Euronext.Liffe Gains 98% Market Share Of Eonia Contract In First Month Of Trading

Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, has strengthened its position as the world's preferred market place for trading in eurozone short term interest rate futures, gaining 98% market share in one-month futures contracts based on the Euro Over-night Index Average interest rate ("EONIA"). The contract has traded 22,128 contracts in its first month, representing an implied underlying value of €66 billion, with an average daily volume of 1,106 contracts.

Open interest on Euronext.liffe at the end of the first month's trading was 5,024 contracts and represented 96% of the total open interest on all EONIA futures contracts. Friday 28 February 2003 saw a record daily high in the number of EONIA futures contracts being traded with a volume of 3,506, representing an underlying value of €10.5 billion.

The One-Month EONIA futures contract trades on LIFFE CONNECT™, the world's most advanced electronic derivatives trading platform, which offers unrivalled speed of execution and flexibility in trading. LIFFE CONNECT™ is the only trading system in the world able to support successfully trading in complex short-term interest rate products.

Simon Raybould, Managing Director of Sales and Marketing at Euronext.liffe said: 'Our customers assured us that they wanted us to list EONIA on the CONNECT platform, and they have rewarded our delivery with total support. Euronext.liffe's one month EONIA futures contract coupled with Euronext.liffe's three month Euribor contract provides the market with enhanced trading and risk management opportunities at the short end of the curve. Euronext.liffe continues as the leading provider to the European interbank market and the world's marketplace for trading Euro short-term interest rate products."