/IRBIS, Assel Omarova, April 5, 06/ - Within the first three months of 2006 volume of corporate bonds purchase and sale transactions made on Kazakhstan stock exchange (KASE), including initial offerings, reached equivalent of $877.9 m. (KZT114.8 bn.) and compared to similar period of last year increased by $535.7 m. (KZT70.2 bn.) or 2.57 times (2.58 times in tenge equivalent).

In 2005 volume of corporate bonds purchase and sale deals on KASE was the equivalent of USD1,715.8 m. or KZT228.7 bn.

Following is the table of volumes of corporate bonds deals made on KASE in 2006 grouped by months as well as the structure of turnover and comparable data for year 2005 (th. USD).

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                                      Sector
               of the exchange's bond market
               -----------------------------
Month          primary market  purchase-sale      Total
-------------  --------------  -------------  ---------
January               9,193.6      320,955.9  330,149.6
February                    0      207,317.8  207,317.8
March                 1,953.4      338,435.9  340,389.3
-------------  --------------  -------------  ---------
Total                11,147.0      866,709.7  877,856.7
-------------  --------------  -------------  ---------
Jan-Mar, 2005        18,554.4      323,597.7  342,152.1
Trend, times             0.60           2.68       2.57
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[2006-04-05]