The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC)

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) amendments to Rule 15c2-11 go into effect on September 28, 2021, changing when and how a company’s stock can be publicly quoted on our markets.

What is Rule 15c2-11?

The Rule establishes the requirements for companies to have a public market by governing a broker’s ability to submit or publish quotations (i.e. bids and offers) in OTC securities in trading systems such as our OTC Link ATS. The Rule does not apply to the underlying transactions or the ability of an investor to buy or sell a security, but rather the ability to publish a quotation, or an “indication of interest,” to the greater investing public.

How will the amendments to Rule 15c2-11 change the market?

Effective September 28, 2021, the Rule requires that current information about an issuer be publicly available in order for a security to become quoted initially, and remain quoted on an ongoing basis. Quotations submitted on an “unsolicited” basis will still be permitted under the amended Rule, subject to additional requirements for insiders and affiliates.

OTC Markets Group will play a greater role in bringing companies onto our markets. Our OTC Link ATS trading platform will function as a “qualified interdealer quotation system” and brokers will be able to rely on our current information designations in lieu of submitting a Form 211 with FINRA. This new regulatory status streamlines the pathway to the public markets for companies that are current in their disclosure obligations.

All securities on our markets must comply with the rule and provide current information before the September compliance date. See the SEC’s Adopting Release for additional information about Rule 15c2-11.