Azerbaijan investment facts

Few facts on Azerbaijan financial markets:
1. The main market is Baku Stock Exchange (www.bfb.az) on which 27 issuers list their securities. Market is regulated by FIMSA. National securities depositary is state-owned.
2. Virtually all trading is in debt securities, mostly government and corporate bonds. FIMSA plans to stimulate the IPO market in the coming years to enable share listing.
3. There are seven main prime brokers. Our local partner carries the licence #1.
4. Weekly turnover is 210 million manats - $123,35 millions (1$=1.7AZN peg).
5. Benchmark 2Y T-bill yields 8% and pays the semi-annual coupon. Most popular local corporate bonds yield 10% and pay monthly coupons.
6. Most of Azerbaijan's vast foreign exchange reserves are held by SOFAZ sovereign wealth fund (oilfund.az).
7. Most of country's wealth is excavated at Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli deepwater oil field near Baku and sold at Supsa port in Georgia.
8. Oil production exceeds 800 thousand barrels per day and Azeri Light CF is the most popular blend marketed to international refiners mostly by SOCAR (the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan) which surpassed the total of a billion barrels.
9. Gas is produced alongside and shipped to Europe through Southern Gas Corridor.