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16.6 million transactions were completed on Euronext’s cash markets in April 2006, up 30.7% year-on-year, representing a record daily average of 924.000, which is up 52.5% on April 2005.
In total, more than 74 million cash transactions were registered on Euronext since the beginning of the year. This is up 42.5% compared to the same period in 2005 and makes it the busiest year start ever.
Shares
15.8 million transactions were completed in shares in April 2006, up 31.1% year-on-year and 52.9% on a daily average basis. There have been 70.9 million share transactions over the first four months of the year, up 43.3% on the same period in 2005.
Initial Public Offerings
There have been 9 IPOs on all Euronext markets in April, with EUR 1.6 billion raised. 5 out of those 9 IPOs were on Alternext. This brings the total number of new listings on Euronext’s markets so far this year to 29.
NextTrack & NextWarrants
Year-to-date transactions were up 153% on NextTrack and up 36% on NextWarrants, which includes warrants and certificates.
Derivatives products
Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, traded 60 million futures and options contracts in April 2006, up 22% on the same month last year, representing an average daily volume of 3.3 million up 42% on April 2005. The Exchange traded a total of 242 million contracts in the first four months of 2006, up 25% on the same period in 2005.
Euronext.liffe’s single stock futures (SSFs), which were launched in January 2001, continued to show strong growth, trading 4.5 million contracts in April 2006, up 47% on April 2005. Year-to-date SSFs have traded over 7 million contracts up 58% on the same period last year. On the 13th April SSFs set a new daily record of over one million contracts.
Euronext.liffe’s individual equity products traded 17 million contracts in April 2006, up 21% on April 2005 and up 38% in the year-to-date.
Interest rate products also saw strong trading. In April 35 million contracts were traded, up 31% on April last year. For the year-to-date, volumes were up 22%. Short Sterling options set a new daily record of 476,671 contracts on 25th April and open interest continues to grow to record levels.
