SWX Saw Record Trading Volumes In 2006

by Carla Johnson, Investors Offshore.com

08 January 2007

The Swiss Exchange (SWX) and virt-x, the pan-European trading platform owned by the exchange, both recorded new all-time highs in turnover and trading volume in 2006.

Turnover rose by more than 36% versus the previous year to reach almost CHF2 trillion (US$1.6 trillion), the SWX reported last week.

According to the exchange, there was a surge in trading activity in securitised derivatives, with turnover in these instruments "virtually exploding". Turnover in this segment grew by 49%, and volume registered a 62% increase compared to 2005.

Turnover in equities, including funds, also grew sharply to, CHF1,737,046 million in 2006, up 42.8% compared to 2005. Meanwhile, turnover in Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) grew by 40.4% to CHF18,984 million in 2006 compared with 2005.

Turnover in International Bonds increased by 25.5% to CHF20,025 million in 2006 compared with the previous year, although turnover in CHF bonds dropped by 9.7% last year to CHF154,416 million.

At 8785.7 points, the blue chip SMI index fell just shy of closing the year at an all-time high. The described the performance of the SMIM which finished the year up 47%, as "particularly remarkable".

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