Alexander Potyomkin told a seminar dedicated to the launch of Gazprom share trading on MICEX, scheduled for January 23, that trading in the company's stock on other floors totaled $1-2 billion per month in early 2005. However, after Gazprom removed the ring-fence from around its shares in December, the figure climbed to $6-7 billion.
"This is not the limit," Potyomkin said. "I think we can expect Gazprom shares to reach the level of [Russia's electricity giant] Unified Energy System (UES) in terms of liquidity."
Trading in Gazprom stock on MICEX "will not merely be trading in shares of a major company, but will be a turning point in the history of Russia's stock market," Potyomkin said.
He said the starting price for the shares could be 210-220 rubles ($7.4-7.7) per share, and added that Gazprom's market capitalization and leading position had to be maintained.
