Press releases 2006

7 December 2006

SETS TRADING UP 62 PER CENT

Record SETSmm trades in November up 113 per cent

Trading on the London Stock Exchange’s order book saw excellent growth during November 2006. The number of SETS trades was up 62 per cent on November 2005 to 7.7 million, while the value traded increased 36 per cent to £141.8 billion.

The average daily number of trades on SETS in November increased 62 per cent on last November to 349,199, and the average daily value traded rose 36 per cent to £6.4 billion.

So far in 2006, the total number of trades executed on SETS has reached 71.7 million, compared with 47.3 million trades during the same period last year. This 52 per cent increase in the total number of SETS trades compared with 2005 reflects a doubling in the year-on-year growth rate.

Included in the SETS figures, SETSmm had a particularly strong month, with the total number of trades up 113 per cent on November 2005 to a record-breaking 1.8 million, an average of 81,374 trades per day. The value traded was up 81 per cent to £13.4 billion, or £611 million daily.

Also included in the SETS figures, the Exchange's International Order Book (IOB), had an excellent month with a 107 per cent increase in the number of monthly trades to 64,969 and an increase of 109 per cent in the value traded to £5.4 billion.

ETFs continued their strong growth during November with the number of trades up 91 per cent on the same month last year to 26,094, while the value traded increased 63 per cent to £2.23 billion. There were 5,646 trades in covered warrants and structured products during the month, and a total value traded of £61.2 million, an increase of 145 per cent.

The total number of UK equity trades increased 49 per cent to 8.6 million, while the total value of UK equities traded during the month was £298.2 billion, up 23 per cent on November 2005.

November was also a strong month for the primary market. The Main Market attracted 14 IPOs (versus nine last year) - raising a total of £2.7 billion (versus £781 million last year). There were 18 IPOs on AIM, the same number as November last year, raising £812 million between them.

These new companies included seven international companies listing on the Main Market, and seven international flotations on AIM. OAO Severstal, a Russian steel company, raised £563 million, the largest sum raised by a company joining the Main Market this month. Among other notable international offerings were Hochschild Mining plc, a leading-precious metals company from Peru raising £270 million, and Sistema-Hals, a Russian Real Estate and Development company, which raised £216 million.

RNS, the Exchange's service for the dissemination of company news, transmitted a total of 16,404 company announcements during November representing a 10.5 per cent increase on last year and the second-busiest month ever for RNS. Of these 5,713 were news and results announcements, representing 85 per cent of all company news and results announcements issued in the UK.

There were 22 trading days in November 2006, the same as in November 2005.

For further information, please contact:

Saphina Benimadhu Press Office +44 (0)20 7797 1222 newsroom@londonstockexchange.com