Entire Section

1. A Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund is required to disclose Inside Information relating to the Listed Fund to the market as soon as possible in accordance with the requirements in MKT Section 6.9. In practice, a short period before announcing Inside Information is permitted where a Reporting Entity is affected by an unexpected event and the Reporting Entity needs to clarify the situation or take legal advice so that any information released is accurate and not misleading. Any delay should be limited to a period no longer than is reasonably necessary in the circumstances. Where there is a danger of the information leaking out in the meantime, the Reporting Entity should make a holding announcement giving an outline of the subject matter of the announcement, the reasons why a full announcement cannot yet be made and undertaking to make a full announcement as soon as possible.

2. For the disclosure to be not misleading, false or deceptive, a Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund should provide information that is accurate, factual and complete. Any incomplete or inaccurate information, such as omission of relevant information, would be misleading or deceptive. Information should be provided in an easy to understand manner and not for promotional purposes. The use of imprecise and confusing language such as 'double digit' or 'in excess of last year' should be avoided as it does not allow investors to properly assess the information for the purpose of making an informed decision relating to the relevant Securities

3. A confidentiality agreement should not prevent a Reporting Entity from complying with its obligations relating to the disclosure of Inside Information.

4. If, for any reason, a Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund is unable, or unwilling to make a holding announcement it may be appropriate for the Reporting Entity to file a report pursuant to MKT Rule 6.5.4(2) and for the trading of Units to be suspended until the Reporting Entity of the Listed Fund is in a position to make an announcement.

5. Inside Information is defined in Article 63(1)(a) of the Law as:

6. For the purposes of Article 63(1)(a) of the Law, information is considered "precise" if it:

7. Similarly, information would be likely to have a "significant effect on price" if and only if it is information of that kind which a reasonable investor would be likely to use as part of the basis of his investment decisions.

8. The Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund is itself best placed to determine whether information, if made public, is likely to have a significant effect on the price of the relevant Units, as what constitutes Inside Information will vary widely according to circumstances.

9. Where a Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund has made a market announcement such as a profit forecast, such forecasts become, as soon as made, factored into the market pricing of the relevant Units. If the Reporting Entity becomes aware that there is likely to be a material difference between the forecast and the true outcome, the Reporting Entity should make an announcement correcting the forecast as soon as possible to ensure that the market pricing reflects accurate information.

10. In relation to financial forecasts published by a Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund, the DFSA considers that circumstances giving rise to a variation from the previous one should generally be considered Inside Information and should be disclosed by the Reporting Entity as soon as possible. Even where a Reporting Entity has not made a previous forecast, circumstances giving rise to a variation of profit or revenue from the previous corresponding reporting period should be disclosed where such circumstances would have a significant effect on the price of relevant Securities. Generally, a change of 10% or more is a material change, but in some circumstances, a smaller variation may also be disclosable if it would reasonably be considered to have a significant effect on the price of the relevant Securities

11. In making such disclosure, the Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund should provide clear details of the extent of the variation. For example, a Reporting Entity may indicate that, based on management accounts, its expected net profit will be an approximate amount (e.g. approximately $15 million) or alternatively within a stated range (e.g. between $14m and $16m). Alternatively, a Reporting Entity may indicate an approximate percentage movement (e.g. up or down by 35%).

12. Periodic disclosures by Reporting Entities of Listed Funds are required in a number of circumstances, and examples can include interim and annual financial reports and accounts and Prospectuses.

13. In the course of preparing these disclosure documents, a Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund may become aware of Inside Information previously unknown to it, or information which was previously insufficiently precise to warrant disclosure. In such circumstances a Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund should not defer releasing that information until the periodic disclosure or other documents is finalised. In such circumstances, a Reporting Entity should make an announcement containing the Inside Information as soon as possible.

14. A Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund with Units of the same class admitted to trading in more than one jurisdiction should ensure that the release of announcements containing Inside Information is co-ordinated across jurisdictions. If the requirements for disclosure are stricter in another jurisdiction than in the DIFC, the Reporting Entity must ensure that the same information is released in the DIFC as in that other jurisdiction.

15. A Reporting Entity of a Listed Fund should not delay an announcement in the DIFC in order to wait for a market to open in another jurisdiction

16. Inside Information relating directly or indirectly to a Security Token may include matters arising due to the use of Distributed Ledger Technology that are capable of having a significant effect on the price of the Security Token. Such matters may, for example, include an interruption due to the creation of a ‘fork’ on the DLT or it becoming the target of a cyber-attack. A Reporting Entity for a Security Token must ensure that its systems and controls for the identifying, controlling and handling Inside Information are adequate and will operate effectively should such matters arise, including through appropriate disclosure to markets.