to the extent that they have not been disapplied, varied, waived, or excluded and ensure that it complies with them to that extent...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Subscription and shareholders’ agreements in venture capital deals: drafting guidance on conditions, warranties, governance, reserved matters and investor protections (England and Wales)

Subscription and shareholders’ agreement This Practice Note offers guidance for drafters preparing and/or reviewing a subscription and shareholders’ agreement relating to the allotment of shares (and, potentially, loan notes) in a private limited company incorporated in England and Wales by a private equity (or venture capital) fund investor (the investor) within a venture capital (VC) deal, where the structure provides for split exchange and completion, ie conditions must be met before completion of the subscription and shareholders’ agreement. The investment contemplated is into an existing company (the Company), with the current shareholders (typically the business’s founders) keeping the shares they have already been issued in the Company. Set out below are matters to weigh up when drafting and/or reviewing the principal provisions of a subscription and shareholders’ agreement (SSA). Parties The investee company Although the principal parties to the SSA will be the relevant investor and the Company’s founders, the Company will ordinarily be included as a party too, ie the vehicle in which the investor...

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View the related Precedents about Allotment

PRECEDENTS
Precedent special resolutions: disapply pre-emption rights and authorise allotment (including follow-on offers) for UK listed or AIM companies (Companies Act 2006; Pre-Emption Group Statement of Principles)

SPECIAL RESOLUTION[S] 1 THAT, if [ insert reference to the resolution granting authority to allot ] is approved, the Board shall be empowered to issue equity securities (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) for cash under the authority conferred by that resolution and/or to dispose of ordinary shares held by the Company in treasury for cash, as though section 561 of the Companies Act 2006 did not apply to any such issue or sale, such power to be restricted as follows: [ insert wording to limit the authority to disapply pre-emption rights to allotments for rights issues and other pre-emptive issues ]; to the issue of equity securities or the disposal of treasury shares (other than pursuant to paragraph (A) above) up to an aggregate nominal amount of £[ insert amount, to be not more than 10 per cent of the issued ordinary share capital (excluding treasury shares) of the Company as at the latest practicable date prior to publication of the notice of...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent board minutes for UK plc secondary fundraising (placing/firm placing/open offer): prospectus approval, placing agreement, LSE/AIM admission, CREST, general meeting and allotment

Company No: [ insert number ] [ Insert company name ] PLC Minutes from a meeting of [ a committee of ] the board of directors (the Meeting) of [ insert full name of company ] plc (the Company) Convened at [ insert place of meeting ] On [ insert day, month and year of meeting ] at [ insert time of meeting ] [ am OR pm ] Present [ Insert the names of the director(s) in physical attendance ] [ Insert the names of any directors attending by remote means (except where such means are specifically disallowed by the Company’s articles of association) (via [ insert mode of attendance for each director participating remotely ]) ] In attendance: [ Insert the name of anyone in attendance who does not count towards the quorum for the Meeting (eg the company secretary, any legal advisers) ] Apologies: [ Insert...

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PRECEDENTS
Gazette Notice for Rights Issue: Overseas Shareholders Without UK/EEA Address—Inspection and Collection of Prospectus and Provisional Allotment Letters (Companies Act 2006, s.562(3))

[ insert name of company ] plc (Registered in [ insert country of incorporation ] with number [ insert company number ]) [ insert description of rights issue, eg Proposed [ insert offer ratio, eg 5 for 8 ] rights issue of [ insert total number new shares to be issued ] new ordinary shares of [ insert nominal value ] each at [ insert offer price ] per ordinary share ] This notice is issued, in accordance with section 562(3) of the Companies Act 2006, to every person whose name appears on the register at the close of business on [ insert date ] (the Rights Issue Record Date) as a holder of ordinary shares of [ insert nominal value ] each (the Ordinary Shares) in [ insert name of company ] plc (the Company) who does not have a registered address in the UK or an EEA State and has...

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View the related Q&As about Allotment

Q&As
Trust corporations: Public Trustee Rules s30(1)(b)(iv) capital breach, paid-up share capital, share capital distribution, operational rules

This Q&A assumes that the trust corporation is a company incorporated and registered in the UK under the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006) CA 2006 sets the framework for how a company formed under that Act allots and issues its shares. The exact process varies by the nature of the company proposing the allotment and factors such as whether it has a single share class or several classes already in issue. For further detail, see the sub-topic: Allotment, issue and pre-emption—overview, with particular reference to the Practice Note: Allotment and issue of shares—introductory points. For guidance on the consequences of breaching the CA 2006 provisions on allotting and issuing shares, consult Practice Note: Allotment and issue of shares—penalties...

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