Stock exchange celebrates ten years

The Irish Stock Exchange today celebrates ten years of independent trading.

The Dublin commodities market had been linked with London for more than 20 years up to 1995.

ISE chief executive Tom Healy said that separation had posed major challenges for the Irish market and the Irish stockbroking industry.

Nevertheless, he added: “There were some who ten years ago felt that there was a limited prospect in the modern global securities industry for a small stock exchange like Dublin, but I believe that we have proved this view wrong.

“We have transformed the Irish equity market infrastructure, so that we now have very competitive and technically advanced trading, clearing and settlement systems and services available to participants in the market.”

Turnover on the Irish equity market has jumped tenfold since 1995 to over €100bn today.

The number of member firms has more than doubled to 28.

These include global firms like Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Mr Healy said he aims to attract more firms to the ISE and to the Irish Enterprise Exchange – a new specialist market for small and medium-sized companies.