Market report - Sept 2004

London Stock Exchange Plc
08 October 2004


News Release



8 October 2004


MR39-10.04



                SEPTEMBER SETSTM TRADING UP 17 PER CENT ON 2003


The number of trades on SETS, the London Stock Exchange's electronic order book,
increased to 3,566,740 in September 2004, up 17 per cent on September 2003.



The value traded on SETS during the month was £77.4 billion, an 11 per cent
increase on September last year. Included in these figures were 325,583 SETSmm
trades worth £3.4 billion and trades on EUROSETS, the Exchange's new service for
Dutch equities, worth €423 million. The average daily traded value on the SETS
order book rose 11 per cent to £3.5 billion on an average of 162,125 trades per
day, up 17 per cent.



For the calendar year to date, the number of trades on SETS increased to
29,685,841, up 23 per cent, and the value traded was £659.5 billion, up 25 per
cent, on the same period last year.



Overall there were 5.5 million UK and International equity trades across the
Exchange in September 2004, an increase of 6 per cent on last September. The
value traded also rose 9 per cent to £398.1 billion, up from £364.9 billion in
September 2003. For the calendar year to date, the value traded was £3,503
billion, a 33 per cent increase on the same period last year.



On the primary market, there were 31 new issues in September 2004 raising a
total of £1.0 billion, compared to 21 in September 2003. There were five IPOs on
the main market and 26 new issues on AIM, including 13 IPOs.



There were 22 business days in September 2004, the same number as in September
2003.


                                -        ends -



For further information, please contact:



Anya Velzeboer             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



September 2004


                                                      2004                               2003
DOMESTIC EQUITY TRADING                     Month          Year to date       Month          Year to date
Equity Trading Value £m                     209,990          1,750,764            194,222       1,359,750
Number of Equity Bargains                 4,560,454         39,691,634          4,400,665      33,992,954

INTERNATIONAL EQUITY TRADING
Equity Trading Value £m                     188,061          1,752,256            170,675       1,280,886
Number of Equity Bargains                   959,751          8,608,733            818,125       7,632,440


ORDER BOOK TRADING
Order Book Value £m                          77,388            659,497             69,443         526,067
Order Book Bargains                       3,566,740         29,685,841          3,056,511      24,139,852



                                                        September 2004                    September 2003
DOMESTIC MARKET CAPITALISATION  £bn                              1,413                             1,261

TOTAL NUMBER OF COMPANIES                                        2,765                             2,692
UK List                                             1,473                         1,583
Foreign                                               356                           391
AIM                                                   936                           718
techMARK                                              167                           186



                                                      2004                               2003
MONEY RAISED £m                               Month        Year to date        Month              Year to date
UK & AIM  New Issues                          1,002           4,977             67                       1,836
Further, Rights and Other                       128           7,383          1,146                       4,174
Bonds Warrants and Fixed                     11,208          96,893         12,103                      84,990
International New Issues                        -               587              -                         100
Further, Rights and Other                       -               180             18                       4,848
Bonds Warrants and Fixed                      7,292          72,620           8,580                     73,333

COMPANIES ADMITTED                               31             275              21                        120






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