MONTREAL, July 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Montreal Exchange Inc. (MX) (TSX : MXX) reported today that its trading volume reached a total of 11.1 million contracts in the second quarter of 2007, an increase of 1.6% compared to the same period of 2006.
For the first six months ended June 30th 2007, MX reported that total trading activity increased 13% from the same period of the previous year to reach a total of 23.1 million contracts traded on the MX market.
HIGHLIGHTS
Interest Rate Derivatives
Trading activity in the Three-Month Canadian Bankers' Acceptance Futures contract (BAX) totalled 4.0 million contracts in the second quarter of 2007, a 12.8% decrease from the same period of 2006. In the first six months of 2007, BAX trading volumes increased by 8.0% from the first half of the previous year to reach a total of 9.2 million contracts. Open interest for the BAX stood at 443,212 contracts on June 30, 2007 compared to 463,773 contracts on the same date of 2006.
A total of 2.6 million Ten-Year Government of Canada Bond Futures contracts (CGB) were traded in the second quarter of 2007, a 25.7% increase from the same period last year. Trading volumes for the CGB increased 40.6% in the first half of 2007 to reach a total of 5.1 million contracts. Open interest for the CGB stood at 318,589 contracts on June 30, 2007 compared to 282,430 contracts on the same date of 2006.
Index Derivatives
Trading activity in the SXF, the S&P Canada 60 Index Futures contract, increased 11.8% in the second quarter of 2007 to reach 894,186 contracts. SXF trading volume grew 26.2% in the first half of 2007 to total 1.8 million contracts traded in the period. Open interest in the SXF was 196,628 contracts on June 30, 2007, compared to 146,622 contracts on the same date of 2006.
Equity Derivatives
A total of 3.2 million equity options and ETF options were traded during the second quarter of 2007, a 7.1% increase in volume compared to the second quarter of 2006. In the first six months of the year, trading volume reached 6.1 million contracts, an increase of 2.9% from the same period of the previous year. Open interest was 16.0 million contracts on June 30, 2007, an 18.2% increase from June 30, 2006.
Detailed statistical data on MX trading volumes will be available
starting Monday July 9, 2007 on the web site of the Exchange at the
following address: http://www.m-x.ca/nego_donnees_mensuels_en.php.
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.