Cash products

In 2005, Euronext remained the leading European exchange by number and value of transactions in shares traded on an electronic order book. A record 155 million share transactions have been completed over the year on Euronext’s cash markets, up 15.7% year-on-year, representing a turnover of €1,783 billion, up 15.6% on 2004.
The total number of trades in all cash products amounted to 162 million during 2005, representing an average daily number of 632,000.
At the end of December 2005, the total market capitalisation of the 1,259 companies listed on Euronext markets was up 27.8% on last year, reaching €2,295 billion.

Euronext led Europe in stockmarket listings in 2005 and was the third largest market in the world¹ in this area with a total amount of €17.2 billion offered by companies making their market debut, up 83% on 2004.
There were 78 new listings on Euronext markets in 2005, a record level since 2001, representing an additional market capitalization of €105 billion.
85% of those 78 IPOs were new small and mid-cap listings, 1 out of 3 listed on Alternext, the Euronext-regulated market launched mid-May and designed specifically for small and medium-size businesses.

Transactions on NextTrack were up 28.5% on 2004, amounting to 346,800. Altogether 40 new products were launched in 2005, bringing the total number of products listed on NextTrack to 95.

Derivatives products

Euronext.liffe, the international derivatives business of Euronext, traded a record number of contracts for the second year running. A total of 606 million futures and options contracts were traded in 2005, up 7% on 2004 when 566 million contracts changed hands².

Trading volumes have grown across all the product sectors. Interest-rate products saw the strongest growth, with a total of 347 million contracts traded, up 11% on 2004. Short Sterling contracts performed particularly well, with futures volumes up 33% and options up 56%. Equity products traded 250 million contracts, up 2% on 2004. One year after its transfer to LIFFE CONNECT®, the Amsterdam market registered a record year, with 99 million options contracts traded, up 23% on 2004.

Commodity products enjoyed their fourth successive record year, trading 8.5 million contracts, up 6% on 2004.

¹ Source Dealogic
² These figures have been rebased to take account of contract size changes and provide an accurate like-for-like, year-on-year comparison.

Notes to Editors:
This press release has been prepared using actual volumes for the month and the year. The release and figures are also available on Euronext websites: www.euronext.com and www.liffe.com.

Appendix: Euronext cash and derivatives market tables

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