MONTREAL, April 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Montreal Exchange Inc. (MX) (TSX: MXX) reported today that its trading volume increased 31% in the month of March 2007, compared to March 2006. Total trading volume in the first quarter of 2007 was up 26% from the same period of 2006 with 12 million contracts being traded on MX markets.
HIGHLIGHTS (Q1 2007 vs. Q1 2006)
Interest Rate Derivatives
Trading activity in the Three-Month Canadian Bankers' Acceptance Futures contract (BAX) registered an increase of 33% to reach 5.2 million contracts traded in the quarter. Open interest in BAX reached a total of 442,693 contracts on March 31, 2007, an increase of 18% from March 31, 2006. A total of 2.5 million Ten-Year Government of Canada Bond Futures contracts (CGB) were traded in the first quarter of 2007, a 60% increase from the same period last year. Open interest increased 50% to reach 327,666 contracts at quarter end.
Index Derivatives
Trading in the SXF, the S&P Canada 60 Index Futures contract, increased 45% with a total of 900,000 contracts traded during the quarter. Open interest in the SXF reached 173,884 contracts on March 31, 2007, an increase of 38% compared to the same date last year.
Equity Derivatives
A total of 3.1 million equity options and ETF options were traded during the quarter, a 2.4% decrease in volume compared to the first quarter of 2006. Open interest in this derivatives category was 1.5 million contracts on March 31, 2007, a 10% increase from the same date in 2006.
About Montreal Exchange Inc.
The Montreal Exchange (MX) is Canada's financial derivatives exchange. The MX offers trading in Canadian interest rate, index and equity derivatives. Clearing, settlement and risk management services are provided by an AA rated clearing-house, the Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation, fully owned by the MX. Our integrated trading and clearing services are supported by a proprietary suite of exchange technologies, known as SOLA(R). The MX also has interests in: the Boston Options Exchange (BOX), a U.S. automated equity options market, for which MX is the technical operator; the Canadian Resources Exchange (CAREX), a new corporation created with NYMEX that is dedicated to developing the Canadian energy market; and the Montreal Climate Exchange (MCeX), a joint venture with the Chicago Climate Exchange(R), that aims to become the first regulated environment market in Canada. For more information about the Montreal Exchange, please visit www.m-x.ca.