London Stock Exchange Sets New Trading Records In October

New trading records were set across the London Stock Exchange's markets during October 2005. The average daily number of equity trades carried out across the Exchange was 357,658, bringing the total number of trades during the month to a record 7.5 million, an increase of 30 per cent on the number of trades during October last year. The average daily value traded was £22.8 billion, up 26 per cent on October 2004, and the total value traded during the month was £478.7 billion.

The average daily value traded on SETS reached £5 billion for the first time, an increase of 39 per cent on the average daily value traded during October 2004. The average daily number of trades reached a new high of 228,793, an increase of 31 per cent on the same period last year. In total there were 4.8 million trades on SETS during October 2005, worth £105.3 billion.

Included in the SETS figures, SETSmm and the International Order Book each recorded their strongest month yet. There were 786,287 SETSmm trades, worth a total of £6.9 billion and 39,795 trades on the International Order Book, worth a total of £3.5 billion.

Trading in ETFs was strong, with the total number of ETF trades during October 2005 up 86 per cent on the previous year to 12,008, and the total value traded up 226 per cent on the previous year to £1.1 billion.

The primary market also had a very good month in October, with a total of 32 IPOs raising just over £2.5 billion between them, the largest amount raised by IPOs in a single month since February 2001. Of these, 10 IPOs were on the Main Market, raising £2.0 billion between them, including three IPOs from international companies. There were 20 IPOs on AIM during October, raising £507 million between them.

In addition, there were two IPOs on the Exchange's new Professional Securities Market for wholesale securities. Electrosteel Castings Limited and Lloyd Electric and Engineering, both from India, issued Global Depositary Receipts on the PSM, raising £38 million between them.

There were 21 business days in October 2005, the same number as in October 2004.