Market report - July 2006

London Stock Exchange Group PLC
08 August 2006


News Release

8 August 2006

MR61-7.06


                2006 ALREADY A RECORD YEAR FOR IPO MONEY RAISING

                       • July SETS trades up 33 per cent


2006 has already become a record year for money raising through IPOs on the
London Stock Exchange.  So far this year, IPOs on the Exchange's markets have
raised £17.8 billion, exceeding the £17.4 billion raised by IPOs during the
whole of 2000.


During July, the Exchange attracted 25 IPOs, raising £7.4 billion between them.
On the Main Market, there were eight IPOs, of which three were international
companies, raising £3.9 billion between them.  The five IPOs on the UK Main
Market raised a total of £3.0 billion - the best single month since July 2000 in
terms of money raised.  On AIM, there were 17 IPOs, raising £563.0 million
between them.  Of these, four were from international companies, which raised
£120.9 million between them.


On the secondary market, trading on SETS continued to show good growth against
exceptionally heavy trading in July 2005.  There were 6.2 million trades on SETS
during July 2006, up 33 per cent on last year and equivalent to 294,142 trades
each day.  The total value traded on SETS was up 5 per cent on July 2005 to
£107.7 billion, an average of £5.1 billion daily in what is normally a quieter
trading month.


Increased activity on SETSmm continued to be a strong driver in overall SETS
trading growth.  The total number of trades on SETSmm was up 101 per cent on
July 2005 to 1.3 million, while the total value traded was up 51 per cent to
£9.7 billion.  During July 2006, SETSmm accounted for 21 per cent of all order
book trades, compared with 14 per cent during the same month last year.


Also included in the SETS figures, trading on the International Order Book was
up very strongly on last year.  The total number of trades was up 77 per cent to
49,440, and the value traded increased by 71 per cent to £3.9 billion.


The total number of trades in UK equities during the month was up 22 per cent on
last year to 6.9 million.  The total value traded in UK equities during the
month was £214.9 billion.


ETF trading was up 44 per cent on July 2005 with a total of 16,570 trades during
the month. The total value traded in ETFs was up 38 per cent year on year to
£1.2 billion.  The value traded in covered warrants and structured products grew
320 per cent to £79.3 million, and the number of trades was up 11 per cent to
5,135.


RNS, the Exchange's service for the dissemination of company news, transmitted a
total of 14,442 announcements during July, up 32 per cent on July last year.
These announcements included 5,634 news and results announcements, representing
88 per cent of all news and results announcements made in the UK.


There were 21 trading days in July 2006, the same number as the previous year.


                                    - 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 the world's premier international equity exchange
and a leading provider of services that facilitate the raising of capital and
the trading of shares.


The London Stock Exchange is the most international equities exchange by trading
in the world and Europe's largest pool of liquidity.  By the end of 2005, the
market capitalisation of UK and international companies on the London Stock
Exchange's markets amounted to £4.1 trillion, with £5.2 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:


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.


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 largest and most
successful companies, giving them access to one of the deepest pools of capital
in the world.



Professional Securities Market

The Professional Securities Market was established in July 2005, to coincide
with the introduction of the FSA's new Listing Rules.  PSM provides a solution
for those issuers seeking to list securities in London without having to
re-state their financial information to IFRS or follow the additional
requirements of an offering to retail investors.  Debt securities or depository
receipts of any denomination may be listed on PSM on production of a prospectus
aimed at a wholesale or professional audience.



•     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 eight 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

 2006
                                           July 2006                        July 2005
DOMESTIC EQUITY TRADING                      Month        Year to date        Month        Year to date


Equity Trading Value (£m)                    214,880       1,910,155          231,886       1,429,156
Number of Equity Trades                    6,887,706      50,956,282        5,626,753      35,989,502


INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    235,556       1,927,406          206,010       1,468,850
Number of Equity Trades                    1,807,555      11,577,621        1,610,228       9,551,384


ORDER BOOK TRADING

Order Book Value (£m)                         107,721         887,952           102,582         578,019
Order Book Trades                           6,176,973      43,828,216         4,658,257      29,000,024


                                                      July 2006                July 2005

DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION (£bn)                                 1,911                           1,702

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                            3,199                           3,008
Main Market UK                                        1,306                    1,400
Main Market International                                322                   340
of which techMARK                                        141                   151
AIM                                                   1,560                    1,268
Professional Securities Market (Equity only)              11


                                                   July 2006                        July 2005
MONEY RAISED (£m)                              Month       Year to date         Month        Year to date


Equity Money Raised:
  New issues: Main Market UK                         2,950           5,529               971         3,003
  New issues: Main Market International              3,894           6,575               531         3,077
  New issues:  AIM                                     664           5,671               512         2,646
  Further issues: Main Market UK                     2,969           7,555               830         4,538
  Further issues: Main Market                          517           1,182                99           318
International
  Further issues: AIM                                  197           3,739               319         1,296
  PSM (new & further, UK & International)                -             527                 -             -

COMPANIES ADMITTED                                  41           327                      52              388

Debt Money Raised (£m)
  Main Market UK                                   6,948       75,391                  2,670           78,536
  Main Market International                        9,929       112,923                 2,968           66,924
  PSM (  PSM (UK & International)                   160         8,516                      -                -



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