News

NewConnect Market

Three years after its launch, NewConnect proved itself as the most dynamically growing international alternative trading platform in Europe. There are 155 companies listed on NC from Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria representing over 10 industries, technology being one of the most widely represented of them. In such a short time NewConnect has become the second largest market in terms of the number of new listings among alternative equity trading platforms organised by 13 European exchanges and the fourth largest in terms of the number of listed companies. NewConnect took a high third position in terms of turnover ratio (turnover value against capitalisation) showing market liquidity.*

In three years companies raised PLN560m on NewConnect, PLN500m of which in new issues. Average offering value was PLN3.5m and the average issuing cost was at 5.45 pct. WSE equity alternative platform supports also companies in migrating the WSE Main List. Since the introduction of NewConnect Lead segment in March 2010, two companies from that list already transferred to the WSE “Big Board”.

The success of NewConnect is the result, among others, of proper assumptions that were made at the design and implementation stages which have produced a market in-line with the expectations of entrepreneurs and Polish economic environment. It is also the effect of continuous promotional and educational effort which helped establish a wealth of Polish and foreign partners – advisers, investment firms, law firms – who realised that building NewConnect is also a good business for themselves.

NewConnect has been increasingly popular with investors, which is reflected in its fast-rising turnover value. In 1H 2010 (PLN1.3bn) it exceeded the total annual turnover value recorded for 2009 and was higher than trading recorded on the same number of smallest companies listed on the WSE regulated market.

NewConnect is a unique platform, largely because a considerable proportion of its listed companies rely heavily on intellectual capital and state-of-the-art technologies to run business and fuel growth. On 20 September 2010, the WSE will launch a new index, NC Life Science, incorporating companies from medicine and biotechnology sectors. The following issuers will be included among Life Science constituents:

1. BIOMAXIMA
2. EUROIMPLANT
3. MABION
4. PHARMENA
5. READ GENE

Establishing NC Life Sciences, an index representing companies successfully commercializing life science technologies, is a natural step in NewConnect development. NC Life Science index will not only put this group of issuers in the spotlight but it will also be an instrument increasing their clarity and supporting investors in their decision making.

Selected statistics for the first three years of NewConnect (pdf)

* Source: PwC and WSE, 2H 2007 to 1H 2010

 

For more information, please contact:
Marcin Przeszlowski, PR WSE, (22) 537-77-66, 605/470 665, marcin.przeszlowski@gpw.pl
Anna Szarek, PR WSE, (22) 537-77-17, 603/366 808, anna.szarek@gpw.pl 

 
 
 
 
 

U.S.
These materials are not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The securities to which these materials relate have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act and there will be no public offering of the securities in the United States.

European Economic Area
No offer or invitation to acquire securities of Giełda Papierów Wartościowych w Warszawie S.A. is being made by or in connection with this release. Any such offer will be made solely by means of the Prospectus once it has been approved by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, the Polish capital markets authority, and published in accordance with Polish law in connection with the public offer in Poland, and the related international offering circular (each as supplemented or amended), to, in each case, the persons entitled to receive and rely upon such documents in accordance with their respective terms.

U.K.
This communication is directed in the United Kingdom solely at persons who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, or (ii) are high net worth entities and other persons to whom such communication may otherwise lawfully be made falling within Article 49(2)(A) to (D) (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). This communication must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this communication relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.

Poland
These materials are for [informational/promotional] purposes only and shall under no circumstances constitute the basis for a decision to invest in the shares of Giełda Papierów Wartosciowych w Warszawie S.A. (the Company or the Warsaw Stock Exchange). The prospectus (the Prospectus) prepared in connection with the public offering and admission and introduction of the Company's securities to trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange [will be]/[is] the sole legally-binding document containing information on the Company and the offering of its securities in Poland (the Offering). The Company will be authorised to carry out the Offering to the public in Poland once the Prospectus has been approved by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority, the Polish capital markets authority, and published. For the purposes of the Offering in Poland and admission and introduction of the Company's securities to trading on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, the Company will make the Prospectus available on its website (www.gpw.pl) and on the website of.

• On 30 August 2010 NewConnect, the most dynamically growing international alternative equities market in Europe, will celebrate its 3rd anniversary.
   
• In Spring 2010 the WSE introduced the NewConnect Lead segment; two companies from NC Lead migrated to the WSE Main List since then.
   
• The WSE is launching the Life Science Index, incorporating medical and biotechnological companies listed on NewConnect.