Deferred Shares

A deferred share is a type of share that does not include any access to the assets of a firm that is going through bankruptcy until all of the common shareholders and preferred shareholders have been compensated. The purpose to issue deferred shares is to compensate managers or to motivate investors for investing.

It is also possible for this to be a share granted to the company's founders, which restricts their ability to receive dividends until all other classes of investors have received their dividends. As part of an investment, deferred shares may be given to venture capital firms and other private investor groups.

• Deferred shares restrict shareholders' access to the assets of the bankrupt firm.
• Corporate insiders and investors often hold deferred shares. There are a variety of term limitations regarding when the shares vest, and they may be converted to either ordinary shares or some other class of stock.
• Deferred shares can also be converted into other forms of stock.
• Since deferred shares have a shorter vesting term, restricted stock units, often known as RSUs, are becoming an increasingly popular alternative.

Deferred shares, also known as founder shares, are traditionally distributed to the company's founders. The shareholders have a preferred right to receive dividends, meaning they will receive them before the preferred and common stocks. It is impossible for a publicly traded company that is a subsidiary of a publicly traded company to issue deferred shares. These shares are given to the company's founders so that they may exercise control over the company's management and benefit from increased voting rights.

Until all common and preferred shareholders have been paid, the holder of deferred shares of a corporation filing for bankruptcy has no claim to the firm's assets. In the case of dividends, this clause is also relevant. The right of deferred shareholders to receive dividends is limited until dividends have been paid out to all other categories of shareholders.

In the normal course of events, corporations going through the procedures of capital restructuring will issue deferred shares. When a corporation restructures its capital, it aims to improve its debt-to-equity ratio or alter its capital position. Restructuring the firms' capital is another tactic as part of a long-term plan to make businesses more sustainable and competitive. Deferred shareholders are entitled to their share of whatever is left over after the firm has been liquidated and its obligations have been paid.

The most typical forms of deferred equity are convertible preferred shares and convertible bonds.

1. Convertible Preferred Shares

These types of preferred shares grant the holder the option to convert the shares into common shares. This option can be exercised at the holder's discretion after a certain time frame. One sort of hybrid instrument is called convertible preferred stock, combining aspects of debt and equity in its makeup.

2. Convertible Bonds

A convertible bond combines a bond and an option to purchase shares. Convertible security will often make interest payments regularly like a traditional fixed-income investment. However, it will typically allow the holder to exchange the security for cash at some point in the future.

Let us look at some deferred share examples to understand the concept better:

Example #1

The article by market screener states that London-based investment firm Gunsynd PLC has announced that its investee, Pacific Nickel Mines Ltd., has completed the issuance of 13.8 million deferred shares for AUD 0.08 per share.

It is said that the delayed shares are the result of the 85% acquisition of Sunshine Minerals Ltd. It controls 80% of the Jejevo nickel deposit in the Solomon Islands. Gunsynd is scheduled to get 1.6 million shares due to the deal disclosed in August. Its current holdings in Pacific Nickel amount to 4.7 million shares, equivalent to 1.3% of the company's total share capital. It does not have any direct stake in Sunshine Minerals at this time.

Example #2

An article by Burges Salmon addresses if there is a chance that entrepreneurs may lose due to deferred shares. Recent court decisions have introduced a degree of ambiguity in determining what constitutes ordinary share capital. As a result, it may challenge management teams attempting to assert their eligibility for entrepreneurs' relief.

Many corporations use postponed shares to turn potentially valuable ordinary shares into worthless shares. In addition, incentive agreements and restructurings can effectively transfer ownership of deferred shares. These actions have sparked debates and raised questions about the treatment of deferred shares regarding the ordinary share capital of the firm.

Specifically, there is an ongoing discussion as to whether or not the deferred shares that have been created should be counted as part of the ordinary share capital when determining whether entrepreneurs are eligible for relief from their tax obligations. These considerations are important for both the entrepreneurs and the firms involved.

Following are the advantages of deferred shares

• These shares give dividend distributions, often larger than the average rate paid on other kinds of shares.
• Additionally, holders of deferred shares get access to all residual earnings once all the other responsibilities have been completed.
• Employees granted deferred stock may be eligible for more typical stock options, which might be tied to specific maturity requirements.

The following are the disadvantages.

• Its payment is not made until after all other categories of stockholders have been compensated for their shares.
• Having no voting rights results in a less advantageous position than shares having voting rights.
• Such shares have lower priority for the return of capital if a company goes bankrupt.

• There are fewer rights attached to deferred shares than to ordinary shares.
• After all the provisions have been made for distributing dividends to preference shareholders, only then are the ordinary shareholders eligible to receive dividend payments. The delayed shareholders won't be eligible for dividends until the company has paid the required minimum dividends to the regular shareholders.
• There is a possibility that vesting rules may apply to deferred and restricted stock units. However, in the case of ordinary shares, none of these restrictions apply.

This has been a guide to what are Deferred Shares. Here, we explain its examples, types, advantages, disadvantages, and comparison with ordinary shares. You can learn more about finance from the following articles –

• Difference Between Shares and Debentures
• Deferred Revenue (Income)
• Dividend Distribution Tax