June 21 2018
7th Greek Investment Forum in NY

Success marked the completion of the 7^th Greek Investment Forum in New York, held on the 19th and 20th of June 2018 in the framework of the Greek Investment Roadshow in the USA. The event is organised by the Athens Stock Exchange and the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with Enterprise Greece, and this year, in addition to the 7th Greek Investment Forum in New York, it was combined with visits to Washington and Chicago on June 20-22, for meetings with business and state agencies and lobbies.

The Greek Investment Roadshow in the USA is an initiative of the above agencies, which have joined forces to promote in the best way possible our country's business and investment opportunities in the USA and the prospects of a wider Greek-American partnership in economy and trade.

The delegation included the Alternate Minister of Economy and Development Mr. Alexis Charitsis and the USA Ambassador to Greece, Mr. Geoffrey Pyatt.

The listed companies that took part, in alphabetical order, represented at management level, are:

Management representatives and investment relations managers from these companies had B2B meetings with fund managers and investment firms. There was a total participation of 60 investment funds, 90 portfolio managers and 400 one-on-one meetings were held with the listed companies.

A briefing session was held in the framework of the 7^th Greek Investment Forum, titled: "Greece: Back on the Path to Growth".

The briefing was opened with welcoming addresses by the CEO of the Athens Exchange Group, Sokrates Lazaridis, the President of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Simos Anastasopoulos and the Chairman of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, Professor Charalampos Gotsis.

The CEO of the Athens Exchange Group, Mr. Sokrates Lazaridis, among other things, noted: "From the previous investment forum until today, total liquidity has improved by some 20% with a big participation from the non banking sector that saw an increase of 40%. Our mid cap companies saw a rise in terms of prices and trading activity. Net profits of listed companies rose to the order of 33% while the participation of foreign institutional investors remained high at 65%. The corporate bond market was enhanced with new issues. Finally, significant improvements were made to the laws for companies, with the incorporation of provisions that reinforce corporate governance and offer the possibility for the issue of new securities and fund raising instruments".

The President of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Simos Anastasopoulos remarked: "After 8 years in crisis, this August Greece is leaving behind the Adjustment Programme, having achieved fiscal balance, financial stability and a return to growth. As a result, the interest of international investors has increased, as seen by the large number of investment firms that took part in the 7th Investment Forum of New York. Greece is presenting with numerous investment opportunities today, and it is able to win the trust of the markets with its persistence in the implementation of the structural reforms that confirm its will to recover its competitiveness and a business-friendly environment".

The Chairman of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, Professor Charalampos Gotsis, focused on the particularly favourable circumstance, since over the next days and months important decisions are anticipated that will shape an investment environment which will be decisive for the choices of both foreign and Greek investors.

"Greece has come on the radar of investors with new data in terms of opportunities and prospects, which justify a reformulation of their investment strategies. At this point we are hoping to attract the participation of funds not only making portfolio investments but also direct foreign investments, participating in the capital support of sustainable businesses that require restructuring. It goes without saying that the New York capital market will play a leading role in this effort".

During his presentation, Mr. Alexis Charitsis, noted that Greece will be successfully exiting the adjustment programmes in a few weeks. He stressed that the Greek economy is now on a steady course of growth, with significant improvement of quality indicators, such as the increase in exports and investments. He underlined that the Greek government is supporting Greece's international presence, improving relations with neighbouring countries, resolving diplomatic problems and undertaking initiatives at regional level that solidify its leading role in the Balkans.

Geoffrey Pyatt, US Ambassador to Greece, noted the importance of Greece for the USA, and the role it can play in the wider region of Southeast Europe. He highlighted the great progress made so far in the area of reforms, stressing the need for their continuation, especially as regards public administration due to the role it can play in improving the investment and business climate. Finally, in closing, he referred to Greece's great investment and business cooperation opportunities for tapping into the country's potential in a number of areas, making more specific references to energy, tourism, shipping, transit and primary production.  

The first part of the briefing session was coordinated by Ms. Penny Manis, director of CNN's business programming in New York. 

Mr. Ebrahim Rahbari, Managing Director, Global Economics Team of Citi Research in New York, then took the floor to elaborate on the subject: "Current situation and prospects of the Greek and European economy" 

Mr. Athanasiou, from Enterprise Greece stated: "In today's Forum, all speakers agreed that there is no doubt that Greece is on positive ground as regards its development and prospects. The multitude of attractive investment opportunities offered by the country, in combination with an investor-friendly environment, are expected to fuel the new economic model of Greece towards its long-term and sustainable growth".

Presentations and discussions were held on the subject of "Investment opportunities in Greece", with the participation of Emilios Kyriakou, Managing Director of Citi, Christos Megalou, CEO of Piraeus Bank, Michael Tsamaz, CEO of ΟΤΕ, Giorgos Chrysikos, CEO of Grivalia Properties, Lois Lambrianidis, Secretary General for Strategic and Private Investments, Ministry of Economy and Development, Aris Xenofos, Chairman of the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund,  Romualdo Massa Bernucci, Director of the European Investment Bank at the Washington office, Apostolos Goutzinis, of  Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP. Coordinators were Dimitris Koutsopoulos, CEO of Deloitte Greece and William Watts, Deputy Markets Editor of MarketWatch.

At the closing of the briefing session, the Chairman of the Athens Exchange Group, Georgios Hantzinikolaou, stated: "The 7th Annual Greek Investment Forum offered us the opportunity to convey to the American investors the positive developments in the Greek economy and the investment opportunities which the country presents. These optimistic prospects were reinforced by the opinions and estimates expressed by the companies that participated in the Forum, as well as the decisiveness displayed by the minister, Mr. Alexis Charitsis for the implementation of the reforms. I am convinced that if the reform effort continues and intensifies, the image of Greece will finally change to the better, creating enormous investment opportunities for domestic and foreign investors, substantially contributing to the recovery of the economy, the society and the country".

Finally, once again this year, the Forum was sponsored by a host of Greek and foreign market actors of international repute, such as investment banks, investment companies, auditing firms and law firms. Specifically, Gold Sponsors were: Alpha Finance, Axia Ventures, Citi, Eurobank Equities/Auerbach Grayson, Euroxx Securities, Investment Βank of Greece, LXM, Marco Polo Securities, Morgan Stanley, ΝΒG Securities abd  Piraeus Securities, and Silver Sponsors were Deloitte and law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP. Public Relations Sponsor was the American company Public Worldwide.

Download the Press Release

7th Greek Investment Forum in NY
Georgios Hantzinikolaou Chairman of the Athens Exchange Group
Mr. Sokrates Lazaridis CEO of the Athens Exchange Group		Simos Anastasopoulos President of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
Professor Charalampos Gotsis Chairman of the Hellenic Capital Market Commission		Alexis Charitsis ΑναπAlternate Minister of Economy and Development Geoffrey Pyatt USA Ambassador to Greece
highlights of the event

About the 7th Greek Investment Forum in New YorkThe Greek Investment Forum is an initiative of the Athens Stock Exchange and the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce, which have joined forces since 2012, with the goal of promoting in the USA in the best possible manner our country's business and investment opportunities.

The Forum offers the possibility to the investment community of the US to hold B2B meetings in New York with representatives from the managements of Greek companies and to be informed about their financial progress and prospects. The Greek economy's macroeconomic figures and growth prospects are also presented. The work carried out at the Forum is supported by appearances of the Greek business community on the media, and with working meetings of the participants with representatives of the Hellenic-American community.

The primary goal of the Investment Forum every year is to foster the momentum of the US investment community's interest in the Greek economy, since it represents the largest global group of fund managers. In recent years foreign investors hold around 60% of Greek capitalisation and participation of US fund managers is by far its largest part.

About Athens Exchange GroupThe Athens Stock Exchange since its establishment in 1876, consistently participate in the financial and business developments in the country.

Athens Exchange Group (ATHEX Group), provides support to the Greek Capital Market. ATHEX Group operates the organized Equities and Derivatves markets, the alternative market and performs clearing and settlement of trades.

The Athens Stock Exchange, through its markets, offers solutions and financing tools to businesses, expands investor choice by providing a safe, stable and easy environment in full alignment with international practices and the European regulatory framework. It has held the ISO 22301:2012 international standard for Business Continuity, for all its companies, including all its operations as well as the products & services it provides.

In a period that the role of stock markets in exploring alternative ways of financing business, at a European level, is significantly enhanced, the Athens Exchange Group has taken a series of initiatives to highlight the attractiveness of the Greek Capital Market and the Greek companies to the international investment community and expand the variety of investment opportunities.

Its shares are traded on the Main Market of the Athens Stock Exchange (Symbol: EXAE).

The profiles of the ATHEX Group and its markets can be downloaded from the link. More information can be found in the website www.athexgroup.gr.

110 Athinon Ave. 10442 Athens, Greece, tel +30-210 3366 800, fax +30 210-3366 101

About the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit, independent organization founded in 1932, aiming to promote the economic and business relations between the US and Greece.
Today the Chamber, with about 1000 members, continues to enhance and facilitate the trade, the investments and the professional cooperation between the two countries.
It is an accredited member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Washington and a member of the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce.
The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce is one of the most active organizations in Europe. Its activities include International Conferences, with high-profile speakers from around the world, annual reports, seminars in cooperation with the US Ivy League Universities, lunches and dinners in honor not only of Greeks but also of international figures of the political and business world, as well as business missions to and from the US and Southeast Europe.
Over the past years the US President George Bush, the US President Bill Clinton, the First Lady of the US Hillary Rodham Clinton and the former President of the Russian Federation Michail Gorbachev have attended in Greece.
Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce
109-111, Messoghion Avenue, GR-115 26 Athens, Tel. +30 210 699 3559, Fax +30 210 698 5686, www.amcham.gr

About Enterprise Greece
Enterprise Greece is the enlargement of Invest in Greece S.A.? incorporating, among others, the mandate of the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board?to a new and innovative outward-looking body.   Enterprise Greece is the official agency of the Greek State, under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy and Development, to promote investment in Greece, exports from Greece, and make Greece more attractive as an international business partner. 

Enterprise Greece is designed to assist foreign investors and enterprises to do business with Greece, to contribute to the outward looking orientation of the Greek economy, to attract foreign investment, to troubleshoot issues related to the public administration, and to provide key investment and business information.  Enterprise Greece promotes the entire gamut of investment sectors in which Greece excels.

In addition, it aims to promote Greek products and services to the global marketplace. Enterprise Greece helps Greek businesses reach new markets, find new business partners, and become more competitive and attractive.