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Companies Act 2006
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Changes to legislation:
Companies Act 2006, Section 561 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 February 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
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Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 561:
- Act amendment to earlier affecting provision S.I. 2014/3348, art. 220A by S.I. 2024/1115 reg. 4(3)
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 25(j) omitted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 21 para. 10
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 28 words substituted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 18 para. 9(2)(a)(i)
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 29 words substituted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 18 para. 9(2)(a)(ii)
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 36 words substituted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 18 para. 9(2)(b)
- ss. 381-384 amendment to earlier affecting provision S.I. 2008/1911, reg. 5 by S.I. 2024/1303 reg. 11(2)(3)
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
- Act amendment to earlier affecting provision S.I. 2014/3348, art. 220A by S.I. 2024/1115 reg. 4(3)
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 25(j) omitted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 21 para. 10
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 28 words substituted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 18 para. 9(2)(a)(i)
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 29 words substituted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 18 para. 9(2)(a)(ii)
- Sch. 2 Pt. 2 Section (A) para. 36 words substituted by 2024 c. 13 Sch. 18 para. 9(2)(b)
561Existing shareholders' right of pre-emptionU.K.
This section has no associated Explanatory Notes
(1)A company must not allot equity securities to a person on any terms unless—
(a)it has made an offer to each person who holds ordinary shares in the company to allot to him on the same or more favourable terms a proportion of those securities that is as nearly as practicable equal to the proportion in nominal value held by him of the ordinary share capital of the company, and
(b)the period during which any such offer may be accepted has expired or the company has received notice of the acceptance or refusal of every offer so made.
(2)Securities that a company has offered to allot to a holder of ordinary shares may be allotted to him, or anyone in whose favour he has renounced his right to their allotment, without contravening subsection (1)(b).
(3)F1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(4)Shares held by the company as treasury shares are disregarded for the purposes of this section, so that—
(a)the company is not treated as a person who holds ordinary shares, and
(b)the shares are not treated as forming part of the ordinary share capital of the company.
(5)This section is subject to—
(a)sections 564 to [F2566A] (exceptions to pre-emption right),
(b)sections 567 and 568 (exclusion of rights of pre-emption),
(c)sections 569 to 573 (disapplication of pre-emption rights), and
(d)section 576 (saving for certain older pre-emption procedures).
Textual Amendments
F1S. 561(3) omitted (1.10.2009) by virtue of The Companies Act 2006 (Allotment of Shares and Right of Pre-emption) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/2561), reg. 2(3)
F2Word in s. 561(5)(a) substituted (26.6.2020) by Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 (c. 12), s. 49(1), Sch. 9 para. 33(3)(a) (with ss. 2(2), 5(2))
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