What must a public limited company disclose under the Companies Act in relation to shareholdings?

A public limited company is required to disclose both past and present shareholdings under the Companies Act to ensure transparency and provide comprehensive information to shareholders, potential investors, and other stakeholders. This includes details about significant changes in shareholdings over time which can affect corporate governance and influence trading decisions. By providing historical ownership data alongside current holdings, stakeholders are better informed about ownership trends, potential control shifts, and the overall stability of the company.

Disclosing only current shareholdings would lack the contextual background necessary for stakeholders to fully understand the company’s ownership dynamics. Similarly, limiting the disclosure to the last five years or just the last year would not provide a complete picture of the company's ownership structure or any significant shareholder changes that might have occurred beyond these periods. Hence, the requirement to disclose both past and present shareholdings contributes to better corporate accountability and enhances the integrity of the financial markets.