NYSE American: Listing Requirements and IPO Guide

Headquarters

New York, United States

Region

North America

Market Focus

Small Cap & Growth

Overview

NYSE American is the NYSE Group exchange designed for smaller and emerging companies. It began as the American Stock Exchange, was acquired by NYSE Euronext in 2008, and carried the names NYSE Amex and NYSE MKT before adopting its current name in 2017.

It offers a national exchange listing with standards set below those of the main New York Stock Exchange, while giving companies access to NYSE's trading model and designated market makers.

Known For

Small-cap companies in energy, mining, biotechnology and industrials
Companies uplisting from the OTC markets
Access to NYSE's market maker model at an earlier stage of growth
A historic role in funds: its predecessor listed the first US exchange-traded fund in 1993

Listing Considerations

Listing standards are lower than on the NYSE, with several financial routes to qualify
Full SEC reporting and corporate governance requirements apply
The NYSE Group name carries recognition for smaller issuers
Liquidity in smaller names can still be limited compared with larger exchanges

Key Facts

Founded

1908 (as the New York Curb Market)

Operator

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)

Regulator

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Main Index

NYSE American Composite

Currency

US dollar (USD)

Trading Hours

9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday

Market Segments

Single market with four initial listing standards

Official website →

Listing Requirements

Four financial standards; a company must meet one
Market value of unrestricted publicly held shares of at least $15 million (standards 1–3) or $20 million (standard 4)
Minimum share price of $4.00 under every standard since April 2026
Standard 2: stockholders' equity of at least $5 million and two years of operating history
Distribution: for example 800 public shareholders and 500,000 shares, or 400 holders and 1 million shares
IPO companies must meet the float test from the offering itself

Headline initial listing standards from the NYSE American Company Guide as amended in April 2026, checked November 2026.

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