Representatives of the lead underwriters with the highest participation in corporate bond issuances to date rang the closing bell yesterday at a special event organized by the Athens Stock Exchange. The event was held to honor the members who have significantly contributed to the "revitalization" and growth of the Athens Stock Exchange’s corporate bond market.

During the same event, special recognition was also awarded to issuers of ESG bonds, which are now featured in the Athens Stock Exchange’s "ATHEX BONDS GREENet" section.

"We owe a great debt of gratitude to the lead underwriters for their outstanding contribution to the dynamic growth of the domestic bond market," stated Sokratis Lazaridis, CEO of the Athens Exchange Group. "The year 2021 was a record-breaking one in terms of capital raised through corporate bond issuances. Today, this market boasts 27 bonds, with an average oversubscription rate of 2.65 times. This includes four ESG bonds, and we are confident that many more will soon be added to ATHEX BONDS GREENet," Mr. Lazaridis added.

Nikos Koskoletos, Chief Financial Officer of the Athens Exchange Group, also remarked: "The ATHEX BONDS GREENet information hub is the latest addition to the Athens Exchange Group’s initiatives aimed at supporting the investment ecosystem in adopting a new model for decision-making, guided by sustainable development. This specialized section is designed to aggregate and highlight all relevant information on green investment products traded on the Athens Stock Exchange’s markets, offering investors direct and practically useful insights. Given that Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Plan, ‘Greece 2.0,’ is centered on sustainable development, we strongly believe that ATHEX BONDS GREENet will play a crucial role in positioning the domestic capital market as a key source of financing for the additional capital to be mobilized under this program."

Recently, the Athens Stock Exchange also published the updated 2022 edition of its "ATHEX ESG Reporting Guide", proactively responding to market needs and new regulatory standards. The guide serves as a valuable tool for both listed and non-listed companies, regardless of their size or industry.

The awards for lead underwriters were presented by Athens Stock Exchange executives to:

• Nassos Pavlidis, Manager of Financial Products, Alpha Bank

• Dimos Kapouniaridis, Head of Investment Banking, EFG Eurobank

• Aristotelis Ninios, Vice Chairman of the Board, Euroxx

• Dimitra Krouska, Head of Investment Banking, National Bank of Greece

• Paris Oikonomou, Head of Corporate Banking, Optima Bank

• Iosif Michailidis, General Manager, Piraeus Bank

Honorary plaques for ESG bond issuances were awarded to:

• Pinelopi Lazaridou, General Manager of Financial Services & Executive Board Member, GEK TERNA

• Tereza Messari, CFO/COO, Prodea Investments

• Emmanouil Fafalios, CFO of Operations, TERNA Energy

• Panagiotis Kapetanakos, CEO, Noval Property