CBOT Full-Sized Gold Open Interest Surpasses 5,000 Contracts

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT®) announced today that on April 25, 2005, open interest in the Exchange’s full-sized Gold futures exceeded 5,000 contracts for the first time and rose to a new record. Open interest in the contract increased to a high of 5,014 contracts, surpassing the previous high of 4,935 contracts set on April 22.

CBOT President and CEO Bernard W. Dan said, “CBOT full-sized Gold futures offer market participants a liquid trading environment with transparent bid/ask spreads and depth of order book. In 2005, open interest in the contract has risen 114 percent. Part of the Exchange’s Precious Metals complex, which is traded exclusively on the CBOT’s electronic trading platform, full-sized Gold futures provide market users with the advantages of straight-through processing and accessibility worldwide."

The CBOT’s 100 percent electronically traded Precious Metals complex is composed of full-sized and mini-sized Gold and Silver futures. Since the beginning of 2005, open interest in the complex has increased 15 percent.

For more information on CBOT products, visit the Exchange Website at www.cbot.com.