OREANDA-NEWS. The Moscow Exchange's Derivatives market continues its The Clash of the Titans Competition. In March 2013 trading volume of the competition participants reached 165 billion rubles or 6.5% of the total trading volume. As for the RTS Index futures, that share got to be 10%, for the MICEX Index – 47%. Number of trades in the RTS Index futures executed based on big orders increased fivefold since the beginning of the contest. March traders' activity rose twofold compared to February. Average trade size for the RTS Index futures and MICEX Index futures grew by 43% and 50% respectively on last year.

Alexander Subochev, Head of Trust Operations, Metallinvestbank, said: "The Clash of Titans has changed the market environment. Now the RTS Index futures contract is ceasing to be a "derivative" instrument, as its behavior determines largely the stock price moves".

"Surely volatility levels contributed positively last month that resulted in a record high turnover in March, but the contest helped to reduce slippage by more than 30% and improve liquidity in the RTS Index futures, and that is our major achievement", added Roman Sulzhyk, Managing Director of the Derivatives market at Moscow Exchange.

On February 01, 2013 the Moscow Exchange announced the Clash of the Titans Competition on its Derivatives market. The competition aimed to boost liquidity on the market and improve the quality of the order book for the Exchange"s derivative instruments.

The March winner was Company BCS that was the overall leader and a leader in the MICEX Index futures trading.

Applications to participate in the April competition stage are accepted until 17:00 MSK on April 15, 2013 via the electronic document circulation system or in a hard copy.