Last year NYSE Euronext, the exchange that owns the French, Dutch and Belgian markets, came a distant second to new rival Chi-X Europe but this year the transatlantic market took advantage of changes to the awards to storm to an equally emphatic victory in the new best stock exchange category.

In 2008, the awards reflected the emerging competitive landscape by pitting exchanges against Chi-X Europe and its multilateral trading facility peers, but this year it was felt fairer to separate the groups and allow the progress that the exchanges have made to be acknowledged.