Euronext cash markets registered their second busiest month ever with a record 22.6 million transactions completed in February 2007, up 25.3% on the same month last year and up 24.7% year-to-date. This follows January 2007, which was the busiest month since the creation of Euronext. The average daily number of cash transactions stands at 1.1 million, its highest level ever, with two record days, 27 February (1.8 million transactions completed) and 28 February (2.1 million).
Shares
21.5 million transactions were registered in shares in February 2007, up 24.9% on the same month last year, representing a record average of 1 million transactions completed every day.
Initial Public Offerings
There were 8 IPOs on all Euronext markets in February 2007, making it the busiest February for 6 years. 3 of those 8 IPOs were on Alternext, which now has 83 companies representing a total market capitalization of EUR 4 billion.
NextTrack & NextWarrants
Year-on-year transactions were up 85% on NextTrack and up 39% on NextWarrants, which includes warrants and certificates.
Derivatives products
Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, traded 67 million futures and options contracts in February 2007, up 15% on the same month in 2006 and up 14% year-to-date.
Interest rate products traded over 40 million contracts, up 29% on the same month in 2006. Long Gilt Futures had their busiest day ever, trading 553,484 contracts on 26 February. Open interest in the Three Month Euribor Futures contract stood at a record level of 4,493,300 on 23 February.
Bclear, the Exchange’s wholesale administration and clearing service, processed over four million contracts in equity products during the month, up 10% on the same month in 2006 and up 56% year-to-date.
Euronext.liffe’s Commodity products traded over 900,000 contracts, up 12% on the same month in 2006 and up 15% year-to-date. The Raw Sugar futures contract, which was launched on 20 February, traded over 1,000 contracts in its first week.
Equity products traded 25 million contracts with individual equity products trading 15 million contracts and equity index products trading 10 million contracts.
