Market report - March 2005

London Stock Exchange Plc
11 April 2005


News Release



11 April 2005
MR45-03.05



                 TRADING ON LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE CONTINUES TO

                                SET NEW RECORDS


The London Stock Exchange saw a total 6.8 million equity trades across its
markets during March 2005.  This represented an increase of nine per cent on the
total number of trades in the same month last year, despite there being two
fewer business days in March this year.  The average daily number of trades
reached 323,152, a new record for the third consecutive month, and an increase
of 19 per cent on March 2004.  The average daily value traded across the
Exchange was £20.9 billion, up six per cent on the same month last year.


The growth in trading continued to be driven by the success of SETS, which
recorded new records during March with an average of 206,626 trades per day, up
31 per cent on March 2004.  The average daily value traded on SETS was £4.0
billion, an increase of 10 per cent on the same month last year.


Included in the SETS figures, SETSmm saw an average 22,933 trades per day during
March 2005, more than twice the number of trades in March 2004. The average
daily value traded on SETSmm during the month was £232.4 million, an increase of
59 per cent on the average daily value traded during March last year.



March was also a good month on the primary markets.  The Main Market saw seven
IPOs during the month, including one international company, from India.  IPOs on
the main market raised a total of  £429.3 million between them.  There were 55
IPOs on AIM during March, raising a total of £355.7 million between them.



The total value of ETF trades during March 2005 was £639.8 million. The average
daily value traded was £30.5 million, up 53 per cent on the average daily value
traded in March last year.



There were 21 business days in March 2005, compared with 23 in March 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



March 2005


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

Equity Trading Value (£m)                   219,261         621,558         227,000           647,387
Number of Equity Trades                   5,454,795      15,234,272       5,100,181        14,302,950


INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING

Equity Trading Value (£m)                   219,193         626,013         226,063           616,165
Number of Equity Trades                   1,331,407       3,696,240       1,137,341         2,987,919



ORDER BOOK TRADING

Order Book Value (£m)                          83,569         237,296           83,268           235,002
Order Book Trades                           4,339,143      12,023,128        3,634,133        10,125,719




                                                        March 2005                      March 2004

DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION (£bn)                                1,524                           1,373

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                           2,916                           2,693
Main Market UK                                       1,446                               1,530
Main Market International                               343                                371
of which techMARK                                       162                                177
AIM                                                  1,127                                 792


                                       2005                              2004
MONEY RAISED (£m)                      Month        Year to date         Month      Year to date

New equity issues: UK Main Market               664           1,123             751                897
and AIM
Further, Rights and Other                     1,235           1,578           1,125              2,359
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest              15,554          36,843          23,148             44,197
New equity issues: International                125           1,015              19                 19
Main Market
Further, Rights and Other                         -              69              17                109
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest               6,670          22,288           8,846             25,380


COMPANIES ADMITTED                               78             152              39                 61




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