ASX

Shares / Stock Code

ASX

Stock Exchange / Sharemarket

ax

The ASX (Australian Securities Exchange), is the operational entity behind the primary national stock exchange in Australia. The company, headquartered in Sydney, deals with equities, derivatives and fixed interest securities. It also provides complete market data and information to various users.

The ASX trading calendar for non-business and non-trading days setting out the days when the markets
are closed for business and settlement. Index Options and Index LEPOs (low exercise price options)
expire on the third Thursday of the contract month providing it as trading day, but the expiry date
for equity options on the ASX is the Thursday before the last business Friday in the month.

The ASX trading hours or the market phases, is that the number of phases on any trading day the market
takes place. The ASX market phase determines the type of action that may be taken for an order on ITS
(Integrated Trading System), which affects market trade.

The futures maturity date is the third Thursday of the maturity month, provided this day is a trading
day. The futures maturity cycle is the March, June, September and December. The ASX Grain
Futures are deliverable contracts. The delivery period begins on the second business day of the
contract month and ends at 3pm on the Last Trading Day. The Last Trading Day and Maturity Date
is the third Thursday of the contract month, provided this is a trading day. For ASX Grain Options,
the Last Trading Day is the fifteenth trading day of the month immediately prior to the Underlying
Futures contract month.

ASX Company History

The Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) was established in 1987 through the amalgamation of six
independent stock exchanges that used to operate in the state capital cities. ASX Surveillance Unit
was formed in January 1989. The Australian Options Market and the Australian Financial Futures
Market were merged in July the same year.

The Australian Options Market moved the trading operations to the former Sydney equities Trading Floor. The Australian Securities Commission (ASC) replaces the NCSC in 1991. In the following year ASX Derivatives Board was formed and T+5 settlement for ASX transactions.

The Australian Corporations Law amendments required for CHESS, an electronic clearing and settlement system, passed by the Federal Parliament and proclaimed in June 1993. All listed companies securities were made available for settlement by using ASX's Flexible Accelerated Security Transfer System (FAST). The derivatives market known as ASX Share Ratios was developed in the year
1994.

CHESS Units of Foreign Securities (CUFS) settlement introduced for foreign companies. OM's CLICK, an electronic derivatives trading system was introduced in 1996. In June ASX established a National Call Centre to provide toll-free telephone contact with ASX from anywhere in Australia.

The company was listed on the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) on 14 October 1998. ASX Investigations and Enforcement Division was created in 1998.The following year T+3 settlement replaced by T+5, and ASX also introduced third party clearing, a BLOX trial, and IPO Settlement in CHESS and also Interest Rate Market was introduced. ASX purchased 13% stake in Austraclear. In 2000, ASX forms joint venture with Perpetual Registrars to form ASX Perpetual Registrars Limited.

ASX introduced Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), CHESS and OCH entered into settlement for other markets. ASX/Reuters Charity Foundation established in February. In March, ASX entered into 15 year agreement with Standard & Poor's Index Services and in November, announced the creation of a new entity, ASX Supervisory Review Pty Ltd to monitor and oversee ASX's supervisory activity.

Australian Financial Services Reform Legislation was introduced in the following year. ASX acquired 50% interest in Orient Capital. ASX Futures Market was launched in January 2002 and also introduced secure internet-based facilities for the mandatory electronic lodgment of company announcements. On 1 July 2003, ASX announced the strategic alliance with Aspect Huntley for the purpose of joint marketing and development of new and innovative market information products. ASX acquired the remaining 50% of Orient Capital in February 2004. S&P/ASX buy-Write Index was launched in July
the same year.

ASX and Perpetual Trustees Australia Limited announced the joint venture company ASX Perpetual
Registrars Limited was sold to Pacific Equity Partners in August 2005. ASX and the Financial Services

On 5 December 2006, Australian Stock Exchange Limited became ASX Limited and began operating under the brand name Australian Securities Exchange. The creation of the Australian Securities Exchange is a symbolically important step in the merger of Australian Stock Exchange Limited and SFE Corporation Limited, the holding company for the Sydney Futures Exchange.