Active trading in the exchange’s hard red winter wheat futures contract led to the new volume record as an annual record was set for that contract on October 21. This is the tenth time in 12 years that a new record has been set for this contract. Through yesterday’s session, annual volume was 3,134,612 contracts, an increase of 8.7 percent from the previous annual record of 2,883,370 contracts set in 2004.
"The year 2005 has been exceptional for the Kansas City Board of Trade," said KCBT Chairman Greg O’Brien. "This is our first full year of offering electronic trading, which has been a nice complement to our open outcry market for wheat. The liquidity in the wheat market continues to attract both risk management and fund activity like never before. Setting an annual volume record this early in the year underscores the vital role the Kansas City Board of Trade plays in the world wheat market."
The Kansas City Board of Trade, chartered in 1876, is the world's benchmark for hard red winter wheat prices.
(in contracts)
