Press releases 2012

- Seventh dedicated market maker joins ORB
- Offering continuous two-way pricing in all corporate bonds on ORB

London Stock Exchange today welcomed Peel Hunt to open London’s markets to celebrate the company becoming the latest dedicated market maker to its Order Book for Retail Bonds (ORB). Peel Hunt, the independent broking and advisory house will join six existing market makers on the UK’s electronic order book for the trading of retail-sized bonds.

Peel Hunt has a proven track record in market making and fixed income trading and will quote continuous two-way pricing throughout the trading day in all corporate bonds on ORB.

In 2011, ORB raised over £870 million, demonstrating good investor appetite from a diverse range of issuers. Since its launch in February 2010, ORB has raised over £1.3 billion.

"We are delighted to welcome Peel Hunt as a market maker to the UK’s retail bond market. ORB has already seen promising growth, with funds raised exceeding £870 million in just its second year of trading. By offering continuous two-way pricing in all corporate bonds on ORB, dedicated market makers such as Peel Hunt bring added liquidity and depth to the market, which will only encourage further private investor participation for the year ahead."

"We have seen growing interest in the retail bond market from a wide range of issuers looking to diversify their funding. The increased competition in pricing offered by ORB will tighten spreads and help develop a highly efficient secondary market in the UK dedicated to retail bonds."

Ed Clark
Press Office +44 (0)20 7797 1222
newsroom@londonstockexchange.com

Notes to editors:

London Stock Exchange Group (LSE.L) sits at the heart of the world’s financial community. The Group operates a broad range of international equity, bond and derivatives markets, including London Stock Exchange; Borsa Italiana; MTS, Europe's leading fixed income market; and Turquoise, offering UK and Russian derivatives trading, pan-European and US lit and dark equity trading. Through its markets, the Group offers international business unrivalled access to Europe’s capital markets.

The Group is a leading developer of high performance trading platforms and capital markets software and also offers its customers around the world access and an extensive range of real-time and reference data products and market-leading post-trade services. The Group is also home to a world leading index provider FTSE, which creates and manages of over 200,000 equity, bond and alternative asset class indices.

Headquartered in London, United Kingdom with significant operations in Italy and Sri Lanka, the Group employs around 1,850 people.

Further information on London Stock Exchange Group can be found at www.londonstockexchangegroup.com

The Order Book for Retail Bonds (ORB) is the London Stock Exchange’s electronic platform for private investors trading fixed income securities. The ORB offers continuous, transparent, two-way tradable prices in over150 individual UK gilts, supranational and corporate bonds, all tradable in typical denominations of £1,000 or less. Introduced in February 2010 in response to strong demand from private investors, it offers issuers a high profile route to raise debt capital from a retail audience.