Untitled - Saxo World

Saxo bank in briefEstablished in 1992 and headquartered in Copenhagen,Saxo Bank is a fully licensed and regulated European investmentbank specialising in online trading and investment.The Bank provides a wide range of products andplatforms, giving private clients, partners, institutions,banks and brokers, instant and reliable access to financialmarkets.2009 was a year of geographical expansion for SaxoBank. In addition to its established offices in London, Zurich,Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo, SaxoBank opened new offices in Milan, Prague, Amsterdamand Athens, and received regulatory approval to operate aregional office in the Dubai International Financial Centre(DIFC) under the supervision of the Dubai Financial ServicesAuthority.Saxo Bank has developed three specialised trading platforms;the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadableSaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader, a mobilephone trading platform. All platforms are fully integratedunder each client account. The Bank has consistently beenawarded key accolades from industry publications, such asFX Week and Euromoney. In 2007, Saxo Bank’s foundersreceived the coveted Achievement Award from FX Weekin New York for their outstanding contribution and theirstrong commitment to the success of the e-FX industry.Saxo Bank provides its client base with access to over 155FX crosses (incl. Gold and Silver), more than 6,000 CFDs,Futures and other asset classes, as well as portfolio andfund management solutions. Saxo Bank’s trading platformsare offered to Introducing Brokers and financial institutions,as well as being rebranded and customised forits White Label business.In 2009, Saxo Bank developed its asset management businessthrough the purchase of Sirius and Capital Four, aswell as a 51% stake in Global Evolution. The asset managementactivities of the Bank now include expertisewithin Danish bonds, Nordic Stocks, high-yield andemerging market bonds.Saxo Bank’s financial expertise is derived from approximately800 staff. The employees come from more than 70different countries and serve a client base spread acrossmore than 170 countries.The major shareholders of Saxo Bank A/S are the twofounders’ holding companies, Fournais Holding A/S andLars Seier Christensen Holding A/S, which own 30 percenteach. General Atlantic, a private equity investment firm,owns 22 percent of the Bank and Espirito Santo FinancialGroup, Portugal’s third biggest financial group, with itssubsidiary Banco Espirito Santo Group, Portugal’s largestprivate bank, together holds 9.9 percent of the Bank’sshares. The remaining interest is mainly held by a numberof current and former employees of Saxo Bank.Upholding and protecting basic standards such as thefreedom of speech, freedom of religion and propertyrights, as well as freedom of association and the recognitionof the right to collective bargaining, is an integratedpart of Saxo Bank’s value system. Over the years, the Bankhas followed up on its beliefs by funding organisations,books and other initiatives promoting the principles oflimited government, free markets and human rights.ANNUAL REPORT 2009 · SAXO BANK · 79