Tag Archives: Abattis Bioceuticals

CSE Enjoys Record Year in 2014, International Outreach and Trading Initiatives Help Shape Agenda for New Year

The Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) is pleased to announce record results in all key performance categories for the year ended December 31, 2014, reflecting success in achieving the exchange’s goal of reducing the cost of capital for Canadian public companies. For 2015, the CSE expects growth to remain strong as it maintains existing activities and introduces several new initiatives to further strengthen competitiveness.

CSE Enjoys Record Year in 2014 – Key Stats

  • The CSE finished 2014 with a total of 244 listed companies, a 35% increase compared to the previous year;
  • CSE companies conducted 211 financings, raising a total of $155 million, or $76 million more than in 2013;
  • Aggregate trading volume for the year was 2.3 billion shares, up 165%;
  • Aggregate trading value was $498 million, up 315%.

Companies from a wide range of business sectors sought listing status on the CSE in 2014, including pharmaceutical, health care, technology, mining, clean tech, oil and gas and financial services. Approximately half of new listings came in the form of public companies transitioning to the CSE from other exchanges.

The CSE enters 2015 with a strong applications pipeline and a fresh set of objectives to further enhance trading and market access.

Over 100 companies raised capital on the CSE during the year, averaging $1.4 million per issuer. Premier Diagnostic Health Services Inc. (CSE:PDH), Tier One Capital Limited Partnership (CSE:TLP.UN), Pivotal Therapeutics Inc. (CSE:PVO) and Helius Medical Technologies Inc. (CSE:HSM) each raised more than $7 million. Novo Resources Corp. (CSE:NVO) and Supreme Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE:SL) were among others that completed significant financings. Supreme was also an exchange volume leader in 2014, alongside other companies in the medical marijuana sector such as Abattis Bioceuticals Corp. (CSE:ATT) and Affinor Growers Inc. (CSE:AFI).

“Technology was a standout on the financing front, with issuers in the sector accounting for around half of all capital raised on the CSE in 2014,” said CSE Chief Executive Officer Richard Carleton. “But fundraising challenges remain and this makes our operating model attractive for companies at the early to mid stages of development. With no immediate relief on the horizon, our low-cost, highly efficient listing model will remain an important incentive for fast growing companies to work with us.”

The CSE enters 2015 with a strong applications pipeline and a fresh set of objectives to further enhance trading and market access. These include a new market making program designed to enhance issuer liquidity; new order routing, compliance and risk management tools to assist dealers; and more resources for the exchange’s marketing team to support existing issuers and attract new ones.

Plans also call for a broader foreign markets strategy, particularly in light of the benefits many issuers realized after the CSE became a designated exchange with the leading operator of over-the-counter markets in the United States early in 2014. Tighter bid/offer spreads and greater trading liquidity resulted for many companies as US investors gained access to CSE stocks through domestic broker platforms newly able to provide quotes denominated in US dollars. The CSE will explore this model with exchanges in the European Union and United Kingdom in the current year.

“We put a lot of effort into raising our profile with key segments of the public finance community in Canada and internationally in 2014,” said Carleton. “Our goal is to build on those achievements throughout the current year, ensuring easier market access to enhance liquidity, reaching out to institutional investors to explain the merits of the CSE and show them examples of highly successful companies on our exchange, and continuing to address the micro and macro needs of our growing issuer base.”

Medical Marijuana Stocks: A Look at the Budding Industry

Colbert_Marijuna_webThe recent interest in marijuana as an investment idea is garnering more than just a little buzz from the investment community and beyond.

As the regulatory landscape around marijuana continues to evolve in the US and here in Canada the conversation has also begun to change. The concerns, it appears, have been shifting away from whether or not it is acceptable to use, and towards understanding circumstances for appropriate use and how best to structure as well as regulate the cultivation, processing, distribution and (of course) taxation.

While some of the conversation on the wave of ‘ganjapreneurs’ is tongue-in-cheek (see Stephen Colbert’s recent view on the matter here), the Canadian conversation is currently focused on how marijuana for medicinal purposes can be made more widely available.

The following piece by Proactive Investors, provides some background to the recent interest in medical marijuana stocks here in Canada.  It highlights two CSE-listed companies, Enertopia (CSE:TOP) as well as Abattis Bioceuticals (CSE:ATT) as emerging players in this space.

Another recent addition to the CSE listed company roster – Next Gen Metals (CSE:N) – has also identified itself as a participant in the hemp and medical marijuana space having recently created a division to address this market opportunity. Southbridge Resources (CSE:SOU), a CSE listed company, also recently announced that they are making possible inroads into the sector with the potential acquisition of Vodis Innovative Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Without question, the road ahead on marijuana as investment appears to be paved with uncertainties. Nevertheless, entrepreneurs and investors are already at work trying to find where and when ‘budding’ opportunities in the ‘pot-com’ industry are going to present themselves next.

For further context, read the full article on the topic at Proactive Investors.