A total of 425,682 contracts were traded at the exchange during May, setting a new record for the calendar month. This exceeds the previous May record of 284,578 contracts set in 2003 by 49.6 percent.
A new record for the month of May was set in the hard red winter wheat futures contract, with 365,497 contracts trading, an increase of 58.9 percent over the previous record of 229,963 set just last May.
Hard red winter wheat options volume posted strong increases compared to last month and May 2005. Volume was 32.9% higher than last month and posted a 174.5% gain over last May.
Open interest continues to climb in the wheat futures and wheat options contracts compared to last year and last month. Wheat futures open interest is up 98.8 percent over last May and 15.2 percent over last month. Wheat options open interest is 108.1 percent over last May and 120.0 percent over last month.
The Kansas City Board of Trade, founded in 1856, is the world's largest futures market for hard red winter wheat. This year, the exchange is celebrating its 150-year anniversary.
