RTS FORTS: August Monthly Data

In August 2003 total trading volume on FORTS (Futures & Options on the RTS) reached 2 060 thousand contracts and 16 167 million rubles (in July the numbers equaled 3 197 thousand contracts and 22 418 million rubles). Total open interest as of August 29th, 2003, equaled 3 851 million rubles and 520 thousand contracts (as of July 31st, 2003, the last trading day in July, the numbers were 3 041 million rubles and 460 thousand contracts).

FORTS, a unified derivatives market operating since September 19, 2001, is based on trading and settlement technologies and software that were implemented at and have been successfully used by St. Petersburg Stock Exchange for 7 years. RTS acts as the trading system and the clearinghouse on the integrated market. 84 companies headquartered in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Samara, Rostov-on-Don, Kazan and Abakan are FORTS registered members. They trade 8 futures contracts and 3 options.