Re Greater China Market

RNS Number:8531X
Market Age PLC
22 April 2004


Pronet Analytics.com announces agreement to distribute service in Greater China
with FXCM Asia Ltd


Pronet Analytics.com Limited ("PAL"), the independent technical research
subsidiary of The Market Age plc, is pleased to announce that is has agreed the
terms for distribution of its service to clients of FXCM Asia Ltd ("FXCM") in
Greater China, building on its arrangements announced on 1 March 2004 with Forex
Capital Markets LLC.  FXCM is a member of the FXCM Group, which specialises in
providing online foreign exchange services to 35,000 private clients, hedge
funds and financial institutions around the world with monthly volumes of over
US$60 billion per month, and is licenced by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures
Commission.

Under the terms of the deal, FXCM will offer PAL's flagship FX research service
to new and current clients in the region.  PAL will be paid a percentage of the
transaction revenues from clients who wish to use the service.  The commercial
terms are structured so that FXCM will continue to offer what are believed to be
the most competitive dealing spreads in the region, the client will pay no
additional fees for access to PAL's research, and meanwhile PAL will receive its
full list price for each new client.

Shane Smith, Group CEO, comments: "This is an excellent deal for new clients,
for FXCM and for PAL.  Access to the China market is a very exciting development
for the Group.  China presents an opportunity for many US and European firms
generally, but it is worth enumerating how large that opportunity might be for
PAL:  FXCM is the leading non-domestic FX online broker for mainland China,
serving also Singapore and Taiwan, and since opening its office in Hong Kong in
March 2003, has seen month-on-month growth in accounts of 150%.  China is now
the fourth largest trading nation in the world, which itself creates a huge FX
requirement, but in addition overseas funds are being repatriated at an
unprecedented rate, putting pressure on the Yuan.  Irrespective of whether the
Yuan itself eventually floats, individuals and companies are anyway allowed to
trade foreign currencies, and also have a famous propensity to speculate.
Internet penetration is growing, and with 80 million current subscribers China
is second only to the US and is on course to overtake it as the most wired
nation on earth.  All this points to a large and growing demand for
web-delivered research services to assist in better decision-making".

Ornit Niv, CEO of FXCM Asia, commented: "Our client base is rapidly expanding,
and has an appetite for high-quality intelligence to help in the trading
decision process.  We are pleased to be able to offer Pronet's leading service
to our audience".


For further information please contact:

Shane Smith,                 [phone]    [e-mail]
CEO Pronet Analytics.com Ltd.

Ornit Niv,                   [phone]      [e-mail]
CEO FXCM Asia Ltd.             


Notes to editors:

The Market Age was admitted to the Alternative Investment Market in 2000.
Pronet Analytics.com  (PAL) is a financial application service provider ("ASP")
which delivers proprietary independent research in real time with visual and
intuitive analysis of global markets for the professional/institutional market.
The Pronet Service provides a simple framework to compare and evaluate spot FX
as well as interest rate and other exchange-traded derivatives. Since gaining
FSA-regulated status and SEC Registration in April 2001, PAL has extended its
service offering to Investment Advice, analysis and strategies to the hedge
fund, corporate and retail markets, in addition to its core professional/
institutional market.  The firm has been ranked in the global top-five
independent firms for FX research in 2001, 2002 and 2003.  In December 2003 The
Market Age announced a change of name to Independent Investment Research plc, in
preparation for coverage of a wider market including US equities.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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