Listed companies required to provide audited financial statements within 45 days of end date of relevant quarter

emirates7 - The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) has announced that listed companies must disclose the agenda and schedule of their Board of Directors meetings, especially when topics impacting the company's stock price are on the table, at least two business days before the meeting.

In a circular issued today, ADX clarified that decisions made during these meetings should be disclosed immediately once the meeting concludes, with the exception of the meeting day itself. For example, if a company plans to hold a board meeting on Friday, September 27, 2024, to discuss stock-related matters, the agenda and schedule must be disclosed by Tuesday, September 24, 2024. Failure to meet this deadline would constitute a violation of market disclosure regulations.

The circular further instructed companies to submit their third-quarter financial reports, in both Arabic and English, through the Disclosure Electronic Services (E-Services) platform. ADX stressed the importance of transparency and the timely disclosure of financial information to protect the interests of investors and market participants.

Additionally, the circular outlined the following requirements:

1. A comparative quarterly report for the same period of the previous fiscal year, including the company’s financial statements audited by an external auditor, must be submitted within 45 days after the quarter ends. This report should also contain either a Board of Directors' report or a Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A), signed by a board member or an authorized representative.

2. Companies must submit financial reports that are approved by the executive management and prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

3. Financial statements should be disclosed before or after the trading session, as per ADX’s Disclosure Guidelines for Public and Private Joint Stock Companies.

The circular also noted that if the financial data isn’t disclosed by 9:00 AM on the specified date, the company’s trading will be suspended from 9:00 to 9:30 AM to ensure orderly trading and the completion of internal market procedures. Should the data be submitted within this window, trading will resume after 9:30 AM.