October was the busiest month ever recorded for share trading. Big price movements contributed to a new record being set for the total number of transactions in a single month.
The average daily number of transactions was 131,503 in October. The previous record of 120,800 transactions, set in August 2011, was therefore resoundingly beaten. The average daily value of share trading in NOK terms reached NOK 5.8 billion, which is the highest since 2011.
When compared to October last year, the number of transactions was up by 81%, while the value of trading in NOK terms increased by 64%.
Big price movements
Big price movements lead to increased activity, and October saw prices fluctuate to an exceptional extent. The Benchmark Index fell 4% in October, which is the largest monthly fall since June last year. However, at its lowest the Benchmark Index was down 12.6% relative to September, reaching its lowest level so far this year. Since the start of this year the Benchmark index has risen by 6.6%.
In terms of daily movements in share prices, October saw the worst day for shares since spring 2012, which was 2 October when the index fell 2.82%, as well as the best day since autumn 2011, which was 17 October when the index rose 3.89%.