SGX ENHANCES TRANSPARENCY AND DETERS
FAILED SHARE DELIVERY
22 September 2008 - Despite current market
turbulence and global financial uncertainties, trading of
securities listed on Singapore Exchange (SGX) has been orderly and
settlement has been timely. Nevertheless, SGX would like to enhance
existing transparency in the market and to deter failed
deliveries.
Information about naked short positions which result in failure of
delivery to CDP would be useful to market participants.
Furthermore, cumulative short-selling of individual share
securities without the discipline of borrowing to cover delivery
obligations, may threaten the orderliness of our market with
implications for the integrity of the clearing system. In
Singapore, naked short selling which results in failed delivery to
CDP are closed-out by buying-in from the market. Buying-in takes
place from 11.30am every day.
With immediate effect, SGX will publish the list of buying-in
securities and the volume of shares sought, at 11am every day.
Publication will be done via SGXNET and SGX website. This will make
dissemination of information more efficient than the present
practice of having the information relayed through brokers who
participate in the buying-in market.
After completion of buying-in, SGX will publish the list of
securities bought-in (which includes individual counters), the
volume and dollar-value at 8:30 am the following business
day.
In addition to the current processing fee for buying-in of $30 per
contract, there will be a penalty of 5% of the value of the failed
trade subject to a minimum of $1,000. This penalty will take effect
for trades executed from Thursday 25 September 2008 onwards. The
fee will be reviewed from time to time to assess its
effectiveness.
Market participants must not short-sell in the buying-in market as
it runs counter to the objective of buying-in. Accordingly, any
failure to deliver shares in the buying-in market may be liable to
penalty of $50,000 and/or disbarment from participating in the
buying-in market. This will take effect from Thursday, 25 September
2008.
The measures introduced today will be reviewed after a month. SGX
remains vigilant in maintaining the orderly functioning of the
market and safe efficient clearing.