Excellent Climate for New Issues in 1994 - Prices Steady on Higher Share Turnove

For most companies quoted in Amsterdam, 1994 was a year of consolidation after the explosion in prices in 1993, although initially it did not appear that way. In the first quarter, market sentiment was particularly firm - with enormous turnovers. Then support fell away and the picture became highly volatile. Average prices hardly advanced over the year as a whole. This was basically attributable to the strong rise in the rate of growth of the American economy, and the consequent hikes in US interest rates because of fears of inflation. On top of this the European economies were also growing, giving rise to further worries on the interest rate front. However, such worries did not frighten off the private investor at all - in fact, quite the contrary. In view of the large number of small transactions, it is more than likely that the activities of this group once again increased. Having stood at +414.27 at the end of 1993, the Amsterdam EOE Index rose to 414.47. When it comes to