Market Report - February 2003

London Stock Exchange Plc
07 March 2003



7 March 2003



MONTHLY MARKET REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 2003



                NUMBER OF UK TRADES CONTINUE TO RISE IN FEBRUARY



The total number of UK and international trades on the London Stock Exchange in
February 2003 was 4.21 million, up six per cent from 3.96 million in February
2002.  This was despite a year on year decline in the number of international
trades.



The total value of UK and international trades in February 2003 was £242.2
billion.  The average daily number of UK and international trades increased to
210,706 compared with 197,852 in February 2002.



The total number of UK trades on the London Stock Exchange increased to 3.44
million in February 2003, up 26 per cent compared with 2.73 million in February
2002.  However, the value of shares traded decreased by 14 per cent to £124.8
billion, down from £145.5 billion in February 2002.



In February the number of trades on SETS, the London Stock Exchange's electronic
order book, increased to 2.59 million trades compared with 1.55 million in
February 2002, an increase of 67 per cent.  The value traded on SETS increased
by one per cent to £52.7 billion in 2003, from £52.4 billion in February 2002.



The average daily number of trades on SETS was 129,598, up from 77,709 in
February 2002.  SETS achieved a 66.2 per cent share of eligible trades by value
in February 2003, compared with 60.4 per cent in February 2002.



On the primary market there were 4 new issues during February 2003, 1 of which
was an IPO on AIM.  This compares with 9 IPOs in February 2002 - 3 on the Main
Market and 6 on AIM.



                                    - Ends -



For further information, please contact:

Tiffany Hardie-Evans                        Press Office   [phone]




Notes to editors:



•         About the London Stock Exchange:



The London Stock Exchange is one of the world's leading 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 2002, the
market capitalisation of UK and international companies on its markets amounted
to £3.1 trillion, with £4.6 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 now five years since the launch of SETS and the service continues to go
from strength to strength. Overall, the market is benefiting from tighter
spreads, greater liquidity and lower execution costs. 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 - when a new company joins our market raising money.  This excludes
transfers and introductions (a company that joins a market without raising
money).




LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE



MONTHLY FACTSHEET FIGURES



February 2003


                                                        2003                             2002
DOMESTIC EQUITY TRADING                        Month    Year to date            Month    Year to date

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    124,833         273,545          145,460         298,266
Number of Equity Trades                    3,435,325       7,342,542        2,726,095       5,559,024


INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING

Equity Trading Value (£m)                    117,342         294,488          226,704         488,104
Number of Equity Trades                      778,787       1,935,236        1,230,952       2,726,867




ORDER BOOK TRADING

Order Book Value £m                           52,707         114,854           52,427         106,950
Order Book Trades                          2,591,959       5,469,682        1,554,186       3,128,230


                                                       February 2003            February 2002

DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION £bn                              1,076                       1,516

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                       2,804                       2,878
UK list                                             1,689                    1,795
Foreign                                               412                      445
AIM                                                   703                      638
of which techMARK                                     207                      239


                                                     2003                            2002
MONEY RAISED £m                                 Month    Year to date          Month    Year to date

UK & AIM New Issues Equity                          0              26            206             277
Further, Rights and Other                         242             411          1,440           1,667
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest                 4,809          10,489          5,666          10,469
Int. New Issues Equity                              -               -              -               -
Further, Rights and Other                          77              77            132             172
Bonds, Warrants, Fixed Interest                 8,816          17,880          5,627          10,929


COMPANIES ADMITTED                                  4              18             10              31






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