OTCQB and OTCQX Compared and Contrasted
Posted by Securities Attorney Laura Anthony | April 6, 2011 Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Over the past few years, the historical PinkSheets has undergone some considerable changes, starting with the creation of certain tiers of Issuers and culminating in its refurbished website and new URL “OTCMarkets.com”.

The new OTCMarkets.com divides Issuers into three (3) levels: OTCQX; OTCQB and PinkSheets. From a fundamental perspective, Issuers on the OTCQX must be fully reporting and current in their reporting obligations with the SEC and also undergo a quality review by industry professionals. Issuers on the OTCQB must be fully reporting and current in their reporting obligations with the SEC but do not undergo additional quality review.

OTCQB vs OTCBB

Issuers on the OTCQB are analogous to previous OTCBB listed entities. Although the OTCBB technically still exists, it is losing company quotations daily, mainly as market makers choose the full service, one stop shopping of the OTC Markets, to quote the stock of over the counter trading Issuers. OTCQB Issuers are current with their reporting requirements to the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act of 1934. Market Makers quoting the stock of OTCQB Issuers either have a current 15c2-11 or are relying on the piggy back qualification.

OTCQX Issuers

Issuers with stock quoted on the OTCQX are not only current with their reporting obligations, but have undergone industry professional review. That is, in addition to meeting the requirements of the securities laws and SEC, these entities have opted to undergo greater scrutiny from the industry. The benefits to Investors in being able to rely on this quality review are enormous.

OTC Markets has established standardized methods for professionals to review the quality of Issuer information. In addition, OTC Markets has set forth standards for the qualifications of those responsible for undertaking the quality review. Lastly, OTC Markets maintains a strict accountability policy for securities attorneys, PCAOB auditors and other professionals who do not perform their review obligations properly and/or who do not adhere to OTC Markets standards. Issuer service providers that report false information to OTC Markets may ultimately find themselves blacklisted from the website. Consequently, it is essential that attorneys, auditors and any other professionals who submit Issuer data to OTC Markets confirm with absolute certainty that they their information is correct and complete.

OTCQX – A Valuable Resource for Investors

Prior to the enactment of the OTCQX tier by the OTC Markets, for quality of disclosure review, Investors had to rely on either the SEC review process or analyst reports. However, these sources are not consistent and as for the later, not necessarily reliable. The SEC does not review all documents filed by all Issuers, not even close. They simply do not have the resources nor personnel to do so. Accordingly, the quality of disclosure of any given Issuer may not meet even basic legal requirements and an Investor would have no easy way of determining which filings have been reviewed and which have not.

Relying on analysts’ reports entails tremendous risk because not all of them are licensed. Many “analysts” are simply stock promoters being paid to write glowing recommendations about a particular stock. Even the most well-intentioned analysts do not always verify the information provided to them by the issuer. Many are seeking to line their own pockets by selling their shares in an inflated market after their favorable report is disseminated. Inversely, others have shorted the stock and will profit in the down market after their unfavorable report reaches the street. Ultimately, there is no easy way for an Investor to discern whether a given report is prepared by a licensed, unbiased, honest professional – until now.

OTCQX Benefits

In addition, OTCQX offers Investors and Issuers various perks usually associated with trading on an Exchange (a stock exchange, such as the NASDAQ is different than the Over the Counter Market in that they have listing standards, such as price of stock, and have ongoing governance and compliance standards, such as audit committee review). These perks include, but are not limited to, real time quotes and various computerized communication resources for investor relations.

The Author

Attorney Laura Anthony
Founding Partner, Legal & Compliance, LLC
Securities, Reverse Mergers, Corporate Transactions

Securities attorney Laura Anthony provides ongoing corporate counsel to small and mid-size public Companies as well as private Companies intending to go public on the Over the Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB), now known as the OTCQB. For more than a decade Ms. Anthony has dedicated her securities law practice towards being “the big firm alternative.” Clients receive fast and efficient cutting-edge legal service without the inherent delays and unnecessary expense of “partner-heavy” securities law firms.

Ms. Anthony’s focus includes but is not limited to compliance with the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (“Exchange Act”) including Forms 10-Q, 10-K and 8-K and the proxy requirements of Section 14. In addition, Ms. Anthony prepares private placement memorandums, registration statements under both the Exchange Act and Securities Act of 1933, as amended (“Securities Act”). Moreover, Ms. Anthony represents both target and acquiring companies in reverse and forward mergers, including preparation of deal documents such as Merger Agreements, Stock Purchase Agreements, Asset Purchase Agreements and Reorganization Agreements. Ms. Anthony prepares the necessary documentation and assists in completing the requirements of the Exchange Act, state law and FINRA for corporate changes such as name changes, reverse and forward splits and change of domicile.

Contact Legal & Compliance, LLC for a free initial consultation or second opinion on an existing matter.


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