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Escrow Watch
Escrow Watch is Stockhead’s monthly recap of the ASX companies that are releasing shares currently in escrow (also known as restricted securities) over the coming weeks.
ASX shares in escrow are “locked away” and not listed on the bourse so owners can’t sell them – until they’re released.
This is intended to depict to would-be investors when raising capital that the management and previous investors are still backing the venture and aren’t raising capital just so they can “sell out”.
While there’s no guarantee holders of escrowed shares will sell at that point, the mere fact that they will be able to is worth knowing – particularly if shares have substantially moved one way or the other.
Click here for a more detailed description of the ASX rules surrounding escrow arrangements. As we head into a new year there are quite a few ASX companies due to release shares.
Mining services provider AQN will release 10,000,000 fully paid ordinary shares from voluntarily restricted escrow.
AQN recently announced the appointment of Andrew Venn as COO, who was the former general manager–corporate for drilling company DDH1 Limited (ASX: DDH).
The AQN share price has fallen 6.25% in the past month.
CGN has announced 11,531,995 fully paid ordinary shares will be released from escrow. CGN recently announced promising results from metallurgical testing from the Golden Gate Graphite Project at Croydon in North Queensland.
CGN requested earlier this month an extension of a voluntary suspension until March. The suspension was first requested in July 2021 and related to an acquisition but in September 2022, CGN announced that it would not proceed and its board is considering alternative strategies.
Newly listed lithium junior Patriot Lithium (ASX:PAT) has announced 2,675,000 fully paid ordinary shares will be released from escrow.
PAT said it will apply to ASX for quotation of the shares upon release.
Exploration has started at PAT’s North American projects including Keystone and Tinton West in the Black Hills South Dakota and Wyoming, as well at at the Wickenburg Project in the Pegmatite Belt of Arizona.
PAT listed on the ASX on November 9 and has seen its share price rise 19% in the 2023 year to date.
Osmond Resources Limited (ASX: OSM) will release 300,000 fully paid ordinary shares from escrow.
OSM is an early-stage mineral exploration and development company focused on gold and base metals discoveries within projects in South Australia and Victoria.
OSM said release of these shares does not change the issued capital of the company.
The PAT share price is up 5% in the past month, while the OSM has risen 9% for the same period.
The precious and battery metals explorer and developer has announced 2,000,000 fully paid ordinary shares will be released from voluntary escrow.
RML said the shares relate to its 2022 acquisition of the Carrara Range Battery Metal Project announced in February 2022.
The RML share price is up 12.5% in the past month.
Online marketplace for local services ART will release 98,842,439 from voluntary escrow. According to the ASX, ART currently has 449,497,214 shares on issue.
The ART share price has lifted ~6% in the past month.
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