The Board of Directors of Hellenic Exchanges SA (HELEX) has decided to modify the fees that it charges to investors, listed companies, brokerage companies and custodians, with the aim of improving the competitiveness of the Greek capital market. At the same time, HELEX is providing motives to brokers to increase the penetration of the new services offered by the Group. These changes will go into effect on the 1st of July 2010.
Fee reductions for investors
- Athens Exchange’s (ATHEX) trading fee is reduced from 0.150‰ to 0.125‰.
- The value of the portfolio that is excluded from the fixed ‘Central Registry Management’ charge is raised from €3,000 to €15,000. This measure will benefit approximately 220,000 investors, based on May 2010 figures, which had a portfolio valued from €3,000 to €15,000.
- At the same time, there are reductions in the fees charged by HELEX to investors for OTC transactions, off-exchange transfers, inheritances, usufructs etc.
Fee reductions for issuers
- Athens Exchange’s fee on rights issues by companies in the Mid and Small Capitalization segment are reduced by 50%, from 1‰ in effect today to 0.5‰ (provided that the rights issue is up to €100m.), in order to support the strengthening of the capital base of these companies.
- The maximum annual fee paid by listed companies in the Middle and Small Capitalization segment is capped at €7,000, from €8,000 today.
- The annual fee for listed companies in the Alternative Market is capped at €3,000, from €4,000 today (for companies with a capitalization of up to €20m), at €5,000, from €6,000 today (for companies with a capitalization between €20m and €40m), and at €7,000, from €8,000 today (for companies with a capitalization of more than €40m).
At the same time, the Board of Directors of Hellenic Exchanges decided to harmonize the trading hours of the Middle and Small Capitalization segment with those of the Large Capitalization segment.
Fee reductions for brokers and custodians
- The cost of Market Makers for trading and clearing stocks not included in the FTSE/ATHEX 20 index is reduced by 75% to 100%, depending on the evaluation of the effectiveness of the market making. At the same time, the cost of transferring securities from Market Makers (and other investors) to ETF issuers is reduced.
- Significant discounts (of up to 90%) on the fees paid to HELEX by members of the Derivatives Market are provided.
- In addition, discounts on the use of new services to access foreign markets
are provided to brokers:
- in order to attract clients to the new order routing services (Xorder & Xsettle) to developed foreign markets through XNET
- in order to attract new DSS (Dematerialized Securities System) operators to the new transaction settlement and custody services on foreign securities (Investor CSD services)
- in order to attract investors to the new Inbroker / Inbroker Plus services for price watch and order routing for the foreign markets that are supported.
Commenting on the changes in the pricing policy, Mr. Spyros I. Capralos, Chief Executive Officer of HELEX stated: “At a difficult time for the Greek economy, we are reducing our fees, both for investors as well as for listed companies and other market participants, in order to increase the competitiveness of the Greek capital market. We are able to make these cuts, due to the significant reduction in the operating expenses of the Hellenic Exchanges Group over the past few years. HELEX’s goal is to offer new products and services at competitive prices, to benefit not only its shareholders but also the Greek economy in general.”
The fees charged by the Group appear in resolutions number 1, 4 and 5 of the Board of Directors of HELEX “Fee schedule for the management and operation of the system for clearing and settlement of transferable securities transactions in book entry form”, “Margins for Members in the Derivatives Market” and “Fees in the ATHEX derivatives market” and resolution number 24 of the Athens Exchange Board of Directors “Fee schedule for the ATHEX markets”, which are published on the websites of HELEX and ATHEX respectively.
The most significant changes in the HELEX fees are shown in the attached tables.