ICU LEADS THE UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT BOND TRADER RANKING FOR 11 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

ICU was recognized as the leading trader of government bonds on the Ukrainian exchange market in 2020 according to the National Commission on Securities and Stock Market (NSSMC) with a 20% market share totaling UAH 131.7 billion. ICU has maintained the top spot in the Ukrainian government bond market for 11 straight years from 2010.

"We are delighted to be recognized as the leader in the market again for trading governments bonds and it’s a testament to our team’s hard work. Despite the volatility caused by the pandemic in 2020, the team at ICU managed not only to maintain the interest of investors in Ukrainian debt instruments, but also to significantly increase their investments in this reliable asset. Simplified access to investment and increased financial literacy have boosted the demand for government bonds from private investors. This has significantly accelerated the development of the debt market and laid the foundation for the development of other market segments, primarily corporate bonds," said Konstantin Stetsenko, co-founder of the ICU.

According to the NSSMC, the volume of government bond trades increased by 31.10% last year, reaching UAH 826 billion. Of these, more than a third, namely UAH 329.81 billion – was traded on the exchange market.

“Government bonds have taken a key spot in the investment portfolio of both legal entities and private investors. The state guarantee allows investors to diversify their assets and earn high returns with minimal risk. The introduction of digital solutions, such as our online government bond trading system ICU Trade, has simplified access to government bonds, making them a simple and convenient tool alongside traditional bank deposits or savings accounts," said Yevgeniya Gryshchenko, Deputy Director of ICU.

The full text of the NSSMC annual report can be accessed here.

About ICU

ICU is an independent asset management, private equity and investment advisory firm specialising in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Founded in 2006 by senior investment professionals from ING, ICU is Ukraine's leading asset manager. We currently manage over $500m in assets.

Our veteran investment team has experience in private equity, high yield corporate debt, distressed debt, restructurings and other special situations across a number of emerging markets. Investment decisions are supported by robust macroeconomic and sectoral analyses from our in-house team of research economists.

We aim to provide our clients with superior risk-adjusted returns across a number of asset classes. The firm is expanding its reach into key European markets via a combination of organic growth and acquisition and continues to expand the range its investment offerings.