Australia and New Zealand's only multi-contributor fixed income research and trading portal, Yieldbroker.com, today announced that ABN AMRO has agreed to make an equity investment in the company.

ABN AMRO's investment in Yieldbroker will see it take an equal shareholding and a board seat along with Yieldbroker's current sponsors, Deutsche Bank, Macquarie Bank, Salomon Smith Barney, UBS Warburg and Westpac. 

Yieldbroker's General Manager, Rachael Rogers, said the deal with ABN AMRO reinforces Yieldbroker's commitment to the Australasian fixed income markets.

"We are pleased to welcome ABN AMRO as an equity participant in Yieldbroker. ABN AMRO is a leading market maker in the Australian and New Zealand fixed income markets and shares our vision of being the portal of choice in this region." Ms Rogers said.

"Yieldbroker now has the unparalleled backing of six of the leading Australian and New Zealand fixed income market-makers and is continuing to strengthen the value proposition that Yieldbroker offers to clients who trade in fixed income markets locally." said Ms. Rogers.

Head of Global Financial Markets for ABN AMRO in Australia and New Zealand Colin McKeith said that Yieldbroker has demonstrated a strong commitment to providing the most effective research and trading platform for the Australian Fixed Income market.

"We have a commitment to provide clients with a full range of fixed income products and services online globally. We share Yieldbroker's vision for fast and secure electronic trade execution for this market, which is why we decided to take the opportunity to become an equity partner.

"Yieldbroker compliments our equity holdings and/or participation in other portals and enhances our ability to provide liquidity in any platform where our customers ask for it. It also adds to the analytical, research and trading services that we already offer online," Mr McKeith said.

"We look forward to further enhancing the liquidity and price transparency available through Yieldbroker."

Commenting on the addition of ABN AMRO to the Yieldbroker platform, Mr Philip Haeney, Manager, Fixed Income and Cash, NRMA Asset Management said, "We are pleased by the announcement that ABN AMRO will be joining the current banks on Yieldbroker. As current users of the site, we feel that the greater the representation of liquidity providers, the more we will expect to use the site in the future."

Yieldbroker.com, operating since May 2000, launched its multi-contributor fixed income trading platform in May 2001 following government and regulatory approval, a first for the Australian bond market.

ABN AMRO provides a full range of investment and wholesale banking services in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

For further information contact:
Rachael Rogers
General Manager
Yieldbroker Pty Ltd
Tel. 9221 9660
Email:

Colin McKeith
Head of Global Financial Markets
ABN AMRO
Tel. 8259 5201