Both wheat futures and wheat options volume were instrumental in leading to the new record as each of these contracts also set new records for the month of May. Wheat futures volume amounted to 217,809 contracts, breaking the previous May record of 198,843 contracts set in 2000 by 9.5 percent or 18,966 contracts. Wheat options volume of 66,679 contracts broke the previous record of 38,544 contracts by 28,135 contracts or 73 percent.
The record-breaking volume in May led the exchange to post year-to-date gains when compared to the same time period last year. Wheat futures year-to-date volume is ahead by 1.2 percent, with wheat options ahead by 15.2 percent and the exchange up by 2.7 percent.
The Kansas City Board of Trade, chartered in 1876, is the world's largest futures market for hard red winter wheat.
