.jpg)
ELX Futures, L.P. (ELX), a leading electronic futures exchange, today announced its total volume for the first three quarters has surpassed 15 million contracts as trading activity for its 30-year and ultra-long U.S. Treasury bond futures contracts set new quarterly records.
The 30-year bond volume in the third quarter exceeded 1 million contracts for the first time, with 1,167,171 contracts traded, surpassing the second quarter 2011 record of 964,534 contracts and bringing the total traded since launch to nearly 5 million. The average daily volume for the quarter was a record 18,237 contracts, with market share during the quarter rising to a record 4.3%.
The ultra-long bond set a quarterly record of 25,573 contracts, more than double the previous record of 10,299 set during the second quarter of 2010, and a monthly record for September of 13,436 contracts, after setting the previous record of 9,141 last month.
In August and September, a record number of U.S. Treasury futures calendar spreads were also traded, with 20,756 September contracts trading as spreads to December contracts, up nearly 25% from the previous record of 16,622 March/June 2010 calendar spreads.
Neal Wolkoff, ELX Chief Executive Officer, said, “ELX continues to see growth both in terms of volume and trading strategies utilizing our instruments. The roll from September to December is especially significant as a demonstration of the recognition by participants of the flexibility ELX offers them to comfortably maintain long-term strategic hedge positions. Buy-side customers can initiate and maintain positions at ELX confident that the market is sufficiently liquid to offer an alternative to taking delivery of expiring contracts.”
