J.P. MORGAN AND BAHRAIN BOURSE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF INVESTOR RELATIONS IN THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
J.P. Morgan and Bahrain Bourse today announced that they will jointly host a series of educational seminars to enhance investor relations expertise in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
J.P. Morgan and Bahrain Bourse have developed a certified training program which will be offered to companies listed on the Bahrain Bourse to transfer investor relations best practice. In addition, a program of free seminars and events will be held to promote investor relations capabilities among these listed companies.
The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed by Fouad Rashid, Director of the Bahrain Bourse, and Ali Moosa, J.P. Morgan Managing Director, Bahrain Senior Country Officer.
“We are extremely pleased to sign this MOU with a leading financial institution with a track record of excellence in investor relations and securities servicing,” said Fouad Rashid, Director of the Bahrain Bourse. “Bahrain Bourse will continue establishing strategic partnerships with leading international institutions to provide capital markets participants in Bahrain with more knowledge, experience and expertise thereby enhancing competitiveness.”
“J.P. Morgan has maintained an established presence in The Kingdom of Bahrain for over four decades and has been instrumental in shaping the educational needs of the bankers in the Kingdom and the wider region during this time,” said Ali Moosa, Managing Director, J.P. Morgan Bahrain Senior Country Officer. “This initiative will contribute to the development of the Bahraini stock market by enhancing the level of efficiency among participants and help support the country’s objective of increasing the visibility of its capital markets across the Middle East. We are very pleased to help support the development of investor relations in the region and look forward to working with the Bahrain Bourse.”
About J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services
J.P. Morgan Worldwide Securities Services (WSS) is a premier securities servicing provider that helps institutional investors, alternative asset managers, broker dealers and equity issuers optimize efficiency, mitigate risk and enhance revenue. A division of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., WSS leverages the firm’s unparalleled scale, leading technology and deep industry expertise to service investments around the world. It has $15.3 trillion in assets under custody and $6.5 trillion in funds under administration. For more information, go to www.jpmorgan.com/visit/wss.
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About Bahrain Bourse
Bahrain Bourse (BHB) was established as a shareholding company according to Law No. 60 for the year 2010 to replace Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE) that was established in 1987. Financial instruments listed on the bourse include ordinary and preferred shares, bonds/Islamic Sukuk, and mutual funds. BHB is regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB).
Regulations in the Kingdom of Bahrain allow foreigners to own up to 100% of shares of local listed companies. The Kingdom of Bahrain also does not enforce any taxes on investment in securities nor on capital gains generated from trading on shares.
There are 49 companies listed on the bourse, 35 mutual funds, and 13 bonds/Islamic Sukuk. There are three indices tracking the market’s performance namely: the Bahrain All Share Index, Dow Jones Bahrain Index, and Esterad Index (which consists of a basket of selected local-publicly listed companies).
Since its establishment, BHB has joined several regional and international organizations such as the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges, Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges “FEAS”, World Federation of Exchanges, Africa & Middle East Depositories Association, and Association of National Numbering Agencies "ANNA".