The relaunch of the information site comes as the bank reports six-month depositary receipt trading volume on the NYSE. The Amex and Nasdaq is up 21% from the first half of 2000, reaching 17 billion shares. But the number of new ADR programs, as anyone familiar with the large number of postponed deals in Asia will attest, has dropped dramatically. Non-US companies and governments from 11 countries raised $3.8 billion through 14 depositary receipt offerings in the first half, compared to the $18.3 billion raised last year with 66 offerings by non-US companies and governments from 26 countries.
The Bank's Web site – www.adrbny.com -- contains a complete DR Directory, with information on over 2,000 depositary receipt programs along with filtering and search functionality. Among new additions to the site are: company profiles that incorporate the latest company news, price quotes, corporate action and dividend information; and interactive charting for depositary receipts, stocks, indices and mutual funds with a wide range of customized charting controls.
Another addition is an e-newsletter which provides periodic updates on depositary receipt market trends, news and highlights, although users who enter their email address are currently being told this feature won't be ready for a few months.
"As the industry's premier provider of depositary receipt services, the Bank of New York is in the unique position of being the worldwide aggregator of depositary receipt information," says Joseph Velli, senior executive vice president and head of Worldwide Securities Servicing at the Bank of New York. "Our Web site gives all market participants access to this breadth of data and provides powerful tools allowing for analysis and customization of depositary receipt information."
The Bank of New York ADR Index is also accessible on the site, tracking all depositary receipts traded on the NYSE, Amex, and Nasdaq. In addition to the Composite Index, there are three regional indices, three market indices and various sector and country indices. Highlights include performance charts and tables for all 53 depositary receipt indices, detailed profiles offering daily quotes and interactive analytics.
The site also offers an enhanced DR Converter, complete with increased processing power to allow investors to interactively analyze the costs of investing in non-US securities.
