Global Investing and Trading

Euronext Paris

History: The history of Euronext Paris dates back to 1520, when the residents of Toulouse, France, formed a milling company and began trading shares. It was officially recognized as the Paris Stock Exchange (Bourse de Paris) in 1801. Since that time, the Exchange has gone through several mergers, restructurings, and name changes. The exchange became part of the first pan-European exchange when the Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels bourses (exchanges) merged in 2000 to form the Euronext. On April 4, 2007, the New York Stock Exchange Group (parent company of the New York Stock Exchange) merged with Euronext to form the NYSE Euronext.

Overview of the NYSE Euronext: The Euronext Paris is a member of the NYSE Euronext family. Other members of the exchange include: The New York Stock Exchange, Euronext founding members Amsterdam and Brussels, Liffe, and NYSE Arca Options.

Operations today: Today, Euronext Paris lists 673 companies and over 11,000 securities. The official currency of the exchange is the euro.

Index: The benchmark index for Euronext Paris is the CAC 40. The acronym CAC stands for cotation assistée en continu or Continuous Assisted Quotation. The index holds 40 stocks selected from the list of the top 100 firms in terms of market capitalization on Euronext Paris, and from the list of the most active stocks on the exchange.

Market hours: Euronext Paris operates from 9:00 am - 17:30 pm (Central European Time)

Trading on Euronext Paris through HSBC InvestDirect: Currently, only day orders placed at market price are accepted on the Euronext Paris. If a trade is not executed and filled the same day that it is requested, it will expire and you will be required to submit a new trade for the next trading session.

If your order request is submitted when Euronext Paris is closed, the trade order will be placed for the next trading session when the market is open. Settlement is T+3 (local Paris time).

Securities: HSBC InvestDirect allows you to trade equities and exchange traded funds on Euronext Paris.

Special terms: No special terms (such as all or none, on stop, or on stop limit restrictions) are allowed.

Accounts: Trading on Euronext Paris is permitted in cash (CDN/USD/euro denominated), margin and registered accounts. Please note: foreign securities will not be granted margin loan value.

Quotes & trade execution: You can contact an investment representative to obtain the latest quote, make a trade or inquire on the order status of a particular French security.

Market research: Take advantage of the unmatched global research and commentary offered by HSBC InvestDirect to keep informed of the latest French financial news. Here's how to access it:

• Click on Research (located on the left hand navigational bar.)
• Select Reports
• Click on Advanced Search
• Filter your search by selecting a specific region (Europe) or country (France).

Search tip: If you are looking for a specific security it is best to filter by country. If you are looking for general market/economic commentary, it is best to filter by region. Multi-currency settlement: Our multi-currency settlement feature allows you to trade and settle as well as maintain an account in euros. Even commissions are charged in euros so that foreign exchange risk exposure and costs are minimized.

Tax implications: Income from French investments received by a Canadian resident investor is generally treated as foreign income. As a result, dividend income from French companies is subject to tax in Canada at your marginal tax rate.