Leader in capital markets
Warsaw is developing into the financial centre of Central and Eastern Europe. Polish capital markets, with the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) at their center stage, have shown strong resilience to the recent global financial crisis and put the Polish economy in the European spot light.
The Warsaw bourse is the market gateway to Poland, CEE’s largest and strongest economy and the 8th largest economy in the EU in 2009. Poland was the only EU economy to record positive growth in 2009 and is forecast to remain CEE’s top performing economy in 2010 and 2011, according to Eurostat.
The Warsaw Stock Exchange lists over 500 companies on two equity markets (WSE Main List and NewConnect), including 28 foreign firms (as at end of October 2010). The Warsaw bourse clearly surpasses other CEE stock exchanges both in terms of equity trading value (EUR 42bn in Jan-Oct 2010) and market capitalization of domestic listed companies (EUR 136bn as at end of September 2010), according to the Federation of European Securities Exchanges.
The Warsaw Stock Exchange is among European leaders in terms of the number and value of initial public offerings (IPO). During H1 2010, WSE ranked second in total IPO value in Europe (after the London Stock Exchange). In Q3 2010 the WSE ranked first in Europe in terms of the number of new listings (32), while the runner-up London Stock Exchange hosted 12 IPOs less, according to PwC IPO Watch Europe report.
Polish capital markets and the Warsaw Stock Exchange are well positioned to become the center stage of financial activity in Central and Eastern Europe.
For more information about the WSE, please visit: www.wse.com.pl
