Awash Capital Investment Bank and Gadaa Securities Dealer have joined the Ethiopian Securities Exchange as licensed trading members, bringing the number of intermediaries on the market to five. 

Both firms received approval from the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority and satisfied the exchange’s operational and institutional requirements. Their licences allow them to facilitate securities transactions, connecting issuers with investors through the formal market platform.

Gadaa Securities Dealer, affiliated with Geda Bank, obtained its licence in December 2025 and operates as a securities dealer. Awash Capital Investment Bank, a subsidiary of Awash Bank, began operations in late 2025, providing corporate finance advisory, securities trading, and market research services.

“The entry of these firms expands the pool of intermediaries available to investors and issuers,” said Tilahun Esmael Kassahun, chief executive officer of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange. He added that the increase in membership is expected to strengthen the exchange’s operational network.

In its first full financial year, the nation’s nascent marketplace recorded total assets of 1.11 billion birr, total income of 126 million birr, including 6.1 million birr from core activities, and operating expenses of 174.4 million birr, resulting in a net loss of 81.8 million birr.

The exchange currently hosts a growing roster of publicly traded companies. As of early 2026, Wegagen Bank Share Company, Gadaa Bank Share Company, Dashen Bank, Habesha Breweries, and Ethio Telecom Share Company are all listed on the exchange, offering ordinary equity shares to the public.