Investor Relations - A Practical Guide - Investis

How can companies take advantage of the rules
for website communications
A shareholder is deemed to have agreed to
receive company communications on the website if
two conditions are met.
First:
• either the shareholders have passed a resolution
at a general meeting allowing the company to
communicate in this way or the company’s
articles contain provisions to this effect.
Second:
• the company has asked the shareholder
individually to agree that the company may
communicate by website (either generally, or in
relation to a particular document or item of
information), explaining that the effect of a failure
to respond will be to trigger the automatic
consent rules (i.e. the shareholder will be
deemed to have agreed to website
communication); and
• no response is received within 28 days beginning
with the day of its request.
The company may only send a request once every
12 months for the same or similar documents or
information. Even if a shareholder has agreed
expressly, or is deemed to have agreed, to website
communication, he or she may still obtain hard
copies of documents free of charge at any time.
Listed companies (which does not include AIM
companies) must also comply with the Financial
Services Authority (FSA) rules on electronic
communications set out in the FSA Disclosure
Rules and Transparency Rules. Similarly, the AIM
Rules for Companies contain guidance for AIM
companies that opt to communicate with
shareholders by electronic means.
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