Euronext Launches NextEconomy And NextPrime Segments

Euronext N.V. today announces the launch on 2nd January 2002 of the NextEconomy and the NextPrime segments.

All companies traded continuously and belonging to Euronext regulated markets (first, second and new market) will be offered the possibility to join on a voluntary basis the NextEconomy and NextPrime segments.

NextEconomy will contain companies from sectors related to the new economy, while NextPrime will comprise companies from traditional sectors. All the companies included will have undertaken to comply gradually with specific commitments for financial transparency, in addition to existing local obligations.

This involves:

• from 1st January 2002: to use English in publications, to hold at least two analysts' meetings per year, to publish key financial information on the company website, to announce a schedule for publications and meetings;
• from 1st January 2004: to publish quarterly reports, to adopt international accounting standards (IAS) - or reconcile information with those standards.

The creation of the NextEconomy and NextPrime segments responds, on the one hand, to investors' need for detailed and regular financial information on listed companies and, on the other hand, to a desire, expressed by small and mid-cap companies themselves, to improve their visibility for investors.

Euronext will actively promote these segments by creating indices on them and by enhancing the visibility of member companies through specific communication tools. One of these being a separate subsection dedicated to them on the www.euronext.com website (access through Markets & Prices / Euronext List).