As Electronic Trading Volume on CME Soars, E-mini Equity Index Contracts Set New Volume Records

On the most volatile day in U.S. stock market history, trading volume on the CME's GLOBEX®2 electronic trading system surged to record levels yesterday, April 4, to 162,994 contracts. Fueling the climb were the CME's equity and index products, with a record 141,678 contracts traded electronically.

For two consecutive sessions, the E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures contract set new volume records on the CME, culminating with a record 44,126 contracts on April 4, and surpassing the April 3 record of 35,070 contracts by nearly 26 percent. The new record in E-mini S&P 500 futures totaled 95,447, besting its previous record of 86,423 set on March 7.

The previous GLOBEX2 trading volume record was set Oct. 16, 1998, with 147,663 contracts. Average daily volume on GLOBEX2, year-to-date, is 110,210 contracts. The previous equity and index products record was established March 15 with 124,405 contracts.

Both the E-mini S&P 500 and E-mini Nasdaq 100 contracts are one-fifth the size of the primary index contracts, with the E-mini S&P 500 sized at $50 times the index and the E-mini Nasdaq 100 sized at $20 times the index. Both contracts are traded virtually around the clock on GLOBEX2, from 3:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. the following day.