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Montréal Exchange Inc. (MX) (TSX: MXX) reported that its trading volume increased 31% in the month of March 2007, compared to March 2006. Total trading volume in the first quarter of 2007 was up 26% from the same period of 2006 with 12 million contracts being traded on MX markets.
HIGHLIGHTS (Q1 2007 vs. Q1 2006)
Interest Rate Derivatives
Trading activity in the Three-Month Canadian Bankers' Acceptance Futures contract (BAX) registered an increase of 33% to reach 5.2 million contracts traded in the quarter. Open interest in BAX reached a total of 442,693 contracts on March 31, 2007, an increase of 18% from March 31, 2006. A total of 2.5 million Ten-Year Government of Canada Bond Futures contracts (CGB) were traded in the first quarter of 2007, a 60% increase from the same period last year. Open interest increased 50% to reach 327,666 contracts at quarter end.
Index Derivatives
Trading in the SXF, the S&P Canada 60 Index Futures contract, increased 45% with a total of 900,000 contracts traded during the quarter. Open interest in the SXF reached 173,884 contracts on March 31, 2007, an increase of 38% compared to the same date last year.
Equity Derivatives
A total of 3.1 million equity options and ETF options were traded during the quarter, a 2.4% decrease in volume compared to the first quarter of 2006. Open interest in this derivatives category was 1.5 million contracts on March 31, 2007, a 10% increase from the same date in 2006.
