Konami Delists Themselves From NYSE- Beginning Of The End? [Updated]

Konami has been all over the news lately and even earlier today they announced the cancellation of the next entry in what is one of their most promising IP’s, Silent Hill. Now comes word that Konami has officially delisted themselves from the New York Stock Exchange.

This news comes direct from a press release that the company put up on their website and states they voluntarily delisted themselves from the NYSE after filing on April 13th. As of opening bell on April 24th they no longer are a publically traded company in the US. They still maintain listings on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. They have also deregistered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and that will become effective July 12th, 2015. Their shares can continue to be traded as of now via the over-the-counter market and Konami has released a statement assuring their shareholders abroad that they will continue to be kept up to date.

“While the Company’s reporting obligations under the Exchange Act (including the obligation to file annual reports on Form 20-F) will be terminated, the Company will continue to disclose financial statements and other information, in English, on its website to ensure that its overseas shareholders and investors will continue to have appropriate information about the Company.”

What does this mean for Konami in the US or Konami as a whole. Could this potentially be the beginning of the end for them? It is pretty sad if so as they have been apart of gaming history for quite a long time. I guess time will tell, and now it makes you wonder if Hideo Kojima saw a sinking ship, and jumped off in time.

UPDATE:

Konami has issued the following statement to GameInformer clarifying that show this may not be as big of a deal as originally thought.

“The Company listed its [American Depositary Shares] on the NYSE in September 2002 mainly to diversify its opportunities for fund-raising and to raise the visibility of the KONAMI brand. Since then, the Company has made efforts to enhance disclosures for shareholders and investors with the goal of deepening their understanding of the Company, in addition to complying with the disclosure requirements of U.S. securities laws and regulations, providing consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), and establishing internal controls in accordance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Meanwhile, the external environment has significantly changed as indicated by the increases in trading volume of Japanese stocks through stock exchanges in Japan by overseas investors due to the internationalization of the Japanese financial and capital markets, as well as the narrowing of the gap between U.S. and Japanese disclosure standards with respect to financial reporting due to a series of amendments to Japanese laws and regulations and accounting standards.

While the Company believes the initial objectives of the U.S. ADS listing were mainly achieved, it has judged that the continued listing on the NYSE is not economically justified, taking into account the market changes as stated above and the fact that the trading volume of its ADSs on the NYSE accounts for only a small fraction of the total trading volume of its shares. Therefore, the Company has decided to apply for voluntary delisting of its ADSs from the NYSE and for termination of registration of its ADSs with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) under the Exchange Act.”