Thursday, June 28, 2007

 Market Cap of CNQ Stock Exchange Exceeds $1 Billion
CNQ Celebrates Significant Milestone

TORONTO, ONTARIO --CNQ is pleased today to report that the total capitalization of the equity securities of its listed companies has exceeded the $1 billion mark representing the attainment of an important milestone in the success and growth of Canada's new stock exchange.

During the first half of 2007, new listings on CNQ have grown by a remarkable 35 per cent. Transactions are up 65 per cent and the value of trading has increased by 140 per cent over the same period last year. The significant growth in the value traded comes on the heels of eight consecutive months of increases dating back to September 2006. The average market cap per company has increased 28 per cent to $15.4 million and upwards of $90 million in new capital has been raised by CNQ listed companies during the first half of the year.

"Behind the numbers is a fantastic Canadian success story that is a testament to the calibre of our listed companies." said Robert Cook, President of CNQ. "The exchange continually seeks to enhance the quality of the issues we list and the recent addition of Manitoba bonds is an excellent illustration of our progress."

CNQ's regulatory model stresses enhanced corporate disclosure giving investors the opportunity to make more informed investment decisions. Each company has its own page in the Listings Disclosure Hall on www.cnq.ca, which acts as a central repository for all company regulatory and CNQ filings as well as market information including depth with a 15 minute delay.

Recently, CNQ introduced measures to enhance the transparency of its marketplace by amending its order entry rules. Now all CNQ dealers are permitted to enter their own orders directly, rather than having a Market Maker enter them on behalf of the Dealer. To encourage their continued contribution of liquidity to the market, passive and odd lot trades by designated market makers are fee exempt.

"Feedback from CNQ's stakeholders suggested transparency would be improved by opening up the market," Cook added. "We feel the adjustments to the trading model strike a better balance between access and the additional liquidity that market makers offer. The uptick in activity since the changes were implemented bears this out."

CNQ was recognized as a stock exchange by the Ontario Securities Commission in May, 2004 as the first new Canadian stock exchange in over 70 years. It is also the operator of Pure Trading, a high speed, low cost alternative market to trade securities listed on other Canadian stock exchanges, which is preparing to launch a continuous auction market, the first of its kind in Canada. There are currently 58 investment dealers approved for direct access to both Pure Trading and the CNQ stock exchange. For more information, please visit the website at www.cnq.ca.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Media Profile
Susan Reisler
(416) 342-1843
Email: [email protected]

or

CNQ
Lida Preyma
Director, Business Development & Marketing
(416) 572-2000, ext 2285
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.cnq.ca