(January 11 – 16:30 ET) – The Canadian Venture Exchange ended its first year of operation having helped companies raise $2.37 billion in equity financings. It also saw 45 of its listed companies graduate to the Toronto Stock Exchange.

“Small business is a significant growth engine for the Canadian economy,” said CDNX president and CEO Bill Hess. “Companies listed on CDNX not only raise capital, but learn how to manage their businesses under the regulatory and legal requirements established for public companies before they move up to the senior markets.”

CDNX’s key success measure is its graduates. Last year, CDNX listed companies represented 38% of the TSE’s new listings.

“For people who invested in these graduates,” said Hess, “average share price increased 302% in the year prior to graduation (from $2.39 to $7.06).”

In its inaugural year, CDNX acquired the Canadian Dealing Network from the TSE and the Winnipeg Exchange last fall. As a result, it added two new offices and approximately 300 new listings. The exchange now has offices in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.

CDNX’s flagship Capital Pool Company program also gained further acceptance in 2000, receiving approval to be offered in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The CPC program accounted for 129 of the 475 new listings on the CDNX in 2000.

The CDNX closed out the year with its index outperforming every other index in North America, up 23.8% over 1999. Hess attributes the strong results to the high demand for venture capital and a growing national recognition of CDNX as the Canadian exchange for venture class securities.
-IE Staff