.jpg)
“We welcome Lanxess as the first new issuer of the year”, said Rudolf Ferscha, member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Börse AG and Chairman of the Board of Management of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. “Lanxess will now have access to one of the most efficient and high-performance capital markets in the world via the world’s largest stock exchange network. The Prime Standard provides companies an attractive showcase to present itself to investors.”
According to Lanxess, the company is one of Europe’s major providers of polymers and chemicals with a comprehensive product portfolio in the fields of polymers and basic, specialty and fine chemicals. With more than 50 operating companies, Lanxess generated sales of approximately €6.3 billion in fiscal year 2003 (sales figures based on the Combined Financial Statements). With effect from the second trading day, Lanxess will be included in the Prime All Share Index and in the sector index Prime Chemicals.
Issuers can choose between two clearly defined segments for the admission of their shares to the FWB: Prime Standard and General Standard. Companies listed in Prime Standard have to meet international transparency requirements. This segment is tailored to the needs of companies that wish to attract global investors. The statutory transparency requirements apply in General Standard. This segment is suited to companies that primarily target domestic investors and prefer a less costly listing. There are currently around 350 companies listed in Prime Standard and around 470 in General Standard.
