Market report - August

London Stock Exchange Plc
08 September 2004

8th September 2004
MR38-08.04


                  AUGUST EQUITY TRADING UP 22 PER CENT ON 2003



August saw further year on year increases in trading volumes across the London
Stock Exchange's markets, with a 22 per cent increase on the same month last
year in value traded and a 20 per cent increase in the number of trades.  In
total there were 4,965,401 trades during August with a value of £329.6 billion.



On SETS, the Exchange's electronic order book, the average daily value traded
was £3.0 billion, up 16 per cent on the same month last year.  The total number
of trades on SETS during the month was up 37 per cent on the previous year at
3.22 million, while the value traded increased 21 per cent to £63.2 billion.



Contributing to the SETS numbers, trading on SETSmm amounted to £2.73 billion,
with a record 291,171 trades.  August trading on EUROSETS, the Exchange's new
service for Dutch equities amounted to €1.03 billion.



There were 8,213 ETF trades on the London Stock Exchange in August with a total
value of £405.1 million, an increase of 131 per cent by value on the same month
last year.  The value of covered warrants traded during the month was £12.1
million, up 80 per cent on August last year.



On the primary market there were nineteen IPOs, of which two were on the main
market.  With seventeen IPOs, including two from international companies, AIM
attracted more than twice as many new companies in August 2004 as during the
same month last year.  AIM IPOs in August raised £90.57m, bringing the total for
the year to date to £1,566.4 million.  The number of companies on AIM reached
900 on 13th August, and by the end of the month there were 917 AIM companies.



There were 21 business days in August 2004, compared with 20 in August 2003.



                                    - 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 foremost equity exchanges 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 2003, the
market capitalisation of UK and international companies on the London Stock
Exchange's markets amounted to £3.3 trillion, with £3.6 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.


•   SETS - the electronic order book.

It is over six 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.

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]


•   IPO

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


•   SETSmm

SETSmm is the Exchange's new 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


August 2004

                                          2004                             2003
DOMESTIC EQUITY TRADING                   Month        Year to date        Month        Year to date

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    155,394       1,540,774          146,237       1,165,527
Number of Equity Trades                    4,010,973      35,131,180        3,478,227      29,592,289


INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    174,160       1,564,195          123,895       1,110,211
Number of Equity Trades                      954,428       7,648,982          648,496       6,814,315



ORDER BOOK TRADING

Order Book Value (£m)                          63,225         582,109           52,044           456,624
Order Book Trades                           3,215,779      26,119,101        2,345,084        21,083,341




                                                          August 2004                     August 2003

DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION (£bn)                                1,374                           1,283

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                           2,762                           2,701
UK list                                              1,486                         1,601
Foreign                                              359                           393
AIM                                                  917                           707
of which techMARK                                    171                           188


                                            2004                            2003
MONEY RAISED (£m)                           Month       Year to date        Month      Year to date

UK & AIM New Issues Equity                        106           3,975             22             1,770
Further, Rights and Other                         609           7,255            613             3,028
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest                 3,908          85,686          3,495            72,887
Int. New Issues Equity                              -             587              -               100
Further, Rights and Other                          13             180              -             4,830
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest                 3,066          65,328          9,523            64,753


COMPANIES ADMITTED                                 36             244             15                99




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