A purchase by a company of its own shares is "off-market" if the shares either—
are purchased otherwise than on a recognised investment exchange, or
are purchased on a recognised investment exchange but are not subject to a marketing arrangement on that investment exchange.
For this purpose, a company's shares are subject to a marketing arrangement on a recognised stock exchange if either—
they are listed Part 6 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; or
the company has been afforded facilities for dealings in those shares to take place on that investment exchange without prior permission for individual transactions from the authority governing that investment exchange and without limit as to the time during which those facilities are to be available.
A purchase by a company of its own shares is a "market purchase" if it is a purchase made on a recognised stock exchange, other than a purchase which is an off-market purchase by virtue of subsection (1)(b).
"Recognised investment exchange" means a recognised investment exchange other than an overseas investment exchange.
Expressions used in the definition contained in subsection (4) have the same meaning as in Part 18 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.