OREANDA-NEWS. January 05, 2010. A record number of stock exchange transactions were concluded on NASDAQ OMX Tallinn last year and the number of investors holding securities of Latvian and Lithuanian companies increased steeply in the Estonian Central Depository.

During the year, 84 757 transactions in securities were concluded on the Exchange, with a total turnover of EUR 266.6 million. Although the turnover was the weakest of the last few years, the result of the Exchange was the second best in the last decade in terms of the number of transactions. Decreased daily turnovers and a high total number of transactions also pushed down the average amount of a transaction below EUR 3200.

According to the information of the Estonian Central Depository, the total number of Exchange investors was stable throughout the last year. More than 22 000 securities accounts hold securities listed on NASDAQ OMX Tallinn; the number of accounts holding securities listed on NASDAQ OMX Riga and NASDAQ OMX Vilnius increased 21% over the year.

The number of investors has increased for most of the listed companies over the year. More shareholders were added to Arco Vara (+39%), Merko Ehitus (+36%), Viisnurk (+23%) and Baltika (+20%). As to the home countries of Exchange investors, the share of Swedish investors increased considerably (from 26.5% to 47.8%), being mainly related to the takeover offer of TeliaSonera and a strong growth in the value of shares of Eesti Telekom in the backdrop of other listed companies. The share of Estonian investors fell from 49.2% to 34.0%.

The Estonian Central Depository was affected the most last year by the matters relating to the second pillar funded pension plan. Funded pension payments to persons who reached the pensionable age began in February. This year, 13 560 persons are entitled to such payments, 6169 relevant applications have been filed.

The state’s decision to suspend its contributions to the second pillar funded pension plan significantly increased the interest of people towards their investments. Active changing of pension funds (60 770 persons) and the directing of the contributions to another fund was an indication of increased awareness of people and their wish to control their investments by themselves. More than 220 000 people decided to independently continue contributions to the second pillar this year. Last autumn, SEB, Nordea and Swedbank also added a new pension fund with an aggressive strategy to the selection of choices for investors.

In the last year, the price movement of pension fund indexes was characterised by stable growth, the general index for funded pension (EPI) increased 14.8%. The volumes of funded pension funds also increased 27.8% over the year. The volume of additional funded pension funds increased 37.8% compared to the last year.

The movement of the index of NASDAQ OMX Tallinn was positive in real terms, increasing 47.2%. The share prices of 12 Estonian listed companies increased over the year, nine of them witnessed a growth of 50% or more. The market value of listed companies was EUR 1.85 billion at the end of the year.

In the last year, two companies left the Exchange – AS Starman in March and AS Luterma (former AS Kalev) in September. In mid-September, the shares of AS Jдrvevana were transferred from the main list to the secondary list. In the first quarter of the year, two bonds were redeemed from the Exchange – Tallinna Sadam AS and BIGBANK. At the beginning of the year, AS Eesti Telekom is expected to leave the Exchange. Currently, the shares of 16 companies and bonds of 2 companies can be traded on the Exchange.

Last year, AS DnB NORD Banka (from Latvia) and Swedbank AS (from Latvia) were added to the list of members of NASDAQ OMX Tallinn. The membership of Bankas SNORAS AB was terminated in November and Bankas “Finasta” AB is trading on the Baltic Exchanges instead of them.

Last year, the Estonian Central Depository joined the settlement system TARGET2. As nearly 70% of over-the-counter transactions against payment are entered in euros, transactions can be settled in Estonian kroons as a result of joining the system - by converting monetary liabilities in euros to Estonian kroons on the basis of the official exchange rate of the Bank of Estonia. From this year, the Estonian Central Depository offers a possibility to also make settlements in euros, at first offering real-time gross settlement.