Awash Bank Lists on Ethiopian Securities Exchange Main Board

Mintesinot Niggusie

Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) has admitted Awash Bank S.C. to its main market, in a move that signals early momentum in Ethiopia’s nascent capital market and brings one of the country’s largest financial institutions into public trading. The listing, marked by a bell-ringing ceremony on the exchange floor, follows the registration of 54,066,089 shares with the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority and the dematerialisation of securities through the National Bank of Ethiopia central securities depository.

Of these, 37,896,928 shares have been admitted for listing under the ticker symbol AWAB. Awash Bank’s entry positions it among the first wave of financial institutions to test investor appetite on a regulated trading platform, as authorities push to deepen capital formation and reduce reliance on bank-led financing.

Tilahun Esmael Kassahun (PhD), chief executive of the exchange, said the listing reflects growing institutional confidence in the market’s infrastructure and regulatory framework. “Welcoming Awash Bank to our main market demonstrates the potential of the exchange to support economic growth and broaden investment opportunities,” he said.

For Awash Bank, Ethiopia’s largest private lender by assets and branch network, the move opens a pathway to diversify funding sources and optimise its capital structure. The bank has more than 12,000 shareholders and over 20,000 employees, according to company disclosures.

Tsehay Shiferaw, the bank’s chief executive, described the listing as part of a longer institutional trajectory. “We have always been pioneers, and this step ensures we remain at the forefront of innovation and value creation,” he said.

The bank looks forward to leveraging this listing to fuel future growth and further expand its operations.