The Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) inaugurated its activities in its current shape on 16 April 1991. Since then, the Stock Exchange in Warszawa has become an increasingly important element of the Polish economy, with some calling it the “driving force of the economy”.
The Stock Exchange is a joint-stock company formed by the State Treasury. Its share capital is PLN 41,972,000 and is divided into 59,960 registered shares. At the end of 2005, its shareholders numbered 38 entities, including banks, brokerage houses, a stock market-quoted company, and the State Treasury.
Securities, i.e. shares, bonds, pre-emptive rights, rights to shares, investment certificates and their derivatives: forward contracts, options, index units, are traded at the Exchange.
Sessions are held from Monday until Friday between 9 am and 4.35 p.m.
At present, there are over 330 companies quoted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Their combined capitalisation exceeds PLN 860 billion. It is worth noting that the Warsaw Stock Exchange is becoming a place where increasing numbers of shares of Polish and foreign companies are traded.
Source: WSE
Number of companies quoted on the WSE
| Years |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
10.2007 |
| Number of companies quoted on the WSE |
230 |
255 |
284 |
336 |
Source: WSE
The favourable situation on the WSE has encouraged the Management Board of the Warsaw Stock Exchange to set out very ambitious plans for the coming years. The main objective is to
“Create a regional, Central European centre for financial instruments trading, with the WSE as the leading element of that centre”.
In order to accomplish this strategic objective, the WSE intends to bring to Warszawa increasing numbers of companies from neighbouring countries, thus becoming a leading market in the CEE region. The Management Board of the WSE is also considering acquiring shares in other markets in the region, such as the Romanian, Bulgarian or Slovenian stock exchanges.
