KCBT Volume Tops 3 Million Contracts - Volume Traded In November Yields Several Annual Records

The Kansas City Board of Trade exchange volume traded during the month of November was the largest ever for any given November. Market conditions continued volatile, resulting in increased usage of KCBT wheat futures and options contracts, and leading the exchange to trade more than 3 million contracts in 2002. This is the first time in history that the exchange has traded more than 3 million contracts in a calendar year. Three annual records have been set in 2002: exchange-wide, wheat futures and wheat options.

Total volume for the exchange in November amounted to 331,002 contracts, an increase of 27 percent from the previous November monthly record of 259,858 contracts, which was set in 2000.

Wheat futures trading volume of 263,151 contracts was the largest for any given November, breaking the previous November record of 234,878 contracts set in 2001 by 12 percent.

Wheat options volume traded during the month of November was 66,382 contracts, also setting a new record for the month of November, breaking the previous November volume record of 26,434 contracts set in 2000 by 151 percent. Open interest for wheat options also set a new all-time record of 88,455 contracts on November 11.

Year-to-date exchange volume has set a new record in 2002 and is posting a gain of 17 percent over the previous annual record set in 2000. Year-to-date wheat futures volume has also set a new annual record in 2002, breaking the 2000 record by 6 percent. Wheat options annual trading volume is ahead of the previous record set last year by 114 percent.