Equity Index Volume Sets New November Mark As GLOBEX®2 Volume Rises Nearly 92 Percent Year-To-Date

Equity index futures and options on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) traded more heavily than any previous November, up more than 25 percent over year-ago levels. Equity index product volume reached 3,658,869, while total exchagewide volume was 14.3 million contracts. GLOBEX2 volume saw an increase of nearly 92 percent, year-to-date. Among index products setting new records for November were E-mini S&P 500 futures, at 1,072,433 and Nasdaq 100 Index futures, at 218,260. E-mini S&P 500 options also set a new November record at 3,849. GSCI futures also set an all-time monthly record at 91,639 contracts. The E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures contract reached its highest monthly volume level since the June 21 launch, as 115,268 contracts changed hands. E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures trading rounded out the month with its highest single-day volume ever, 9,123 on Nov. 30. Open interest also reached a new high of 6.943 positions at month's end. Trading volume on the GLOBEX2 electronic system rose 91.8 percent above year-ago levels to 1,552,735 in November. Year-to-date GLOBEX2 volume of 14,678,292 is nearly 65 percent higher than 1998 levels. Currency futures products also set new November volume records, with Australian dollar futures volume reaching 61,451, South African rand futures totaling 4,793 and New Zealand dollar futures reaching 2,182. EuroFX futures trading volume reached 303,608. Feeder cattle futures trading reached the highest level for any November, 60,107, as did BFP milk futures, at 3,700. Open interest, the number of contracts outstanding at the close of trading, stood at 7,589,664 at month's end.