Euronext Amsterdam: Good Month For Bond Trading

February was a particularly good month for bond trading at Euronext Amsterdam's stock market. Turnover in bonds was up 12% on the same month last year, representing an increase of 23.4% for the first two months of 2001. So far this year, total turnover at the stock market has exceeded ? 385 billion (counting both sides of transactions), a rise of 9.3% compared to the first two months of 2000. Almost ? 163 billion (counting both sides of transactions) in shares and bonds was traded, representing an average daily turnover of ? 8.13 billion. The total average daily turnover so far this year is ? 9.17 billion.

Trackers also performed well. Total turnover in Euronext Amsterdam's NextTrack segment since the beginning of the year amounts to ?177 million, ?129 million of which was generated in February alone.

Equity options were the best performers on Euronext Amsterdam's derivative markets, with 20.9% more contracts traded in January and February than in the same period last year. During the first two months of 2001, over 11 million options and futures were traded, representing a rise of 16% compared to the corresponding period in 2000. The total number of outstanding contracts (open interest) at the derivatives market in Amsterdam is over 14.2 million; 23% higher than in February 2000.

As in January, pig futures once again excelled on the commodities market. While trading in the other agricultural commodities fell substantially, turnover in pig futures soared by 81.8% compared to February 2000.