流行的误解:“注册制”与“核准制”辨析

美国本土公司在美国境内IPO,在联邦制的宪政结构中,一般必须在联邦与州(发行或销售涉及的州)两个层面同时注册(联邦或州豁免注册的情形除外),这就是所谓的双重注册制(Dual Registration):联邦注册制以信息披露为主,联邦证券监管权限受到严格限定,而各州的证券发行监管一百多年来普遍实行实质审核,控制证券的投资风险。这是完整的美国本土公司IPO监管制度。目前我国国内教科书以是否存在实质审核为标准,将证券发行制度分为注册制与核准制,认为美国的注册制让公司IPO不必经受实质审核,从而引以为中国本土IPO监管改革的方向;而事实上,美国的双重注册制审核中充满了实质审核。中国公司赴美上市,属于在美国的国际板上市,豁免州的注册与实质审查,只需要在联邦注册。若只从外在视角单向度观察美国的IPO监管制度,将限制人们认识美国本土公司首发上市监管制度的全貌。

A Popular Misconception: Registration System and Approval System

Generally in the federal constitutional structure of the USA,local companies which would go public face two levels of registration: both the federal level and the state level.It is so called dual registration system.On one hand,the federal securities regulations focus upon the mandatory full disclosure,where power is seriously constrained by the law;on the other hand,states have the history of merit regulation for about one hundred years,in order to control investment risks of securities.This is the whole p...