The East African Securities Exchanges Association (EASEA) has launched a new tool called the EAE 20 Share Index to help track the performance of top companies listed on stock markets in East Africa.
This is the first regional index of its kind. It brings together the 20 biggest and most successful companies from stock exchanges in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. These companies come from different industries, like banking, telecom, manufacturing, and consumer goods. Together, they represent over 85% of the total value of East Africa’s stock markets.
Companies in the EAE 20 Share Index include:
- Safaricom, KCB, Equity Bank, Co-operative Bank, Absa (Kenya)
- CRDB, NMB, Tanzania Breweries, Tanga Cement, Tanzania Cigarette Corporation (Tanzania)
- BK Group, Bralirwa, I&M Bank, Cimerwa, MTN Rwandacell (Rwanda)
- MTN Uganda, Stanbic Uganda, Airtel Uganda, Bank of Baroda (Uganda), Quality Chemicals (Uganda)
To be included in the index, companies must:
- Be listed on one of the East African stock markets
- Have been on the stock exchange for at least one year
- Be strong, profitable companies with a good history of paying dividends
The EAE 20 Share Index will help investors, analysts, and governments track the value and changes in prices of these companies. It will also encourage cross-border investment and make East Africa’s markets more attractive and transparent to both local and international investors.
Speaking at the launch, Nairobi Securities Exchange CEO Frank Mwiti said,
“This is a big step forward for East Africa’s financial markets. The new index will help investors see how our top companies are performing and make better decisions.”
He added that it will also support new financial products like index-based funds and ETFs, which are important for growing the region’s investment opportunities.
EASEA represents all major stock markets and depositories in East Africa, including those from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Somalia, Burundi, and Ethiopia.
This new index is expected to bring East African markets closer together, making it easier for people to invest across countries and helping the region grow economically.
