Why are share registers of PLCs public?

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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From time to time shareholders in plcs are targeted by scammers. I wonder why theire names are on the public register of shareholders?

I can see why it is important to identify the owners of companies - let's say anyone with more than 10% of the shares. But why should the fact that Joe Soap has 1,000 shares in CRH be a matter of public record? As far as I can see, the only ones to benefit from this are scammers.
 
:) The clue would be in the "P" of PLC

What information is available on the share register and what kind of scams are you talking about?
 
But I thought the The P in plc means the ownership is open to the public not the actual details of the ownerships

How do you access this public register of shareholders?
 
The ownership of all ltd companies is a matter of public record. Look up the annual return Form B1 in the companies office.
 
Brendan Burgess said:
...
I can see why it is important to identify the owners of companies - let's say anyone with more than 10% of the shares...
Click to expand...
Why 10%? I am sure that there are public companies where nobody reaches that threshold.

If somebody wants to deal with me with the protection of limited liability, I have a legitimate interest in knowing who that is. Sometimes the scammers are the shareholders rather than people targeting the shareholders.
 
I reckon share registers are public documents by law for the same reason registers of electors are public documents - to prevent electoral fraud/manipulation.
 
I reckon the company share register is public by law for the same reason that the register of electors is public to prevent electoral fraud/manipulation.

aj
 
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