Euronext.Liffe to lower trading fees on French equity options

Trading fees on Euronext.Liffe’s French equity options will fall by 17-50% when trading migrates to LiffeConnect on April 14, the derivatives exchange claimed.

Euronext.Liffe said the new trading system will also make the buying and selling of French equity options more efficient because market makers will be required to supply continuous quotes as well as respond to specific requests for quotes.

Hugh Freedberg, Euronext.Liffe chief executive, said the over-the-counter market in European equity derivatives has grown significantly over the past four years, and he wants to attract more of that business to the exchange.

“We can already offer OTC customers central clearing which eliminates their counterparty risk,” said Freedberg. “These additional functions are designed to attract wholesale business onto our market by offering customers the lower risk, lower cost, high quality market-place they have told us they want.”