Eurex, the Swiss-German derivatives exchange, has returned its focus to Europe following a recent surge in interest in its US dollar products. Eurex US, the fledgling North American arm of the exchange, has seen big improvements in trading volumes after rolling out a new incentive programme this month. Since its introduction, Eurex US's open interest – a crucial indicator of an exchange's attractiveness – has more than doubled. At the end of June, the open interest on Eurex US stood at just 18,374 but by the beginning of last week it had risen to 53,733.

Eurex switched its attention back to Europe when it launched an Italian equity index product in a bid to win greater following among traders. The Italian listed derivatives market was previously dominated by Idem, Borsa Milano's derivatives arm.