Laos stock exchange to triple number of companies
The Lao Securities Exchange, which currently boasts just 2 listed companies, said on August 30 that it will start trading bonds and also triple the number of listed companies in 2014.
The exchange, the second-smallest by market capitalisation among 84 global bourses tracked by Bloomberg, after Swaziland, plans to begin government bond trading for the first time early in 2014, according to Chief Executive Officer Dethphouvang Moularat.
In addition to the 2 listed companies, state-controlled Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur du Lao Plc and power producer EDL-Generation Plc, 4 new companies will have an initial public offering, among them Laos World Co Ltd, a trade exhibition operator, and a state-controlled cement maker.
The Laos Composite Index has gained 8.9 per cent this year, compared with an 11 per cent slide in the MSCI Southeast Asia Index. Laos has about $640 million of outstanding local-currency government bonds and recently raised $46.7 million by selling its first baht-denominated bonds to Thai investors.
The bourse and the regulator have streamlined the listing approval process and been more aggressive in persuading domestic companies to list. Companies can now apply for the listing to either the stock exchange or the Securities & Exchange Commission.
The current market capitalisation of the Lao Securities Exchange is $1.14 billion.
The Lao Securities Exchange, which currently boasts just 2 listed companies, said on August 30 that it will start trading bonds and also triple the number of listed companies in 2014. The exchange, the second-smallest by market capitalisation among 84 global bourses tracked by Bloomberg, after Swaziland, plans to begin government bond trading for the first time early in 2014, according to Chief Executive Officer Dethphouvang Moularat. In addition to the 2 listed companies, state-controlled Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur du Lao Plc and power producer EDL-Generation Plc, 4 new companies will have an initial public offering, among them Laos...
The Lao Securities Exchange, which currently boasts just 2 listed companies, said on August 30 that it will start trading bonds and also triple the number of listed companies in 2014.
The exchange, the second-smallest by market capitalisation among 84 global bourses tracked by Bloomberg, after Swaziland, plans to begin government bond trading for the first time early in 2014, according to Chief Executive Officer Dethphouvang Moularat.
In addition to the 2 listed companies, state-controlled Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur du Lao Plc and power producer EDL-Generation Plc, 4 new companies will have an initial public offering, among them Laos World Co Ltd, a trade exhibition operator, and a state-controlled cement maker.
The Laos Composite Index has gained 8.9 per cent this year, compared with an 11 per cent slide in the MSCI Southeast Asia Index. Laos has about $640 million of outstanding local-currency government bonds and recently raised $46.7 million by selling its first baht-denominated bonds to Thai investors.
The bourse and the regulator have streamlined the listing approval process and been more aggressive in persuading domestic companies to list. Companies can now apply for the listing to either the stock exchange or the Securities & Exchange Commission.
The current market capitalisation of the Lao Securities Exchange is $1.14 billion.
