Nasdaq (Nasaq:NDAQ), the second-largest exchange in the world by market capitalization, has just released its monthly batch of trading volumes and metrics for April 2017 – the latest readings showed a pullback across the board for multiple segments, namely in the United States, given lower volatility and a reduced trading schedule.

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In April 2017, Nasdaq pared all of last month’s volumes gains across its equity derivatives business. In light of lower volatility relative to last month, volumes in this segment were higher, as indicated by a figure of 113.0 million contracts. This reading shows a loss of -16.9 percent month-over-month 136.0 million contracts in March 2017, retreating off its recently established two-year high.

The latest measure did manage to beat its 2016 counterpart, rising by 50.6 percent year-over-year from just 75.0 million contracts in April 2016. Consequently, April 2017 resulted in the lowest equity derivatives volume of 2017, with a lighter trading schedule factoring into the decline.

The negative performance also extended to Nasdaq’s European business over the same month-over-month period, with its European equity derivatives registering a downward performance in April 2017. Nasdaq reported 5.9 million contracts in April 2017, compared to 8.1 million contracts in March 2017, or -27.2 percent lower month-over-month.

This fall was also congruent over a year-over-year basis, retreating -27.2 percent from 8.1 million contracts in April 2016.

FICC Business Trending Lower

Nasdaq’s April 2017’s figures were also lower across Fixed Income, Currencies and Commodities business (FICC). More specifically, US fixed income volume (in billion USD traded) yielded $1,481 for the month ending April 2017. This figure fell -17.4 percent month-over-month from $1,794 in March 2017, falling off a 2017 high – the reading -10.3 percent lower year-over-year from $1,659 in April 2016.

In terms of European fixed income, April 2017’s metrics were equally weaker, showing an abrupt decline in its volumes month-over-month. April 2017 saw 2.0 million contracts, down -28.6 percent month-over-month from just 2.8 million contracts in March 2017 though only down -4.8 percent year-over-year from April 2016.