Mara Corporation is a multi-sector business services company. It operates in the technology, financial services, manufacturing, real estate and agriculture industries.
51-498: The company was founded by Ashish J. Thakkar in 1996, and is now active in 24 countries and employs more than 11,000 people. It is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mara was founded by Ashish J. Thakkar , in 1996. The company grew into an international multi-sector business, with operations and interests across 24 countries including 22 in Africa. In 2010 Mara Group was selected by
102-580: A board of directors drawn from the Exchange's executive, customer, and user base; and the trading name became "The London Stock Exchange". The FTSE 100 Index (pronounced "Footsie 100") was launched by a partnership of the Financial Times and the Stock Exchange on 3 January 1984. This turned out to be one of the most useful indices of all, and tracked the movements of the 100 leading companies listed on
153-490: A $ 5,000 loan to start his company, he opened the small IT business in a shopping mall across the street from his father's shop in Kampala . Over the next ten years, Thakkar expanded Mara Group into manufacturing, real estate, agriculture, and IT services. Thakkar later relocated the company headquarters to Dubai , but kept business in Africa. In 2013, Thakkar announced a partnership with Bob Diamond to launch Atlas Mara,
204-603: A 2020 Financial Conduct Authority report, approximately 15% of British adults reported having investments in stocks and shares. The Royal Exchange had been founded by English financier Thomas Gresham and Sir Richard Clough on the model of the Antwerp Bourse . It was opened by Elizabeth I of England in 1571. During the 17th century, stockbrokers were not allowed in the Royal Exchange due to their perceived rude manners. They had to operate from other establishments in
255-551: A club and opened a new and more formal "Stock Exchange" in Sweeting's Alley. This now had a set entrance fee, by which traders could enter the stock room and trade securities. It was, however, not an exclusive location for trading, as trading also occurred in the Rotunda of the Bank of England. Fraud was also rife during these times and in order to deter such dealings, it was suggested that users of
306-548: A co-founder of Atlas Mara Limited . Thakkar was born in the United Kingdom , but he moved to East Africa as a teenager before founding Mara Group, a Pan-African conglomerate, at the age of 15. Mara Group 's operations and investments span 22 African countries. He is the author of The Lion Awakes: Adventures in Africa's Economic Miracle . Thakkar is a member of the World Economic Forum 's Young Global Leaders, and
357-642: A company that invests in commercial banking institutions across Africa. Diamond, the former chief executive of Barclays , and Thakkar met at a conference through their foundations, Mara Foundation and the Diamond Family Foundation. Thakkar and Diamond raised $ 325 million in funding in December 2013, before listing the company on London Stock Exchange . The stock price has continued steadily declining and has lost 95% of its IPO price. The ticker symbol in London
408-412: A licence. It also set a fixed number of brokers (at 100), but this was later increased as the size of the trade grew. This limit led to several problems, one of which was that traders began leaving the Royal Exchange, either by their own decision or through expulsion, and started dealing in the streets of London. The street in which they were now dealing was known as ' Exchange Alley ', or 'Change Alley'; it
459-553: A new and bigger building was planned, at Capel Court. William Hammond laid the first foundation stone for the new building on 18 May. It was finished on 30 December when "The Stock Exchange" was incised on the entrance. In the Exchange's first operating years, on several occasions there was no clear set of regulations or fundamental laws for the Capel Court trading. In February 1812, the General Purpose Committee confirmed
510-432: A new war. The main concerns included air raids and the subsequent bombing of the Exchange's perimeters, and one suggestion was a move to Denham , Buckinghamshire. This however never took place. On the first day of September 1939, the Exchange closed its doors "until further notice" and two days later World War II was declared. Unlike in the prior war, the Exchange opened its doors again six days later, on 7 September. As
561-452: A set of recommendations, which later became the foundation of the first codified rule book of the Exchange. Even though the document was not a complex one, topics such as settlement and default were, in fact, quite comprehensive. With its new governmental commandments and increasing trading volume, the Exchange was progressively becoming an accepted part of the financial life in the city. In spite of continuous criticism from newspapers and
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#1732863160115612-455: Is ATMA.LN, while in the United States, the ticker is AAMAF. Thakkar founded Mara Foundation, a non-profit company that mentors and supports young African entrepreneurs, in 2009. Mara Mentor, a mobile application that connects young entrepreneurs with business professionals, was launched through Mara Foundation. In June 2014, Thakkar participated in the "Global Accelerator" event hosted by
663-544: Is classified as a Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) under the 2004 MiFID directive, and as such it is a flexible market with a simpler admission process for companies wanting to be publicly listed. The securities available for trading on LSE: Through the Exchange's Italian arm, Borsa Italiana , the London Stock Exchange Group as a whole offers clearing and settlement services for trades through CC&G (Cassa di Compensazione e Garanzia) and Monte Titoli.
714-665: Is the Groups Central Counterparty and covers multiple asset classes throughout the Italian equity, derivatives and bond markets. CC&G also clears Turquoise derivatives. Monte Titoli is the pre-settlement, settlement, custody and asset services provider of the Group. Monte Titoli operates both on-exchange and OTC trades with over 400 banks and brokers. The LSE's trading platform is its own Linux -based edition named Millennium Exchange . Their previous trading platform TradElect
765-643: The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG, which the exchange also lists (ticker symbol LSEG)). Despite a post- Brexit exodus of stock listings from the London Stock Exchange, the LSE was the most valued stock exchange in Europe as of 2023. According to the 2020 Office for National Statistics report, approximately 12% of UK-resident individuals reported having investments in stocks and shares. According to
816-513: The Manchester and Liverpool stock exchanges were opened. Some stock prices sometimes rose by 10%, 20% or even 30% in a week. These were times when stockbroking was considered a real business profession, and such attracted many entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, with booms came busts, and in 1835 the "Spanish panic" hit the markets, followed by a second one two years later. By June 1853, both participating members and brokers were taking up so much space that
867-524: The Rwandan genocide in 1994. The Thakkar family then fled to Burundi before settling in Uganda as refugees. At 15 years old, Thakkar dropped out of school to start his own business with a $ 5,000 loan. Thakkar founded his own company, Mara Group , in 1996 at the age of 15. He began by importing computer parts including keyboards , mouses , and desktops from weekly trips to Dubai . After Thakkar had received
918-726: The United Nations Foundation and the United Nations Office for Partnerships to discuss entrepreneurship in UN objectives. Thakkar presented and worked at the event of over 100 entrepreneurs and UN officials including Michael Dell , Barbara Bush , and Arianna Huffington . In August 2014, Thakkar participated in the US-Africa summit, hosted by the White House, alongside former U.S. President Bill Clinton . He has also participated in
969-651: The African Continent in October 2019. Kigali, Rwanda was the inaugural location for the Mara Phones manufacturing facility and Durban, South Africa opened shortly after. Mara Phones has launched two models, the Mara X and Mara Z. Mara Phones Lab is the technology arm of Mara Phones. Ashish J. Thakkar Ashish J. Thakkar is an East African entrepreneur. He is the founder of Mara Group and Mara Foundation and also
1020-688: The African Development Bank Thakkar's family emigrated from the Indian state of Gujarat to Africa in the 1890s. Thakkar was born in Leicester in 1981. He spent his childhood at Rushey Mead School as part of Belvoir S form group. His parents had moved to the United Kingdom in 1972 when Idi Amin enforced the expulsion of Asians from Uganda . Thakkar and his family returned to Africa to live in Rwanda before they were again forced to leave due to
1071-677: The Electronic Trading Service (SETS) was launched, bringing greater speed and efficiency to the market. Next, the CREST settlement service was launched. In 2000, the LSE's shareholders voted to become a public limited company, London Stock Exchange plc. The LSE also transferred its role as the United Kingdom's listing authority to the Financial Services Authority . EDX London , an international equity derivatives business,
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#17328631601151122-582: The Exchange for improved breathing space and to extend the August Bank Holiday to prohibit a run on banks, was hurried through by the committee and Parliament , respectively. The Stock Exchange ended up being closed from the end of July until the New Year, causing street business to be introduced again, as well as the "challenge system". The Exchange was set to open again on 4 January 1915 under tedious restrictions: transactions were to be in cash only. Due to
1173-538: The Exchange was now uncomfortably crowded, and continual expansion plans were taking place. Having already been extended west, east, and northwards, it was then decided the Exchange needed an entire new establishment. Thomas Allason was appointed as the main architect, and in March 1854, the new brick building inspired from the Great Exhibition stood ready. This was a huge improvement in both surroundings and space, with twice
1224-575: The Exchange. On 20 July 1990, a bomb planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) exploded in the men's toilets behind the visitors' gallery. The area had already been evacuated and nobody was injured. About 30 minutes before the blast at 8:49 a.m., a man who said he was a member of the IRA told Reuters that a bomb had been placed at the exchange and was about to explode. Police officials said that if there had been no warning,
1275-508: The LSE merged with Borsa Italiana , creating London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). The Group's headquarters are in Paternoster Square . Paternoster Square was the initial target for the protesters of Occupy London on 15 October 2011. Attempts to occupy the square were thwarted by police. Police sealed off the entrance to the square as it is private property, a High Court injunction having previously been granted against public access to
1326-679: The LSE: the main market and the alternative investment market. The main market is home to over 1,300 large companies from 60 countries. The FTSE 100 Index ("footsie") is the main share index of the 100 most highly capitalised British companies listed on the Main Market. The Alternative Investment Market is LSE's international market for smaller companies. A wide range of businesses including early-stage, venture capital -backed, as well as more-established companies join AIM seeking access to growth capital. The AIM
1377-476: The Royal Exchange hosted all transactions where foreign parties were involved. The constant increase in overseas business eventually meant that dealing in foreign securities had to be allowed within all of the Exchange's premises. Just as London enjoyed growth through international trade, the rest of Great Britain also benefited from the economic boom. Two other cities in particular showed great business development: Liverpool and Manchester. Consequently, in 1836 both
1428-725: The UN Women Initiative, and was a guest speaker at the Emirates Foundation Youth Philanthropy Summit in November 2014. London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange ( LSE ) is a stock exchange based in London , England. As of August 2023, the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at $ 3.18 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cathedral . Since 2007, it has been part of
1479-563: The World Economic Forum as a Global Growth Company. The company is active in 22 countries and, through its investments and operations, employs more than 11,000 people. The Mara Foundation was founded in 2009 and is the company's social enterprise project. It provides African entrepreneurs with resources for online mentor-ship, business incubation and funding. Mara Phones part of the Mara Corporation launched smartphone factories on
1530-483: The duration that a length of tallow candle could burn; these were known as "by inch of candle" auctions. As stocks grew, with new companies joining to raise capital, the royal court also raised some monies. These are the earliest evidence of organised trading in marketable securities in London. After Gresham's Royal Exchange building was destroyed in the Great Fire of London , it was rebuilt and re-established in 1669. This
1581-508: The financial industry "and the corrosive impacts of the ... sector on the world we live in" and activists also blocked entrances to HM Treasury and the Goldman Sachs office on Fleet Street . On 3 March 2022 the LSE declared it would suspend trading in GDR securities for Russian firms, subsequent to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . There are two main markets on which companies trade on
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1632-598: The financial markets in the UK in 1986. The phrase "Big Bang" was coined to describe measures, including abolition of fixed commission charges and of the distinction between stockjobbers and stockbrokers on the London Stock Exchange, as well as the change from an open outcry to electronic, screen-based trading . In 1995, the Exchange launched the Alternative Investment Market , the AIM, to allow growing companies to expand into international markets. Two years later,
1683-534: The floor space available. By the late 1800s, the telephone, ticker tape , and the telegraph had been invented. Those new technologies led to a revolution in the work of the Exchange. As the financial centre of the world, both the City and the Stock Exchange were hit hard by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Due to fears that borrowed money was to be called in and that foreign banks would demand their loans or raise interest, prices surged at first. The decision to close
1734-478: The floor. Second, in March the London Stock Exchange formally merged with the eleven British and Irish regional exchanges, including the Scottish Stock Exchange . This expansion led to the creation of a new position of chief executive officer ; after an extensive search this post was given to Robert Fell. There were more governance changes in 1991, when the governing Council of the Exchange was replaced by
1785-481: The human toll would have been very high. The explosion ripped a hole in the 23-storey building in Threadneedle Street and sent a shower of glass and concrete onto the street. The long-term trend towards electronic trading platforms reduced the Exchange's attraction to visitors, and although the gallery reopened, it was closed permanently in 1992. The biggest event of the 1980s was the sudden de-regulation of
1836-441: The limitations and challenges on trading brought by the war, almost a thousand members quit the Exchange between 1914 and 1918. When peace returned in November 1918, the mood on the trading floor was generally cowed. In 1923, the Exchange received its own coat of arms , with the motto Dictum Meum Pactum , My Word is My Bond. In 1937, officials at the Exchange used their experiences from World War I to draw up plans for how to handle
1887-420: The long-term strategies of the joint company is to expand Borsa Italiana's efficient clearing services to other European markets. In 2007, after Borsa Italiana announced that it was exercising its call option to acquire full control of MBE Holdings; thus the combined Group would now control Mercato dei Titoli di Stato, or MTS. This merger of Borsa Italiana and MTS with LSE's existing bond-listing business enhanced
1938-482: The public, the government used the Exchange's organised market (and would most likely not have managed without it) to raise the enormous amount of money required for the wars against Napoleon. After the war and facing a booming world economy, foreign lending to countries such as Brazil, Peru and Chile was a growing market. Notably, the Foreign Market at the Exchange allowed for merchants and traders to participate, and
1989-523: The square. The protesters moved nearby to occupy the space in front of St Paul's Cathedral . The protests were part of the global Occupy movement . On 25 April 2019, the final day of the Extinction Rebellion disruption in London, 13 activists glued themselves together in a chain, blocking the entrances of the LSE. The protesters were all later arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass. Extinction Rebellion had said its protesters would target
2040-412: The stock room pay an increased fee. This was not met well and ultimately, the solution came in the form of annual fees and turning the Exchange into a Subscription room. The Subscription room created in 1801 was the first regulated exchange in London, but the transformation was not welcomed by all parties. On the first day of trading, non-members had to be expelled by a constable. In spite of the disorder,
2091-489: The top, and middle floors let out to affiliate companies. Queen Elizabeth II opened the building on 8 November 1972; it was a new City landmark, with its 23,000 sq ft (2,100 m ) trading floor. 1973 marked a year of changes for the Stock Exchange. First, two trading prohibitions were abolished. A report from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission recommended the admittance of both women and foreign-born members on
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2142-415: The vicinity, notably Jonathan's Coffee-House . At that coffee house, a broker named John Castaing started listing the prices of a few commodities including salt, coal, paper, and exchange rates in 1698. Originally, this was not a daily list and was only published a few days of the week. This list and activity was later moved to Garraway's coffee house. Public auctions during this period were conducted for
2193-425: The war escalated into its second year, the concerns for air raids were greater than ever. Eventually, on the night of 29 December 1940, one of the greatest fires in London's history took place. The Exchange's floor was hit by a clutch of incendiary bombs , which were extinguished quickly. Trading on the floor was now drastically low and most was done over the phone to reduce the possibility of injuries. The Exchange
2244-429: Was a move away from coffee houses and a step towards the modern model of stock exchange. The Royal Exchange housed not only brokers but also merchants and merchandise. This was the birth of a regulated stock market, which had teething problems in the shape of unlicensed brokers. In order to regulate these, Parliament passed an Act in 1697 that levied heavy penalties, both financial and physical, on those brokering without
2295-568: Was announced that the LSE would merge with the Deutsche Börse ; however this fell through. On 23 June 2007, the LSE announced that it had agreed on the terms of a recommended offer to the shareholders of the Borsa Italiana S.p.A. The merger of the two companies created a leading diversified exchange group in Europe. The combined group was named the London Stock Exchange Group, but still remained two separate legal and regulatory entities. One of
2346-479: Was based on Microsoft's .NET Framework , and was developed by Microsoft and Accenture. Despite TradElect only being in use for about two years, after suffering multiple periods of extended downtime and unreliability the LSE announced in 2009 that it was planning to switch to Linux in 2010. The main market migration to MillenniumIT technology was successfully completed in February 2011. The previous system, SETS,
2397-474: Was created in 2003 in partnership with OM Group. The Exchange also acquired Proquote Limited, a new generation supplier of real-time market data and trading systems. The old Stock Exchange Tower became largely redundant with Big Bang, which deregulated many of the LSE's activities: computerised systems and dealing rooms replaced face-to-face trading. In 2004, the LSE moved to a brand-new headquarters in Paternoster Square , close to St Paul's Cathedral . In 2007,
2448-713: Was included in Fortune magazine's list of the top " 40 Under 40 " in 2013. He was awarded the Base Leadership Award at the 2014 MTV Africa Music Awards event. Esquire named him Middle East Man of the Year in 2016. In 2015, Thakkar was appointed Chair of the United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council and in 2017, he was appointed Chair of the Presidential Youth Advisory Group at
2499-562: Was introduced in October 1997 and used until 2007. The London Market Information Link, a COBOL application running on a HP Tandem server was used to disseminate market data to terminals before being replaced by Infolect. The LSE facilitates stock listings in a currency other than its "home currency". Most stocks are quoted in GBP but some are quoted in EUR while others are quoted in USD. On 3 May 2000, it
2550-484: Was only closed for one more day during wartime, in 1945 due to damage from a V-2 rocket . Nonetheless, trading continued in the house's basement. After decades of uncertain if not turbulent times, stock market business boomed in the late 1950s. This spurred multiple officials to find new, more suitable accommodation. The work on the new Stock Exchange Tower began in 1967. The Exchange's new 321 feet (98 metres) high building had 26 storeys with council and administration at
2601-608: Was suitably placed close to the Bank of England . Parliament tried to regulate this and ban the unofficial traders from the Change streets. Traders became weary of "bubbles" when companies rose quickly and fell, so they persuaded Parliament to pass a clause preventing "unchartered" companies from forming. After the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), trade at Jonathan's Coffee House boomed again. In 1773, Jonathan, together with 150 other brokers, formed
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