CBOT To Extend Trading Hours On Its Electronic Trading Platform

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) today announced the expansion of trading hours on its electronic platform, an initiative created to respond to global demand for additional trading opportunities at the Exchange. This enhancement will be completed in conjunction with the upgrade to the CBOT electronic platform on October 9, 2005, and will make CBOT products available to electronic market users for an additional hour each day.

The new operating hours for the CBOT electronic platform will be 6:00 p.m – 4:00 p.m. (the following day), with the pre-opening session now beginning at 5:30 p.m. Previously, the hours of operation were from 7:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., with the pre-opening beginning at 6:30 p.m. All hours are Chicago Time.

CBOT Chief Operating Officer Bryan T. Durkin said, "The CBOT is built upon a long-standing commitment to customer service -- we listen closely to our customers’ needs and then respond as swiftly as possible. We are pleased to serve market users globally by expanding access to the CBOT’s diverse range of products via our superior electronic trading system.”

Since January 2005, overall volume on the electronic platform has surpassed 226 million contracts, up 40 percent from the same period last year. Moreover, Y-T-D electronic volume in the CBOT’s benchmark U.S. Treasury complex is 204 million contracts, up 37 percent from the same period last year.