KCBT Wheat Futures Monthly Trading Volume Third-Largest In Exchange History

The Kansas City Board of Trade wheat futures trading volume during the month of August was the third-largest in the history of the exchange. A total of 303,624 contracts were traded, very near the 309,892 contract record set in June 2001. The swell in futures trading has pushed year-to-date volume through Aug. 30 to a 2.4 percent increase when compared to 2001 and 5.5 percent increase when compared to year-to-date figures for 2000, the annual record holder.

The wheat options contract again set several new records during the month of August. Volume traded in August beat all previous August monthly records as 39,325 contracts were traded, more than doubling the previous August record of 18,349 contracts set in 2000. This is the ninth month in a row that the wheat options contract has set a monthly record when compared to the same calendar month. Wheat options also set a new open interest record this month at 59,660 contracts on August 23.

Wheat options year-to-date volume through August is posting a 61.4 percent increase when compared to the same eight-month time period last year. Wheat options continue to add to record annual volume levels. Year-to-date volume is now 23.21 percent, or 56,478 contracts, ahead of total 2001 annual volume.

Healthy gains in wheat futures and wheat options volume have pushed year-to-date total exchange volume to an 8.1 percent increase compared to volume in the same time frame in 2001 and a gain of 14 percent when compared to 2000, the last year the exchange set an annual volume record.