OREANDA-NEWS. January 21, 2011. 2010 was another year of successful development for the RTS Group. Total trading volume of the RTS Group markets was up 94.38% compared with 2009 reaching USD1.55 trillion. Stock market turnover was up 108.17% year on year to USD122.77 billion. Trading volume of FORTS, RTS futures and options market, was USD964.1 billion, up 111.36% on 2009.

RTS Standard showed the largest growth on the equity market – securities turnover more than doubled during 2010 to USD110.35 billion. This rapid development of the RTS Standard market was possible due to improvements and innovation in its infrastructure and technologies. REPO trades with the participation of a Central counterparty and technology for concluding REPO trades with a Central counterparty in anonymous trading mode were implemented. In addition, consolidated settlement on FORTS and RTS Standard was introduced.

The number of instruments traded on RTS Standard was extended to include 11 shares and open-ended mutual investment index fund "Troika Dialog - RTS Standard Index" under the management of Troika-Dialog, the first Russian ETF (exchange traded fund) analogues.

Consequently, the market share of RTS Standard in Russian securities turnover exceeded 20% in 2010.

As of December 24, 2010 trading in Russian Depository Receipts (RDR), a new instrument on the Russian stock market, started on the RTS equity market. Sberbank was the first company to issue RDRs, on ordinary registered shares of United Company RUSAL Plc.

The range of instruments traded in the index, currency and commodity sections of FORTS, the RTS derivatives market, was considerably broadened.  Futures contracts on the GBP/USD and AUD/USD exchange rates, 5-year contracts on USD/RUB exchange rate, options on EUR/USD futures contract were launched in the financial instruments section of FORTS. Futures contracts on Brent oil, platinum, raw sugar and copper were added in the commodity section.

A cash-settled gasoil futures contract was launched jointly with Saint Petersburg Exchange, and a power futures contract was introduced jointly with Moscow Energy Exchange.

As a result, trading volumes of currency, index, commodity contracts grew by 160% to USD137.5 billion, 122.9% to USD719.3 billion and 122.4% to USD18.5 billion respectively.

In 2010 RTS family of indices was enlarged to include the RTS Standard Index, the RTS Siberia Index and Russian Volatility Index.

As of May 17, 2010 all RTS markets opened for trading 30 minutes earlier, at 10:00 am MSK, due to high levels of correlation with international markets and in order to minimize risks arising at trading opening.

RTS’s regional projects in Ukraine and Kazakhstan developed also rapidly in 2010; evidence of their effectiveness and importance in building high quality financial markets in these countries.

Trading volume of the Ukraine Exchange was up almost nine times compared with 2009 to reach USD3.43 billion. On 27 May trading in the derivatives instruments was launched on the Ukraine Exchange. Total trading volume of these contracts amounted to USD448 million by the end of the year.

Turnover of Eurasian Trade System Commodity Exchange JSC increased by 28% to USD513 million, including eight times growth on the derivatives market to reach USD73 million.

In April RTS Stock Exchange incorporated its representative office in London, RTS Exchange Europe Limited, in order to promote products and services of RTS Group among international investors and to create the most convenient opportunities for global participants to trade on Russian Stock markets. As of July 5 the head office of RTS operated from 4/7 Vozdvizhyenka Str, Bld 1, Moscow in order to improve efficiency of services provided and to develop the exchange’s infrastructure. The new office brought together on one site OJSC RTS, DCC, NP RTS and RTS Clearing Center. 

During 2010 RTS won two prestigious awards. In June RTS Standard market was awarded "Best Project for the Securities Market Development" in the annual nationwide competition for the "Elite of the securities market 2009". In December during the solemn ceremony "Qualified  investor 2010", initiated by IMAC Group, NAUFOR, NP "NAPF", National League of Management Companies and the  Association of Regional Banks of Russia RTS Stock Exchange and "Troika Dialog" asset management company were awarded "Instrument of the Year, For outstanding achievements in developing the civilized market of qualified investors in Russia" for creating open-ended mutual investment index fund "Troika Dialog - RTS Standard Index ", the first Russian  ETF (exchange traded fund) analogues.

OJSC RTS does not provide any direct or implied assurances and guarantees regarding accuracy of information contained in this release and is not responsible expressly or implicitly for any losses occurred as a result of usage of this press-release.