A Dutch Brewing Company And Grocery Conglomerate Were 2 Of The Most Actively Traded Securities On OTC Markets In December

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Two Dutch companies were among the most actively traded securities on OTC Markets in December, the first time all year that companies from northern Europe had such high trading volume in a given month.

Trading volume in Heineken N.V. HEINY, the makers of Heineken and Amstel beers, and Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize N.V. ADRNY, the owners of U.S. grocery brands Giant, Stop&Shop, Food Lion, and Peapod, substantially increased in December.

Over $140 million worth of Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize shares traded hands last month, a 202% increase from November. That made it December’s fifth-most-active security on the OTCQX Market, the premium tier of OTC Markets, behind Roche Holding Ltd RHHBY, Danone DANOY, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (BTC) GBTC, and Imperial Brands PLC IMBBY.

Meanwhile, Heineken had over $101 million worth of its shares trade in December, a 183% increase from November. Not only did that make it the seventh-most traded security on OTCQX for the month, but it accounted for nearly 20% of the company’s total 2019 trading volume.

The increase in trading volume in the two Dutch companies comes as OTC Markets has focused more closely on the region.

“The region has tremendous opportunity for us as a business because they have a very vibrant market,” said Chris King, senior vice president of international corporate services at OTC Markets. “Companies tend to find that they're somewhat underserved by their local markets, and they look to the U.S. to grow their investor base.”

Elsewhere on the OTCQX Market, the top-traded securities with the greatest month-over-month volume increases included mining companies Continental Gold Inc CGOOF, Riviera Resources, Inc. RVRA, and Mexican bank Grupo Financiero Banorte, S.A.B. De C.V. GBOOY.

On the OTCQB Best Market, the middle tier of OTC Markets, trading volume in CytoDyn Inc. CYDY, a Canadian biotech company, rose 385% in December, making it the most active security traded on the market apart from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The volume increase coincided with a 293% rally for the stock in December, as shares rose from $0.30 to a high of $1.18.

Below are the 10 most-active securities on the OTCQX and OTCQB markets in December.

OTCQX Market

OTCQB Market

Image source: Virginia Retail

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.