News from the press conference on the first anniversary of the launch of the SME board says that by May 26 the SME board has had 50 companies which have issued shares, raising a total of 12 billion yuan. Their average fund-raising is 240 million yuan.

According to sources during the year after the launch operation of the SME board remained stable. The 39 companies listed on the SME board, which have released 2004 annual reports, have an average return of 0.47 yuan per share, higher than the average level of all the listed companies at the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets, higher also than the average level of other companies newly listed in 2004.

By People's Daily Online