Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Joins Association Of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA)

The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (www.tase.co.il) announced that it has been accepted as a member of the Association of National Numbering Agencies. The TASE's membership was approved at the general meeting of ANNA held in New York last week and it will improve TASE's services to international investors. ANNA is a multinational organization, which provides the worldwide securities industry with International Securities Identification Numbers (ISIN). These numbers create a uniform identification format for use in securities trading and back office operations. Membership in ANNA enables the TASE to allocate ISIN's to Israeli securities. The introduction of ISIN's will make it easier for investors worldwide to manage their Israel investment portfolios and to monitor their trades on the TASE. Dror Shalit, Head of the TASE's Trading Department, said that as securities trading has globalized, the TASE is matching its financial protocols to those used worldwide. "Just as we have adopted an advanced trading system, in keeping with the world's largest and most modern stock markets, we will also adapt our numbering system to the accepted world standard. This is the Exchange's latest step to make the TASE a friendly stock market for international investors." Shalit said International investors' holdings currently total about US$ 7 billion, which account for 12% of the TASE's total market capitalization. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, founded in 1953, is owned by its 28 member firms and is regulated by the Israel Securities Authority. The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange provides highly advanced electronic trading systems for shares, bonds, Treasury bills and derivatives. All trades are cleared and settled by the TASE Clearing House. The TASE offers international investors a combination of attractive investment opportunities and a full complement of market services, including an elaborate and user-friendly website at www.tase.co.il.