Helsinki Stock Exchange to commence round lot 1 trading in September

Helsinki Stock Exchange will commence trading in round lots of one share on September 25, 2006. Until now, the size of a round lot in trading has varied by company between 10 and 2,000 shares. Following the introduction on round lot 1 trading, the current round lots practice will be abandoned.

Trading in round lots of one share is a European standard, and its adoption is expected to further increase the efficiency of securities trading. “The use of round lot 1 will particularly benefit small investors who trade in quantities that are smaller than the normal round lot. It will also be easier for the investor to buy shares with the desired euro amount. Selling odd lots of shares will likewise become easier,” says Jouni Torasvirta, President of Helsinki Stock Exchange. “All in all, trading will become more convenient when the size of the round lot can be ignored,” Torasvirta adds. Helsinki Stock Exchange decided to adopt round lot 1 trading following the results of extensive customer consultation carried out by OMX in the autumn of 2005.