Bolsas y Mercados Españoles To Pay €50 Million Final Dividend On Monday - BME’s Pay-Out Accounts For 77% Of Net Profit, One Of The Highest Ratios Among Its Peers

Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME) will on Monday, May 7th, distribute a final dividend of 50 million euros with a charge to 2006 consolidated net profit. This represents 0.598 euros per share, which added to that distributed in January is double the ordinary dividend distributed in 2005.

BME has distributed over 500 million euros in four years as ordinary and special dividends. BME’s pay-out ratio accounts for 77% of its 2006 net profit, one of the highest ratios in the sector and among the major Spanish listed companies, 2.7 times the IBEX 35® average pay-out.

Bolsas y Mercados Españoles posted a net profit in 2006 of €130.5 million, 28% up on the €102.1 million recorded in the same period a year earlier.

BME reached a net profit of €50.1 million in the first quarter, 53.8% up on the €32.6 million recorded in the same period in 2006.