The Board of Directors of Hellenic Exchanges-Athens Stock Exchange (ATHEX), at its meeting today, approved the Annual Financial Report for 2015 (1.1.2015 to 31.12.2015), and decided to propose to the next Annual General Meeting of shareholders, which will take place on May 25^th 2016, to distribute EUR0.10 per share as dividend. In addition, the BoD of the Company decided to propose a special dividend (share capital return) of EUR0.22 per share. The record date and payment date of the special dividend will be decided by the General Meeting of the Company's shareholders. The Company will inform investors about the exact dates, as soon as they are determined.

The consolidated net after tax profits of the Hellenic Exchanges-Athens Stock Exchange Group amounted to EUR9.0m vs. EUR21.0m in 2014, reduced by 57%. The net after tax profits per share in 2015, amounted to EUR0.14 vs. EUR0.33 in 2014.

The turnover of the Group amounted to EUR35.0m in 2015 vs. EUR47.3m in 2014, reduced by 25.9%, while after subtracting the Hellenic Capital Market Commission fee, total consolidated revenue amounted to EUR33.7m vs. EUR45.1m, reduced by 25.4%.

The adverse economic environment during the year, the bank holiday and capital controls all contributed to a 23.6% drop in the Athens Exchange General Index, a 39.4% drop in trading by value, and a 36.9% drop in the average capitalization of the market. The average daily traded value was EUR85.7m, compared to EUR127.1m, a 32.6% reduction. The average daily volume increased by 102.6% to 192.9m shares compared to 95.2m shares in 2014, and as a result market liquidity, as measured by turnover velocity, dropped to 40.8% in 2015 from 59.4% in 2014.

In the derivatives market, the average daily number of contracts increased by 40.9% (68.6 thousand vs. 48.7 thousand), while the corresponding trading and clearing revenue posted an 35% reduction due to a change in the product mix in the market, and the fee reductions that went into effect on 2.1.2014.

Total operating expenses including new activities were reduced by 2.1% (EUR18.7m vs. EUR19.1m), while the operating expenses of the Group were reduced by 3.7% compared to 2014 (EUR16.3m vs. EUR16.9m).

Lastly, the consolidated Earnings Before Tax (EBT) in 2015 amounted to EUR13.5m vs. EUR27.7m in 2014.

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