Euronext's core profit jumps on strong cash trading

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July 30 (Reuters) - Pan-European exchange (Other OTC: EUEXF - news) operator Euronext (Lisbon: ENX.LS - news) said its second-quarter core earnings jumped about 21 percent, bolstered by robust performance in its cash trading business as economic uncertainty resulted in a spike in volumes.

The uncertainty arising due to a possible Greek exit from the Eurozone and a U.S. Federal Reserve rate hike likely this year fuelled trading on the exchange, which is the largest in continental Europe for trading.

The exchange has been benefiting from U.S. investors piling into European shares, which have had cheaper valuations than stocks in the United States.

Euronext, the Paris bourse's parent company, said its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization increased to 70.1 million euros from 58.1 million euros a year earlier.

Revenue from cash trading rose 24 percent in the second quarter to 49 million euros, compared with 39.6 million euros a year earlier.

Eager not to lose ground to bigger rivals, Euronext is making a push to become the European platform of choice for companies issuing bonds in Chinese renminbi.

Euronext said its search for a new chief executive would be concluded over the summer. Its previous chief executive, Dominique Cerutti, quit earlier in the year to join consulting firm Altran Technologies.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in Euronext were up 2.44 percent at 39.950 euros at 0724 GMT in Paris. They have almost doubled in value since their stock market listing last June.

Euronext operates bourses in Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, London and Lisbon. (Reporting by Aashika Jain in Bengaluru; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)