The Board of Directors of Hellenic Exchanges-Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX), at its meeting today, approved the Annual Financial Report for 2018 (1.1.2018 to 31.12.2018), and decided to propose to the next Annual General Meeting of shareholders, the distribution of EUR0.05 per share as dividend. In addition, the BoD of the Company decided to propose a special dividend (share capital return) of EUR0.11 per share. The record date and payment date of the dividend have been announced on 18.12.2018 as part of the published financial calendar, while the record date and payment date of the special dividend will be determined by the General Meeting of the Company's shareholders. The Company will inform investors about the exact dates, as soon as they are determined.

In 2018, the consolidated net after tax profits of the Group amounted to EUR3.0m vs. EUR3.1m in 2017, reduced by 1.6%. After the adjustments for the value of the real estate and the securities portfolio, the net earnings per share (EPS) in 2018 were EUR0.064 compared to EUR0.042 in 2017, while based on the guideline for the Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) published by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), in 2018 the adjusted net earnings per share were EUR0.054 compared to EUR0.060 in 2017, reduced by 10%.

In 2018, the turnover of the Group was EUR26.6m vs. EUR27.4m in 2017, reduced by 3.0%; after subtracting the Hellenic Capital Market Commission fee, total consolidated revenue was EUR25.6m vs. EUR26.3m, reduced by 3.0%.

Total operating expenses of the Group in 2018 dropped by 1% to EUR18.2m compared to EUR18.4m in 2017, while the consolidated Earnings Before Tax (EBT) in 2018 amounted to EUR4.0m vs. EUR5.08m in 2017, reduced by 21.1%.

In 2018 the average daily traded value was EUR55.7m compared to EUR58.8m in 2017, a 5.3% reduction, while the average capitalization of the Greek capital market increased by 4.0% compared to 2017 (EUR52.2bn vs. EUR50.2bn).

The Athens Exchange General Index closed on 31.12.2018 at 613.30 points, down 23.6% compared to the close at the end of 2017 (802.37 points). Market liquidity, as measured by turnover velocity, decreased to 26.4% in 2018 from 29.1% in 2017, while average daily volume was 37.3m shares compared to 72.7m shares (48.7% drop).

In the derivatives market, the average daily number of contracts dropped by 28% (56.7 thousand vs. 78.7 thousand), while the corresponding trading and clearing revenue increased by 4.3% due to the change in the prices of the underlying securities and the differentiation of the product mix in the market.

The financial statements of the Group and the Company are posted on the Company's website (www.athexgroup.gr).