• The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), and VERTIK announce the conclusion of the support programme for improving investor relations and increasing the liquidity of shares listed on the stock exchange, "Investor Relations and Liquidity Support";
• The three companies that were selected, Societatea Energetica Electrica (BVB symbol: EL), BRK Financial Group (BVB symbol: BRK) and the building materials holding ROCA Industry (BVB symbol: ROC1), have made visible progress in their IR (Investor Relations) activities;
• ”Investor Relations and Liquidity Support Programme" was initiated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) and coordinated by Daniela Maior (Serban) in January 2023;
• The programme was financially supported by KTACF - Capital Markets Development Technical Cooperation Programme, funded by the Government of Korea, which covered 80% of the consulting service costs provided for the selected companies.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), and VERTIK announce the completion of the Investor Relations and Liquidity Support program. Throughout this program, three selected companies, Societatea Energetică Electrica (BVB symbol: EL), BRK Financial Group (BVB symbol: BRK), and the building materials holding ROCA Industry (BVB symbol: ROC1), were supported to increase their visibility in the capital market and effectively communicate their story to investors, by defining a set of essential tools for improving their stock market presence.

The programme provided the selected companies with concrete tools tailored to the requirements of investors and their sector of activity: developing the strategy for Investor Relations and tools for implementation, internal management of Investor Relations activities to convey a coherent investment story, and support in training the companies' dedicated teams for implementing the Investor Relations strategy, for 6 months from its delivery. The conclusion of the program was marked by a workshop presenting the progress made by the three companies.

Attila Toth, Director, Capital & Financial Markets Development Team, EBRD:

"First of all, Iet me thank the Korean government for the support of this initiative under the umbrella of the Capital Markets Development Technical Cooperation Programme. For EBRD, the development of local capital markets is a priority, and our fundamental goal is to provide financing solutions for private sector companies. We launched this project over a year ago, with the objective of drawing attention to the importance of investor relations and to show listed companies, as well as those considering listing on the stock exchange in the future, that it is worthwhile and indeed necessary to invest in maintaining a high level of visibility on the stock exchange, thereby gaining added value."

Adrian Tanase, CEO Bucharest Stock Exchange:

"Investor Communication is one of the essential pillars for generating liquidity and, implicitly, for a fair market valuation of listed companies. We are pleased with the partnership with EBRD and the support this project received from the Government of Korea. Electrica, ROCA Industry, and BRK Financial Group have obtained useful tools within this program to better shape and communicate their story to investors. I encourage all issuers on the stock exchange, from both the Main Market and AeRO, to draw inspiration from the existing good practice examples at the Bucharest Stock Exchange."

The programme was coordinated, from the position of lead consultant, by Daniela Maior (Serban), Coordinating Partner at VERTIK, along with a team of consultants with a combined experience of over 60 years in the field of Investor Relations and Financial Communication.

Daniela Maior (Serban), Consultant Principal, Founder & Partner VERTIK:

"We are delighted to have contributed to the successful execution of the world's first pilot program for this project, thus having the opportunity to exemplify communication strategies designed for this project with multiple benefits, both for investors and for issuers. We worked closely with the Investor Relations teams and the management of the companies, and our commitment to these companies continues even after the conclusion of this programme."

The company representatives highlighted the progress made in Investor Relations activities, methods of engaging investors, and improving the visibility of companies in the capital market.

Alexandru Chirita, CEO Electrica, has stated: "We have made significant progress in the last year by being included in indices and increasing the number of investors. We maintain constant and transparent communication with the market. This year marks 10 years since our listing, and we are open to meeting with market participants and the press, to ensure a constant channel of communication. Corporate Governance is what I believe to be the foundation of the positive development that Electrica has recorded in recent years."

Monica Ivan, CEO BRK Financial Group, has mentioned: "We have taken steps to improve communication with investors and have noticed a positive change in their perception. Our participation in this program had a dual purpose: for BRK as a listed issuer and to transfer the know-how acquired in this programme to our clients. Also, we aim to implement certain basic objectives regarding the IR function, such as the level of presence at the General Meeting of Shareholders, the degree of investor engagement at investor conferences, the visibility of press releases, and the company's visibility in the capital market in general."

Alexandra Titan, Investor Relations Director, ROCA Industry, has stated: "ROCA Industry has managed to increase the number of shareholders by 27% in the last year. It was a laborious task; we built an equity story so that investors could better understand the activity of the holding, we improved the way financial reports are presented, and we will continue to make efforts in this direction. We contracted a Market Maker to increase liquidity. Now, as we have moved to the Main Market, we realize that the efforts need to be even greater. For the future, want to keep our promises to investors, to communicate in a transparent and understandable way for everyone, and to also continue to transform local companies into regional leaders."

During the event, several special guests participated, who reinforced the importance of communication with investors and good corporate governance. Among them, we mention: Razvan Rusu, Portfolio Manager at Allianz (Allianz-Tiriac Pensii Private), Caius Roa Rapanu, Senior Capital Markets Analyst (Erste Group), Adina Ardeleanu, journalist, co-founder of Financial Intelligence, Mihai Nichisoiu, Capital Markets Specialist at TradeVille.

The event can be watched again on the following link.

* This is a press release.