Mondo Visione Worldwide Financial Markets Intelligence

FTSE Mondo Visione Exchanges Index:

CBOT Metals Complex Volume Continues To Set Records; Surpasses 58,000 Contracts - Gold Futures And Options, Silver Futures Climb To New Records

Date 20/04/2006

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT®) announced today that volume in the Exchange’s 100 percent electronically traded Metals complex continued to expand, with more than 58,000 contracts changing hands for the first time ever. Total Metals complex volume reached 58,137 contracts on Wednesday, April 19, compared with the prior record of 43,466 set on April 11, 2006.

CBOT Senior Vice President of Business Development Robert Ray said, “We are extremely pleased that volume in CBOT Metals contracts continues to build momentum across all time zones. Our customers globally are benefiting from the liquidity and transparency of CBOT Metals markets, especially during highly volatile conditions. We believe that the relatively new product group’s ongoing expansion and success is due in part to the premier functionality and trading environment provided by the e-cbot® platform.”

Month-to-date, 25 percent of all listed Precious Metals contracts traded in North America changed hands at the CBOT, with 29 percent of Gold futures and 16 percent of Silver futures executed at the Exchange during the same time period.