Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) concepts will be covered extensively within financial services entities. This course is designed to familiarise attendees with techniques to detect money laundering. Robust AML policies are necessary to safeguard a business’s reputation. The MLRO (money laundering reporting officer) is a key member of an organisation’s management team and has serious responsibilities to manage and supervise anti-money laundering activities. This course will enable participants to design and influence a compliance culture within an organisation.

Participants will learn the basic investing concepts, the many different variations of traditional investments available and which type of investments are most suitable for their needs. The course will delve into the history of the capital markets, their role in the economy, the different types of markets, and the activities of Exchanges. Participants will also learn about the difference between bonds and equities, what they are, their special characteristics and terminology, how they are priced and the risks of owning such investments. Students will also learn about various investment styles such as value, growth, and fund investing. Students will be taught how to and why they should take a critical look at all investing options based on sound risk/reward assumptions.

This course covers material relating to structured products also known as market linked investments or synthetic investment instruments which are designed to facilitate highly bespoke risk and return objectives. Students will learn how investment banks pre-package financial instruments using derivatives, a basket of securities, single securities, and other capital market products. Participants will learn that structured products are normally used as a low cost alternative to a direct investment as part of the asset allocation process or to hedge risk found within an investment portfolio.

This course offer students an introduction into the exciting and complex world of derivatives, securitisations and asset-backed securities. Students will learn about the pros, cons and structure and operations of the securitised bond markets. Fixed-income securities, credit risk, securitised lending, and asset-backed securities will be covered extensively. The basic processes of structuring ABS deals, including how to value them as well as the risk management process required to manage a portfolio of these instruments, will also be covered.

This course covers material relating to the understanding of the theoretical foundations that underpin modern investment and risk management techniques. Participants will gain a solid foundation in risk management by learning how to identify, asses and to mitigate risks. They will learn how risk managers manage risk relating to equity, fixed income, and other financial products and appreciate the evolution of derivatives as risk management instruments. Financial and operational risk will be covered extensively as will hedge techniques using futures, forwards and options.

More details will be available in due course.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to events@borzamalta.com.mt

Participants will gain a clear and focused understanding of the key role of directors and corporate secretaries in the management and administration of the company. Today, directors are being constantly evaluated and scrutinised by regulators and shareholders and is therefore essential directors appreciate the responsibility of the office, their duties, rights, obligations and the relationship with other stakeholders within the company. Participants will also be exposed to the liability directors face in the event of a breach or non-compliance with any applicable law. Recent judgments will also be considered. This course will also emphasise on corporate governance principles, best practices and the interpretation of various provisions of the Companies Act.

This course introduces the key concepts, tools, and principles of strategic management and is intended to familiarise students with the process of strategy formulation. Participants will learn how to apply the fundamental tools used in strategy analysis, strategy formulation and identification of sources of competitive advantage. The course will cover the theory surrounding these fundamental tools and identify practical applications through the use of a case study. Course delivery will be through a presentation of the theory and in-class discussions of the practical themes within the case study.

This course aims to give participants a practical approach to trading foreign exchange, futures and options.

It will cover the futures and foreign exchange markets in depth, along with trading tactics used by professional traders, including directional, option trading, delta neutral positioning, risk and money management principals, the psychology of trading, and portfolio management.

The course will cover technical and fundamental analysis, inter and intramarket spread trading, and other trading strategies.

The course also focuses on advanced option trading themes such as various option trading strategies, the Greeks, and managing an options trading book.

More details will be available in due course.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to events@borzamalta.com.mt

More details will be available in due course.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to msei@borzamalta.com.mt

Participants will discuss leadership traits such as independence, ethics, and the building of a corporate culture for effective change. Dynamics that create value, leadership and fostering effective relationships between boards and the executive team will be discussed and debated.

Islamic Finance is a growing sector in the global capital markets and is a component within the National Capital Markets Strategic Plan. This seminar will focus on how Malta can incorporate Islamic Finance within the local capital markets and potentially turn Malta into a financial centre attracting business from North Africa and the Middle East.

More details will be available in due course.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to events@borzamalta.com.mt

The Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) attended the 21st Annual Global Asset Backed Securities Conference in Barcelona.  The 2-day conference held between June 6-8 was attended by over 3500 professionals in the global ABS market, making it the largest annual European structured finance gathering. A contingent of Maltese professionals participated in the event led by Finance Malta and Ganado Advocates. The Malta Stock Exchange will soon be unveiling the Institutional Securities Market (ISM) which will cater to the listing of whole sale ABS securitized products. Mr. Cliff Pace Head of Compliance and Market Operations represented the Exchange at the conference and noted the real interest many participants had in Malta as a capital markets destination. The MSE is again expecting to participate next year, this time as Associate Sponsor, with a number of MSE staff participating.

Participants will learn how the Malta Stock Exchange offers a well-regulated and highly cost effective listing solution. The seminar will offer an opportunity for iGaming executives to delve into the regulatory, tax and financing aspects of listing and raising capital in Malta. Participation for this seminar is free, however advanced registration is required.

Thompson Reuters, in partnership with the Malta Stock Exchange, is pleased to invite you to attend a breakfast briefing to discuss the implications of MiFID II.

MiFID II represents a fundamental change for financial markets across a range of areas, requiring major implementation efforts, and a combination of comprehensive data and powerful analytics to comply.

Join Thompson Reuters to examine their leading solutions available to answer the key challenges around MiFID II

More details will be available in due course.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to events@borzamalta.com.mt

For the second year running the Malta Stock Exchange, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility obligations is sponsoring an art exhibition within the Exchange building at the Garrison Chapel, Castille Place in Valletta. The Exhibition was officially opened by the Hon. Edward Scicluna MP - Minister for Finance on Friday 10 March 2017. The event was also addressed by the Chairman of the Exchange, Mr Joseph Portelli and by the Artist Curator, Mr Adrian Scicluna.

The Exhibition will run through to Friday 21 April 2017 and is open free of charge to the General Public on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 16:00hrs until 19:00hrs.

Following the enormous success of the first Art Exhibition organised at the Exchange between April and June 2016, the Malta Stock Exchange shall be repeating this on an annual basis, creating a unique and prestigious venue through which artists may exhibit their creations in line with the theme that will be chosen for the exhibition.

Courses:

• 205 - Portfolio Management and Capital Markets
• 202 - Accounting for Business Owners (SMEs)
• 306 - Financial Markets Compliance and Regulation
• 601 - Enabling a Corporate Governance Culture
• 101 - An Introduction to ETFs and Funds 
• 103 - An Introduction to Corporate Law 

This event will be an opportunity for stakeholders in the fund industry to get together and identify options that will lead to a better value-creating framework for the listing of funds on the Malta Stock Exchange.

If you would like to be kept informed about the events organized by the Malta Stock Exchange please send an email to events@borzamalta.com.mt

Time: 14:00

Courses:

• 203 - Financial Statements Analysis
• 204 - Corporate Finance 
• 100 - An Introduction to the Financial Markets 
• 205 - Portfolio Management and Capital Markets

This Seminar will be an opportunity for the stakeholders of the Maltese Capital Markets to attend and learn more about the National Capital Markets Strategic Plan which is being formulated and will be presented during the event.

Courses:

• 100 - An Introduction to the Financial Markets
• 501 - The National Capital Markets Plan
• 308 - Anti-Money Laundering
• 101 - An Introduction to ETFs and Funds
• 102 - Accounting for Business Owners (SMEs)
• 203 - Financial Statements Analysis

This annual dinner is an opportunity for the stakeholders in the Maltese capital markets to meet and network in a relaxed environment. The dinner will be held under the Patronage of the Hon. Minister for Finance and attended by the Heads of the Regulatory bodies, Members, professionals in the financial services sector, representatives of the many listed organisations, amongst others. It is planned that this event will be used as an opportunity to recognise outstanding performance by selected stakeholders.

The Malta Stock Exchange and Education Plus collaborated on a project to improve financial literacy amongst students through the creation of a series of short educational TV features that use clear and practical messages to explain financial and investment terminology and principles. 7 features were produced by multimedia students of the Alternative Learning Programme in Paola and the Stock Exchange. The features are aimed at improving personal financial management awareness by focusing on a range of subjects from basic money management and budgeting to principles of investment and planning a career in financial services. The features may be viewed through the Education Plus website http://educationplus.gov.mt/

Following the success of last year’s Conference, which was attended by over 180 people, the Malta Stock Exchange will once again be organizing an Investor Education Conference on Saturday 29th October 2016. The objective of these conferences is to provide educational information for the small investor.

This seminar will centre on the unveiling of the Malta Stock Exchange National Capital Markets Strategic Plan. The event will begin with the Hon. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat delivering a key note address focused on the Maltese Capital Markets. The panel discussion moderated by the Exchange’s Chairman will cover the points within the Plan.

This event will be an opportunity for the Chairman of the Listing Committee and its members to give an overview of the process and documentation that is required in respect of an application for Admission to Listing as well as the policy and approach taken by the Listing Committee in respect of the applications received. A number of other important topics related to Listings will be discussed There will also be time for questions from the audience.

We invite all stakeholders including lawyers, accountants and brokers to attend this very important seminar.

The Malta Stock Exchange will be organising a seminar in Gozo for stakeholders and interested organisations about Prospects, the new SME oriented capital market. This new product gives SMEs the option to raise capital or address succession planning through the issue of equities or bonds through the capital market. The seminar will focus on the features of Prospects, the role of the corporate advisor and the Exchange, and the benefits that SMEs will enjoy through the adoption of this new product.

A reception on the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Malta Stock Exchange under the distinguished patronage of the Hon Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muscat.

The seminar will give an overview of the dematerialisation and custody services available from the Malta Stock Exchange. It will outline the added-value that these services afford, the eligibility criteria, the overall general processes and application procedure. In particular, it will address how it supports the administration of equities and bond registers pertaining to public or private companies (listed or unlisted) and the needs of registrars or administrators of funds and securitised instruments.

Every year since 1997, the Federation has organised an international conference on European capital markets. Hosted by a different member exchange, the European Financial Markets Convention attracts more than 250 delegates from Europe and overseas.

During the course of the event, keynote speakers address important issues and challenges facing the European securities markets. Delegates from European and international financial and political institutions, from companies large and small and from member exchanges are able to share ideas and opinions in round table and panel discussions.

Also at the Convention, the Josseph de la Vega prize is awarded to an individual who has carried out outstanding research into the future of European securities markets.

The Malta Stock Exchange is continuing with its series of Research Analysts Meetings through which listed companies showcase their business, outline their performance and give insights on their plans and strategies for the future.

The Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) will participate in this event aimed at outlining the Islamic Finance opportunities which Malta offers. Cliff Pace, Product and Business Development Manager from the Exchange, will explain the characteristics of the MSE Sharia Equity Index and the potential of the Islamic Finance Capital Market.
The Conference is being organised by Bank of Valletta plc – Italia.

Art Exhibition

As part of the activities to commemorate its 25th Anniversary, the Malta Stock Exchange will be organising a collective art exhibition which will be held at its premises, the iconic and beautiful Garrison Chapel, in Castille Place, Valletta, which combines classical architecture and modern design.

Her Excellency the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca inaugurated the Art Exhibition on 2 May 2016. The Exhibition will be open to the public between 3rd May and 15th June 2016 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 16:00 till 19:00. Entry is free. The project is supported by corporate sponsors of the MSE 25th Anniversary, and the Valletta 2018 Foundation http://valletta2018.org/

Art Exhibition Inauguration

As part of the activities to commemorate its 25th Anniversary, the Malta Stock Exchange will be organising a collective art exhibition which will be held at its premises, the iconic and beautiful Garrison Chapel, in Castille Place, Valletta, which combines classical architecture and modern design.

Her Excellency the President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca will inaugurate the Art Exhibition on 2 May 2016. The project is supported by corporate sponsors of the MSE 25th Anniversary, and the Valletta 2018 Foundation http://valletta2018.org/

MALTA - A GROWING CAPITAL MARKET JURISDICTION IN THE EU

On Monday 25th April 2016, the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) will be hosting a seminar at the Hilton Bosphorus in Istanbul, giving a detailed overview of the recent developments, current trends and future prospects of the Maltese financial services industry, with a specific focus on Malta's financial services sector, Malta's capital market, the Maltese legal and regulatory framework and the Maltese post-trading infrastructure.

The event will also serve as an introduction to the MSE’s new capital market platform, Prospects, which offers SMEs access to the capital market as well as systems to address succession planning issues. This new market creates the need of a Corporate Advisor, which role will also be outlined during the event.

The seminar is being organised by the Malta Stock Exchange in close cooperation with Finance Malta and under the auspices of the Consul General for Malta In Istanbul. The event is also being supported by Refalo & Zammit Pace Advocates, Grant Thornton – Malta, Demetra Corporate Advisors and Malta Enterprise.

Certificate of Finance in International Trade (COFIT) Presentation

A course organized by COFIT for a group of students which are employees of AFREXIM, a development bank in Egypt.

Presentations will be made by the Exchange and will cater for an overview about the Exchange operations, the role and the various services it offers, including the trading function on the secondary market. They will also focus on recent statistics showing the development of the Exchange, the business and product development initiatives and plans, and an overview of how the overseas events are planned and executed.

STUDENTS VISIT THE MALTA STOCK EXCHANGE
Higher Secondary and 1st Year Sixth Form students will visit the Malta Stock Exchange as part of the European Money Week activities organised by the Malta Bankers’ Association. The students will be given a presentation about the role of the Malta Stock Exchange and the basic features of the securities listed on the Exchange.
The European Money Week is an annual initiative launched by the European banking industry through the European Banking Federation, during which events are held, at national and at European levels, with the aim of raising public awareness on the importance of financial literacy from an early age, and the need of improving financial education for junior and senior students.

Malta Stock Exchange outlines Prospects, its new capital market platform for SMEs

On the 17th February, the Malta Stock Exchange organised an informative session for stakeholders and interested organisations to launch Prospects, the new SME oriented capital market. During the launch held at the Meridien Hotel, St Julians, invitees were addressed by the Hon. Minister of Finance Prof. Edward Scicluna, who supported the initiative for addressing the importance of facilitating access to finance for SMEs. The Chairman of the MSE, Mr Joseph Portelli, briefly introduced this exciting new product that will give SMEs a new opportunity to raise capital or address succession planning through the issue of equities or bonds through the capital market.
The event was then addressed by Mr Cliff Pace, Product and Business Development Manager who outlined the overall objectives and structure of Prospects and how this will be of benefit to SMEs and investors. The vast majority of companies within the European Union and Malta are SMEs and Prospects would cater to companies looking to raise up to 3-5 million euros in capital.
Ms Eileen V Muscat, CEO, went into more detail about the rules governing this new Capital Market since Prospects will be regulated by the Malta Stock Exchange and will operate within a lighter regulatory environment than the current Main Market.
The underlying principles of Prospects have been recently approved by the MFSA. Admission to Prospects will be granted if the company has the appropriate level of corporate governance and transparency, and will require the services of a corporate advisor who will be critical to ensuring that these standards are achieved and maintained.
Persons interested in learning more about Prospects are invited to visit www.smeprospects.com

MALTA STOCK EXCHANGE OUTLINES ITS NEW CAPITAL MARKET PLATFORM FOR SMES IN MADRID

On Monday 26th January, the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) hosted a seminar at the Club Financiero Genova, in Madid, giving a detailed overview of the recent developments, current trends and future prospects of the Maltese financial services industry, with a specific focus on Malta's financial services sector, Malta's capital market, the Maltese legal and regulatory framework and the Maltese post-trading infrastructure.

The event also served as a soft launch for the MSE’s new capital market platform, Prospects, which offers SMEs access to the capital market as well as systems to address succession planning issues. Eileen Muscat, CEO of the Malta Stock Exchange explained that this new product would allow SMEs in Malta as well as those within and outside the EU to access the capital market in a very cost effective and efficient manner, creating investment and growth opportunities and allowing investors the opportunity to participate in this exciting and dynamic sector of the economy. Succession planning, often an unmanaged process within family-run businesses, could also be addressed through this exciting product.

For almost 25 years, the Malta Stock Exchange has successfully fulfilled its role as an effective venue to raise capital finance, as well as offering the full value chain of services, from passportable Admission to listing, to secondary market trading, clearing, settlement and custodial services. Prospects is a new market that increases the choice of options to raise capital by SMEs.

The event was very well attended by local players in the capital market service chain, financial intermediaries, stockbrokers, financial advisors and companies interested in discovering new opportunities for raising capital.

The seminar was organised by the Malta Stock Exchange in close cooperation with Finance Malta and under the auspices of the Embassy of Malta in Spain. The event was also being supported by Ernst & Young, Datum Finance, Camilleri Preziosi Advocates and David Mulchi & Asociados.

Malta Stock Exchange promotes the Capital Markets in London

The Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) organised an event at the High Commission in London on Wednesday 4th November 2015, with the aim of introducing the jurisdiction and in particular the services available from the Exchange to the UK advisory community. Over 40 corporate advisors, financial intermediaries and company representatives attended this event to learn more about the Maltese capital market.

The Event was opened by the Malta High Commissioner H.E. Mr Norman Hamilton, who gave an overview of the close historical, cultural and commercial links that have existed and developed between the UK and Malta. Reference was also made to the CHOGM event that will be happening soon in Malta, and that should put Malta on the Commonwealth map, and increase our visibility and international profile.

The Minister for Finance, Profs Edward Scicluna expressed satisfaction at the state of the Maltese economy, and the fact that we have managed to achieve significant levels of growth in spite of the difficulties surrounding us. The Maltese economy and overall business environment offers high levels of stability, with skilled employees, cost effective support services and high connectivity to Europe and elsewhere.

Mr Kenneth Farrugia, Chairman of FinanceMalta, outlined the development of the financial services sector in recent years, and the growth of the various sectors that resulted from a well-run, robust and disciplined jurisdiction that has managed to register positive growth in spite of various difficulties.

Mr Alfred Fabri, Company Secretary of Corinthia plc spoke about the efficient access to the capital market and how this helped the Corinthia group to grow so significantly.

Dr Nicholas Curmi from Ganado and Associates outlined the legal framework that governs the financial services sector and the increased interest in securitised products which are a specialised product that make use of a legal structure that protects the investor from risk whilst still allowing a return on investment.

Ms Eileen Muscat, CEO of the Malta Stock Exchange gave an overview of the Maltese capital market. She also explained the post-trading infrastructure and custodial services.

Mr Cliff Pace, Product and Business Development Manager of the Malta Stock Exchange introduced Prospects, the new SME oriented capital market that is expected to be launched in early 2016, and that will offer cost effective access to capital to SMEs in Malta and abroad, through the issue of bonds or equities. This product is expected to satisfy the need for capital by SMEs, a factor that is often highlighted as being a serious problem faced by SMEs, as well as address succession planning concerns that tend to exist in many family run business in Malta and overseas.

The Chairman of the Malta Stock Exchange, Joseph Portelli, said that he was encouraged by the level of attendance and that this was the first of various initiatives being undertaken by the Exchange to increase international business. Besides looking towards Italy and Spain for Prospects related business, the Exchange was actively looking towards the Middle East to investigate Islamic Finance potential, and Turkey and the far East in respect of new opportunities. He thanked the Malta High Commission in London for hosting the event as well as sponsors, Ganado and Associates, Corinthia Hotels and FinanceMalta.

Malta Stock Exchange Investor Education Conference a resounding success

The Malta Stock Exchange (MSE) organised an Investor Education Conference on Saturday 24th October, with the objective of providing educational information for the small investor. The Conference was attended by over 180 people, and was addressed by representatives of the MFSA, as well as members of the stockbroking community who gave their insights on the markets and how investors should manage their investments. The Minister for Finance, Profs Edward Scicluna, opened the event outlining the importance of education in this sector, saying that investors need to be offered more education and protection in order to minimise their risks when investing. He also referred to new increased regulations that will ensure capital adequacy and other governance issues that will increase the level of investor protection.

Geoffrey Bezzina, Director Consumer Complaints Unit within the MFSA outlined examples of the types of issues faced by small investors and the need for them to be better informed and to avoid risky investments if they are unable or unwilling to risk their capital.

Jesmond Mizzi, from Jesmond Mizzi Financial Services, outlined the need for investors to create a portfolio, by spreading their investments across difference assets classes, regions and industries in order to lower the exposure to any one investment.

David Curmi, from Curmi and Partners, outlined how interest rates were structured and the impact that these had on bond prices. The prevailing low interest rates make it challenging for investors to get a better yield, and it was important to assess the risk, as well as the maturity, of investments in bonds.

Vincent Rizzo, from Rizzo, Farrugia and Co, also addressed the risk side of investments, focussing on the need for investors to look deeply into the investment proposed before committing, and the importance of reading the prospectus document, since too many investors rely on the confidence in the issuer and the bond’s coupon rate.

Giovanni Cachia, from Bank of Valletta, outlined the process of investing in funds and stressed on the importance of understanding the fund strategy and objectives before investing. He also outlined different fund structures, and the need to monitor the investments on a regular basis and not leave them idle and unmanaged.

Ms Eileen Muscat, CEO of the Malta Stock Exchange, expressed her satisfaction at the turnout and content of the conference as well as the active participation from the audience. She pledged that this event would form part of the annual calendar of events organised by the Exchange.

The Investor Education Conference was conducted in Maltese, and was supported by Times of Malta, MFSA, Rizzo Farrugia and co, Curmi and Partners, Bank of Valletta and Jesmond Mizzi Financial Services.