Stock exchange NASDAQ OMX Riga presented Stock Exchange Annual Award 2012 to ABLV Bank, AS, for important contribution to formation of Latvian securities market by expanding the range of available financial instruments and services.
We became the stock exchange members in 2012, after starting the bank’s bond issue programme at the end of 2011 for the sake of gradual replacement of long-term deposits with investments in bonds. Investments in bonds allow our customers to receive higher income than that under deposits and also ensure wider transaction opportunities — the securities can be purchased, sold or used as collateral to obtain financing, meanwhile retaining the investment amount and planned yield.
We have already performed 9 public bond issues earlier. Under the First Bond Offer Programme, there were 3 bond issues performed in 2011, and their face value amounted to EUR 25 million and USD 30 million. Whereas under the Second Bond Offer Programme, there were 6 issues performed, and their face value amounted to EUR 20 million and USD 145 million. All those bond issues have been included in NASDAQ OMX Riga list of debt securities.
According to NASDAQ OMX data, in 2012 ABLV Bank, AS, ensured 86.7% of the listed debt securities trading turnover in Riga market, whereas in the Baltics (Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius) we ensured 29.8% of the total trading turnover. This is the second best result among 14 members of the Baltic Stock Exchange.
The number of issues performed by us will be increased soon, as the bank’s customers can currently subscribe to three new issues: coupon bond issue of EUR 20 million, coupon bond issue of USD 50 million, and discount bond issue of USD 20 million for the sake of raising subordinated capital.
"ABLV Bank is a perfect example of business development and success in taking advantage of the opportunities offered by capital market. Over the year, the bank managed to become a competent market player both as the stock exchange member and the securities issuer,” said NASDAQ OMX Riga Chairperson of the Board Daiga Auziņa-Melalksne when presenting the award to ABLV Bank, AS, Chairman of the Council Oļegs Fiļs.
The Stock Exchange Annual Award combines two other awards presented earlier – Broker of the Year and the Stock Exchange Special Award. The award can be received for special contribution by a broker, company, or other person.
About NASDAQ OMX
The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world’s largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, with over 3 500 listed companies. NASDAQ OMX Group offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market; NASDAQ OMX Nordic, NASDAQ OMX Baltic, including NASDAQ OMX First North; and the U.S. 144A sector. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and ETFs. NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. NASDAQ OMX Nordic and NASDAQ OMX Baltic are not legal entities but describe the common offering from NASDAQ OMX Group exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit www.nasdaqomx.com.
ABLV Bank, AS is the largest independent private bank in Latvia. The bank’s majority shareholders — Oļegs Fiļs, Ernests Bernis and Nika Berne – directly and indirectly hold 86% of voting shares. ABLV Group includes ABLV Bank, AS; ABLV Bank Luxembourg, S.A.; ABLV Capital Markets, IBAS; ABLV Asset Management, IPAS; Pillar Holding Company, KS; ABLV Consulting Services, AS; ABLV Corporate Services, SIA; New Hanza City, SIA, and other companies. ABLV Group has representative offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kiev, Odessa, Minsk, Almaty, Dushanbe, Baku, and Tashkent.
