Aug. 2--Last fall and earlier this year, share prices were tanking, bad news appeared around every corner and hundreds of companies were trading under $1 per share and faced the prospect of being delisted from the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) for failing to meet listing standards, including maintaining a minimum share price.

Both exchanges temporarily suspended some listing standards and lowered others. The idea was to give markets time to recover and companies time to fix their businesses.

The recovery took longer than expected and both organizations extended the suspension of standards earlier this year. But now, with the markets at year-to-date highs, it appears the bar is being raised again. Both exchanges were to end their suspensions Friday and revert to previous standards on Monday.

Glenn Tyranski, head of financial compliance at NYSE Euronext, said the program "did what it needed to do." That is, it allowed companies to focus on business and not to worry about listing status. From its March low, the NYSE composite index has recovered almost 50 percent. At the market's lowest levels this year, more than 100 companies were below the $1 per share listing standard, and on the Nasdaq side were hundreds more.

Tyranski expects about two dozen companies will face the $1 listing standards on the NYSE this week, and it's likely none of them will be below the market capitalization standard of $15 million.

In February, NYSE Euronext temporarily suspended its $1 minimum stock price until June 30 and then extended it until July 31. At the same time, the NYSE temporarily lowered the $25 million market cap threshold to $15 million and in June moved to make that move permanent. From time to time, the NYSE has modified its listing standards, and the $15 million market cap standard is a number it used before. The NYSE still maintains the highest listing standards in the world.

Even though the exchange suspended some standards and lowered others, the NYSE still delisted 24 companies this year. Eight were delisted because of bankruptcy and eight were delisted because they failed to meet the lower $15 million market capitalization standard.

As the extended deadline approached Friday, there were still almost two dozen companies not meeting the $1 listing standards on the NYSE. Companies whose share price dipped below $1 during the time the suspension was in place will have six months to get their share price above $1. Companies that entered the suspension period below $1 will have less time to revive their prices.

On Oct.