Muscat Securities Market

The Muscat Securities Market is the principal stock exchange of Oman. It is located in Muscat and it was founded in 1988. Its name is abbreviated to MSM.

MSM-30 stock index
The principal stock index at the MSM is the MSM-30. The MSM-30 (also known as the Muscat Securities Market Index) was established in 1992. The composition of the index by sector is as follows:

* Banks & Investment Sector: 69 companies
* Industry Sector: 89 companies
* Service : 61 companies.

Nepal Stock Exchange

The Nepal Stock Exchange Limited popularly called NEPSE is the only Stock Exchange of Nepal. It is located in SinghaDurbar Plaza, Kathmandu Nepal. In April 4, 2008 the equity market capitalization of the companies listed on NESPE was US$ 3658.39 million.

The basic objective of NEPSE is to impart free marketability and liquidity to the government and corporate securities by facilitating transactions in its trading floor through member, market intermediaries, such as broker, market makers etc. NEPSE opened its trading floor on 13 January 1994.Till April 4,2008 the number of listed companies were 147. The NEPSE Index is primary all equity market index of NEPSE.

History
The history of securities market began with the floatation of shares by Biratnagar Jute Mills Ltd. and Nepal Bank Ltd. in 1937. Introduction of the Company Act in 1964, the first issuance of Government Bond in 1964 and the establishment of Securities Exchange Center Ltd. in 1976 were other significant development relating to capital markets.

Securities Exchange Center was established with an objective of facilitating and promoting the growth of capital markets. Before conversion into stock exchange it was the only capital markets institution undertaking the job of brokering, underwriting, managing public issue, market making for government bonds and other financial services. Nepal Government, under a program initiated to reform capital markets converted Securities Exchange Center into Nepal Stock Exchange in 1993.

Securities Available For Trading
A. Shares • Equity Shares • Preference Shares B. Debentures C. Government Bonds

Trading System
NEPSE operates on the ‘NEPSE Automated Trading System ‘(NATS), a fully screen based automated trading system, which adopts the principle of an order driven market. Purchase & Sell of Physical Share certificates is done through NATS.

The Automated Trading System was started from 24 August 2007.

Mongolian Stock Exchange

The Mongolian Stock Exchange (Mongolian: Монголын Хөрөнгийн Бирж/Mongolyn Khöröngiin Birj), located in Ulan Bator, is Mongolia's sole stock exchange. It was established in January 1991 by Mongolian entrepreneur Naidansurengiin Zolzhargal, and as of 2006[update] was the world's smallest stock exchange by market capitalisation. It is regulated by the Mongolian Stock Exchange Commission.

Secondary trading finally began on 28 August 1995, open to both domestic and international investors. Bids were placed on 430 out of 475 listed stocks, and trading occurred in 16 stocks; total turnover was 12,776 shares worth MNT2.2 million tugriks (US$4,850). The largest gain was in Sor, which rose by 19% from MNT580 to MNT690. However, the secondary market quickly exposed the weakness of many of the newly privatised companies; share prices remained depressed throughout 1996, and the number of MSE-listed companies contracted from 475 to 402. Market capitalisation stablised around MNT15 billion in 1997, with a daily turnover of 80,000 to 300,000 from MNT16 - 80 million. Furthermore, many small shareholders sold their shares, allowing a few domestic and foreign investors to gain majority holdings in the remaining listed companies. The total number of shareholders had shrunk to a mere 135,000 by 1997. One public offering of additional shares from an already-listed enterprise was carried out in 1996, but the regulators refused to give approval for initial public offerings by new private companies, due to the lack of regulation and experience in underwriting.[15] In 1998, the exchange moved to electronic trading. In 2000, the exchange also began to offer trading facilities for Mongolian government bonds.[11] As of December 2003, market capitalisation in local terms had expanded to MNT52 billion, which was still a mere 5% of GDP. Only 30 of the companies listed on the exchange were actively traded.

Government bonds, rather than stocks, came to be the Mongolian Stock Exchange's biggest business as soon as they began being auctioned through the exchange in November 2000; previously, they had been sold directly to banks. The following year, the Barilga Corporation, a construction company, became the first to sell corporate bonds through the MSE, with a USD4.4 million issue. In 2004, bond trading accounted for 96% of total securities turnover on the exchange. By that same year, the stock market had recovered somewhat as well, but retail investors remained suspicious of trading due to volatility and lack of transparency; MSE officials estimated that 80% of listed companies were majority-owned by private individuals.[11] By February 2007, trading hours had expanded to one hour on each weekday. Weekly stock turnover at 7 September 2007 was 1.8 million shares valued at MNT1.7 billion, while 50,000 government bonds traded for a total consideration of MNT4.8 billion.[2][17] Furthermore, the number of registered shareholders bounced back to 483,100, three-and-a-half times the figure a decade earlier, and nearly half the peak number seen in 1995 after privatisations had completed. Total market capitalisation as of September 2006 was MNT97 billion (US$83 million)

Maldives Stock Exchange

The Maldives Stock Exchange (MSE), is a private sector Stock Exchange in Malé, Maldives.

A Securities Trading Floor (STF) was first established on 14th April 2002. It was operated by the Capital Market Development Authority (CMDA), the regulator. However, the Securities Act 2006 requires that CMDA invite offers from a private company to establish and operate a stock exchange. The Maldives Stock Exchange Pvt Ltd has been licensed to operate as a Stock Exchange since the 23 January 2008. As such the MSE started its operations effective from 24 January 2008.

The primary function of MSE is to facilitate companies raise capital through the issue of new securities. The MSE provides a regulated market for the trading of securities between investors. The MSE is also the centre for trade reporting and pricing of the stocks. It also provides clearing, settlement and depository services through a subsidiary, the Maldives Securities Depository (MSD)

With 5 listed companies and 4 trading members, the total market capitalization of the listed companies was MVR 2,125,519,460.00 as of 24 March 2008.

The Maldives Stock Exchange Index (MASIX) was published on 28 October 2004. Like other stock market indices, MASIX captures the overall movement in prices & changing expectations of the Maldives Stock Market. MASIX – represents the Maldives Stock Exchange.

BUSRA MALAYSIA

The Bursa Malaysia (MYX: 1818) or Malaysia Exchange, MYX previously known as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE, Bursa Saham Kuala Lumpur in Malay) dates back to 1930 when the Singapore Stockbrokers' Association was set up as a formal organisation dealing in securities in Malaya. In 1937 it was re-registered as the Malayan Stockbrokers' Association, but it still did not trade public shares.

By 1960s, the Malayan Stock Exchange was formed and public trading of shares began on 9 May. In 1961, the Board system was introduced whereby two trading rooms, one each in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, were linked by direct telephone lines into a single market with the same stocks and shares listed at a single set of prices on both boards.

The Stock Exchange of Malaysia was officially formed in 1964 and in the following year, with the secession of Singapore from Malaysia, the common stock exchange continued to function under the name Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore (SEMS).

In 1973, with the termination of currency interchangeability between Malaysia and Singapore, the SEMS was separated into The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Bhd (KLSEB) and The Stock Exchange of Singapore (SES). Malaysian companies continued to be listed on SES and vice-versa. A new company limited by guarantee, The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE) took over operations of KLSEB as the stock exchange. In 1994, it was re-named Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.

Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange became a demutualised exchange and was re-named Bursa Malaysia in 2004. It consists of a Main Board, a Second Board and MESDAQ with total market capitalization of MYR700 billion (US$189 billion).

In 2005, Bursa Malaysia was listed at its own exchange on 18 March. On 18 April, Bursa Malaysia introduced CBRS, a scheme which allows all investors to access research reports of Bursa-listed companies free-of-charge.

The main index for Bursa Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI). However, in June 2006, a new index series jointly developed by Bursa Malaysia and FTSE Group was introduced which is FTSE Bursa Malaysia Index.

On November 7, 2006, the index finally passed the 1,000 mark hurdle and closed at 1,003.28. It was partly boosted by the strong overnight close in the Wall Street.

As of 31 December 2007, the Malaysia Exchange had 986 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $325 billion.

HISTORY

The first formal securities business organisation in Malaysia was the Singapore Stockbrokers' Association, established in 1930. It was re-registered as the Malayan Stockbrokers' Association in 1937. The Malayan Stock Exchange was established in 1960 as the bourse for public trading of shares in Malaya. The board system with trading rooms in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, linked by direct telephone lines into a single market with the same shares listed at a single set of prices on both boards, was established in 1961.

By 1964, the Stock Exchange of Malaysia was established. With the secession of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965, the Stock Exchange of Malaysia became known as Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore. In 1973, with the currency interchangeability between Malaysia and Singapore ceased, the Stock Exchange of Malaysia and Singapore was divided into KLSEB and SES. The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange which was incorporated on December 14, 1976 as a company limited by guarantee, took over the operations of KLSEB in the same year.

The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange Berhad was demutualized pursuant to the Demutualization Act and converted into a public company limited by shares on January 5, 2007. Upon the conversion, the organization vested and transferred the securities exchange business to a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Bursa Securities, and became an exchange holding company and were renamed Bursa Malaysia Berhad on April 14, 2007.

From the legal perspective, the demutualization essentially entailed the conversion from a not-for-profit "mutual" entity limited by the guarantee of its members into a company limited by shares. However, from the business strategy perspective, the demutualization, supported by business transformation initiatives, is intended to further enhance its corporate, organizational and governance structures.

On 18 March 2005, Bursa Malaysia made its debut on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad with a 17% or RM0.50 premium over its retail price of RM3.00. top

Foreign exchange market

The foreign exchange market (currency, forex, or FX) market is where currency trading takes place. It is where banks and other official institutions facilitate the buying and selling of foreign currencies. [1]FX transactions typically involve one party purchasing a quantity of one currency in exchange for paying a quantity of another. The foreign exchange market that we see today started evolving during the 1970s when worldover countries gradually switched to floating exchange rate from their erstwhile exchange rate regime, which remained fixed as per the Bretton Woods system till 1971.

Now, the FX market is one of the largest and most liquid financial markets in the world, and includes trading between large banks, central banks, currency speculators, corporations, governments, and other institutions. The average daily volume in the global foreign exchange and related markets is continuously growing. Traditional daily turnover was reported to be over US$3.2 trillion in April 2007 by the Bank for International Settlements.[2] Since then, the market has continued to grow. According to Euromoney's annual FX Poll, volumes grew a further 41% between 2007 and 2008.[3]

The purpose of FX market is to facilitate trade and investment. The need for a foreign exchange market arises because of the presence of multifarious international currencies such as US Dollar, Pound Sterling, etc., and the need for trading in such currencies.

Beirut Stock Exchange

The Beirut Stock Exchange (or BSE) is the principal stock exchange of Lebanon. Located in Beirut, it is a public institution run by a committee including a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and eight members appointed via a decree issued by the Council of Ministers, in accordance with a proposal by the Minister of Finance. All BSE members are Lebanese Joint stock companies (SAL) with a capital above 500,000 Lebanese Pounds and registered at the secretariat of the Commercial Register in. Members include holding companies and offshore companies. The BSE authorizes Brokerage firms the operation and trade in securities listed on the BSE according to the Bourse trading system and also lists the issuing companies (called "Listed companies") that have any of their stocks or other financial instruments listed.

History
Beirut Stock Exchange, the second oldest market in the region, was established in 1920 by a decree of the French commissioner. Trading at that time was concentrated on gold and currency transactions, however in the 1930s there was an inflow of French, Syrian and local Lebanese investment which made it possible for the BSE to flourish, especially with the establishment of mixed Lebanese-French joint stock companies that were quoted simultaneously on the Paris and Beirut Stock Exchanges. The activity in the 1950s and 1960's increased with the enlisting of various banking, industrial and services companies along with an amount of 50 listed bonds.

During the Lebanese Civil War trading activity halted in 1983. After 11 years a new administrating committee (in collaboration with the Bourse de Paris) re-launched the BSE with a new internal bylaw, re-structured and streamlined mechanisms and trading systems. A new automated brokers system was introduced, based on the fixing price instead of the traditional OTC voice brokers. On November 22, 1996, the BSE officially re-launched the trading activity in its hall. The BSE and Bourse de Paris signed a cooperation agreement in June 1999 and the new European NSC-UNIX–Euronext system was set. In 2000, new forms of securities were listed such as GDR (Global Depository Receipt), investment funds shares, preferred stocks, priority shares and any other tradable derivatives. In late 2006, the BSE launched a new Remote Trading System, allowing the brokers to trade with the securities listed on the BSE "remotely" from their own offices.


Hours
The exchange has pre-trading sessions from 09:00am to 09:30am and normal trading sessions from 09:30am to 12.30pm on all days of the week except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays declared by the Exchange in advance.

Kyrgyz Stock Exchange

The Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) was founded in 1994. Until 2000 the exchange functioned in the form of a non-profit membership organization with a total membership of 16. In May 2000 the KSE was transformed into a joint stock company. In 2001 the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange became a shareholder.

The administrative bodies of the KSE are:

Shareholders General Assembly: main administrative body
Board of Directors: supervisory body
President: individual body