OMX is now introducing First North, the Nordic Exchange's alternative
marketplace, in Finland. First North offers small and growing companies easy
access to the Nordic and global financial markets, and provides new growth
opportunities for small Finnish companies. First North's requirements are
lighter than on the Nordic Exchange's main market. First North is one of the
fastest growing alternative markets in Europe.
First North was launched in Denmark in 2005, in Sweden in 2006, and in Iceland
in January 2007. Now OMX is expanding the First North concept to Finland. First
North offers listing and trading in EUR, SEK, DKK and ISK-denominated shares.
The First North companies may disclose information in Finnish, English, Swedish,
Danish, Icelandic or Norwegian.
“Through First North we make it easier for growing companies to raise capital.
This supports economic growth and benefits the whole Nordic region. First North
offers the companies increased visibility and access to Northern Europe's
largest pool of capital. The expansion of First North gives investors a wider
variety of investment opportunities. For smaller companies, First North can be
seen as a first step towards our main market on the Nordic Exchange,” says Jukka
Ruuska, President of OMX Nordic Exchange.
“First North has already attracted 88 companies from nine sectors. Besides
which, velocity at First North is 132 percent, which demonstrates the good
liquidity of the market,” adds Ruuska.
First North offers an extensive network of national and international investors
easy access to the companies traded on that market. A substantial investor base
is supported by the fact that members of the Nordic Exchange in Helsinki and
Stockholm have access to First North. Consequently, companies traded on First
North benefit from broad exposure.
All companies on the Nordic Exchange's main market and First North are
classified according to the international Global Industry Classification
Standard (GICS). The First North All-Share index is available in Euro and
contains all shares traded on First North.
Each company on First North has a designated Certified Advisor, who is either a
member of the Nordic Exchange or another professional financial advisor. The
advisors continuously monitor the companies with regard to their fulfillment and
compliance with the First North requirements. When necessary, the Certified
Advisors initiate investigations and the exchange can impose sanctions on the
companies. First North services in Finland are not supervised by the Finnish
Financial Supervision Authority, and the Finnish Securities Markets Act does not
apply to them.
For more information, please contact:
Jarmo Holopainen, Communications, OMX Nordic Exchange +358 9 61667 203
Note to the editors:
First North services in Finland | First North is the alternative to the OMX's
main market with lighter requirements and rules. It is an exchange-regulated
marketplace suitable for small or young and growing companies during their
growing phase. First North combines the benefits of being public with simplicity
and is often the first step towards the main market. First North services in
Finland will legally be driven within the frame of the Stockholm Stock
Exchange's operations. For more information, please visit
www.omxgroup.com/nordicexchange/firstnorth.
About OMX | OMX is a leading expert in the exchange industry. Through the Nordic
Exchange, OMX offers access to approximately 80 per cent of the Nordic and
Baltic securities market. The Nordic Exchange is a term used for marketing
purposes and is not a legal entity. It describes the common offering from the
Helsinki Stock Exchange, Copenhagen Stock Exchange, Stockholm Stock Exchange,
Iceland Stock Exchange, Tallinn Stock Exchange, Riga Stock Exchange and Vilnius
Stock Exchange. OMX integrated technology solutions cross the transaction chain,
enabling efficient securities transactions for over 60 exchange organizations in
more than 50 countries. OMX is a Nordic Large Cap company in the Financials
sector on the OMX Nordic Exchange. For more information, please visit
www.omxgroup.com.
