CNSX Reports Banner Year in 2011, Poised for Further Growth in 2012

TORONTO – January 6, 2012 – CNSX Markets Inc. today released preliminary results for trading and listing on CNSX – Canadian National Stock Exchange.

Trading activity in 2011 was robust as the volume of shares traded rose 45% over the previous year, reflecting continued interest in the shares of the public companies listed on CNSX . Value of trading was also up 27% while the number of trades increased by 32%.

This activity was partly fuelled by a net increase of 12% in the number of securities listed, including equities, bonds and structured products. With 35 new listings in 2011 the exchange ended the year with 144 issuers and 163 listed issues.

“These results are the continuation of the steady development of the exchange since it was recognized by the OSC in 2004”, noted Robert Cook, President. “An unbroken string of growth in the number of listings sets CNSX apart not only from its more established competitors but also from other newer markets around the world like the AIM in the UK.”

2011 also saw the largest initial public offering to date on CNSX, as the IPO of Brookfield’s New Horizons Income Fund raised $130 million in April.

Late in the year CNSX began listing structured products, with four new series of debt securities issued by Barclays Bank PLC and BAC Canada Finance Company, a subsidiary of Bank of America.

“The first listing of 2012 was another note issued by Barclays. We expect that the structured products segment will form an ever larger part of CNSX’s listed securities product mix throughout the year” noted William Woods, Managing Director – Listed Market.

“CNSX is an ideal exchange to list equities, structured products, investment funds, and debt securities. Due to its streamlined listing process, with product specific listing policies and low fees, companies going public are attracted to the exchange. In 2012 we are also restructuring our fees to facilitate greater liquidity in all of the securities that we trade”, stated Richard Carleton, Interim CEO of CNSX Markets. “Issuers are able to take advantage of the cost effectiveness of the exchange’s listings process and retail investors benefit from the transparency of the exchange’s rules in trading and corporate disclosure”, he added.

For more information about CNSX, please contact

CNSX Markets Inc.
Robert Cook - President
T: 416-572-2000 x 2470
E: robert.cook@cnsx.ca 
Or visit our website: www.cnsx.ca 

About CNSX Markets: CNSX Markets Inc. is a Canadian company that operates two distinct markets: The Canadian National Stock Exchange; and Pure Trading, which provides a high-speed trading venue for stocks listed on Canadian exchanges.

CNSX competes for listings and trading by offering lower listing fees and innovative continuous disclosure features designed to minimize regulatory costs while improving the quality of information available to investors. With over 150 securities listed, CNSX is a full service exchange for issuers of various types of securities from all business sectors.

Companies list on CNSX for a variety of reasons; the driving force behind most new listings is CNSX’s optimized listing regime, which combines market integrity and enhanced disclosure with a simplified listings process. This results in a saving of both management’s time and shareholder’s money, in the short and long term