Trading in investment certificates and leverage products on the European financial markets rose by more than a quarter (25.4 per cent) in the first three months of 2014 from the previous quarter and up 24.4 per cent from a year ago.

Trading in investment certificates and leverage products on the European financial markets rose by more than a quarter (25.4 per cent) in the first three months of 2014 from the previous quarter and up 24.4 per cent from a year ago.

Trading volume stood at €33.4 billion ($45.2 billion), according to data collected by the European Structured Investment Products Association from its members. The specific findings came from Derivative Partners Research.

The trading volume of investment products in the first quarter of 2014 was €12.9 billion, an increase of 7.1 per cent from the same quarter of 2013. Investment products accounted for 38.6 per cent of total turnover.

At the end of the first quarter, the exchanges of EUSIPA member countries were offering a range of 503,166 investment certificates and 706,185 leverage products. The number of listed products was up 7.9 per cent in comparison with the fourth quarter of 2013. The number of investment products listed was up 12.0 per cent year on year, while the number of leverage products was up 15.2 per cent, EUSPIA said.

The members of EUSIPA include: Zertifikate Forum Austria (ZFA), Association Française des Produits Dérivés de Bourse (AFPDB), Deutscher Derivate Verband (DDV), Associazione Italiana Certificati e Prodotti di Investimento (ACEPI), the Swedish Exchange Traded Investment Products Association (SETIPA), the Swiss Structured Products Association (SSPA) and the Netherlands Structured Investment Products Association (NEDSIPA).