The Polish Exchange’s 200th anniversary gala ceremony took place at the John Paul II Collection Museum on 24 May 2017 at 6 p.m. The so-called Merchant Exchange was housed at Plac Bankowy 1 in Warsaw from 1828 to 1876, in a building designed by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi.
The event brought together representatives of leading capital market institutions: issuers, brokers, banks, industry organisations and associations. The guests of honour included the President of Poland Andrzej Duda and the Minister of Economic Development and Finance Mateusz Morawiecki.
“Over 200 years of its history, the Warsaw Stock Exchange has left a mark on the Polish economy and contributed to the development of Poland. I am certain GPW has a promising future and is poised for further growth. The bullish market that has prevailed since November brings good news to investors and constitutes a good forecast for the entire economy. According to the time-tested principle, the exchange anticipates developments in the economy two or three quarters in advance. Continued development of the Exchange is a priority of the economic policy of the Government and a part of the Strategy for Responsible Development,” said Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Finance Mateusz Morawiecki.
The first Exchange in the Kingdom of Poland was founded on 12 May 1817, as the Merchant Exchange. It was one of the first modern exchanges in Europe, established 65 days before the world’s biggest exchange in New York. Since the outset, the Exchange has driven the Polish economy, supported important national infrastructure projects and educated generations of visionaries.
Despite many dramatic moments in our history over the past two centuries, the Exchange has been a pillar of our statehood, a barometer of sentiment and a reflection of Poles’ the business interests.
“In the last two centuries, the Polish Exchange has played an important social and economic role. Each story has its heroes; the hero of the Warsaw Stock Exchange is the Polish entrepreneur. Together with all capital market participants, GPW can now become a vehicle of development, innovation and competitiveness for Polish companies. We have looked up to foreign exchanges celebrating their anniversaries; now we are proud that GPW joins their elite group this year,” said Jarosław Grzywiński, Acting President of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
The anniversary of the Exchange in Poland is not only an opportunity to remember the key figures and events that shaped the Exchange in the last two hundred years, but also a good moment to reflect on recent achievements and look toward the future.
The Warsaw Stock Exchange is one of the fastest growing exchanges in Central and Eastern Europe. GPW lists more than 880 companies with a total capitalisation of ca. US$ 350 billion. The GPW Group offers a wide range of equity, derivative, debt and structured instruments. The Polish Power Exchange, a part of the GPW Group since February 2012, offers trade in electricity, natural gas, property rights under the system of support for renewable energy sources, co-generation and energy efficiency, as well as guarantees of origin and CO2 emission allowances. For 26 years now, GPW has been a first-choice market for local and international investors in Europe. GPW is a publicly traded company on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 9 November 2010.
“The Polish capital market is optimistic about the future and GPW’s Management Board takes all steps necessary to integrate the market and help it grow to the advantage of all market participants,” said Jarosław Grzywiński, Acting President of the Warsaw Stock Exchange.
The Warsaw Stock Exchange has recently surpassed new milestones. In April 2017, the capitalisation of domestic companies exceeded the record level of more than PLN 660 billion. The market continues to enjoy an uptrend. The Exchange reported significant turnover increase and set new records, including the April 2017 IPOs of Dino Polska and Griffin Premium RE. The interest of individual investors in trading has continued to grow.