MarcumAsia Co-Chair Drew Bernstein, left, attended the Asia Go IPO Summit in Hong Kong last week.Marcum Asia Though the Nasdaq is headquartered New York and many of its best-known companies such as Nvidia and Microsoft are based in the U.S., overseas listings by Asian companies account for about half of its IPOs these days. Tougher listing rules proposed by the Nasdaq this month for smaller companies – particularly from China -- would improve protection for investors yet have a “dramatic” impact leads busi ...

Core Viewpoint - Nasdaq has proposed significant rule changes to the SEC aimed at enhancing the quality of listed companies and strengthening investor protection, which will directly impact Nasdaq-listed companies, particularly regarding public shareholding thresholds, delisting processes, and IPO requirements for Chinese companies [1] Group 1: Public Shareholding Threshold - The proposed rule increases the minimum public shareholding threshold from $5 million to $15 million, ensuring that listed companies have sufficient liquidity and a broad investor base, thereby enhancing market stability and the reliability of stock price performance [1] Group 2: Delisting and Trading Suspension Measures - For companies with a market capitalization below $5 million, the proposed rule accelerates the process for trading suspension and delisting, meaning that companies failing to meet financial performance standards or having low market capitalization will face quicker regulatory actions and delisting risks, improving overall market transparency and safety [1] Group 3: IPO Requirements for Chinese Companies - Nasdaq has introduced specific requirements for Chinese companies, mandating that funds raised through IPOs must reach at least $25 million, aimed at ensuring that Chinese enterprises have adequate capital strength when listing on Nasdaq and enhancing investor confidence in their financial stability, which may directly affect some Chinese companies planning to go public in the U.S. [1]