In the 1st quarter, the value of average daily trading amounted to DKK 1.3 billion in market value, which was the same as in the 4th quarter of 2002 and 24 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year.
Share trading is still slower than in the years 2000-2002, when the IT industry contributed with a positive effect. The current turnover is 25 per cent higher than in 1998 and 1999 and not less than 87 per cent higher than in 1997 in terms of DKK.
The activity on the equity market may also be assessed on the basis of the volume of shares traded and the volume of trades concluded. These parameters are becoming more and more popular with exchanges all over the world.
In the 1st quarter, a total of 3 63,604 share trades were concluded, corresponding to 5,771 trades a day - an increase of almost 2 per cent compared with the 4th quarter of last year, but a fall of 13 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year.
A total of 632 million shares were traded during the 1st quarter, corresponding to a daily average of 10 million shares, 6 per cent up on the corresponding period last year. The volume of shares traded has remained unchanged since January 2002.
In spite of the last years' failing prices the equity market is still bustling with activity.
In March, the KFX Index gained 4.6 per cent and has thus recovered some of the lost ground so that the fall since the beginning of the year amounts to 6.4 per cent. However, if compared with the end of the 1st quarter of 2002, prices have fallen by 33 per cent.
The most active share of the month was Novo Nordisk with a turnover of DKK 7.1 billion followed by Danske Bank and TDC with DKK 6.1 billion and DKK 2.9 billion, respectively.
The turnover in listed investment certificates rose compared with February by just under 20 per cent to DKK 1.5 billion.
Turnover on the XtraMarked is still handsome, and in March it totalled DKK 2.9 billion, a 37 per cent rise on February.
Activity on the derivatives market reached new highs in March with an average daily trading volume of 3,630 contracts. Over the month, a total of 76,226 contracts were traded, 58,960 on the KFX Index and 17,266 on single shares. Turnover in futures has more than doubled compared with March 2002, and turnover in options has risen by some 71 per cent.
Bond trading remains high and in March it amounted to DKK 579 billion in market value, a 14 per cent rise on February.
For further statistics on the stock market, please visit the exchange web site, www.cse.dk
