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7/25/24, 9:18 AM

FRB: Press Release -- Revised list of OTC stocks subject to margin regulations and foreign equity securities meeting the margin cri…

Release Date: July 28, 1997

The Federal Reserve Board today published a revised list of over-the-counter (OTC) market
stocks that are subject to its margin regulations (OTC List). Also published today is a
revised list of foreign equity securities that meet the margin criteria in Regulation T (Foreign
List).
The Lists are effective August 11, 1997, and supersede the previous Lists that were effective
May 12, 1997. The next revision of these Lists is scheduled to be effective November, 1997.
These Lists are published for the information of lenders and the general public.
The changes that have been made to the revised OTC List, which now contains 4,880 OTC
stocks, are as follows:
184 stocks have been included for the first time, 140 under National Market System
(NMS) designation;
49 stocks previously on the List have been removed for substantially failing to meet
the requirements for continued listing;
104 stocks have been removed for reasons such as listing on a national securities
exchange or involvement in an acquisition.
The OTC List is composed of OTC stocks that have been determined by the Board to be
subject to margin requirements in Regulations G, T and U. It includes OTC stocks
qualifying under Board criteria and also includes all OTC stocks designated as NMS
securities. Additional NMS securities may be added in the interim between quarterly Board
publications; these securities are immediately marginable upon designation as NMS
securities.
The Foreign List is composed of foreign equity securities that are eligible for margin
treatment at broker-dealers. Effective July 1, 1996, foreign stocks that have a "ready market"
for purposes of the Securities Exchange Commission's (SEC) net capital rule may be
included on the Foreign List. The SEC effectively treats all stocks included on the Financial
Times/Standard & Poor's Actuaries World Indices (FT/S&P-AW Indices) as having a "ready
market" for capital purposes. The Board is adding 64 foreign stocks and deleting 63, based
on changes to the FT/S&P-AW Indices. The revised Foreign List now contains 1,976
securities displayed in country order.
Margin regulations generally limit the amount of credit a person or firm may obtain to buy
or carry stock. Stocks on the OTC List and the Foreign List are subject to the same margin
requirements (currently 50 percent) as stocks listed on national securities exchanges in the
United States. This means a person or firm buying a stock on credit must make a down
payment equal to at least 50 percent of the purchase price of the stock and may obtain credit
for the remaining 50 percent. These margin requirements are only applicable to credit
extended on OTC or foreign stocks after they are placed on the Lists and the Lists have
become effective or the stocks are designated as NMS securities. No credit may be extended
by broker-dealers on stocks that are not traded on a national securities exchange unless they
are on the OTC List, the Foreign List, or in the NMS group. Credit extended by banks and
https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/general/1997/19970728/

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7/25/24, 9:18 AM

FRB: Press Release -- Revised list of OTC stocks subject to margin regulations and foreign equity securities meeting the margin cri…

other lenders on foreign stocks or OTC stocks that are neither on the OTC List nor in the
NMS group need only conform to the good faith lending limitation contained in Regulations
G and U.
It is unlawful for any person to cause any representation to be made that inclusion of a stock
on the OTC List or the Foreign List indicates that the Board or the Securities and Exchange
Commission has in any way passed upon the merits of any such stock or transaction therein.
Any references to the Board in connection with these Lists or any stocks thereon in any
advertisement or similar communications is unlawful.
Summary only
Marginable OTC and Foreign Margin Stocks (189 KB PDF)
Marginable OTC and Foreign Margin Stocks (359 KB ASCII)
Marginable OTC Stocks only (133 KB PDF)
Foreign Margin Stocks only (58 KB PDF)
1997 Banking and consumer regulatory policy
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Last update: July 28, 1997 12:00 PM

https://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/press/general/1997/19970728/

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