With Regulation A+ allowing companies to raise up to $75M USD, the regulation enables many great investors to support an issuer’s journey. From the everyday person to accredited investors, people can claim their stake in companies they foresee to be long-term successes. However, with shareholders come significant responsibilities issuers must uphold to maintain compliance with securities regulations. One such requirement is holding an AGM.
An Annual General Meeting, or simply AGM, is a meeting of shareholders that companies are required to hold once per year. The purpose is to provide shareholders with an update on the company and what plans lie ahead. During these meetings, the company’s directors will present annual reports to shareholders that are indicative of its performance. AGMs are a critical component of upholding the rights of shareholders, ensuring that they are provided all necessary information to make the right decisions regarding their investments. Typically, these meetings should be held after the end of the company’s fiscal year, giving shareholders adequate notice to attend or attend by proxy.
A company’s articles of incorporation and bylaws will outline the rules for an AGM, however, they typically include a review of the minutes from the previous AGM, financial statements, approval of the board of directors’ previous year actions, and election of directors. AGMs held by private companies do not require any regulatory filings but require them to check or change their bylaws to ensure that the meeting can be held online and information can be distributed digitally.
Before any AGM, shareholders will receive a proxy statement, which outlines the topics to be discussed at the meeting. The statement will include information on voting procedures for shareholders with voting rights, board candidates, executive compensation, and other matters that are important to a shareholder. The company will typically send shareholders a package containing this information by mail or over the internet if that is their preference. For shareholders that have invested directly in the company and their name is in the company’s official records, they are entitled to attend the meeting in person. For shareholders that have purchased shares through a broker-dealer or investment bank, they can request information on how to attend the meeting and cast their votes. Shareholders with the option to eVote can satisfy SEC requirements. Since 2007, “notice to access” rules enable companies to send a one-page notice to inform shareholders that materials are available online rather than being mailed a full copy of all reports.
AGMs are essential for the success of any private company, ensuring that shareholders are well-informed about company decisions and can exercise their voting rights. KoreConX offers our clients an all-in-one AGM planner as part of the REgA+ end-to-end solution. Our solution helps our clients maintain full compliance with securities laws, manage AGMs end-to-end, distribute circular materials, allow shareholders to securely vote online, and enable everyone to participate. We recognize that your shareholders are an important part of your company and strive to simplify the process of managing your relationships with them.
Annual shareholder meetings for RegA+ offerings are an essential part of compliance. Issuers are required to hold this meeting annually, empowering their shareholders to be active participants. Contact KoreConX to learn more about our AGM planning solution.