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Access all documents on Treasury shares (Code definition)

Treasury shares (Code definition) meaning

What does Treasury shares (Code definition) mean?
shares that a company has previously issued, bought back and retained by the company instead of cancelling. While held in treasury, these shares carry no voting rights, do not rank for dividends or other distributions, and are generally disregarded in calculating voting thresholds. They can later be re-issued, transferred (for example under employee share schemes) or cancelled, making them a common tool of capital management after a share buyback. The principal features and consequences of treasury shares are set out in statute: the Companies Act 2006 for England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the Companies Act 2014 for Ireland. Sale or transfer of treasury shares is treated as an allotment for statutory pre-emption purposes. Under the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, Rule 4.5 prohibits an offeree company from accepting an offer in respect of treasury shares until the offer is unconditional as to acceptances. Usage and effect are broadly consistent across the UK and Ireland. In practice, practitioners should note their impact on control analyses, acceptance conditions, disclosure and market announcements, given that treasury shares neither confer votes nor qualify for dividends while they remain in treasury.
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View the related Checklists about Treasury shares (Code definition)

CHECKLISTS
English law LMA par secondary loan trades: pre-trade due diligence and settlement guide (transfer criteria, RFR/IBOR interest and DSC, KYC, tax, regulatory, sub-participations, BISO)

STOP PRESS The Loan Market Association (LMA) has released refreshed editions of the standard terms and conditions for Par and Distressed Trade Transactions, the complete set of Funded Participation and Risk Participation Agreements, and the Secondary Debt Trading Documentation User Guide, with effect from 17 March 2026. The changes remove LIBOR references, update IBOR rate definitions and the Target2 definition, and revise ERISA representations to incorporate additional exemptions to the prohibited transaction rules under ERISA and the US Internal Revenue Code. The revised documentation is available exclusively to LMA members, accessible via the LMA’s Documentation Hub. These publications are updated versions issued by the LMA. Summary A core principle of trading under the LMA protocol is that ‘Trade is a Trade’; i.e. once a trade is struck—including an oral contract agreed by telephone—it is binding, and subsequent developments, even if adverse to one or both parties, do not entitle either party to cancel or ‘break’ the trade. By way of example, a failure to secure consent for...

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CHECKLISTS
UK short selling notifications checklist: thresholds, FCA procedures, exemptions and corrections for shares, sovereign debt and CDS (archived)

STOP PRESS: Short Selling Regulations 2025 SI 2025/29 was made and published on 13 January 2025, together with an Explanatory Memorandum. This instrument replaces the assimilated regime and establishes a new statutory framework for UK short selling, creating designated activities and granting the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rulemaking powers for those activities, plus powers to intervene in exceptional situations. It reiterates that firms must notify the FCA when net short positions exceed 0.2% of issued share capital; while HM Treasury keeps the ability to adjust this level, the FCA may mandate notifications at a different threshold in exceptional circumstances. Some provisions took effect on 14 January 2025, with the remainder commencing on the date the revocation of the UK Short Selling Regulation takes effect under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. For a summary of the background to the new UK regime, see Practice Note: The UK Short Selling Regulation [Archived]. Regulation (EU) 236/2012 (the EU Short Selling Regulation) applies in the EU. In the UK, the assimilated...

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CHECKLISTS
LMA distressed secondary bank debt/claims: pre-trade due diligence and key elections on transfers, settlement, interest, DSC, unfunded commitments, tax/regulatory issues (including 2026 updates)

STOP PRESS: The Loan Market Association (LMA) has issued refreshed versions of the standard terms and conditions for Par and Distressed Trade Transactions, the complete suite of Funded Participation and Risk Participation Agreements, and the Secondary Debt Trading Documentation User Guide, all coming into force on 17 March 2026. Changes comprise the deletion of LIBOR references, updates to IBOR rate definitions and the Target2 definition, plus revised ERISA representations that fold in further exemptions to the prohibited transaction rules under ERISA and the US Internal Revenue Code. The new materials are accessible solely to LMA members via the LMA’s Documentation Hub. Summary A core principle of trading under the LMA protocol is that ‘a Trade is a Trade’: once a trade is concluded (which may include an oral agreement reached by telephone), it is binding, and later events that may disadvantage one or both parties do not permit either side to rescind or ‘break’ it. For instance, not securing consent for an assignment or novation of the...

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View the related News about Treasury shares (Code definition)

NEWS
UK and EU financial services regulatory update: FCA expansion, PRA plan, enforcement, MiFID/MiCA, ESG delays, fund liquidity tools, PISCES sandbox, T+1, digital pound—17 April 2025

In this issue: UK, EU and international regulators and bodies Authorisation, approval and supervision Operational resilience Financial crime and sanctions Consumer protection Complaints, compensation and claims management Investigations, enforcement and discipline Regulation of capital markets Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (PRIIPs) Dispute resolution for financial services lawyers Regulation of derivatives Sustainable finance and ESG Investment funds and asset management UK MiFID II EU MiFID II Payment services and systems Fintech and cryptoassets Regulation of AI in FS LexTalk®Financial Services: a Lexis®Nexis community Financial Services Enforcement Database Daily and weekly news alerts Intraday news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Latest Q&As No Weekly Highlights on 24 April 2025 UK, EU and international regulators and bodies FCA announces first international presence in US and Asia-Pacific regions The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has unveiled its...

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NEWS
EU law weekly round-up—14 March 2024: AI Act adopted, DMA enforcement, DORA RTS, MiFID II amendments, consumer protection, data protection decisions, and environmental/energy initiatives

In this issue: EU fundamentals Commercial Data protection and cybersecurity Free movement, immigration and employment Financial services Energy Environment IP Life sciences Regulatory TMT Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers EU fundamentals European Commission releases March 2024 infringements package The European Commission has unveiled its March 2024 infringements package, highlighting EU Member States it is pursuing for breaches of EU law. It is sending letters of formal notice, issuing reasoned opinions and making referrals to the Court of Justice against Member States including Germany, Spain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovenia, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Netherlands and Croatia, for infringements spanning the environment, internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), migration, home affairs and security union, justice, energy and climate, and mobility and transport. See: LNB News 13/03/2024 51. Council of the EU allows EU to...

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NEWS
EU AI Act GPAI Guidelines: scope, 10^23 FLOPs threshold, provider and modifier duties (including non‑EU), open‑source exemptions, code of practice, compute estimation and compliance timelines

On 18 July 2025, the Commission issued administrative guidance on the EU AI Act’s rules for GPAI models, designed to clarify scope, core concepts and how these interact with a related code of practice. The guidance sets out key legal terms to map the reach of the EU AI Act’s global partnership and artificial intelligence (GPAI) regime and pinpoint which businesses must comply. An initial draft was released in April 2025 to gather views from stakeholders. Following that consultation, the Commission’s AI Office outlined the principal revisions to EU Member States at a European AI Board meeting in late June 2025. The GPAI provisions will apply from 2 August 2025... Definition of GPAI models The guidance introduces a quantitative test to determine whether a model qualifies as a GPAI model—and is therefore within the AI Act’s remit—based on the computing power used for training. The benchmark, set in the early draft at 10²² floating-point operations per second, or FLOPs, has been increased to 10²³ FLOPs, aligning with the...

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View the related Practice Notes about Treasury shares (Code definition)

PRACTICE NOTES
UK Film and Television Law Glossary: Terms C–D—copyright, collecting societies, broadcasting, distribution

Film and TV glossary A–B Film and TV glossary E–H Film and TV glossary I–L Film and TV glossary M–P Film and TV glossary R–S Film and TV glossary T–W CAP Code for non-broadcast media The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (the CAP Code) serves as the principal framework governing non-broadcast adverts, promotional sales activity and direct marketing messages. It is drafted by the Committee on Advertising Practice (CAP), a self-regulatory body whose membership comprises organisations representing advertising, sales promotion, direct marketing and media industries. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) polices the CAP Code and may require the withdrawal or amendment of any advertisement that contravenes these standards. Refer to Practice Note: Advertising law and regulation. Channel 4 Channel 4 operates as a ‘publisher-broadcaster’: it produces no programmes internally, commissioning content from production companies across the UK. Cinematograph film Under the Copyright Act 1956 (CA 1956), films gained protection as...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Publication, laying and website disclosure of UK companies' annual accounts and reports: Companies Act 2006, FCA DTR/Listing Rules, UKCG Code and AIM Rules—timing, signatures, penalties, NSM and ESEF

Rules and guidance The principal rules on publishing and laying a company’s annual accounts and reports appear in Part 15 of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006). For these purposes, a company’s annual accounts and reports comprise: the annual accounts the directors' report the strategic report (unless the company is not obliged to prepare one) the directors' remuneration report, which may include a directors’ remuneration policy, and any separate corporate governance statement not included in the directors' report (for a quoted company) the auditor’s report on the accounts, the directors’ report, the strategic report, the auditable part of any directors’ remuneration report and any separate corporate governance statement (unless the company qualifies for audit exemption) Certain statutory requirements governing publication and laying differ according to whether the company is public or private, and whether it is quoted or unquoted. Quoted companies cover UK companies with shares listed in the UK or in another EEA state; AIM companies do...

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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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View the related Precedents about Treasury shares (Code definition)

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
Special resolution to disapply pre-emption rights for a specific allotment or sale of treasury shares (listed/AIM), conditional on authority to allot—Companies Act 2006 s.561

SPECIAL RESOLUTION That, if [ insert reference to the resolution granting authority to allot ] is approved, the Board is authorised to allot equity securities (as defined in the Companies Act 2006) for cash under that authority and/or to sell ordinary shares held by the Company as treasury shares for cash, as though section 561 of the Companies Act 2006 did not apply to any such allotment or sale, such authority being limited to [ insert wording to limit the authority to the specified allotment of equity securities and/or sale of treasury shares ]. This authority will expire at the end of the Company’s next AGM (or, if earlier, at close of business on [ insert date (day, month and year) to be a date that is no later than fifteen months after the date of the current AGM ]); however, prior to expiry the Company may make offers and enter into agreements which would, or might, require equity securities to be allotted (and treasury shares to be sold)...

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PRECEDENTS
Corporate criminal liability: senior manager attribution, relevant economic offences, consequences, procedures and reporting under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023

1 Introduction 1.1 [ Insert organisation name ] is proud of how we run our affairs. Our Code of ethics sets out the principles and rules that govern our operations. It binds everyone here. Please read the Code carefully, ensure you understand it, and let it steer your day‑to‑day work. If you are unsure about the Code or how it applies, speak with [ insert, eg your manager ] 1.2 [ Insert organisation name ] operates a zero‑tolerance policy on employees engaging in criminal conduct 1.3 From 26 December 2023, under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, if a senior manager, acting within their actual or apparent authority, commits a relevant offence, the organisation is likewise guilty of that offence 2 Senior manager 2.1 A senior manager is an individual who plays a pivotal role in: 2.1.1 deciding how the whole, or a substantial part, of the organisation’s activities are to...

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