Nasdaq Delisting Prevention Guide 2024: Sub-Dollar Stock Requirements

Nasdaq is proposing stricter rules to delist companies whose stock prices fall below $1.00, aiming to protect investors and maintain market integrity.

Current Rules

• Minimum Bid Price Requirement: Companies must keep their stock prices above $1.00. If a stock stays below this for 30 straight trading days, it's non-compliant.
• Compliance Periods: Currently, companies get two 180-day periods to fix their stock price, totaling about a year. During this time, they can appeal delisting, allowing their stock to keep trading.

Proposed Changes

1. Immediate Suspension After 360 Days: If a company doesn't fix its stock price after the two 180-day periods, its stock would be suspended from Nasdaq immediately, even if it appeals. The stock could still trade over-the-counter during the appeal.
2. Limits on Reverse Stock Splits: Companies often use reverse stock splits to boost stock prices. Nasdaq wants to stop companies from using this tactic too much. If a company does a reverse split and its stock falls below $1.00 again within a year, it would face immediate delisting without extra time to comply.

These changes are pending approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If approved, they would make Nasdaq's delisting process faster and stricter, reducing the time companies have to fix low stock prices and limiting the use of reverse stock splits to meet requirements.

Impact on Compliance

In this evolving regulatory environment, Nabu's AI-driven compliance solutions can help companies navigate these stricter rules. By automating compliance tasks and providing real-time monitoring, Nabu enables companies to maintain adherence to listing standards, identify potential issues early, and take proactive measures to avoid delisting. This ensures companies can focus on growth while staying compliant with Nasdaq's requirements.