Existing Share Transfer Mechanism in Ethiopia. Challenges and Benefits

Master's Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Business economics - Investment and Finance, grade: Excellent, , course: Financial Markets, language: English, abstract: The overall aim of this study was to assess what the existing share transfer mechanism in the private banking companies in the absence of secondary stock market in Ethiopia is, along with its related challenges and benefits.The information was obtained from 12 purposively sampled private banking companies by adopting descriptive research design. Semi structured questionnaires were administered to 153 respondents from which 43 were all share department expertise and 110 were conveniently selected shareholders from those banks and interviews also administered for share department directors of those banks. The questionnaires covered the key aspects of what options are there to transfer shares in the absence of secondary stock market in Ethiopia and related challenges and benefits.The main conclusions of the paper were: despite the absence of secondary stock market in Ethiopia shares can be transferred between investors through different ways includes by purchase through the help of share department employees of the companies, by descendant’s if the transfer is sequestration, and through court order at the time of debt settlement, divorce, death. Difficult to know market value of shares, less marketability, inaccessibility of information about share trade were the major challenges with the existing share transfer mechanism that existed in private banking companies in the absence of stock market in Ethiopia. Generally the findings suggest that shares of the private banking companies can transferred between investors in the absence of stock market in Ethiopia. Some recommendations were given from those the banks should open formal office to act as an agent for share transfer purpose for their shareholders by doing so the banks can enhance the transferability of shares.