Open interest in S&P 500 futures rose to record levels yesterday, with 635,547 positions, breaking the previous record of 624,504 set on Sept. 19, 2001. Also, for the third consecutive session, E-mini™ S&P 500 futures posted record open interest, beginning on June 13 with 278,499 positions and reaching 311,294 positions yesterday.
Open interest in E-mini Russell 2000 futures surpassed the 10,000 mark for the first time yesterday, June 17, reaching 10,075 positions and surpassing the previous record of 9,967 positions set on June 12.
Open interest represents the number of futures and options contracts outstanding at the close of trading each day. Open interest can be seen as a measure of the use of risk management instruments by institutions and individuals with a long-term stake in the markets, as well as the liquidity of a contract.
