Former Magyar Telekom Nyrt. CEO Christopher Mattheisen was the recipient of the award for capital market development. The award was handed over by National Bank of Hungary Deputy CEO Márton Nagy. New categories admitted this year included Foreign Bond Issuer of the Year (Bank of China) and Mortgage Bond Issuer of the Year (OTP Jelzálogbank Zrt.).

The BSE Xtend Stock Issuer of the Year category specifically honoured results achieved in the BSE’s Xtend market (Megakrán Nyrt.), but an award was also given for Capital Increase of the Year (Konzum Nyrt.). Users were given the opportunity to make a recommendation for the person most active in disseminating Investment Literacy, and also to vote for the Domestic Stock Trading Platform of the Year (KBC Equitas) on the BSE website after initial registration, with a total of 991 votes received.

Best of BSE winners for 2018

  1. Award for the Development of the Hungarian Capital Market: Christopher Mattheisen, Magyar Telekom Nyrt.

  2. Stock Trading Company with the Highest Turnover for the Year: 1. Concorde Securities Ltd., 2. Wood & Co, 3. Erste Befektetési Zrt.

  3. BUX Futures Index Trading Company with the Highest Turnover for the Year: Erste Befektetési Zrt.

  4. Stock Futures Trading Company with the Highest Turnover for the Year: Erste Befektetési Zrt.

  5. Currency Futures Trading Company with the Highest Turnover for the Year: Raiffeisen Bank Zrt.

  6. Stock Issuer with the Highest Turnover for the Year: OTP Bank Nyrt.

  7. Capital Increase of the Year: Konzum Nyrt.

  8. BSE Xtend Stock Issuer of the Year: Megakrán Nyrt.

  9. Bond Issuer of the Year: Magyar Fejlesztési Bank Zrt.

  10. Foreign Bond Issuer of the Year: Bank of China

  11. Mortgage Bond Issuer of the Year: OTP Jelzálogbank Zrt.

  12. Data Service Provider of the Year: RND Solutions Zrt.

  13. Investment Service Provider of the Year: OTP Bank Nyrt.

  14. Issuer Transparency Award: MOL Nyrt.

  15. Special Mid-Cap Issuer Transparency Award: ANY Biztonsági Nyomda Nyrt.

  16. Domestic Stock Trading Platform of the Year: KBC Equitas

  17. Investment Literacy Award: Ágnes Sütő, Hungarian Banking Association

  18. Investor Relations Officer of the Year: Róbert Réthy, MOL Nyrt.


BSE Strategic Report 2018
– The year of vibrant development

The BUX ended 2018 slightly in the red (with a deficit of 0.6%), but the BSE still showed an outstanding performance in comparison with most international exchanges. Average daily turnover on the exchange reached HUF 11.4 billion, 6.7% more than in 2017. The high turnover was, in part, the result of the increased volatility seen in the second half of the year, and in part due to the unique stories of the companies listed on the Hungarian exchange. The turnover of the BSE’s cash equity market jumped from HUF 2,690 billion in 2017 to HUF 2,791 billion in 2018, producing a growth of 3.7%.

The four blue-chip stocks represented 89% of total turnover this year, which is essentially equal to the concentration seen in 2017. Of the companies traded on the exchange, the stocks of three businesses (Konzum Nyrt., ALTEO Nyrt. and Budapesti Ingatlan Hasznosítási és Fejlesztési Nyrt. (BIF)) were promoted to the Equities Prime Market, which now trades the equities of 19 companies, and Regulated Real Estate Investment Companies (SZITs) also appeared on the exchange.

2018 was also an outstanding year in respect of the fresh capital introduced to the exchange. Companies already listed achieved record-high capital raises, and 2018 saw nearly HUF 80 billion in fresh capital pumped into the domestic trading floor, greatly contributing to the growth of Hungarian capital market capitalisation which, compared to the estimated GDP value for 2018, reached 20% by the year-end – 5.3% more than at the end of 2015.

The service package offered by the Budapest Stock Exchange to medium-sized companies became complete, while another 50 successful Hungarian businesses found themselves in the spotlight in the annual BSE50 publication. This year, nine new Hungarian companies joined the ELITE Programme: a collaboration between the Budapest Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange aimed at corporate education, facilitating capital market financing and supporting the growth of small and medium-sized businesses, making Hungary the country with the most member companies (17) in the programme. Following private capital increases, two companies floated their stocks on the BSE Xtend market: Megakrán Nyrt., which specialises in lifting technology solutions; and CyBERG Corp. Nyrt., owner of the KAJAHU restaurant and technology franchise.

2018 was an exciting year for the Budapest Stock Exchange. Several listed companies moved up to the next level and were promoted to the Prime market. As well, there were capital raises, IPOs, trading volume increased and new products were introduced to the BÉTa Market, and the very first players were listed on BSE Xtend. Life in and around the Hungarian exchange is vibrant. We have reason to be satisfied, but cannot rest on our laurels either, as we have further goals that we wish to achieve with support from our partners,”

said BSE Chairman & CEO Richárd Végh.

About the “BÉT Legek” (Best of BSE) Awards

For nearly twenty years, the Budapest Stock Exchange has held an annual ceremony, the “BÉT Legek” (Best of BSE) Gala, to recognise top performers on the domestic capital market. A professional panel made up of members of the Stock Exchange Advisory Board decides on award recipients. In most categories, results and winners are determined based on quantitative (such as turnover) data. For the Domestic Stock Trading Platform of the Year and Investment Literacy Award categories, winners are determined on the basis of entries received or – in the case of the former – user votes.

About the “BÉT Legek” (Best of BSE) Event

One of the top events of the Budapest Stock Exchange is the Best of the BSE Awards Gala, where the Exchange recognises outstanding results of the previous year. By giving out the awards at the Best of BSE Gala to kick off the year, the BSE evaluates the preceding year and ceremonially launches the next.

About the BSE Strategic Report

The overarching aim of the strategy devised by the Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE) for 2016–2020 is to formulate and implement a comprehensive capital market and stock exchange development programme in Hungary, which will result in capital fundraising increasing its role in Hungarian corporate finance, making it an effective supplement to credit from the banking sector, which predominates at present. The Strategic Report presents an annual account of what the BSE has accomplished from its five-year strategic plan for the 2016-2020 period in the given year. At the same time, the publication provides an outlook on the undertakings of coming years as well as ongoing tasks.