Securities

Euronext VPS (Verdipapirsentralen) is the only central securities depository in Norway and handles the settlement of transactions in securities and the registration of ownership rights over securities.

Types of securities:

Listed shares entails shares listed for trade at the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE), Euronext Expand or Euronext Growth.

Unlisted shares entails shares not listed for trade at an exchange, do not have a listed market price, and are therefore usually less liquid.

Equity certificates are special kind of equity instrument issued by savings banks and mutual insurance companies. Equity certificates are very similar to shares, but differ with regards to ownership rights and influence in the company.

Long-term debt securities are debt securities with a duration longer than one year that can be divided between several lenders as standardized partial long-term debt securities without the borrower's approval. A long-term debt security is a negotiable financial instrument.

Short-term debt securities are debt securities with duration less than one year.

An issue is the opening of a new loan.

The issuer is the institutional owner who raised the loan and registers it in his balance sheet (the original borrower). The institutional owner is not always an individual legal entity.

The borrower is the institution registering the loan in his balance sheet. This institution may differ from the issuing institution as a result of mergers, demergers, bankruptcies etc.

Valuation:

The market values of the stocks of securities in Norway are determined by available prices. For listed securities, they will mainly be market prices from the Oslo Stock Exchange and Euronext. For unlisted securities, the latest available prices from transactions, annual assessment rates from tax purposes or nominal prices are chosen in a preferred order. From the 4th quarter of 2006, observed transaction rates are used to estimate market values of non-listed securities.

Transaction prices are based upon information about actual payments registered in the VPS, or calculated amounts if no actual payments are available. Where no actual payments are specified, market prices from OSE are used for individual trading dates in order to determine traded amounts for transactions. From the 4th quarter of 2006 observed transaction rates are used to estimate transaction values for non-listed securities

Dividends/coupon payments are actual paid out amounts during a period.

Sector and industry categorization information is based on what is registered at the Coordinating Register for Legal Entities Enterprises. This classification is based on international requirements in SNA2008 (System of National Accounts)/ ESA2010 (European System of Accounts) and NACE Rev.2 (European Classification of Economic Activities).

ISIN is an abbreviation for International Securities Identification Number and is a code that uniquely identifies a specific security. It is assigned by the Norwegian Central Securities Depository and based on the international standard ISO 6166:2001.

CFI is an abbreviation for Classification of Financial Instruments and is based on the international standard ISO 10962:2001. The Norwegian Central Securities Depository is responsible for the assignment of CFI codes.

Name: Securities
Topic: Banking and financial markets

Division for Financial Markets Statistics

National level, no regional divisions.

Quarterly. Normally published 6-7 weeks after the end of the statistics quarter

BIS - Bank for International Settlements

Time series are stored in a database solution.

The statistics consists of data from the previously published statistics, “Debt securities” and “ Securities registered with the Norwegian Central Securities Depository” , published as " Securities "as of Q1 2016. "Securities"' data series go back to Q4 2014,while older data series can be found by use of the statistics "Debt Securities" and "Securities registered within The Norwegian Central Securities Depository".

The purpose of the statistics is to provide a current overview of the issue and ownership of securities registered in VPS as well as Norwegian entities' debt securities abroad. Parts of the data basis are also input to the national accounts, balance of payments, financial sector accounts and credit indicators.

Figures for outstanding amounts of long-term debt securities are available back to 1899. Figures for issues of long-term debt securities are available back to 1914. Historical figures on nominal yields are available back to 1900.Figures for short-term debt securities are available back to 1985. Figures for issues outside Norway by residents are available back to 1988.

Details of figures on numbers of issues of debt securities in Norway are available from 1998, while details of figures on numbers of issues abroad are available from 2001.

Major users, in addition to Statistics Norway, are users representing the securities market, public authorities and research institutes.

No external users have access to the statistics before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar

The statistics is adjusted in accordance with the national accounts recommendations.

The Statistics Act § 10

Council regulation 2223/96

The statistics consists of data from the previously published statistics, “Debt securities” and “ Securities registered with the Norwegian Central Securities Depository”, published as " Securities "as of Q1 2016. The statistics presents stock and transaction data in face values as well as market values for the following types of securities registered in VPS:

• All shares issued by public limited companies (PLC) and a share of private limited companies. Also included are a part of or the whole share capital of foreign registered Companies.
• Equity certificates, including all equity certificates listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
• Bonds, including all bonds of short- or long maturity issued in Norway in NOK or foreign currency. Bonds in foreign currency are included in the statistics from the 4th quarter of 2006.
• Short-term debt securities issued in Norway in NOK or foreign currency, including treasury bills issued by the Norwegian state since July 2000. Short-term debt securities in foreign currency are included in the statistics from the 4th quarter of 2006.

In addition, the statistics have information about issues and outstanding amounts in nominal values from debt securities issued by Norwegian entities abroad.

For all debt securities issued in Norway and abroad, the statistics also have information about numbers of issues and the link between outstanding amounts, issues, redemptions and changes in outstanding amounts caused by changes in sector classification and exchange rates in nominal values. From 2013, debt securities that have been converted into shares or other types of loans are included as "Changes in sector classification and exchange rates".

Full sample. Information from The Norwegian Central Securities Depository (VPS), Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE), Norwegian Trustee and forms (RA-0622) contending details from issues sent to Statistics Norway.

Extracts of primary data from securities in Norway are received monthly from the Norwegian Central Securities Depository (VPS). Market values and transaction information are received currently from Euronext and VPS. Exchange rate information is received by the Norges Bank. Data from debt securities issued by Norwegian entities abroad are sent by issuers to Statistics Norway every month by use of a form (RA-0622).

Data is controlled at an individual security level (ISIN level) against previous reported periods. The development in the value of listed shares and bonds is revised against data published by OSE and VPS. Figures for outstanding debts are co-ordinated with the accounting statistics. Details of debt securities issued by residents abroad are also controlled against data reported to the BIS and other national and international registers.

Data series are revised on an ongoing basis and published together with data for the new statistical period.

Not relevant

Statistics Norway's standard confidentiality rules apply.

All "Securities"' data series go back to Q4 2014,while older data series can be found by use of the statistics "Debt Securities" and "Securities registered within The Norwegian Central Securities Depository".

Changes in legislation, changes in regulations for registration requirements in the VPS, and the introduction of new classification standards may lead to interrupted time series.

2006: Adjustment in securities statistics:

An change in the statistics to a more detailed reporting in the 4th quarter of 2006, means that the sector and industry categorization is based on information from the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities Enterprises, and no longer from the Central Security Depository (VPS) itself. This caused some changes in the ownership of some securities. The sectors “Other financial corporations” and “Other non-financial corporations” and “Local government and municipal enterprises” were significantly affected by this change.

Further, the adjustment in the statistics lead to more use of observed prices from transactions for calculation of market values of securities, which particularly improved the estimation in value of unlisted shares. Calculations showed that the total value of unlisted shares registered with the VPS increased by NOK 107 billion (64 per cent) as a consequence of changed method of calculation.

The adjustment of the securities statistics also meant that bonds issued in foreign currency was included in the statistics. This lead to a NOK 20 billion increase in the market value of the stocks of bonds.

Changes in the periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities from 2007:

In publications up to 2007 and the statistics bank, the periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities up to 2007 is based on information about the date of the loan's approvement. This date can deviate from the date of which an issue actually took place. The periodic deviation may cause marginal errors for total amounts, but errors may be more obvious at sector level. The periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities in 2007 - 2011 is based on a combination of information about the date of the loan's approvement and issue dates. The periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities from 2011 is based on details of actual issue dates whereby the distribution of issues and outstanding amounts for periods should be correct.

2012: New standard for sector classification was introduced.

A new institutional sector classification was introduced from January 2012. One of the most significant changes is that the demarcation between financial – and non-financial sector was shifted so that financial sector increased in size. In addition, some new financial sectors were introduced such as “investment trusts and private equity funds” and “financial holding companies”.

The introduction of the new sector classification leads to a break in the statistics. The new tables will contain data from the first quarter of 2012 and onwards. The older tables will not be updated with new time series.

2012: New divide between listed - and unlisted shares

From 2012 and onwards, the statistics the distinguishes between listed - and unlisted registered with the VPS. Listed shares entails shares registered for trade at the Oslo Stock Exchange or Oslo Axess.

From 2013, debt securities that have been converted into shares or other types of loans are included as "Changes in sector classification and exchange rates".

Updated information about debt securities:

Time series breaks may exist due to access to new information, alterations in the legal framework and in the registration rules of the Norwegian Central Securities Depository.

The tables are updated with figures for these new data from 2012.

2020: New divide between listed - and unlisted shares

From 2020 listed shares entails shares registered for trade at the Oslo Stock Exchange, Euronext Expand or Euronext Growth.

To the degree that the fixed delivery from VPS contains errors or defects, this could affect the statistics. Processing and control routines have been established in order to detect and correct such errors and defects.

In cases where an owner of a security is registered on a nominee account of a financial enterprise, and in cases where different types lending of securities occur, others than the genuine owners will be registered in the VPS register. This can to some extent cause the application of sectors to owners of holdings and transactions to be imperfect.

In publications up to 2007 and the statistics bank, the periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities up to 2007 is based on information about the date of the loan's approvement. This date can deviate from the date of which an issue actually took place. The periodic deviation may cause marginal errors for total amounts, but errors may be more obvious at sector level. The periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities in 2007 - 2011 is based on a combination of information about the date of the loan's approvement and issue dates. The periodic distribution of issues and outstanding amounts of debt securities from 2011 is based on details of actual issue dates whereby the distribution of issues and outstanding amounts for periods should be correct.

The statistics on issues by Norwegian residents outside Norway is based on data reported to Norges Bank from the issuers. Unless all the issues are reported, the statistics will contain non-response errors. Due to non-response errors which have been discovered, figures for Norwegian entities' issues abroad were corrected in statistics published in Q3 and Q4 2013, Q3 2015 and Q1 2016.

Data may be revised in future publications.