• Currently 27 foreign companies are traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, within three months Bulgarian ones can follow suit

At an ad hoc workshop organized by the Polish Depository in Warsaw, the Polish depository and UniCredit Bulbank made a commitment to intensify and use the link already created that allows Bulgarian companies to be listed in Warsaw.

Bulgarian ambassador in Poland Ivan Naidenov said the signing of the agreement between the Polish Depository and the Bulgarian partner reflects the tendency for greater Polish interest in Bulgaria which dates back to Bulgaria’s joining of the European Union. Thus in 2008 the exchange of commodities between the two countries reached BGN 830 mio, compared to BGN 530 mio in 2007. “This upsurge, however, nether could be developed last year because of the world crisis. Therefore the search for new directions in our cooperation, like the above initiative are extremely important”, Ambassador Naidenov said. He voiced his expectations for this opportunity to be used by as many companies as possible.

“In order to intensify the already created link, procedures will be simplified”, Polish Depository President and CEO Ivona Sroka said. She explained that the Depository has selected UniCredit Bulbank for its partner in Bulgaria especially for its leader’s position on the local capital market.

Currently, at the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which boasts high liquidity, 27 foreign companies are traded and the benefits for them are indisputable”, said Ludvig Sobolevski, CEO of the Warsaw Stock Exchange said.

“We see opportunities for the Bulgarian companies to come to the well-capitalized Warsaw Stock Exchange and obtain a well-deserved price for their securities”, said UCB’s Ivan Apostolov, Head of Financial Markets and Investment Intermediary Department. UCB’s experts advise that the Warsaw Stock Exchange be contacted by companies ready to offer a larger portion of their capital. The time that the listing preparation takes fully depends on the pace of work of the company, but the criteria such as prospectus preparation and obtaining of approval can be reduced to three months.

 

Why foreign companies choose to be listed in Poland?

- Increase of the capital for investments;

- Reduction of the barriers for the Polish investors to purchase securities of Bulgarian companies

- Capitalization of the goodwill of the product offered by the respective company on the Polish market;

- Liquidity;

- Better familiarity.

Listing on the Warsaw Stock Exchange – benefits:

- Marketing effect;

- Facilitation and better image when banks, investors and new customers are contacted;

- Access to more capital;

- Stable investor structure.

Contacts:

UniCredit Bulbank, Public Relations and Corporate Communications

Victoria Blazheva, tel: 02/9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, tel: 02/9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch