- The first trading session on the WSE took place on 16 April 1991.
- Since 1991, the WSE has pursued a mission focused on growth of the capital market and support of Poland’s financial market and entrepreneurship.
- After 21 years, the WSE is the world’s #1 exchange by the growth rate in the number of listed companies and #7 by the growth rate of the value of trading in shares, and Europe’s #1 exchange by the number of IPOs.
- After 21 years, the WSE is one of the most versatile exchanges in Europe and all around the world: it combines capital market competences with commodity market development competences.
The founding deed of the Warsaw Stock Exchange was signed 21 years ago, on 12 April 1991. Four days later, in the former Communist Party headquarters, the first trading session opened with the participation of seven brokers, listing shares of five companies. During the day, 112 buy and sell orders were placed and the total value of trading reached PLN 1,990 or ca. US$ 2,000. It was a historic event which opened a new chapter of transition in the Polish economy.
Today, the WSE operates a regulated market of shares and derivatives, as well as an alternative stock market NewConnect for growing companies, which opens the door for smaller companies to trading. The WSE is developing Catalyst, a market dedicated to issuers of corporate and municipal bonds, as well as a commodity market.
WSE Group comprised of the WSE, BondSpot SA, PolPX (Polish Power Exchange), IRGiT SA, WSEInfoEngine SA, IRK - WSE Research SA and a significant stake in KDPW (National Depository for Securities) inspires new market trends and supports sustainable and dynamic growth of the markets in keeping with the top standards of trading safety and certainty.
Despite turbulences on the global financial markets, the Warsaw Stock Exchange – the biggest trading floor in the region of Central and Eastern Europe and the regional financial hub – has remained as successful as ever. In 2011, the WSE was the world’s #1 exchange by the growth rate in the number of listed companies and #7 by the growth rate of the value of trading in shares.* The number of companies listed on the WSE increased by 33 percent to 777, which is best proof of attractive conditions created by the WSE for domestic and foreign companies looking for growth capital. Session trading in shares on the WSE increased by 25 percent (converted to US$) despite a decrease of the total turnover in shares on the global exchanges. This demonstrates the strong growth potential of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and confirms the rationale of many initiatives taken by the WSE and WSE Group companies in 2011. These include in particular the extension of the trading hours, which was one of the main drivers of growing investor activity in 2011.
Furthermore, according to the latest PwC IPO Watch Europe report,** which covers the number and value of initial public offerings (IPOs) on European exchanges, the Warsaw Stock Exchange ranked #1 in Europe by the number of IPOs. There were 25 IPOs on the WSE in Q1 2012, including 4 IPOs on the Main Market and 21 IPOs on NewConnect. By the value of IPOs in Q1 2012, the Warsaw Stock Exchange with EUR 14 million ranked #4 in Europe after NYSE Euronext (EUR 975 million), the Swiss Exchange (EUR 681 million) and the London Stock Exchange Group (EUR 621 million), before the Madrid Stock Exchange, the Oslo Stock Exchange or the Vienna Stock Exchange.
The market achievements and the stable financial position of the WSE (since 9 November 2010, the WSE is a public company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange) were acknowledged by retail and institutional investors who participated in a public offering of WSE bonds at the turn of 2012. Demand was much greater than the value of placed bonds (PLN 245 million nominal value) while the yield of the bonds at WIBOR + 117 basis points demonstrated that investors consider the WSE to be among the Polish companies in the best financial condition.
In 2012, the WSE is implementing break-through projects on the exchange commodity market (including electric power and gas markets) and in technologies (implementation of a new trading system in co-operation with the New York Stock Exchange).
* Source: World Federation of Exchanges (WFE)
** PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Q1 2012 Report.