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GPW SAWSE operator GPW in talks with many ETF providers; wants to attract investors to NewConnect
Warsaw Stock Exchange operator GPW is in talks with several ETF providers; it hopes that the first Exchange Traded Funds from Polish financial institutions will appear in the coming quarters, GPW representatives told a press conference. By the end of the year, the exchange plans to announce initiatives aimed at attracting institutional investors to the NewConnect market.
When asked whether the WSE is in talks with ETF providers other than Beta ETF and HANetf, GPW's CEO Tomasz Bardzilowski replied: "Yes, we are actively talking to other issuers and potential issuers. It is also important for us that more Polish financial institutions take an interest in this area."
"We hope that the first ETFs from Polish financial institutions will appear in the coming quarters. Regardless of this, we are in talks with many ETF providers. More ETFs will appear on the stock exchange in the coming periods," he added.
On Monday, BETA ETF Dywidenda Plus went public on the Warsaw Stock Exchange – the first ETF fund in Poland to pay quarterly income to participants. The number of ETFs listed on the WSE has increased to fourteen. Another ETF, HANetf Future of Defence, will debut soon.
In the first half of 2025, the growth in ETF/ETC turnover on the Warsaw Stock Exchange amounted to 109.6 percent year on year.
The zero-trading fee programme for ETFs is still in place. When asked whether the programme would be extended, CEO Bardzilowski replied that no decision had yet been made.
"However, we have several possible scenarios here, including increasing the exchange's spending on promoting this segment and on education related to ETFs," he said.
The CEO of the WSE's operator announced that one of the strategic goals is also to revitalise the NewConnect market.
"The NewConnect market lacks institutional investors the most. We are making efforts and holding talks on how to attract institutional capital to NewConnect. I hope that we will be able to announce some initiatives in this area by the end of this year, at least in terms of direction," he said.
Bardzilowski hopes that after this year's successful public offerings, more IPOs will appear on the stock exchange.
"The number of IPOs on the stock exchange is still small. There should be more debuts, given the scale of our economy and capital needs. (...)," he assessed.
"I hope that what is happening now on the market, i.e. the inflow of foreign capital, which has led to higher valuations, will attract issuers who want to raise capital, and that private equity funds will think more positively about the stock exchange, also thanks to the success of IPOs of companies from private equity portfolios. This wave is still ahead of us," Bardzilowski added.
The CEO hopes that Personal Investment Accounts (OKI) will attract new capital to the stock exchange.
"We are waiting for further information on Personal Investment Accounts, and if they are introduced according to schedule, we believe that this will be a very important element in the further development of the Polish capital market," Bardzilowski said.
pel/ ao/ han/