The year 1585 marked the birth of stock exchange trading in Frankfurt, when merchants met for the first time at the Römer to set binding exchange rates for the Frankfurt Trade Fair.
Deutsche Börse AG CEO Reto Francioni said that the stock exchange had had a strong connection with Frankfurt as a financial center for 425 years. This anniversary would be an apt occasion to honor those who have helped building the exchange, among them city fathers, traders, legislators and banks, said Francioni at the morning’s anniversary celebration held in the Trading Hall.
During the recent financial crisis, Deutsche Börse provided a reliable trading venue as operator of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. “Everyone was able to trade at all times, reliably and on a stable foundation, even in the most turbulent of market phases,” said Francioni. "The markets operated by our systems ran smoothly, despite being placed under extreme pressure during these phases."
The problems that had occurred were attributable to non-transparent, unregulated OTC markets, which now needed some regulatory fine-tuning in terms of security and integrity. "Efficiency is also important, but it must not be pursued at the expense of security and integrity.” Regulated markets would serve as the basis for this and Deutsche Börse would do its part to protect investors.
Francioni rang the opening trading bell together with the Frankfurt City Councilor responsible for Economic Affairs, Human Resources and Sport Markus Frank. Guests at the celebration included representatives from both the financial and political arena. After trading commenced, guests were invited to an open day on the stock exchange premises.