Market report - April 2005

London Stock Exchange Plc
11 May 2005


News Release

11 May  2005

MR46-04.05


            TRADING ON LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE CONTINUES STRONG TREND


The average daily number of trades on the London Stock Exchange during April
2005 was 309,179, an increase of 19 per cent on April 2004.  In total there were
6.5 million equity trades on the Exchange during the month, an increase of 25
per cent on the total number of trades in the same month last year.


On SETS the average daily number of trades was up 29 per cent on April 2004 to
200,104.  The average daily value traded on SETS was £3.9 billion, an increase
of 14 per cent on the same month last year.


Included in the SETS figures, SETSmm saw an average 25,846  trades per day
during April 2005, more than double the number in April 2004. The average daily
value traded on SETSmm during the month was £243.4 million, an increase of  85
per cent on the average daily value traded during April last year.


ETFs marked their fifth year of trading in the London Stock Exchange with the
average daily number of ETF trades up 7 per cent on April 2004, and the average
daily value traded up 43 per cent to £30.0 million.


There were 59 new issues on the primary market during April 2005, raising £641.8
million between them.  Of these new issues, seven were IPOs on the Main Market.
This compares with five IPOs on the Main Market in April 2004. On AIM there were
32 IPOs during April 2005, compared with 17 IPOs in the same month last year.
IPOs on AIM during April 2005 raised a total of £400.1 million between them.


There were 21 business days in April 2005, compared with 20 in April 2004.

                                    - ends -


For further information, please contact:

Catherine Mattison                           Press Office   [phone]

[e-mail]



Notes to editors:


•          About the London Stock Exchange


The London Stock Exchange is one of the world's leading equity exchanges and an
international provider of services that facilitate the raising of capital and
the trading of shares and debt securities.


The London Stock Exchange is the most international equities exchange by trading
in the world and Europe's largest pool of liquidity.  In 2004, 80% of all
European IPOs floated in London. By the end of 2004, the market capitalisation
of UK and international companies on the London Stock Exchange's markets
amounted to £3.5 trillion, with £4.7 trillion of equity business transacted over
the year.


The London Stock Exchange is a Recognised Investment Exchange (RIE) under the
Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and is supervised by the Financial
Services Authority.



Companies considering flotation have a choice of markets:



Main Market

The London Stock Exchange's Main Market for established companies seeking
international recognition is one of the world's best known, longest established
and most liquid markets.  It is home to some of the world's most successful
companies, giving them access to one of the deepest pools of capital in the
world.



AIM

AIM is the London Stock Exchange's international market specifically designed
for smaller, growing companies, combining the benefits of a public flotation
with appropriate levels of regulation.



•     IPO



An IPO or Initial Public Offering is when a new company joins one of our markets
and raises capital by issuing shares.  This excludes transfers and introductions
(when companies join the market without raising money).



•     Indices

Indices are calculated and managed by FTSE Group, a world-leader in the creation
and management of global equity indices. The FTSE Group is jointly owned by the
London Stock Exchange and the Financial Times, but operates as a wholly
autonomous company.



For information about the company or any FTSE indices, please contact
[e-mail]



  •        SETS - the electronic order book



It is over seven years since the launch of SETS and the service continues to go
from strength to strength. Overall, the market is benefiting from tighter
spreads and greater liquidity. Usage of SETS continues to grow, as shown by
recent record increases in the number of orders entered, the number of firms
using the order book and order book share of business.



•      SETSmm



SETSmm is the Exchange's successful trading service for FTSE 250 and other
leading non order book securities.  By combining the best features of the
existing SETS and SEAQ trading services, SETSmm appeals to market users who want
to trade electronically, as well as those customers who use the market making
system.


•      Retail Trading Figures



Retail trading figures are available from our website at -

www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/products/membershiptrading/retailtradestat

Figures are available from November 2002 to date.


LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

MONTHLY FACTSHEET FIGURES



April 2005


                                           2005                             2004
DOMESTIC EQUITY TRADING                    Month        Year to date        Month        Year to date

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    201,283         822,841          178,805         826,192
Number of Equity Trades                    5,206,215      20,440,487        4,243,690      18,546,640


INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    205,538         831,551          208,187         824,352
Number of Equity Trades                    1,286,554       4,982,794          968,395       3,956,314



ORDER BOOK TRADING

Order Book Value (£m)                          82,745         320,041           69,408           304,410
Order Book Trades                           4,202,191      16,225,319        3,100,363        13,226,082




                                                     April 2005               April 2004

DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION (£bn)                                1,483                           1,391

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                           2,942                           2,700
Main Market UK                                       1,435                               1,521
Main Market International                               341                               370
of which techMARK                                       161                               177
AIM                                                  1,166                                809


                                             2005                            2004

MONEY RAISED (£m)                            Month       Year to date        Month      Year to date

New equity issues: UK Main Market and             623           1,746            409             1,306
AIM
Further, Rights and Other                         556           2,134            274             2,633
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest                14,514          51,357          5,671            49,869
New equity issues: International Main              19           1,034            201               219
Market
Further, Rights and Other                           -              69              3               111
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest                10,283          32,571          8,637            34,017

COMPANIES ADMITTED                                 59             211             30                91



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange