Euronext Derivatives Markets - Over 27 Million Contracts Traded In April

A total of 27.548 million contracts were traded on Euronext derivatives markets in April, representing a decline of 20% from March. The total for the first four months showed a more modest 3.5% decline from the same period of 2000. In April futures plus equity and index options together accounted for 88.6% of the total.

Futures and options traded on Euronext Paris markets totalled 22,375,556 in April, representing a decline of 18.2% from the record high of the previous month but a rise of 9.4% from the same month of last year. Open interest rose a healthy 22.4% from the previous month to stand at 38,104,090 lots at the end of April.

Over 19 million equity and index derivatives were traded in the course of the month, and open interest in the CAC 40 future reached a new month-end high of 388,045 lots on April 30. On April 17, Euronext Paris opened trading in short and long-term options on Orange shares.