LIFFE's year-to-date trading volume is up 42%, with volume in February increasing by 21% compared to February 2000 to 13,715,516 contracts, representing an average daily volume of 685,776 contracts for the month.
LIFFE' s Deputy Chief Executive, John Foyle said, "Volume in all short-term interest rate products in February rose more than 26% year on year, with LIFFE's flagship contract the Three Month Euribor future showing particularly strong growth, trading over 6 million contracts during the month, a 36% increase compared to February 2000. Volume in equity products rose 19% year on year, with individual equity options volume increasing by 113% over the same period.
LIFFE's Universal Stock Futures got off to a strong start with approximately 115,000 contracts trading from the launch, on 29 January, to the end of February, the equivalent of over 47 million underlying shares, with a value of about ?632 million. As the market familiarises itself with the product and liquidity increases we expect to see further growth. Open interest which has been steadily climbing exceeded 33,000 by the month end".
LIFFE CONNECT™'s distribution continued to increase as a further ten dealing rooms went live in February, bringing the total number of sites to 376 worldwide. LIFFE CONNECT™ can now be accessed from 23 countries globally. The exchange now trades a wider range of products and is available in more countries than any other electronic exchange in the world.
The following volume and open interest records were set in February 2001:
Volume:
- FTSE 100 Index Future (ESX) set a daily record of 92,075 on 16 February 2001 (previous daily record of 65,057 set on 1 September 2000).
- Individual Equity Options set a daily record of 122,995 on 14 February 2001 (previous daily record of 63,453 set on 10 January 2001).
- Three Month Euribor option set an open interest record of 1,525,620 on 22 February 2001 (previous record of 1,371,066 set on 31 January 2001)
- Sterling Mid-curve Option set an open interest record of 59,601 on 21 February 2001 (previous record of 52,453 set on 26 January 2001)
- Mini-FTSE 100 Index Future set an open interest record of 3,827 on 13 February 2001 (previous record of 3,307 set on 31 January 2001)
- FTSE 100 Index Future (ESX) set an open interest record of 1,054,836 on 16 February 2001 (previous record of 938,001 set on 15 December 00)
- Individual Equity Options set an open interest record of 1,266,134 on 21 February 2001 (previous record of 1,221,895 set on 17 January 2001)
