All Bell ceremonies

IPO ABN AMRO

ABN AMRO lists on Euronext Amsterdam

ABN AMRO (ticker code: ABN) began trading today on the Amsterdam market of Euronext, after its successful Initial Public Offering (IPO).

ABN AMRO is a leading Dutch full service bank with a transparent and client-driven business model, a moderate risk profile, a clean balance sheet with predominantly traditional banking products, and a strong capital position and funding profile.

“This is a special day for ABN AMRO and we congratulate them on their successful IPO and listing”, Maurice van Tilburg, CEO of Euronext Amsterdam said. “The privatisation of ABN AMRO through a listing on our market is a great achievement and a logical step for this leading Dutch bank with long-standing roots in the financial industry. Euronext Amsterdam is proud to fulfill its role as a capital raising centre for companies, large, mid and small, which is fundamental for the Dutch economy.”

Gerrit Zalm, Chairman of the Managing Board, celebrated the company’s listing by sounding the gong which denotes the opening of trading on Euronext.

For more information: www.abnamro.com 

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Residential wood pellet futures

Residential wood pellet future contract launch party

Euronext launches its Residential Wood Pellets future contract on 20 November 2015, cleared by LCH Clearnet.SA, Enplus A1 certified for delivery.

The wood pellets industry celebrate the launch of the residential wood pellet contract alongside EPC, brokers, banks, clearers, Euronext and LCH.Clearnet SA.
With the launch of this future contract with Enplus A1 certified pellets for delivery, Euronext creates a tool to hedge and trade pellets and related biomass products.

Wood pellets are a renewable energy source which should help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, one of the main goals of the climate conference in Paris this year.

Beleggersfair

Closing gong Beleggersfair marks ending Week of the Investor

The sounding of the closing gong concludes the Investor Fair, as well as the Week of the Investor 2015. Martine Hafkamp of Fintessa performed the symbolic act on stage at the RAI Congress Centre in Amsterdam.

The Week of the Investor started last Saturday. During the Week of the Investor, there was a lot of attention for information and education for both beginners and experienced investors. The Investors Fair in the Amsterdam RAI Congress Centre concluded the week. Besides Euronext, knowledge partners included Nyenrode Business University, VEB, NIBUD and Hogeschool van Amsterdam. The association for sustainable investment, VDBO, provided a number of program elements.

For more information: www.beleggersfair.nl 

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Photo: Frans Kurstjens

iShares AEX UCITS ETF

iShares celebrates 10 year anniversary iShares AEX UCITS ETF

Today iShares, the exchange-traded funds offering of BlackRock, celebrates the 10 years’ listing of its iShares AEX UCITS ETF on Euronext Amsterdam. This fund was one of the first ETFs to come to market in continental Europe, a market that has evolved to a whole new stage of growth with new users and new uses emerging for ETFs.

The iShares AEX UCITS ETF is a physically replicating fund which offers an opportunity to track the performance of an index composed of 25 of the largest Dutch companies listed on Euronext Amsterdam. As investors are increasingly looking for ways to diversify their portfolios, the fund has steadily grown in size over the years, with even more interest over the last few months. Since inception, the fund has grown to 396 M Euro, and currently has a total expense ratio of 30 basis points.

For more information: www.blackrock.com 

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WDP

WDP also listed on Euronext Amsterdam

After having opened the Euronext Amsterdam markets this morning, WDP,  the Belgian specialist in logistics real estate, closed the markets at Euronext Brussels. Tony De Pauw, CEO of WDP rang the Closing Bell in Brussels to celebrate the dual listing of the company. With Brussels as reference market, WDP strengthens its profile and visibility on the Benelux markets.

Dual listing WDP

Euronext Amsterdam welcomes WDP

Euronext Amsterdam welcomes the listing of logistics real estate company WDP (ticker symbol: WDP), a market leader in the Benelux.

WDP has a growing share of the Netherlands’ region in the company’s property portfolio. Its strong property portfolio in the Dutch market includes warehouses for wehkamp, Action and Kuehne + Nagel. This listing on Euronext Amsterdam strengthens the company’s profile and visibility on the Dutch property market and among Dutch investors.

To celebrate the listing, Tony De Pauw and Joost Uwents, CEO’s of WDP, sound the gong to open trading on Euronext’s markets.

For more information: www.wdp.be

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Young Captain Award

Young Captain Award winner sounds gong at Beursplein 5

Aukje Doornbos, Senior Advisor to the CEO of Royal DSM, is the winner of the 2015 Young Captain Award and sounds the gong at Beursplein 5.

The Young Captain Award is an annual award given to a business leader who, at an early stage in his or her career, already has a major impact on the company itself and displays an option on economic and social level. The finalists are the Captains of Industry of tomorrow.

For the first time in the eleven-year history of the award, all three finalists were female. Besides winner Aukje Doornbos, Wendy Hamburg, Head of Projects at the Port of Rotterdam, and Wendy Verschoor, Director Division Buildings for Arcadis Netherlands were nominated.

The award was presented in Museum Boijmans van Beuningen. The accompanying sculpture was presented by Secretary General Maarten Camps, who did so on behalf of Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp.

For more information: www.youngcaptainaward.nl 

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Belfius RMBS

Belfius launches Residential Mortgage Backed Securities

On 17 November 2015 Belfius celebrated the successful launch of its first Belgian ‘Residential Mortgage Backed Securities’ (RMBS) with a Bell Ceremony.  The RMBS, the first publicly placed Belgian RMBS since 2007, was offered to institutional investors and. The 800 million Euro of RMBS notes, with the highest possible rating AAAsf/Aaa(SF) (Fitch/Moody’s), attracted a well-diversified and international investor base. The notes are listed on Euronext Brussels as of 16 November 2015.

Week of the Investor

Partners of the Week of the Investor open trading

Partners of the Week of the Investor open trading at Beursplein 5.

The Week of the Investor, in which the Week of Sustainable Investment of the VBDO is integrated, is an initiative of TRIPLE i. The week started on Saturday 14 November with a twelve page special in De Telegraaf, and an item in RTL Business Class the following day. Throughout the week, there will be several educational programs each day, culminating in the Investor Fair on Friday 20 November at the RAI Amsterdam. The VEB organizes its annual congress, the Nibud a seminar, The Asset its conference and the Mortgage Business Club a master class, along with twenty master classes and webinars of several financial parties.

The Investors Fair is the largest Dutch platform where thousands of investors and financial providers meet to share knowledge and vision.

For more information: www.weekvandebelegger.nl 

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Orange Trade Mission Fund

Winners Orange Trade Mission Fund open trade at Beursplein 5

The winners of the Orange Trade Mission Fund open trade in Amsterdam. The Orange Trade Mission Fund is an initiative of ING, KLM, SME Netherlands and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland.

Each year, the Orange Trade Mission Fund helps 10 SME’s achieve their international ambitions. Thanks to their international network, knowledge and experience, they can help the company successfully enter new foreign markets. The ten companies this year are: Arte Viva, Anker Stuy, Guide ID, NAÏF, Netics, Octatube, Oesterij, Oxipack, Tony Chocolonely and Yays.

For more information: www.oranjehandelsmissiefonds.nl

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Amundi

Euronext welcomes Amundi on Euronext Paris

Yves Perrier, CEO of Amundi, rings the bell to mark the opening of the European trading day in Paris.

Amundi features among the world's leading asset management firms. The group performs active management of shares, bonds and yields. It also conducts passive management of indexed funds as well as management of non-liquid assets (property assets and private debts).At the end of 2014, Amundi had 866 billion of EUR outstandings under management, spread over the following customer types: insurers (45%), institutional customers and employee savings schemes (31%), partner networks and third-party distributors (24%).

New AFM board member

New AFM board member Femke de Vries sounds gong

Femke de Vries, new member of the board of the Executive Board of the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM), sounds the gong at Beursplein 5. De Vries (1972) has been on the Executive Board since 1 October 2015 and has been appointed for a period of four years. As board member, her responsibilities include the departments that monitor the quality of financial services and the behavior of banks and insurers.

She joined de Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) in 2003, initially as a Supervisor, and later as Head of department and Division Director. Subsequently, she became Secretary-director, in which position she managed the internal operations of DNB. As Division Director she was first responsible for supervising pension funds and investment firms, and subsequently for the Division supervisory expertise centers. In this position, she played a key role in changing the supervisory culture at DNB.

Since March 2015, Dr. de Vries has been Professor by Special Appointment of Regulatory Enforcement at the University of Groningen. In her research and teaching work, she focuses on supervisory developments relating to such issues as how transparency and the effects of supervision can boost compliance with the set norms and help to satisfy society’s expectations in this context.

For more information: www.afm.nl

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Violas-SGPS

Violas-SGPS rings the closing bell to celebrate the listing of €100 million in Bonds

To celebrate the raising of €100 million in bonds, Violas-SGPS rang the Closing Bell. The chairman, Manuel Violas, was accompanied by management team, along with the Euronext team.

Violas SGPS owns participations in Cotesi (textiles), Solverde (leisure) and Unicer (drinks). For the group, raising € 100 million in bonds was a financing alternative different of the ones used before, and considering current interest rates, an opportunity to review part of long-term debt.

Curetis

Curetis celebrates dual listing on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels

EnterNext, the Euronext subsidiary designed to promote and grow the market for SMEs, today celebrates the listing of Curetis. Trading in Curetis’ shares started this morning on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Brussels under the ticker code CURE.

Founded in 2007, Curetis is a molecular diagnostics company which focuses on the development and commercialization of reliable, fast and cost-effective products for diagnosing severe infectious diseases.

Oliver Schacht, CEO of Curetis said: “The IPO is a major milestone in Curetis´ corporate history and we are proud to join the group of renowned healthcare companies listed on Euronext. The proceeds of the transaction will mainly be used to expand the commercialization of our Unyvero Platform and to expand our product portfolio to address additional infectious diseases.”

For more information: www.curetis.com

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SBM Offshore

SBM Offshore celebrates headquarters relocation by sounding gong

Euronext-listed company SBM Offshore (ticker symbol: SBMO), global player in the oil and gas industry, recently announced the establishment of new corporate headquarters in Amsterdam.

Since 2012, SBM Offshore has been on a transformational journey, restructuring and shaping business for the future. The relocation of corporate headquarters to the Netherlands, and re-connection with the company’s Dutch roots are part of this transformation.

Sounding the gong on behalf of SBM Offshore, CEO Bruno Chabas commented that “The Netherlands have once again become the beating heart of SBM Offshore. This is important step will allow SBM Offshore to contribute to the excellent knowledge and technology society in the Netherlands, to the Dutch labour market and to the strong international network that makes the Netherlands what it is today”.

For more information: www.sbmoffshore.com

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CSR Manager of the Year

CSR Manager of the Year opens trading

Birgitta Kramer of Vitenshas been elected CSR Manager of the Year 2015 and opens trading by sounding the gong.

The CSR Manager of the Year election is organized by Royal HaskoningDHV since 2012, in cooperation with VNO-NCW and Interface. The purpose of the election is to recognize the extra efforts of inspired CSR managers. Kramer was elected CSR Manager of the Year 2015 at the Dutch National Sustainability Congress on November 3^rd. A jury had previously nominated three persons for this title. Besides Brigitta Kramer, Harry Hofman of Strukton and Fokko Wientjes of DSMwere nominated.

For more information: www.mvomanagervanhetjaar.nl

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CDP – Euronext awards

CDP and Awards winners rang the closing bell

International non-profit CDP and Portuguese listed companies that have achieved a leadership position on climate change actions according to the CDP global ranking methodology received the CDP – Euronext awards and rang the closing bell. The companies are: Galp Energia (100 A), EDP (100 A) and Sonae (100 A-). CDP and Euronext also recognized Toyota Caetano for being the best improver in Portugal on their CDP ranking  (91 D) and Caixa Geral de Depositos for achieving the highest score among companies that disclose on a voluntary basis to CDP (100 B). The report, which analyses the responses on climate change administration, by the largest 85 Spanish and 40 Portuguese companies in market capitalization, includes the 2015 Climate A List. At a global level, nearly 2,000 companies submitted information to be independently assessed against CDP’s scoring methodology

Deloitte Technology Fast50

Winner Deloitte Technology Fast50 sounds gong

The winner of the Deloitte Technology Fast50 2015, Catawiki, opens trading at Beursplein 5. Catawiki takes first place in the ranking of the 50 fastest growing tech companies of the Netherlands. The company has shown a growth percentage of 45.080% over the last 4 years.

Deloitte organizes the Technology Fast50 competition in collaboration with partners ABN AMRO, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland, Euronext, Kennedy Van der Laan, KPN and Vitruvian. The competition was initiated to recognize the exceptional performance of these companies. The Fast50 companies have the best entrepreneurs of the future, who think fast and play a leading role in their field. The Rising Star is a special price that is presented to emerging innovative companies that are less than five years old. This year, it was awarded to Bynder.

For more information: www.fast50.nl

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