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13.6 million transactions were completed on Euronext’s cash markets in February 2005, up 7.6% on February 2004 and up 16% on the monthly average for the whole of 2004. During the two first months of the year, 26.6 million cash transactions were registered on Euronext, a daily average of 649,000.
Shares
12.9 million share transactions were completed in February, up 7.5% year-on-year, bringing the total number of transactions since the beginning of 2005 to over 25 million. In the year-to-date, the average daily number of share transactions stands at 616,000.
Trackers
The volume of transactions in trackers was unchanged on February last year. Total volume in February 2005 was 24,900, an average of 1,250 transactions every day.
Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, traded 74.5 million futures and options contracts, making the month the busiest February ever. Volumes in February were up 5% year-on-year, representing an average daily volume of 3.7 million.
Over 27 million Interest Rate Products were traded in February, up 5% on February 2004. Euronext.liffe’s Eurodollar futures traded over 860,000 during the month and set an open interest record of 182,251 on 24 February. The Long Gilt future set a new volume record of 350,539 contracts on 24 February beating the previous record of 318,158 set on 26 May 2004.
Euronext.liffe’s equity products traded 46 million futures and options contracts, up 4% on February 2004. February volumes for equity options were higher than normal owing to some 8 million lots executed as large Prof trades (i.e. block trades), in connection with the Royal Dutch dividend payment.
Commodity products traded over 728,000 contracts in the month, up 13% year-on-year.
