Sebi allows liquidity enhancement schemes in equity cash mkt

The decision has been taken pursuant to introduction of incentive schemes in derivatives segment to enhance liquidity in illiquid derivative products, and demands for similar schemes for the Equity Cash market, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

Under the scheme, brokers and other market intermediaries are given incentives for a specified period of time to bring in liquidity and generate investor interest in those securities which have limited trading activity. There are more than 2,000 illiquid stocks on leading exchanges.

Sebi said it has been decided to "permit stock exchanges to introduce Liquidity Enhancement Schemes (LES) to enhance liquidity of illiquid securities in their Equity Cash market".

The securities eligible for the schemes are required to have "a mean impact cost greater than or equal to 2 per cent for an order size of Rs 1 lakh, calculated over the past 60 trading days".

Besides, the schemes would apply to those securities which fall under the 'permitted to trade' category.

Sebi said that LES "may be continued till such time as the security achieves mean impact cost of less than 2 per cent for an order size of Rs one lakh on the stock exchange during the last 60 trading days".

The regulator said the schemes can be discontinued at any time with an advance notice of 15 days.

Sebi added that stock exchanges may also re-introduce

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