Market Report - March 2006

London Stock Exchange Plc
07 April 2006


News Release



6 April 2006

MR57-3.06


                VALUE TRADED ON SETS RISES 69 PER CENT IN MARCH


March 2006 was another record month for SETS, with value traded up 69 per cent
on March 2005 to £141 billion.  The total number of SETS trades during the month
reached a record 6.7 million, a 53 per cent increase on the same month last
year.


The average daily value traded on SETS was also a record at £6.1 billion, up 54
per cent on the same month last year.  The average daily number of trades
increased 40 per cent on March 2005 to 289,379, an increase of nine per cent on
the previous record set only last month.


March was also a record month for trading in SETSmm securities.  The average
daily number of trades on SETSmm more than doubled, up 145 per cent on March
2005 to 56,164, while the average daily value traded increased 98 per cent to
£459.4 million.


Accelerating SETS growth was the major feature of the new total trading records.
Across the Exchange's markets the average daily number of trades was up 34 per
cent on March 2005 to 433,212, and the average daily value traded was up 39 per
cent to £29.1 billion. The total number of trades across the Exchange during the
month reached 10.0 million, and the total value traded amounted to £668.8
billion.


Trading in ETFs continued to grow very strongly, up 137 per cent on the average
daily number of trades in March 2005 to 1,164.  The total value traded during
the month was £1.5 billion, and the average daily value traded increased 104 per
cent on March 2005 to £64.2 million.  The average daily number of covered
warrants trades during the month was up 75 per cent on March last year, and the
average daily value traded was up 205 per cent to £2.2 million.


On the primary market, there were 56 IPOs, raising a total of £2.9 billion
between them.  This figure included 11 IPOs on the Main Market, raising £839
million, 44 IPOs on AIM, raising £1.6 billion, and one IPO on the new
Professional Securities Market which raised £424 million.


RNS, the Exchange's service for the dissemination of company news, transmitted a
record 16,582 announcements during the month, an increase of 32 per cent on
March 2005.  This included 5,901 news and results announcements, representing an
87 per cent share of all company news and results announcements made in the UK.


There were 23 trading days during March 2006, two more than in March 2005.


                                    - ends -


For further information, please contact:

Simon Wheeler                                 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

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

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    327,432         860,350          219,261         621,558
Number of Equity Trades                    7,981,848      20,966,189        5,454,795      15,234,272


INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    341,378         939,042          219,193         626,013
Number of Equity Trades                    1,982,032       5,775,385        1,331,407       3,696,240


ORDER BOOK TRADING

Order Book Value (£m)                         140,995         375,134            83,569         237,296
Order Book Trades                           6,655,727      17,406,209         4,339,143      12,023,128


                                                      March 2006               March 2005

DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION (£bn)                                 1,947                           1,524

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                            3,141                           2,916
Main Market UK                                        1,336                    1,446
Main Market International                               324                      343
of which techMARK                                       145                      162
AIM                                                   1,473                    1,127
Professional Securities Market (Equity only)              8                        -


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


Equity Money Raised:
  New issues: Main Market UK                           589           1,122               304           587
  New issues: Main Market International                250           2,400               125         1,015
  New issues:  AIM                                   1,649           2,052               360           536
  Further issues: Main Market UK                       549           1,042             1,109         1,230
  Further issues: Main Market                           39             329                 -            69
International
  Further issues: AIM                                  369           1,178               126           348
  PSM (new & further, UK & International)              424             527                 -             -

COMPANIES ADMITTED                                      75             148                78           152
                                                    

Debt Money Raised (£m)
  Main Market UK                                  16,520       36,487                 15,554           36,843
  Main Market International                       20,864       45,640                  6,670           22,288
  PSM (  PSM (UK & International)                  2,592        5,981                      -                -



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