In the year 2001, several important events took place, in view of the activities at the capital market in Slovenia. Firstly, stock markets A and B were merged into a single official market; since 1 January 2001, securities at the Ljubljana Stock Exchange may be thus traded either at the official or at the free market. The Exchange continued with its strategy of co-operation with other Eastern and Southeastern European stock exchanges: projects of setting up stock exchanges in Banja Luka and in Sarajevo were continued from the previous year, and the transfer of Slovenian know-how and technology relating to electronic securities trading took place in establishing electronic trading systems in Macedonia and in Montenegro. On 5 December 2001, a Memorandum of Co-operation between the Ljubljana and the Zagreb Stock Exchanges was signed, and thus foundations of future co-operation between the Exchanges were laid.
The event of paramount importance was undoubtedly the July Bank of Slovenia abolition of all restrictions and additional central bank's costs associated with custodian accounts for non-residents at the Slovenian capital market, even though no considerable alterations in the behaviour of foreign investors were noted so far. Nevertheless, the year 2001 was indeed a record year; on December 19, SBI20 Index reached its record of 2,159.35 points, on July 12, record daily turnover of over SIT 10 billion was registered, on 23 November, a block trade reached its historical high, and also the yearly stock market trading volume totalled at the record SIT 349 billion. On 14 December 2001, market capitalisation equalled SIT 1,379.97 billion, which was, in comparison to its value at the end of year 2000 (at SIT 1,138.43 billion), higher by 21.22%. Market capitalisation thus rose to 24.85% of GDP of 2000 (authorised investment companies included). 36 new securities were listed, with 17 shares (2 at the official market), 15 bonds (13 at the official market) and 4 authorised investment companies' shares. As expected, the number of stock market members was reduced to 31 in 2001. Total trading volume reached SIT 348.64 billion by 14 December, while a year earlier it amounted to SIT 216.62 billion.
In the future, the securities market is expected to grow even stronger, based on the more harmonised country tax policy, also foreign investment activities at the Slovenian capital market are anticipated to be on the increase in the following year. Some further Slovenian companies are expected to open to public and enter the stock market; furthermore, more dynamic action in bond trading is predicted. Ljubljana Stock Exchange will continue to build on its co-operation with exchanges of the Southeastern Europe, with particular emphasis on the regions of the former Yugoslavia, and will strive to enter futher various strategic alliances with exchanges in the Western Europe.
