Nasdaq listing
It generally takes 4-6 weeks to process a listing application. This time frame is variable and may be shortened considerably, if the application raises no issues and the company responds to staff comments.
Week 1. Company submits application for listing and NASDAQ listing Qualifications staff begins its review.
Week 2-3. Staff completes its preliminary review and prepares comment letter.Week 3-4. Company addresses any issues raised by staff.
Week 5-6. Staff completes their review and company is approved for listing.
NASDAQ won't allow just any company to be traded on its exchange. Only companies with a solid history and top-notch management behind them are considered. NASDAQ has three sets of listing requirements. Each company must meet at least one of the three requirement sets, as well as the main rules for all companies.
Listing Standard No. 1The company must have aggregate pre-tax earnings in the prior three years of at least $11 million, in the prior two years at least $2.2 million, and no one year in the prior three years can have a net loss.
Listing Standard No. 2The company must have a minimum aggregate cash flow of at least $27.5 million for the past three fiscal years, with no negative cash flow in any of those three years. In addition, its average market capitalization over the prior 12 months must be at least $550 million, and revenues in the previous fiscal year must be $110 million, minimum.
Listing Standard No. 3Companies can be removed from the cash flowrequirement of Standard No. 2 if the average market capitalization over the past 12 months is at least $850 million, andrevenuesover the prior fiscal year are at least $90 million.
However, the stock symbol may change. A stock that moves from the OTC to Nasdaq often keeps its symbol. Contrarily, a stock that moves to the NYSE often must change its symbol, due to NYSE regulations that limit stock symbols to three letters. The OTC and Nasdaq both allow up to five letters.
