Euronext cash markets registered their busiest month ever with a record 28.5 million transactions completed in March 2007, up 35.3% on the same month last year. The average daily number of cash transactions stands at 1.3 million, its highest level ever.
Following two record months in January and February 2007, this makes the first three months of this year the busiest quarter since the creation of Euronext, with more than 74 million cash transactions completed, up 28.6% compared to the same period last year.
Shares
Record 27.3 million transactions were registered in shares in March 2007, up 35.7% on the same month last year, representing a daily average of 1.2 million transactions.
Initial Public Offerings
There were 10 more IPOs on all Euronext markets in March 2007, bringing the total number of new listings since the beginning of the year to 25, a record number since the creation of Euronext. 11 of those 25 IPOs were on Alternext, which now has 86 companies representing a total market capitalization of EUR 4.3 billion.
NextTrack & NextWarrants
Year-on-year transactions were up 107% on NextTrack and up 31% on NextWarrants, which includes warrants and certificates.
Derivatives products
Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, traded its busiest month ever with a record 90 million futures and options contracts in March 2007, up 34% on the same month in 2006. The average daily volume for March 2007 was 4 million. The exchange also traded a record quarter with over 220 million futures and options trading January to March 2007, up 21% on the same quarter last year.
Equity products was the strongest performing sector in March 2007 with Individual Equity products trading over 27 million contracts, up 60% on March 2006. Equity index products traded over 17 million contracts, up 51% on the same month last year.
Interest rate products saw continued growth in March trading over 43 million futures and options contracts, up 17% on March 2006 and up 23% year-to-date.
Bclear, the Exchange’s wholesale administration and clearing service, processed a record number of contracts during the month of March, with over 13 million equity products, up 445% on the same month in 2006 and up 186% year-to-date.
Euronext.liffe’s Commodity products traded over 930,000 contracts, up 20% on the same month in 2006 and up 17% year-to-date.
On 18 March Euronext.liffe traded its busiest day ever with a record daily volume of 6,989,646 futures and options contracts (the previous record was 5.7 million set on 11 January 2007).
