Addis Bank Registers Five Million Shares with Capital Market Authority

Addis Bank S.C. has become the latest Ethiopian lender to register its existing shares with the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority (ECMA), marking another step in the country’s efforts to build a regulated securities market.

The Authority announced that it approved Addis Bank’s Registration Statement on June 29, 2026, registering five million existing ordinary shares already held by shareholders.

The registration was carried out in accordance with the Public Offer and Trading of Securities Directive No. 1030/2024, which requires issuers to register securities held by shareholders before they can undertake future public offerings or other capital market transactions, unless specifically exempted under the law.

Unlike a public share offering, the registration does not involve the sale of new shares or an invitation for investors to purchase securities. ECMA emphasized that the notice serves only to inform the public that the securities have been registered and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the bank or as an offer to buy or sell shares.

The registration forms part of Ethiopia’s broader capital market reforms, which require companies seeking to participate in the country’s securities market to bring their existing share structures under the regulatory oversight of the Capital Market Authority.

In recent months, several financial institutions have registered securities with the Authority as preparations continue for greater participation in Ethiopia’s emerging capital market ecosystem.

The latest registration positions Addis Bank to comply with the country’s evolving securities regulations and provides a regulatory foundation for any future capital market activities permitted under Ethiopian law.

Established in 2011, Addis Bank has expanded its presence across Ethiopia’s banking sector through a growing branch network and digital banking services. The registration of its existing shares represents another milestone in the gradual development of Ethiopia’s formal securities market following the establishment of the Ethiopian Capital Market Authority and the Ethiopian Securities Exchange.