DFM launches Public Listed Companies Guide

Dubai Financial Market (DFM) today launched "Companies Guide 2006," the first complete guide to DFM-listed companies. The guide, which has been printed in Arabic and English, is also be available on DFM's website, www.dfm.ae.The guide comprises comprehensive details of 46 listed companies in nine sectors, including banking, investment and financial services, insurance, real estate and construction, materials, consumer staples, telecommunication, transportation and utilities. It includes contact details for companies, date of incorporation, auditors, legal advisors, boards of directors, ownership ratio, ownership structure and number of shareholders during the past four years. Essa Kazim, Chairman of DFM, said: "During 2006, DFM succeeded in attracting a significant number of public shareholding companies. The market listed 16 new companies during the year, bringing the total number of listed companies to 46, an increase of 53.3 per cent compared to the number of listings recorded in 2005. This makes DFM among the markets that achieved the highest rates in terms of listings across the Arab stock exchanges." "As the exchange grows with more listings, it is imperative to produce a guide that provides detailed and objective information about all the listed companies. I am delighted to announce the launch of the new DFM guide, which provides the investment community with a range of very useful data," he added. Kazim said: "The publication of this guide is in line with DFM's commitment to transparency and to increase awareness about the market as well as issuers. DFM has focused on developing infrastructure and services to provide the highest levels of customer satisfaction. The market will continue to present equal opportunities to all investors, improve the speed of internal processes, offer flexibility and accuracy, while assuring international standards of transparency and disclosure." The guide contains the past four years' financial results for each of the listed companies, including trading information such as face value of share, closing price, number of shares traded, value of shares traded and market capitalisation. In addition, the guide includes the capital and shareholders' equity of each company during the past four years, as well as assets and liabilities, profitability, cash flow and other financial data. Source