Since its launch a year ago as a section of the Osaka Securities Exchange, Nasdaq Japan has set the groundwork for changing the financial markets landscape in Japan. For the first time in the history of Japan’s financial markets, investors and companies were offered a broader choice in markets and investments. Nasdaq Japan has leveraged the strength of the Nasdaq brand to attract new issues by implementing rigorous listing and disclosure standards and providing listed companies with a range of value-added services. Nasdaq Japan also represents a key Nasdaq hub for a common technology platform linking Asia with markets in Europe and the United States giving issuers future access to global pools of liquidity.
During the past year, the market has enjoyed steady and continuous growth gaining significant ground in IPO market share. Since its launch on June 19th last year, the Nasdaq Japan Market listed a total of 56 companies of which 49 were new IPOs, giving Nasdaq Japan 25% of the new IPO market share, second behind the Over the Counter Market (OTC) at 43%. The market also distinguished itself in the first 5 months of 2001 by surpassing all markets in terms of market capitalization, taking 37% market share in this area.
"In its first year of operation, Nasdaq Japan has made a significant impact in the way companies can access capital for their future growth," stated President and CEO of Nasdaq Japan, Inc., Tatsuyuki Saeki. "The Nasdaq Japan Market is best suited to meet issuer and investor needs by providing a transparent and efficient state of the art market to attracting quality issues."
"It has been a year since the Nasdaq Japan Market was established," commented Goro Tatsumi, President and CEO, Osaka Securities Exchange, Co., Ltd. "I am very pleased with its steady growth in spite of the overall slowdown in Japanese markets. We look forward to developing Nasdaq Japan further and making it an attractive market for all market participants."
The Nasdaq Stock Market Chairman, Frank G. Zarb, in Tokyo to participate in anniversary celebrations stated, "This anniversary marks a year of building for Nasdaq Japan - building the foundation of our market and building for the long-term. In the next year, we plan to continue to grow our marketplace and be the launching point for more new companies that can help build the Japanese economy. We plan to introduce a new trading platform that should improve trading through the introduction of a dealer-based market making system. Also in the coming year, we are working to offer Nasdaq 100 companies on Nasdaq Japan, giving Japanese investors easy access to some of the world’s most innovative and growth oriented companies."
