The value of equity trading worldwide rose by 17.4% last year, according to new data from the World Federation of Exchanges Ltd. (WFE).

The WFE released its latest annual trading stats report, showing that the value of worldwide equity trading increased to US$81 trillion last year, and that global market capital rose 4.3% to US$68 trillion from 2013. The number of trades executed in 2014 rose 23.7% from 2013, the report says, meaning that the average value of trades continued to decrease.

Globally, the number of initial public offerings (IPOs) that were brought to market in 2014 rose 24.3% from 2013 to 1,421, the report says. It also reports that total investment flows increased 22.6% from 2013 to US$894 billion.

“The numbers illustrate that investor demand for financing and ways to transfer risk continue to grow,” said Nandini Sukumar, acting CEO of the WFE. “Exchanges are — and will remain — the natural place for both those needs. Volumes are growing across asset classes, investment flows are increasing and IPO’s are strong. There is confidence that capital markets can provide the means for growth.”

“The full year numbers build on the trends we saw back in the first-half, when exchange volumes and IPOs picked up,” said Grégoire Naacke, senior analyst at the WFE. “What is marked in 2014 is that equity volumes picked up in all the three regions. Asia Pacific is still the strongest but the Americas and [Europe, the Middle East and Africa] are closing the gap.”