Everything you need to know about Rights Entitlements

March 16, 2021

Rights – A basic overview

Before we understand Rights Entitlements, let’s quickly understand what a rights issue is. 

In a rights issue, a company gives its existing shareholders the right to buy more of its shares at a discounted price. The rights share being issued by the company may either be a fully-paid share or a partly-paid share. In case of fully-paid shares, you don’t have any obligation to the company, that is, you cannot be called upon to pay any additional amount to the company because you’re a shareholder with limited liability.

If your company has issued a partly-paid rights share to you, it may call upon you to pay installments over a given period to make the shares fully paid. If you fail to pay the called amount, your partly-paid shares may be forfeited or you may be charged interest on the called amount or both.

You can read more about rights issues in this Varsity chapter.

Rights Entitlements – a new instrument?

In January 2020, SEBI issued this circular announcing the launch of rights entitlements tradeable in demat form. The instrument was first made available to the shareholders of Reliance Industries when its rights issue launched in May 2020.

Since then, many investors (both new & seasoned) have reached out to us to understand what rights entitlements are and how they work. We have listed related FAQs on our Support Portal but the confusion around the basics of the instrument prompted us to write this comprehensive explanation. 

In this post, we’ll attempt to cover everything you need to know about rights entitlements, rights issues, and rights shares of various paid-up categories.

Rights Entitlements = coupon code for stocks?

Firstly, let’s call these REs 😅

Yes, REs are pretty much like coupon codes for stocks. If you have received some, you get three options –

  1. Use your REs to buy shares at a discount
  2. Sell your REs to someone else who may want to buy the discounted shares
  3. Do nothing

Like a coupon code, even REs have an expiration date. You need to figure how you would like to use these REs before the expiration date. 

If you choose to do nothing, then you lose the entire value associated with the RE. 

How do you get an RE?

If you are a shareholder of the company on the record date announced in the rights issue scheme, then you will automatically receive the RE units you’re eligible for in your demat account.

Along with the record date, the company also announces the ratio in which it will distribute the REs to its shareholders. 

For example, assume the company announces that the shareholder is entitled to receive 1 RE for every 15 shares. Now, if you have 200 shares in your demat account, then you will receive – 

~ 200/ 15

= 13 (rounded down) REs. 

These 13 REs will be credited to your demat account on or before the right issue opens, and the REs get listed to trade. 

Trading REs

In the example we discussed above, you receive 13 RE in your demat account. You can use these 13 REs to apply for 13 rights shares. 

If you wish to buy more than 13 right shares, say 20, then you need to buy 7 more REs from the market. If you don’t buy the additional REs and apply for 20 rights shares, you will be guaranteed to receive 13 and may or may not receive 7 additional rights shares depending on the demand. 

This is one of the reasons why REs were made tradable in the market. 

For a better understanding, it makes sense to dig into the past and understand another important need for REs to be tradable. 

Historical context 

REs were not traded on the exchange before 2020. Physical rights applications were sent to investors or could be downloaded from the Registrar’s portal. This application would be used to either apply from the investor’s bank or the application form could be sold to an interested buyer if the investor found one.

Yes, people literally sold the application forms. 

Consider this – 

In April 2019, Vodafone Idea had launched a rights issue in which the rights shares were issued at a significant discount to the prevalent market price. The market price was around 30 per share at that point. 

For every 38 shares held by a shareholder, one could apply for 87 more shares. 

The data for the right issue is as follows – 

Stock Price before the right = 30 

Assume an investor held 3000 shares of Vodafone, his total investment would be worth – 

3000 x 30 = 90,000

Now, by virtue of holding 3000 shares, the investor is eligible to apply for 6868 right shares. Let’s say the stock price stays fixed at Rs 30. Then,

Rights adjusted stock price = (Total value of rights shares + Total value of present shares)/Total number of shares after the rights issue

= (87×12.5)+(38×30))/(87+38)

= Rs. 17.82

Post rights value of original holdings = 3000 x 17.82

= Rs. 53,460

Rights Entitlement value = Right adjusted stock price – Price of rights share

= 17.82 – 12.50

= Rs. 5.32

Value of your 6868 REs = 6868 x 5.32

= Rs. 36,537.76

You now know the value of your 6868 REs but you don’t want to use them to apply for the Vodafone Idea rights shares. You decide to sell your REs but now you have to find buyers for it. If you’re unable to find a buyer during the rights issue period and also don’t apply for the rights shares yourself, then you lose the entire value your REs are worth i.e. Rs. 36,537.76. 

SEBI understood that a small investor might face difficulty in selling the physical rights application form if they don’t want to apply for the rights shares themselves. And so, the new demat way to trade REs was introduced allowing investors to make a decision on whether they should apply for rights shares more freely.

Things to note before you trade

REs are listed on the stock exchange on the day the rights issue opens and can be traded on the exchange for about a week before they are delisted permanently.

While trading the REs, you should keep in mind the intrinsic value of rights. The market price of the RE may sometimes be very far in discount or premium to the intrinsic value (i.e. (Rights Adjusted Price of Shares – Price to be Paid for Rights Shares).

You will not be able to transact them intraday as they are settled on a trade-to-trade basis. If you purchase an RE on Monday, you will receive it in your demat account on Wednesday and will be able to sell it from Thursday onwards. In other words, you will need to wait for three trading days (T+3) to be able to sell REs bought on the exchange.

This means, if you buy REs on the last two days of trading you will not have an option to sell them back on the market since they will be delivered to your demat account after the trading period has ended. You will, in this case, only be able to apply for the rights shares using the REs you’ve bought.

When you’re buying REs directly from the market, you get the right to apply for the rights shares being issued. You will need to apply for the rights shares to use your RE holdings or they will lapse worthless. 

Application Window

The application window opens when RE trading starts and stays open for at least 4 days after the REs have been delisted from trading. You will lose the entire value of any unused REs that remain in your demat account after the application window closes.

You can apply for the rights shares at any time during the issue period from the Registrar’s website by making a payment directly or by using net banking ASBA to block funds in your bank account for the rights issue if your bank supports it.

The details on the process of application can be checked on the website of the company’s Registrar. The company or its Registrar will also send the details to you on the email ID registered in your demat account.

TLDR

Here’s what you need to know about Rights Entitlements in form of a numbered list (arranged in order of importance):

  1. You will lose the entire value of any unused REs that remain in your demat account after the application window closes.
  2. You can either sell or use REs to apply for rights shares before the expiry date. Two dates that you need to keep a note of – one is the last date of RE trading, and two is the last date of applying for rights shares. REs expire or get extinguished after the last date to apply for the rights passes. 
  3. You will need to wait for three trading days (T+3) to be able to sell REs bought on the exchange. REs bought on the last two days of their trading can only be used to apply for rights since you will not receive them in time to be able to sell back.
  4. An instrument like REs can trade at a premium or discount to its intrinsic value (Rights Adjusted Price of Shares – Price to be Paid for Rights Shares). You should take this into account before entering into a trade.
  5. If your company has issued a partly-paid rights share to you, it may call upon you to pay installments over a given period to make the shares fully paid. If you fail to pay the called amount, your partly-paid shares may be forfeited or you may be charged interest on the called amount or both.

Happy investing,

India's largest broker trusted by 1.3+ crore investors.


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38 comments
  1. SRINIVAS AMBADI says:

    Since I hold 1000 share of Libas more than 2 years ,I applied & got 500 LIBAS-RE @21, got confirmation too. But my demat account not showing these additional 500 shares. How to check. Please suggest.

  2. Bhavin says:

    Hello, I applied right issue partly paid share of saboo sodium for 2.50rp 1st instalment, N 2nd n final payment of 7.50rp I missed to pay as i was not aware about when I have to pay so I missed it , now what to do ? Do I repay that 2nd n final payment ? Or do I get refund my 1st instalment..??

  3. Vinay says:

    I am unable to pay second and final payment of prismx right issue. Same is not displaying in SBI asba. Please advice.

  4. Vinay says:

    I have been allotted 17630 shares, right issue of prismx global. Today on 25.07.22 same is not showing in my demat holding. No information from company for second and final payment. What should I do now? Please suggest.

    • Shubham says:

      Hey Vinay, the partly paid shares of Prismx Global Ventures have been suspended from trading as the company has made first and final call for balance payment. More details here.

  5. Ravi kumar uraiya says:

    I bought 2400 re share of BTML @38.25(91800) and it falls @21.6 at last day and I have applied for 2400 @100(240000). Now my question is the premium I paid (91800) will refund to me or not?

    • Shubham says:

      Hey Ravi, the premium you pay for purchasing REs goes to the shareholder who sold the REs, this is not refunded or considered towards the application amount.

  6. Vishwakumar R Sheelavant says:

    Sir,
    I have received 1680 right entitled shares in my account . in addition to that I have purchased same number of shares from market. Now how to apply for rights issue? Could it be done separately or together ? Please throw some light on it.
    Thanking you.

    • Shubham says:

      Hey Vishwakumar, you can apply together. The application can be made through the Netbanking ASBA service provided by your bank. If the option is not available, you will have to submit an offline application to the designated branch of SCSB. It’ll be easier to assist if you could tell the company name.

  7. Satya says:

    I have applied right issue through ASBA (SBI net banking) one day before expiry date.. after how many days its will show me on zerodha ???

    • Shubham says:

      Hey Satya, the shares allotted in the rights issue will reflect in your holdings on Kite once they are listed on the exchanges. You can check details on the rights issues of all the companies on TradingQnA.

  8. Giten Shah says:

    Hello, I have applied for Wockhardt Right Issue and has been allotted 50 Shares on 29.03.2022 as per message received from CDSL but till now same is not reflected in my holdings on Kite. When it will be reflected or what I have to do to add to my ho;dings on Kite.

    • Shubham says:

      Hey Giten, the share will reflect in your Kite holdings on the day of listing. The shares are listing on the exchanges today and should be visible in your holdings.

  9. PANKAJ JAIN says:

    Sir,
    I got a msg abt 102 right entitlement of wockhardt limited from CDSL….i want to sell the right…im trading with zerodha ..pls advice how to sell the RE.

    • Shubham says:

      Hey Pankaj, the trading window for Wockhardt Pharma REs will open on 15th March, you will be able to sell these then. You can check out more details on the Wockhardt Pharma rights issue here.

  10. Puran Mal Munot says:

    What happened for right entitledshare of airtel , message was partly paid up eq ,now what suggestion for me next

  11. Manoj says:

    If I purchase a RE from trading window over and above my entitlement.Will it reflect automatically in my Dmat

  12. Jems ahmed says:

    I bought 1000 re s of megasofr-re @3.5(3500) and I have applied for 1000 @10(10000). Now my question is the premium I paid (3500) will refund to me or not?

  13. Y Hemachander says:

    Yesterday I purchased 300 Mfang shares. UW8890. Today they are not reflecting in my holdings. Pl. do adjust.

  14. ABC says:

    Good one

  15. Shashi Bhushan says:

    I have bought 10k RE shares of vikas lifecare on kite. I don’t know how to apply for these share. Someone please help if you know the process as on alankit website I am not seeing any way to apply for share bought on open market

  16. Jitendra Dash says:

    Zerodha is charging Rupees 64.00 for each F/O transaction where as on there website they are saying we are charging on 20 rupees for each transaction.
    why zerodha mis representing this ??
    why zerodha showing false and wrong information to customer ?

  17. Jayantilal says:

    Ircon bonus share not created in my account

  18. Pawan says:

    I have purchased directly on KITE partly paid up shares of Reliance Industries (RELIANCEPP-E1) between August 05, 2020 and May 05-2021. Now I have read that the trading of these shares would be suspended on May 11, 2021 and I need to pay Rs. 314.25 per share. How to pay this amount? Also I did not receive any email from Reliance/Zerodha/Kfitech. Please guide so that I don’t miss on the timeline for action in this regard.

    • Manu says:

      U will get mail from reliance RTA….. about the information or u can sell the shares…. that’s my guess because u need to pay money directly to reliance I guess

  19. sanjeev says:

    I bought reliancepp last week, right now i am in loss, but i am bullish in reliance. What I need to do now. How I can pay pending installment of reliancepp. can it be done on zerodha platform?

  20. Harsh says:

    I had bought 200 RE but did not apply.
    Your article says – “When you’re buying REs directly from the market, you get the right to apply for the rights shares being issued. You will need to apply for the rights shares to use your RE holdings or they will lapse worthless”.
    I believe many other users are in the same situation.
    Is there any way to still apply ?

  21. Harish Patel says:

    How one will come to know the expire date of REs.?

  22. DIXIT SONI says:

    I had also applied for REs and missed the deadline date. And thus lost about 44k. Kindly guide if there is any chance to get amount or shares back.

    • Mohit Mehra says:

      Hi Dixit, you won’t be able to recover this amount. Once they expire, the entire value of unused REs is lost.

  23. Muhammad Rashid Cherukat says:

    As per article, it says 10 Cr was lost by buying REs and not applying..Doest it include those who got the REs credited and then they missed to sell or apply? So that amount can be even bigger ?