What are the rules for delisting stocks?

Asked by: Ashlee Pfannerstill Jr.  |  Last update: September 3, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (43 votes)

If a company can't maintain the minimum requirements to remain listed, Nasdaq will delist it. Failure of a company to meet a minimum closing bid price of at least $1 for 30 consecutive trading days can trigger delisting. When this happens Nasdaq issues a deficiency notice to the company.

Do I lose my money if a stock is delisted?

The only thing delisting does is that the stock doesn't trade on whatever exchange it got delisted from. It would still exist and you would still own it. No one is going to pay you out. It would trade over the counter.

How long can a stock stay under $1 before delisting?

If the closing bid price of a company's shares are below $1.00 for 30 consecutive trading days, the company is considered to be in violation of Minimum Bid Price Requirement.

What are the criteria for delisting stocks?

The criteria for delisting depend on the exchange and which listing requirement needs to be met. For example, on the Nasdaq, the delisting process is set in motion when a company trades for 30 consecutive business days below the minimum closing bid price requirement or less than the required market value.

Can a company come back after delisting?

Companies can apply for relisting once they meet the exchange's requirements.

What Happens when a Stock goes Bankrupt

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Is a delisted stock worthless?

You don't automatically lose money as an investor, but being delisted carries a stigma and is generally a sign that a company is bankrupt, near-bankrupt, or can't meet the exchange's minimum financial requirements for other reasons. Delisting also tends to prompt institutional investors to not continue to invest.

How do I recover money from delisted shares?

However, there is one way to claim the losses on shares which are delisted and still lying in your demat account. You can transfer these shares from your demat account through off market transaction for a very nominal price to any of your friends or relatives.

What happens to puts if a stock is delisted?

When a stock is delisted, options trading on that stock typically ceases. This means that options holders are no longer able to buy or sell their options on the open market. However, they still have the right to exercise their options if they choose to do so.

What is the law of delisting?

The term "delisting" of securities means removal of securities of a listed company from a stock exchange. As a consequence of delisting, the securities of that company would no longer be traded at that stock exchange. 2. What is the difference between voluntary delisting and compulsory delisting?

Can you write off a delisted stock?

If you own securities, including stocks, and they become totally worthless, you have a capital loss but not a deduction for bad debt. Worthless securities also include securities that you abandon.

What is the threshold for delisting?

The criteria for delisting, as outlined by major exchanges such as Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), typically include: Price Requirements: Maintaining a minimum closing bid price of at least $1.00 for a specified period, usually 30 consecutive trading days 1 2 .

How to sell a delisted stock?

Delisted stocks will not be automatically removed/ liquidated from a user's account. The user can submit orders if the client wishes to remove or liquidate them. When a stock becomes delisted it will usually be quoted and traded over the counter (OTC).

What is the penny stock rule?

A penny stock is defined in Exchange Act Rule 3a51-1. Like many SEC rules, the penny stock rule begins by including all equity securities and then carves out exemptions (for example, all offers and sales of securities must be registered unless an exemption applies).

What should I do with delisted stocks?

In this case, promoters are required to buy back the shares at the value determined by an independent evaluator. Though delisting does not affect your ownership, shares may not hold any value post-delisting. Thus, if any of the stocks that you own get delisted, it is better to sell your shares.

Do delisted stocks ever get relisted?

Yes, a delisted stock can be re-listed on a major exchange like the NYSE or Nasdaq if the company subsequently meets all of the exchange's listing requirements. This typically involves getting the stock price above the minimum threshold, meeting financial benchmarks, and filing up-to-date financial reports.

What happens if you short a stock and it gets delisted?

What happens when an investor maintains a short position in a company that gets delisted and declares bankruptcy? The answer is simple: The investor never has to pay back anyone because the shares are worthless. Companies sometimes declare bankruptcy with little warning. Other times, there is a slow fade to the end.

Can a stock come back after delisting?

Trading After Delisting

It is rare that a delisted stock will get itself back on to the more traditional exchanges. To do so, it would have to avoid bankruptcy, solve the issue that forced the delisting, and again become compliant with the exchange's standards.

What is delisting criteria?

Companies that fail to meet the minimum standards set by an exchange will be involuntarily delisted. The most common standard is price. For example, a company with a share price under $1 per share for a period of months may find itself at risk of being delisted from the Nasdaq.

Why is delisting good?

Cost reduction: A company must adhere to many listing requirements to continue listing its shares on the stock exchanges, costing them money. To reduce such costs, it may delist the shares.

How do you recover a delisted stock?

If someone misses applying for the delisting, they can tender the shares offline directly to the company, and the company will buy them back. Shareholders will have a one-year period from the date of unlisting to tender the shares to the company.

How to get rid of a stock that no longer trades?

If the security cannot be sold in the market, it may be possible to dispose of the worthless security by gifting it to another person who can be related or unrelated to you. If you gift the worthless security to a family member, you will need to ensure that the person is not your spouse or minor child.

What happens to puts if a stock goes to zero?

For a put writer, the maximum gain is limited to the premium collected, while the maximum loss would occur if the underlying stock price fell to zero.

How do I redeem delisted shares?

If you own the shares after the company gets delisted, you are not allowed to sell the shares on NSE or BSE. However, you can sell the shares you own outside of the stock exchanges. Continue reading to know how you can sell your shares and get your money back in the two types of delisting mentioned above.

How do I get my money back from stocks?

Order to sell shares – You need to log on to your brokerage account and choose the stock holding that you would like to sell. Place an order to sell the shares.

Are delisted shares taxable?

If the delisting happens a year after the security has been purchased, capital gains tax is not charged. However, if the delisting takes place within a year, whatever gain is made will be taxable, based on the tax slab of the individual.