BNS jumps ahead with Baltic List price index

The Baltic News Service (BNS) will calculate a price index for the
joint Baltic List of blue-chip shares that the Estonian, Latvian and
Lithuanian bourses plan to launch in January. "Our aim is to provide
our clients with a convenient and reliable index to track the
movement of the stocks on the Baltic List at least until the bourses
launch their own," said Ivo Kuskis, BNS-Latvia director. The three
Baltic stock exchanges will launch a joint list of 13 blue-chip
stocks on January 3, 2000; but do not plan to launch an index until
later in the year. BNS will launch the Baltic Index (BI) on the same
day to track the movement of the shares on the list.

"The Baltic Index is quite useful for investors," said Boriss
Epsteins, the BNS financial market analyst responsible for
calculation of the index. "It assumes an initial investment of 100
euros into each stock on the launch date, and then the index will
tell you the value of your portfolio each day." The BI will be
calculated each day after the close of trading, and will be reported
via BNS' business newswire by about 15:00. Stock turnover information
and trading commentary will be distributed by 18:00. Graphic files
will also be available for clients.

BNS has already been test calculating the BI for several weeks to
test the reliability of its formula and to ensure smooth service for
clients. Details of the BI's calculation methodology will be posted
on BNS's websites soon. "With bureaus and securities market
specialists in each of the three Baltic states, BNS is uniquely
positioned to provide comprehensive coverage of the Baltic securities
markets," said Epsteins. The only pan-Baltic news agency, BNS is the
market leader in providing financial news from each of the three
Baltic states.