FEAS Yearbook FEAS Yearbook 2009 | Page 92

FEDERATION OF EURO-ASIAN STOCK EXCHANGES ANNUAL REPORT APRIL 2009 MACEDONIAN STOCK EXCHANGE Ivan Steriev CEO Despite the complex situation, during 2008 the MSE continued to upgrade all operations, rules and procedures to provide adequate service to market participants, Exchange members and investors. The year 2008 for the Macedonian, as for all the regional and world stock exchanges was the year when after the several successful years of continuous growth of prices and turnover, a drastic negative overturn happened. Very soon after its escalation the global financial crisis overflowed into the Macedonian Stock Exchange and resulted with the reduced total turnover of 70% compared with 2007, a decrease of the main index MBI-10 for 73% and reduced market capitalization of 69.5%. Despite the complex situation, during 2008 the MSE continued to upgrade all operations, rules and procedures to provide adequate service to market participants, Exchange members and investors. MSE also implemented a few changes and amendments in the Listing Rules by which new higher standards for disclosure for the companies on the Exchange Listings were introduced. In February the new redesigned web site of the Exchange was promoted. It is based on an advanced technology such as, ASP.Net and RSS. Within the framework of the Memorandum of Partnership signed between the exchanges in Southeast Europe during the 2008 two road shows took place in Zagreb and in Vienna where the top issuers and the capital markets from the region were promoted in order to increase the visibility of the regional capital markets and to attract international investors. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT MSE currently has 27 members - 20 brokerage houses and 7 banks. Starting from June 20, 2001 (with the amendments of the Securities Law), MSE started to operate on a for-profit basis, with a founding capital of 500,000 EUROs. MSE shareholders may be any legal and private domestic and foreign entity. Shareholdings per entity is limited up to 10% of the MSE outstanding shares. The Macedonian Stock Exchange was founded on September 13, 1995 and commenced trading on March 28, 1996, as a central marketplace for trading in securities and the first organized stock exchange in the history of the Republic of Macedonia. The MSE was founded as a not-for-profit joint stock company with founding capital of 500,000 EURO. According to the legislation that was in force in 1996 the only eligible founders of the MSE were banks and other financial institutions (saving houses and insurance companies). MSE initially had 19 members: 13 banks, 3 saving houses and 3 insurance companies. All MSE members must be licensed for trading in securities by the Macedonian SEC. Only brokers, authorized by the MSE members may trade in securities at MSE. PAGE 90 Currently MSE has 27 shareholders (10 brokerage houses, 8 banks, 2 legal entities and 7 private investors). FUTURE OUTLOOK The plans of the Macedonian Stock Exchange for 2009 are: • To introduce a few changes in the Listing Rules in the field of reporting of the listed companies; • To promote a new application for electronic reporting from the listed companies; • Development of the existing indexes and introduction of new ones; • Implementation of a disaster recovery system; • To explore possibilities for introducing new trading instruments; • To increase visibility of the Macedonian Stock Exchange by providing data-feed to renowned data Vendors; • To work on promotion and education of issuers in the field of the corporate governance; • Through various forms of cooperation with other regional exchanges MSE will be involved in the processes of promotion of regional markets and international promotion of issuers and products in order to attract international as well as regional investors.