Cheaper And Faster Exchange Information From OM Stockholm Exchange

From January 1 the price of real-time exchange information will be significantly reduced. The new prices are set out in the OM Stockholm Exchange's new price list. The Exchange will provide real-time information for private use for SEK 25 per month as opposed to the present price of SEK 200 - a reduction of almost 90 percent. The price for professional users will be SEK 140 per month. The OM Stockholm Exchange is already one of the world's cheapest exchanges in terms of exchange information. With the introduction of this new price list, Stockholm looks likely to become the cheapest. "The reduction in prices increases accessibility to the equity market and reinforces Stockholm as one of the world's most highly developed marketplaces. Internet trade in particular will benefit when it becomes cheaper for private users to receive the fastest available information", explains Carl Johan Högbom, President of the OM Stockholm Exchange. As before, 15 minute old information will be free of charge. The current price list includes an intermediate category where 1 minute old information costs SEK 100 per month, with a price ceiling of SEK 1 m per year for major users. This category will remain unchanged for at least one more year. "Obviously, one minute old information is less valuable than real-time information and we believe that demand for this service is now on the decline. However, as some of our customers have expressed their wish to continue to be able to provide their clients with this information, we have agreed to continue the service for the time being", continues Carl Johan Högbom. "It is great that the OM Stockholm Exchange has listened to our wishes and this is definitely a step in the right direction", comments Magnus Lindahl, President of E*TRADE Sweden. Apart from which it is good that through its actions the Swedish exchange has dared to stride ahead in terms of international developments in this area. We hope that through this interest in the Swedish stock market will grow significantly so that we can then introduce global trade for retail investors sometime next year. "With this system we will be able to retain and improve upon the quality of price information which we believe has had a very important role to play in attracting a whole new category - retail investors via the Internet - to the Stockhlolm exchange during the past few years", comments Erik Saers, President of Aktiespar Fondkommission. Klas Danielsson, President of Internet brokers TeleTrade is also pleased with the new price structure: "The proposed new price structure with its excellently priced real-time information, combined with the 1-minute information and the retained price ceiling means that private investors can more effectively gain access to current price information". There are currently half a million Swedes who regularly trade shares, 70,000 with options and over half the population owns shares, either directly or through funds. An increasing proportion of trade is carried out through the Internet and this is growing all the time. Research shows that of all Sweden's exchange trades, some 20% are already being carried out through the Internet, a fact which places the OM Stockholm Exchange and the Swedish market at the very top in world terms.