The London Stock Exchange has issued a robust third-quarter trading statement and announced a strong start to this year, marred only by a near-halving in the number of companies coming to the market in the final three months of 2007.

In the third quarter there was a total of 108 new issues in London and on the Borsa Italiana, which the LSE acquired in October, against 191 in the corresponding period of 2006.

However, the strong growth in equities trading sent total revenues up by 15 per cent to £167.9 million in the third quarter, adjusting for the extra income from the Borsa.

The LSE said that trading in London on Sets, the electronic platform, increased year-on-year by 46 per cent in value terms.

The LSE, like other world exchanges, has been benefiting from the turbulent conditions in the markets.

The wild gyrations in share prices over the past couple of weeks have yielded further increases in volumes.

Trading on Sets in January so far is more than 130 per cent higher than at the start of 2007.

LSE shares have been falling recently, despite the benefits to the company of the volatility on world markets.

They rebounded sharply this morning, ahead 128p to £17.06.

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