All Bell ceremonies

KPN acquires DearBytes

KPN completes acquisition cyber security company DearBytes

KPN (ticker symbol: KPN) and DearBytes sound the gong and open trading at Beursplein 5 due to the completion of the acquisition of cyber security company DearBytes by KPN. By acquiring DearBytes, KPN strengthens its position as the leading security services provider in The Netherlands. KPN expects to complete the transaction at the end of January 2017. Financial details will not be disclosed.

Supported by the acquisition of DearBytes, KPN will be able to offer a broader range of high-quality security services to business customers in the Netherlands, especially in the field of secure mobile working, malware protection, monitoring and detection.

KPN notices a rapidly growing customer demand for robust and easily accessible security services against digital threats such as ransomware and phishing. With DearBytes KPN acquires a company with strong expertise in this field that fits perfectly with its aim to be the best service provider for customers.

For more information: www.kpn.com

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Amsterdam City Index

Sounding of the gong for Amsterdam City Index

The 9th edition of the Amsterdam City Index 2017, the economic barometer of the bustling city of Amsterdam, rises up with 9 points to 120, an increase of almost 10%. The Amsterdam City Index 2017 was recently presented at the Beurs van Berlage in the annual event named ‘the Economic Lesson’ organized by Amsterdam City.

The first printed copy of the Amsterdam City Index 2017 was presented to Pieter Litjens, Councilor for Traffic and Transport of the City of Amsterdam. Amsterdam City is the initiator and producer of the Amsterdam City Index and ‘the Economic Lesson’. Amsterdam City is an association of retailers, hotel and catering industry, institutions and cultural organizations in the inner-city of Amsterdam. Primary goal of Amsterdam City is an economically healthy and diverse city - the focus of the association is to promote and improve the economic climate in the center of Amsterdam.

For more information: www.amsterdamcity.nl

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SourceETF

Source visits Beursplein 5

Source is pleased to announce it has listed three of its largest and most successful Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) on the Amsterdam exchange.  Source sounds the opening gong at Euronext at Beursplein 5 to celebrate this. Sjef Pieters, Executive Director - Head of Netherlands and Nordics, sounds the gong.

The Euronext listings are the latest examples of Source’s commitment to bring high quality, fairly priced ETFs to investors across Europe. It follows a broad range of listings in Italy, which adds to those already in the UK, Switzerland and Germany. With these listings, it will be easier and cheaper for local investors to trade and settle the following products.

Source is an independent ETF provider striving to make investing more accessible and affordable for everyone. The company is free to work with the best global experts to provide the funds investors really want. Next to the core funds essential to a portfolio, Source has some interesting investment strategies not found with other providers. Source’s independence enables competitive pricing and the company is completely transparent about fees and risks.  

For more information: www.sourceETF.com

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Commerzbank

Commerzbank launches new investment products on the Dutch exchange

Commerzbank continues its product expansion on the Dutch market with listed investment products. Recently the Twin Win-, Bonus-, and Capped Bonus Certificates were launched on the Dutch market. Later this year, Discount Certificates will be introduced. To put this into the spotlight, they will sound the gong and open trading at the Amsterdam exchange.

Listed investment products can be used for the short, medium and longer term, corresponding at different risk/return scenarios. Christophe Cox, responsible for the listed products at Commerzbank for the Dutch market, clarifies: “By adding these products, professional and retail customers can diversify their portfolio, and anticipate at rising, falling or stable markets. Commerzbank is offering hereby a comprehensive range of listed products on different underlyings, providing education, tools and services to use these products.”

As an issuer of Warrants and certificates, Commerzbank offers a wide range of financial instruments in Europe. With an offer of more than 160.000 products and many years of experience, Commerzbank is one of the largest and most prominent issuers of structured financial products in Europe.

More information: www.beurs.commerzbank.com

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FISD - Financial & Information Services Association

FISD visits the exchange for FISD Amsterdam

FISD Amsterdam is an annual event, now in its fourth year hosted by Euronext Amsterdam. Bringing together those that buy and consume market data, such as Banks and Asset Managers, with the range of those that provide data and services. Tom Davin, Managing Director FISD, sounds the gong.

Working in conjunction with the Dutch IPUG, this event provides a forum for the Dutch financial data community to meet, share ideas and generally become better informed about our specialist industry sector – all with the aim of improving the way we do business with each other.

The Dutch Information Providers User Group (DIPUG) was founded in 2009 by Dutch Banks and Asset Managers and is the Dutch equivalent of ‘Information Providers User Groups’ that operate in other countries across Europe.

For more information: www.fisd.net

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10 years Add Value Fund

Add Value Fund celebrates ten-year anniversary

Ten years ago, Add Value Fund started with an initial share capital of €27m. In the ten years that followed the funds under management have tripled to more than €81m. The Fund’s share price has risen by 115% since inception, which corresponds with an average annual net return of 8,0%.

Founders and Fund Managers Willem Burgers and Hilco Wiersma: “The past ten years have been quite successful and we have added value for all our shareholders. We much appreciate the trust of all our stakeholders in the past decade and look forward to a positive future. We believe the Add Value Fund is in an excellent position to continue to add value in the next ten years.”

Add Value Fund is the specialist in Dutch listed small and midcap companies. The Fund exclusively invests in Dutch so-called ‘mini-multinationals’ whose activities focus on structural growth and/or niche markets and are mostly European or global market leader in their respective market segment. Through a bottom-up stock selection process, using fundamental and value analysis, the Add Value Fund managers select the most promising investments from a universe of approximately 67 listed companies. At present, the Fund holds investments in 16 companies of high quality.

For more information: www.addvaluefund.nl

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ACTIAM investment expert

Winner ACTIAM investment expert opens trading

The winner of the ACTIAM investment expert poll opens trading at the Amsterdam exchange by sounding the gong. Of all participating experts Wouter de Nie, assetmanager at BCS Vermogensbeheer, made the best picks.

Every year asset manager ACTIAM asks more than hundred investment professionals for their expectations of the best and least performing stock in the coming year. Besides that, the participants are asked for their vision on index level. The best investment professional receives the price for best investment professional.

For more information: www.actiam.nl

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Chinese New Year

ICBC sounds gong for Chinese New Year

ICBC (Europe) S.A. Amsterdam Branch sounds the opening gong at Euronext Amsterdam in celebration of the Chinese New Year, as well as ICBC Amsterdam’s 6th anniversary in the Netherlands.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China’s largest commercial bank, opened its Amsterdam Branch on 20 January 2011. Since its opening, ICBC Amsterdam set a mission to serve as bridge between China and the Netherlands to facilitate and strengthen the mutual economic ties.

Over the past six years, with continuous endeavor, it not only promoted Sino-Dutch bilateral trade and investment by providing professional cross-border integrated financial services, but also facilitated more Dutch companies to China, meanwhile attracting more Chinese enterprises to set up their Dutch entities. ICBC Amsterdam has successfully risen to prominence as the first and ideal choice for Sino-Dutch business.

For more information: www.icbc.com

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Best Performer AEX 2016

ArcelorMittal sounds gong as winner Euronext Amsterdam Best Performer AEX 2016

Euronext Amsterdam recently awarded the best performing listed companies, ETF and Fund at Euronext Amsterdam for 2016. ArcelorMittal was awarded Best Performer AEX 2016, on this occasion they visit the Amsterdam exchange and open trading.

Arcelor Mittal has successfully made use of the capital markets last year. The increase in share price of 80% is a remarkable accomplishment. ArcelorMittal is the world's leading steel and mining company, with a presence in 60 countries and an industrial footprint in 19 countries. Guided by a philosophy to produce safe, sustainable steel, they are the leading supplier of quality steel in the major global steel markets.

Maurice van Tilburg, CEO at Euronext Amsterdam and Joost Kromhout, Head of Listings at Euronext Amsterdam, had the pleasure to congratulate ArcelorMittal, Besi, Ordina, iShares and Optimix Vermogensbeheer.

For more information: www.arcelormittal.com

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Vontobel Warrants & Certificates

Euronext welcomes Vontobel as new Warrants & Certificates Issuer

Vontobel, a leading Swiss private bank specialised in wealth and asset management, celebrates the listing of nearly 1,200 new structured products on Euronext’s Paris and Amsterdam Warrants & Certificates segment by opening trading. Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt, CEO Bank Vontobel Europe, sounds the gong.

Vontobel’s newly listed broad offering of open-end turbo warrants and factor certificates is geared towards both private and institutional clients, based on its industry leading scalable platform, highly automated processes and the mature as well as professional structured  products market in France and the Netherlands. Vontobel plans to continuously expand this offering in the coming months.

The welcoming of Vontobel as issuer is a new key milestone for Euronext’s Warrants & Certificates  franchise that currently lists over 50,000 products, an amount that has more than tripled in the last 6 years.  Euronext is investing in this franchise to adapt to the evolving market environment and promote long term sustainability of this product set for the benefit of its clients, end investors and the market

For more information: www.vontobel.com  

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Philips Innovation Award

Sounding of the gong for Philips Innovation Award

Stewart McCrone, Head of M&A at Philips (ticker symbol: PHIA), sounds the gong for the Philips Innovation Award. The Phillips Innovation Award is the largest student-entrepreneur award in The Netherlands. It was first organized 12 years ago and is organized for students, by students. Participants receive personal feedback, practice important skills, receive coaching and build a network.

On 23 March, the semi-final will be organized in “Het Drijvend Paviljoen” in Rotterdam. At this event, the 30 best participants are invited to show their start-up to investors and entrepreneurs, while receiving feedback on their pitch by a professional jury. The best 8 start-ups will make it to the final on 8 May in “De Rotterdamsche Schouwburg”, where over 800 visitors will experience an inspiring evening with interesting guest speakers and high quality innovations. A prize worth €50.000 will be rewarded to the most promising Innovator, a company between 1-3 years old, and one worth €15.000 will be given to the best Rough Diamond, an idea/company younger than 1 year.

For more information: www.phia.nl

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National Education Exhibition

Gong ceremony to mark opening National Education Exhibition 2017

The Money Wise Platform attends the National Education Exhibition (NOT) from 24 to January 28. The NOT is the largest trade fair for education professionals in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht. To show the connection between the financial world and the world of education, class 2B of the secondary school CSG Willem de Zwijger from Schoonhoven opens trading at Euronext Amsterdam by sounding the gong.

After the ceremony a delegation will rush off to the NOT in Utrecht. They will meet with Her Majesty Queen Máxima and Minister Bussemaker.

The main focus of the Money Wise platform is to promote responsible financial behavior. The platform aims at a permanent place for education of financial skills in the school curriculum. Pupils in secondary schools also ask for extra lessons in learning to deal with money. There is currently a lot of attention to the debt problems among young people in the Netherlands. Schools in secondary education and national and local governments and institutions are working actively for an integrated approach to the implementation of financial education in secondary education.

For more information: www.wijzeringeldzaken.nl

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Vontobel

Euronext welcomes Vontobel as new Warrants & Certificates issuer

Vontobel open the trading day to celebrate their becoming a new Warrants & Certificates issuer on Euronext.

Vontobel, a leading Swiss private bank specialised in wealth and asset management, today celebrates the listing of nearly 1,200 new structured products on Euronext’s Paris and Amsterdam Warrants & Certificates segment.

Best Performer ETFs

iShares sounds gong as winner Euronext Amsterdam Best Performer ETFs 2016

Euronext Amsterdam recently awarded the best performing listed companies, ETF and Fund at Euronext Amsterdam for 2016. iShares was awarded Best Performer ETFs 2016, on this occasion they visit the Amsterdam exchange and open trading. Kirst Kuipers, head of iShares Benelux, opens trading together with his colleagues.

The ETF industry experienced new record inflows in 2016 in terms of growth. iShares, the exchange-traded funds offering of BlackRock, is a global leader in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with more than a decade of expertise and commitment to individual and institutional investors of all sizes. Their iShares Europe ETF has been awarded for most traded ETF at Euronext Amsterdam.

Maurice van Tilburg, CEO at Euronext Amsterdam and Joost Kromhout, Head of Listings at Euronext Amsterdam, had the pleasure to congratulate ArcelorMittal, Besi, Ordina, iShares and Optimix Vermogensbeheer.

For more information: https://www.euronext.com/en

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Corbion

Corbion sounds gong for development bioplastics market

Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO of Corbion (ticker symbol: CRBN) calls attention to the development of the markets for bioplastics in The Week of the Circular Economy and a day after the Polyolefins 2017 Summit by sounding the gong at the Amsterdam exchange.

Recently, Total and Corbion have announced that they are joining forces to develop bioplastics by creating a 50/50 joint venture to produce and market polylactic (PLA) polymers. The two partners plan to build a world-class PLA polymerization plant with a capacity of 75,000 tons per year at Corbion's site in Thailand that already has a lactide (PLA monomer) production unit that will become part of the joint venture. Corbion will supply the lactic acid necessary for the production of the PLA and the lactide. The joint venture will allow them to supply an innovative material that is 100% renewable and biodegradable, and that responds to sustainability concerns.

Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides, and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals and vitamins. The company delivers high performance biobased products made from renewable resources and applied in global markets such as bakery, meat, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, home and personal care, packaging, automotive, coatings and adhesives. Its products have a differentiating functionality in all kinds of consumer products worldwide. In 2015, Corbion generated annual sales of € 918.3 million and had a workforce of 1,673 FTE

For more information: www.corbion.com

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Dutch Corporate Finance Association

Nominees DCFA ‘Deal of the Year’ Award sound the gong

Each year, the DCFA grants an Award for the ‘Deal of the Year'. On January 19, 2017, this Award is given for the 4th time to a member of the DCFA who has closed the best transaction in 2016. The three nominated advisors are chosen by an expert and independent jury from a large number of entries. They visit the Amsterdam exchange and open trading.

The Dutch Corporate Finance Association (DCFA) is a national multidisciplinary association for professionals engaged in the field of mergers and acquisitions. The DCFA, with over 200 individual members, is the largest association in its field and aims to share knowledge and to create a network for its members. The association is aimed at everyone who is professionally involved in mergers and acquisitions, such as M&A consultants, M&A lawyers, tax specialists, bankers and private equity investors.

The Jury made its choice based on the expertise and the multidisciplinary nature of the deal team, creativity in the execution of the transaction and the results achieved.

For more information: www.dcfa.nl

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Vanguard

Vanguard visits Beursplein 5

Vanguard opens trading at Euronext Amsterdam. The company has expanded its presence in the Netherlands in 2016 and plans on expanding even further in 2017. The gong is sounded by Institutional Sales Executive Arjan van Tongeren, while accompanied by colleagues.

One of the world’s largest investment management companies, Vanguard managed more than $ 3.9 trillion in global assets. The firm is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and offers more than 350 funds to its more than 20 million investors worldwide.

For more information: www.vanguard.nl

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TechnipFMC

Listing of TechnipFMC on Euronext

Thierry Pilenko, Future Executive director, TechnipFMC, opens the trading day in Paris.

Following the merger of Technip with FMC Technologies in December 2016, TechnipFMC positions itself as a world leader in turnkey projects engineering and construction for the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors. The group also designs, produces and markets oil and gas systems and equipment. The activity is organized around 6 areas of activity:

• construction of onshore units: petrochemical, gas refining and processing units, pharmaceutical and chemical plants, cement plants, power plants, etc;
• construction of offshore units: fixed and floating production platforms;
• manufacturing, installation and maintenance of underwater equipment: rigid and flexible pipes, umbilical pipes, etc.;
• manufacturing of energy production systems: submersible systems (bottlenecks, transfer modules, manifold systems, drilling systems, etc.), production systems for surface wellheads (insulating sleeve systems, casing supports, tubing heads, metal joints, etc.), etc.;
• manufacturing of high-pressure fluid control equipment: valves, valve units, actuators, fittings and couplers, seals, pumps, etc.;
• manufacturing of energy processing systems: immersed loading and counting systems, materials handling equipment, etc.