In the first 2 months of 2006 volume of shares purchase and sale transactions on KASE reached $152.7 m. and grew 3.7 times

/IRBIS, Assel Omarova, March 6, 06/ - In the first two months of 2006 volume of shares purchase and sale transactions made on Kazakhstan stock exchange (KASE), including initial offerings and state blocks of shares (SBS) trade, reached equivalent of $210.1 m. (KZT27.7 bn.) and compared to similar period of last year increased by $152.7 m. (KZT20.2 bn.) or 3.66 times (3.71 times in tenge equivalent). In 2005 volume of shares purchase and sale deals on KASE was the equivalent of USD1,040.5 m. or KZT139.1 bn. Following is the table of volumes of shares deals made on KASE in 2006 grouped by months as well as the structure of turnover and comparable data for year 2005 (th. USD). --------------------------------------------------------------- Sector of the exchange's share market ------------------------------------- secondary market primary ---------------------------- Month market SBS purchase-sale Total ------------- ------- ----- --------------------- --------- January 3,761.1 0 74,268.0 78,029.1 February 3,094.2 0 128,948.3 132,042.5 ------------- ------- ----- --------------------- --------- Total 6,855.3 0 203,216.4 210,071.6 ------------- ------- ----- --------------------- --------- Jan-Feb, 2005 0 0 57,365.2 57,365.2 Trend, times X X 3.54 3.66 --------------------------------------------------------------- SBS - sector of state blocks of shares sale. [2006-03-06]