NYSE Euronext today announced the listing on NYSE Alternext in Paris of BD Multimedia, a benchmark player in IT and telecommunications.
Founded in 1986, BD Multimedia has developed expertise on the Internet, Audiotel, telephone services and Minitel. Online business including Internet content and micro-payment systems are major growth drivers. Since 2000, BD Multimedia has also worked through its Apogea subsidiary to stake out a position in software applications for management, internal data transfer and networks. Based in Paris, France, the company has 94 employees.
The transfer of BD Multimedia from the Free Market to NYSE Alternext (ticker code: ALBDM) came following shareholders’ approval of the move at their General Meeting on 8 July 2011, and covered all 2,161,038 shares making up the company’s capital. Market capitalisation stood at €11.5 million on the day of listing.
“We are delighted to be accompanying BD Multimedia as it enters a new stage in its development,” said Ronald Kent, Group Executive Vice President and Head of International Listings at NYSE Euronext. “In taking this important step, BD Multimedia is boosting its visibility with investors and improving its shares’ liquidity.”
BD Multimedia CEO Daniel Dorra added: “After trading for over 10 years on the Free Market, we decided to shift to NYSE Alternext to raise our visibility and back our very strong growth. Today our content products and, especially, our micro-payment platform www.starpass.fr, are expanding very quickly and profitably. We will also be looking into opportunities for acquisitions as they arise, as long as they offer accretive impact and synergies. In my view, NYSE Alternext is the ideal market for us.”
In six years, €2.4 billion has been raised on NYSE Alternext, half through secondary issues, by 173 companies from countries including Belgium, Canada, China, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK and the US. Their market capitalisation totals €5.6 billion.