All Bell ceremonies

DEGIRO highlights leverage campaign

DEGIRO, an online broker and investment platform, sounds the gong to highlight the launch of its leverage campaign. The campaign is targeted at experienced, active investors. As from today they can invest via DEGIRO in leveraged products issued by ABN AMRO, ING, RBS, Citi and Commerzbank, and pay €0 in transaction costs for the first six months.

Cooperating with other issuers in the area of IT, generates more efficiency with respect to leveraged products such as Turbos, Sprinters and Speeders. Gijs Nagel, retail director, sounds the gong.

For more information: www.degiro.nl

Download photo

Gong marks Amsterdam City Index

The gong ceremony marks the Amsterdam City Index that ended at 118 in 2014.

The index is published by theCompanies Association Amsterdam Cityandmeasuresthe economic climate of the Amsterdam City Center XL - the extensive downtown from Central Station to Cornelis Schuytstraat and Haarlemmerbuurt to Carré. Last year the index ended at 117. Chairman of Amsterdam City, Willem Koster, sounds the gong.

For more information: www.amsterdamcityindex.nl

Download photo

Gong marks Philips Innovation Award

This year, the ninth edition of the Philips Innovation Award (PHIA) is organised for students and by students. The PHIA has grown to become the largest student-entrepreneur competition in the Netherlands. Every year the organisation helps students with an innovative spirit from idea to business plan, and from business plan to start-up.

The PHIA invites students to participate in the business plan competition before the 16^th of February. Experienced business professionals, who will provide participants with feedback, will judge the plans. The ten best entries will be coached by partners of the organisation before participating in the semi-finals on March 27. The five finalists will compete for the grand prize on the 24^th of April.

In order to help students writing a business plan, the organisation has developed an online lecture trajectory. In four lectures, experts touch upon intellectual property protection, marketing, finance and many more crucial topics for start-ups. The lectures can be viewed via the organization’s web page on a computer, tablet and/or smartphone. The lectures are interactive, which means guest lecturers can answer questions.Daan van Maanen, Senior Director M&A Philips, sounds the gong.

For more information: www.phia.nl

Download photo

Bell Ceremony to celebrate the first listing of the equity options on RTL

On 29 January 2014, Guillaume de Posch, CEO of RTL Group opened the markets with aBell Ceremonyat Euronext Brussels to celebrate the introduction of a new option contract on RTL at Euronext Brussels. Elmar Heggen, CFO of RTL Group and Philippe Delussine, CEO of RTL Belgique joined the CEO on the podium of the Bell Ceremony. The trading symbol of this new option is RTL.

RTL Group is the leading European entertainment network with interests in 55 television channels and 27 radiostations and content production throughout the world.

To learn more about the company : www.rtlgroup.com en www.rtl.be

For the list of all the Belgian options: https://www.euronext.com/en/for-investors/financial-derivatives

Dutch Heart Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary

On 29 January the Dutch Heart Foundation will celebrate its 50^th anniversary by sounding the gong at Beursplein 5.

Kicking off the festive launch of this jubilee year is the director of Heart Foundation, Floris Italianer, with the assistance of Mrs Ruigrok. Mrs Ruigrok has had personal experience of the vital importance of resuscitation. She was successfully resuscitated by her partner and lived to tell the story. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. This year the primary objective of the Heart Foundation is to create a 6-minute zone in the Netherlands: a zone in which it is possible to carry out all necessary actions in the event of a heart attack within 6 minutes. These include calling the emergency number, resuscitation and defibrillation. The Heart Foundation hopes that this will increase the survival rate to 25%.

The Dutch Heart Foundation is proud to announce that several listed companies are offering their support to a heart-healthy society by helping to accomplish the 6-minute zone. The Dutch Heart Foundation is thankful to Aegon, Corio, DSM, Fugro, Imtech, Philips, PostNL, Unilever, Ziggo and Wolters Kluwer for their support.

For more information: www.hartstichting.nl

Download photo

Gong marks 95th anniversary Save the Children

Save the Children celebrates her 95^th anniversary at Beursplein 5. Entrepeneur, TV host and ambassador of the foundation, Frits Huffnagel, sounds the gong for children in need.

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent children’s rights organization with 14.000 local aid workers active in 120 countries. Save the Children saves the lives, the dreams  and the future of children through healthcare, quality education and better living conditions.

For more information: www.savethechildren.nl

Download photo

Gong ceremony marks the listing of Rabobank Certificates

Stichting Administratiekantoor Rabobank Certificaten visits Euronext Amsterdam to celebrate the listing of its Rabobank certificates.

Two long-standing members of the Rabobank who have on many occasions attended the annual meeting for holders of Rabobank Member Certificates, Cor Martens, former administrator/budget manager at Hoogovens, and Bert Veldman, a private investor formerly employed as a biochemist in the area of agricultural pet food and health for the cooperative compound feed industry, sound the gong in honour of the listing. They are accompanied by some other members/holders of Rabobank Certificates and members of the managing board of the Stichting AK Rabobank Certificaten.

For more information: www.rabobank.com

Download photo

Annual Hedge Fund Research Conference

Inès de Dinechin, Chairwoman of Lyxor Asset Management rings the Opening Bell at Euronext Paris  to mark the beginning of the 6th Annual Hedge Fund Research Conference.

Welcome to the 6th Annual Hedge Fund Research Conference, which presents the latest research papers shaping the future of the asset management industry, from the most renowned academics.
With close to a hundred submissions from 50 universities in 17 countries, the 15 unpublished papers which will be presented during the conference were selected following a thorough screening process by a scientific committee of internationally respected academic professors.
Since its inception, this event has become a reference in the field of risk management and alternative investments research, now attracting the most reputable academics working on cutting-edge topics.
Over the last 5 years, the “Annual Hedge Fund Research Conference” has thus been a platform for
international visibility. Indeed, out of a total of 76 research papers presented across the last 5 events, 37 of them have already been published in the most renowned academic publications.

25th anniversary electronic trading system on Brussels Stock Exchange

Walter Van Glabbeekand Jean-François Anspach, Honorary Vice-Presidents of the former “Commission de la Bourse-Beurscommissie” of 1989  rang the Opening Bell in Brussels on 24 January 2014 to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the launch of the first electronic trading system on the Brussels Stock Exchange. The 3 first shares –  that were traded electronically on 24 January 1989 were Solvay, GB-Inno-BM and Tractebel. They are represented by Diego du Monceau, former CEO of GIB and Alcon Hidalgo Maria, Executive VP Investor Relations, Solvay.

Winner 2013 SNS Asset Management Investment Expert Poll sounds gong

Winner of the 2013 SNS Asset Management Investment Expert Poll, Hans Slomp, manager ASN Duurzaam Aandelenfonds, sounds the gong at Beursplein 5.

The SNS Investment Expert Poll is held monthly since 1994. Every year a special end-of-year-poll is organised. Of the 101 participants, Slomp turned out best stockpicker.

For more information: www.snsreaal.nl

Download photo

Gong marks opening Amundi Nederland in Amsterdam

Amundi, Europe’s N°1 asset manager with over EUR 750bn in assets , today announces the opening of Amundi Nederland in Amsterdam. CIO and Deputy CEO of Amundi, Pascal Blanqué, sounds the gong.

With over 10 years of experience in Benelux through its presence in Brussels and Luxembourg, Amundi manages over € 2.3 bn. in assets on behalf of Dutch investors. 

Blanqué comments: “The Netherlands offers a mature investment market with highly developed savings, private banking and pension assets. With the opening of this office, Amundi demonstrates its long term commitment to further developing business activities. We are now in a strong position to offer Dutch investors the full range of Amundi’s asset management capabilities with local proximity to clients through an experienced business development team.”

Amundi is one of the first non-local asset managers to offer an extensive range of funds tailored to local needs without rebate well ahead of implementation in the market.

For more information:www.amundi.com

Download photo

NIBC Bank celebrates winning IFR 2013 Covered Bond of the Year Award

NIBC Bank CEO, Jeroen Drost, sounds the gong to celebrate winning the prestigious IFR 2013 Covered Bond of the Year Award. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday evening January 22 in London.

NIBC Bank is awarded for its EUR 500 million conditional pass through covered bond (“CPTCB”) launched in September 2013. The CPTCB is a new type of covered bond secured by Dutch residential mortgages. The transaction was well received in the market and was placed with a large group of institutional investors. In addition, global recognition was gained by financial markets and media for creating a product with more stability and meeting today’s investor demands. Analysts and media described the new product as “revolutionary” and “changing the landscape of covered bonds for good”.

The CPTCB differs from the traditional covered bond structures, due to the absence of derivatives and inclusion of an orderly wind-down mechanism of the cover pool subject to strict conditions. These features create more stability in ratings and structure. The syndicate banks– next to NIBC – were Credit Suisse, LBBW and RBS.NIBC Bank is a Dutch bank active in corporate and consumer banking. Headquartered in The Hague, NIBC also has offices in Brussels, Frankfurt and London.

For more information: www.nibc.com

Download photo

RIVM opens trading for Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) opens trading for the European Cervical Cancer Prevention Week that takes place from 22 to 28 January.

The European Cervical Cancer Association (ECCA) has created the week to increase awareness for cervical cancer and its prevention. Worldwide, 250,000 women die each year from cervical cancer. This while the disease is often preventable through effective screening and vaccination. In the Netherlands a well organized and free screening takes place. About 800,000 women are invited each year. Program Coordinator of the cervical cancer screening, Nynke van der Veen, sounds the gong.

For more information: www.rivm.nl/bevolkingsonderzoeknaarkanker

Download photo

Melbourne University

Students from Melbourne University ring the opening bell

Gong launches Get Dads Reading campaign

Eppo van Nispen tot Sevenaer, member of the Dutch Reading Coalition and managing director at Stichting CPNB, sounds the gong to launch the Dutch Get Dads Reading campaign.

The main goal of Get Dads Reading is to raise awareness of the importance of fathers as reading role models for their children. Recent studies show that parents have the biggest impact on their children when it comes to their joy in reading. Dads trail far behind their female partners in reading books to their kids. Only 8% of the fathers are the main reader within the family. These findings are a major concern, since a father's involvement in the child's early reading has proven to boost the child’s academic success leading to improved social and emotional wellbeing. That’s why the Dutch Reading Coalition challenges fathers to read to their sons and daughters more often.

Also attending the gong ceremony are the (male) partners in the Dutch Reading Coalition: Ap de Vries (Managing director at Dutch Library Association), Arjan Beune (Deputy director at The Reading & Writing Foundation), Gerard van Dijk (Program Manager at Netherlands Institute for Public Libraries), Daan Beeke (Project Manager at Dutch Reading Foundation) en Eelco Wierda of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

For more information: www.vadersvoorlezen.nl

Download photo

CEO UNIT4, José Duarte, sounds gong for winning Best Performer 2013 Award

CEO of UNIT4, José Duarte,sounds the gong to celebrate winning the Best Performer 2013 Award.

At the annual and well-attended New Year’s Reception of the Amsterdam exchange Cees Vermaas, CEO of Euronext Amsterdam, announced this year’s listed companies that achieved the highest earnings in the past year. UNIT4 won the Best Performer AMX award (68.96%). Other winners are Randstad (AEX, 69.57%), AND International (AScX, 113.33 %) and Core Laboratories (local market, 78.19%).

UNIT4 is a global business software and services company aimed at helping dynamic public sector and commercial services organizations to embrace change simply, quickly and cost effectively in a market sector it calls 'Businesses Living IN Change' (BLINC)™. The Group incorporates a number of the world’s leading change embracing software brands including Agresso, Coda and FinancialForce.com. With operations in 26 countries worldwide, revenue of €469.8 million was realized in 2012. UNIT4 is headquartered in Sliedrecht, the Netherlands and has over 4,000 employees.

For more information: www.unit4.com

Download photo

IMC Weekendschool Amsterdam West celebrates 10th anniversary

The ten IMC Weekendschool locations throughout the Netherlands provide young people with an opportunity to expand their horizons and develop their talents. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the school’s Amsterdam West location, manager Thijs Mulder and his students sound the gong with representatives of the National Postcode Lottery.

IMC Weekend school provides supplementary education to young people between the ages of ten and fourteen who come from deprived backgrounds and are anxious to learn. Lessons are given by enthusiastic professionals such as entrepreneurs, nursing professionals, judges and artists. The students come into contact with different professional groups and sectors, and are given a broader view of society so that they can make better, more informed choices about their education and career. IMC Weekendschool receives a substantial yearly contribution from the proceeds of the National Postcode Lottery, and is also financed by over one hundred companies and funds.

For more information: www.imcweekendschool.nl

Download photo

Amsterdammertje’ of the Year sounds gong

On Sunday 12 January Alexey Rahim is awarded as the Young ‘Amsterdammertje’ of the Year. Alexey visits Beursplein 5 and sounds the gong.

Alexey is half of a twin, his twin brother Maxim is severely handicapped, he has Down Syndrome. They are now 9 years old and Alexey often takes care of his brother. Helping him out of bed, feeding and help changing. He is not ashamed of his brother. VPRO made a documentary about the brothers and Alexey has shown that a disabled brother or sister is not something to be ashamed of, but rather something very special.

The newspaper Het Parool has organised the Young ‘Amsterdammertje’ of the Year competition for the past several years. ‘Ordinary’ citizens of Amsterdam who have made a significant contribution to the city are eligible for the prize. This year the Wikistad Foundation, in cooperation with the Discussion can be learned Foundation, has organised the second youth edition of the competition. The city of Amsterdam and Het Parool support the initiative. Children aged between 9 and 15 were eligible to apply over the past few months. Children also determined the most important selection criterion: the Young Amsterdamer should be someone who works selflessly on behalf of and sets an example for others.

For more information: www.wikistad.nl

Download photo