CME Group Volume Averaged 12.1 Million Contracts Per Day In April 2011, Up 2 Percent

• Agricultural commodities average daily volume up 44 percent
• Metals average daily volume up 63 percent
• Double-digit year-over-year open interest growth in equity indexes, agricultural commodities and metals products
• Double-digit open interest growth from same period last quarter in interest rates, foreign exchange and metals products

CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced April volume averaged 12.1 million contracts per day, up 2 percent from April 2010.  Total volume for April was 243 million contracts, of which 83 percent was traded electronically.  April 2011 month-end open interest reached 96 million contracts, up 5 percent from both the same period last year and the same period last quarter.  

In April 2011, CME Group interest rate volume averaged 5.7 million contracts per day, up 2 percent compared with the prior April.  Treasury futures volume averaged 2.2 million contracts per day, up 7 percent compared with the same period in 2010, and Treasury options volume averaged 292,000 contracts per day, up 10 percent.  Eurodollar futures volume averaged 2.5 million contracts per day, up 5 percent versus April 2010, and Eurodollar options volume averaged 721,000 contracts per day, down 14 percent.

CME Group equity index volume averaged 2.2 million contracts per day, down 14 percent from April 2010.  CME Group foreign exchange (FX) volume averaged 796,000 contracts per day, down 5 percent compared with the same period a year ago, reflecting average daily notional value of $111 billion.

CME Group energy volume averaged 1.7 million contracts per day, down 4 percent compared with April 2010.  CME Group agricultural commodities volume averaged 1.3 million contracts per day, up 44 percent compared with the prior April, and up 16 percent sequentially.  CME Group metals volume averaged 424,000 contracts per day, up 63 percent compared with the same period last year, and up 16 percent compared with March 2011.

Electronic volume averaged 10.1 million contracts per day in April 2011, up 2 percent from the prior April, while privately negotiated volume increased 38 percent, to 237,000 contracts per day.  Average daily volume cleared through CME ClearPort was 444,000 contracts, up 14 percent compared with April 2010.  Open outcry volume averaged 1.3 million contracts per day, down 5 percent versus the prior April.

Average daily volume and rate per contract figures from 2008 have been revised due to standardizing NYMEX reporting conventions to follow CME's treatment of post-trade transactions such as exercises, assignments and deliveries.