| Baku Stock Exchange | |
| Nativename: | Azerbaijani: Bakı Fond Birjası |
| Type: | Stock Exchange |
| City: | Baku |
| Country: | Azerbaijan |
| Founded: | February 15, 2000 |
| Key People: | Eldar Abdullayev (Acting Chairman of the Board) |
| Homepage: | www.bfb.az |
The Baku Stock Exchange (BSE) (Azerbaijani: Bakı Fond Birjası) is the main stock exchange in Azerbaijan. BSE is organized in the form of a closed joint stock company with 19 shareholders.[1]
The Baku Stock Exchange trades short-term treasury bonds, common stocks (primarily from former state-owned enterprises that have been privatized, including food and beverage, construction, and banking companies), and foreign currency futures.[2]
BSE carries out trading corporate securities. Trading, on primary and secondary markets of government securities (T-bills of the Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan and banknotes of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan) are carried out solely at BSE. The state regulatory authority for the stock exchange and the Azerbaijani securities market is the Financial Markets Supervisor Authority.
BSE's activity is regulated by the following legislative acts and documents:
An initiative group for the establishment of the Stock Exchange was organized on 25 December 1999.[3] The Baku Stock Exchange began its operations on February 15. The first trading operation at the stock exchange was carried out on September 1, 2000.[4]
Corporate bonds started to be traded on BSE in January 2004. The first equity trade on the Baku Stock Exchange was carried out in April 2004. Central Bank began to trade its Notes on the Baku Stock Exchange on September 14, 2004. Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund started to trade its bonds on BSE in June 2009. Market maker institution of BSE was established in January 2013. Derivative financial instruments started to be traded on BSE in March 2014. Electronic trading system (BETP), which is the core for trading and post-trading processes. This system is characterized by a high degree of integration and was developed by Montran in 2023 as part of the “Capital Market Modernization of the Republic of Azerbaijan” program.[5]
The current head of the board of directors of BSE is Eldar Abdullayev.[6] The supervisory board is headed by Yashar Mammadov.[7]
Opening and closing bells on the BSE symbolize the beginning and end of each trading day of securities. As trading transactions are carried out electronically, bell-ringing ceremonies are only used to keep the tradition. These ceremonies are conducted to highlight important events regarding the stock market, as well as to bring attention to social affairs.
Another event was conducted on March 9, 2017, with the attendance of BSE in “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality” initiative to raise the awareness of gender equality organized by UN Women, IFC, Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, Women in ETFs and World Federation of Exchanges.[8] [9]
The exchange's normal trading sessions are from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. (local time, UTC+4) from Monday until Friday. The exchange is closed for the following days: Saturday, Sunday and official non-working day declared by the Government for public holidays.[10] [11]