12.9 million transactions were registered on Euronext’s cash markets in January 2005, making the month the busiest since March 2004. Activity was 7.4% lower than in January 2004, which was the second busiest month last year, but was up 9.7% on 2004’s full year average. In January, the average daily number of cash transactions was at 616,000.
Shares
12.3 million transactions were completed in shares during January 2005, up 15.7% on the average of the six previous months and 9.7% on the monthly average in 2004. In January the average daily number of share transactions was 586,000.
Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, traded its busiest January ever for interest rate products with over 27 million contracts traded, up 7% on the same month in 2004. Euronext.liffe’s suite of short-term interest rate products (STIRS) set a January record of over 26 million contracts, up 6% on January 2004.
Euronext.liffe’s flagship contract the Three Month Euribor future also had its busiest January, with over 13.5 million contracts traded.
Total Exchange volume amounted to 62 million futures and options contracts, representing an average daily volume of 2.9 million contracts. 33.2 million contracts were traded in Euronext.liffe’s equity products.
Over 890,000 contracts in Euronext.liffe’s Three Month Eurodollar future were traded, representing an average daily volume of over 42,000. Eurodollar futures set an open interest record of 174,327 on 28 January.
Commodity products traded over 600,000 contracts in the month.