Abay Bank S.C. has listed its shares on the Ethiopian Securities Exchange (ESX) Main Market under the ticker ABAYB, becoming the fifth company to join Africa’s youngest stock exchange and the fourth private commercial bank to debut since trading began in January 2025.
The listing marks another milestone for Ethiopia’s efforts to build a modern capital market after operating for more than five decades without an organised securities exchange.
Wegagen Bank and Gadaa Bank were the first companies to list on the ESX last year, followed by Awash Bank, Ethiopia’s largest private commercial bank, which joined the Main Market in April.
The exchange broadened beyond financial institutions in May when state-owned Ethio Telecom became its first non-bank listing after a public share offer that attracted more than 47,000 investors, signalling growing retail interest in the country’s emerging equity market.
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