Morgan Stanley Joins Wiener Börse As A New Trading Member

Morgan Stanley & Co. International Ltd. has joined Wiener Borse AG as a new trading member as of Tuesday, 9 August 2005. The membership agreement was signed between Wiener Borse AG and Morgan Stanley & Co International Ltd. London (UK), the holding company that operates the European business from its base in London. The US investment bank with headquarters in New York is one of the leading global financial service providers in the areas of investment, asset management and credit card services, and is market leader in the US, Asia Pacific, and Europe. Morgan Stanley has 600 offices in 28 countries and employs a staff of 54,000.

"We are very pleased to welcome Morgan Stanley & Co. International Ltd., a leading global investment firm, as a new trading member of Wiener Borse. The growing interest of internationally active investment banks is impressive proof of how attractive the financial marketplace of Vienna is becoming", said Stefan Zapotocky, Joint CEO of Wiener Borse AG.

Morgan Stanley & Co. International Ltd. is the sixth international investment bank that has been acquired as a direct trading member of Wiener Borse since the beginning of 2005. Thus, the success achieved in 2004 (eleven new trading members) is continuing this year. Equity trading volumes on Wiener Borse by international members have developed accordingly and are growing dynamically: In 1999, the percentage in total trading volume was merely 0.5%, but by 2002 it had risen to 16.6%. The current share in the total trading volume of international trading members is around 40%.