Investor Relations - A Practical Guide - Investis

Making the communication by website
When a document or item of information required
or authorised to be sent or supplied under the Act
is published on a company’s website, the company
must notify the shareholder of:
• the presence of the document or information on
the website;
• the address of the website;
• the place on the website where it may be
accessed; and
• how to access the document or information.
This notification must be sent as a hard copy or, if
the shareholder has agreed, by electronic
communication such as email. The FSA has
confirmed that, in respect of listed companies,
such a letter must comply with the usual Listing
Rules requirements for circulars. The company
must usually make the document or information
available on the website for at least 28 days
beginning with the date the notification of
availability is sent. The company must also comply
with any extra requirements about website
publications in the company’s articles.
Email communication: express consent still
required
Companies still need a shareholder’s express
agreement to use electronic communication such
as email. Any agreement with a shareholder made
since 2000 under the companies legislation that
preceded the Act continues to have effect for the
purpose of the new regime. Even if a shareholder
has agreed to electronic communication, he or she
may still obtain hard copies of documents free of
charge at any time.
Communications in hard copy
There have been no recent changes in the rules
governing hard copy communications between
companies and their shareholders, the main
requirements of which are detailed in a company’s
articles of association and, in respect of listed
companies, the Listing Rules.
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Building the Investor Relations Programme