New Record At Eurex: 68.5 Million Contracts Traded In September - Eurex Turnover Grows Nearly 45 Percent In First Nine Months - September Volume In Euro STOXX Derivatives Higher Than In DAX Contracts

Eurex, the international derivatives market, set another new worldwide turnover record in September: With volume of 68.5 million contracts traded, the world market leader clearly topped its previous record of 61 million contracts traded in March 2001. Compared with the September 2000 volume of some 42 million contracts, turnover increased 63.5 percent. A total of some 492.5 million contracts have been traded at Eurex during the first three quarters of the current year, about 43 percent more than the number posted for the first nine months of 2000.

The capital market products were the highest-volume segment at Eurex again in September, and also the world's most successful exchange-traded derivatives family, with volume of 38.5 million contracts traded, 46 percent more than in September 2000. The most active contract in this segment and at Eurex as a whole was the Euro Bund future with 15.5 million contracts traded, roughly 15 percent more than in September 2000. The volume traded in Euro Bobl futures increased by about 58 percent to 9 million contracts, and Euro Schatz futures volume doubled to some 10 million contracts, setting a new record ( 8 million contracts in March 2001). Roughly 299 million contracts have been traded in this segment as a whole so far this year.

In equity-based derivatives, about 30 million contracts were traded in September, comprising 19 million contracts in equity index derivatives and some 11 million contracts in equity options, representing growth of 147 percent and 43 percent, respectively, compared with September 2000. Trading volume in these products to date came to roughly 193.5 million contracts, 100 million of them in stock options and 93.5 million in equity index derivatives. In the equity index derivatives, trading volume in September in futures on the Dow Jones Euro STOXX index quadrupled compared to September 2000, setting a new record with some 7 million contracts traded (3.4 million contracts in March 2001); the number traded in options on this index was three times higher, with some 2.5 million contracts, also a new record (previous record: 2 million contracts in July 2001). Turnover in these pan-European index derivatives substantially exceeded the volume traded in derivatives on the DAX, with 5.5 million contracts in the options and some 2 million contracts in the futures.

In the stock options segment, the options on shares of Deutsche Telekom and Nokia were the top products with some 1.5 million contracts traded, respectively. The September turnover in Nokia options also represents a new record (1.3 million contracts in July 2001). In the 10 new U.S. stock options that have been trading since September 24, about 7,000 contracts changed hands during the first week of trading.