Record Year for Nasdaq’s Nordic Bond Markets

• Total Nordic markets for corporate bonds grew by 9 percent in 2017, compared to 2016
• Nasdaq to launch Nasdaq First North Sustainable Bond Market to meet increased demand for green bonds

Stockholm, January 12, 2018 — The volume of listed corporate bonds on Nasdaq’s Nordic markets grew to another all-time high during 2017. At the end of the year, the total value of listed corporate bonds on the Nasdaq Nordic main markets was 74 billion EUR, representing an increase of 9,6 percent compared to 2016.

“We are excited to note a continued, strong interest in corporate bonds across the Nordics, both among issuers and the investor community,” says Ann-Charlotte Eliasson, Head of Nordic Fixed Income Listings, Nasdaq. “We are continuously striving to create an efficient and accessible platform for companies looking to raise capital via the fixed income market, and we are proud to have welcomed a total of 321 new listings across our Nordic corporate bond markets in 2017.”

Furthermore, 1,7 billion EUR was raised on the Nasdaq Nordic Sustainable Bond Market during 2017 (up 81 percent from 2016), bringing the current, total volume of sustainable bonds to 3,5 billion EUR.

In order to enable more companies to raise capital through the sustainable bond market, Nasdaq launches Nasdaq First North Sustainable Bonds. Building on the success of the Nasdaq First North Bond Market, where nine bonds with a total volume of 264 million EUR were listed in 2017, the new market for green and sustainable bonds aims to improve the ability of companies to attain external financing in a sustainable way. To be eligible to list on the Nasdaq First North Sustainable Bonds market, the issuer must comply with the green, social and sustainable criteria that Nasdaq has developed together with Sustainalytics.

“In July 2017, the Swedish FSA revoked an earlier restriction for investment funds to invest in instruments admitted to trading on Nasdaq First North or similar MTFs,” said Ann-Charlotte Eliasson. “By launching the Nasdaq First North Sustainable Bonds market, we hope that issuers will gain access to a wider pool of investors, while we at the same time are meeting an increased demand for green bonds among market participants.”

2017 Nasdaq Nordic Bond Markets

Largest Corporate Bond Issuers of 2017

About Nasdaq:

Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a leading global provider of trading, clearing, exchange technology, listing, information and public company services. Through its diverse portfolio of solutions, Nasdaq enables customers to plan, optimize and execute their business vision with confidence, using proven technologies that provide transparency and insight for navigating today's global capital markets. As the creator of the world's first electronic stock market, its technology powers more than 90 marketplaces in 50 countries, and 1 in 10 of the world's securities transactions. Nasdaq is home to approximately 3,900 total listings with a market value of approximately $12 trillion. To learn more, visit: http://business.nasdaq.com

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