NYBOT Volume Grows Twenty-Three Percent YTD - Coffee, Sugar, Cotton, FCOJ, And The Financial Markets Show Strong Growth

The markets at the New York Board of Trade® (NYBOT®) continued their impressive growth during the month of February, following several successive high volume months and an unprecedented record year for 2003. Through the end of February, total futures and options shot up 23% Year-To-Date (YTD), with 4,864,892 contracts in 2004, versus 3,969,145 in 2003 YTD.

Total futures were up 21% YTD (2004 = 3,777,087 vs. 2003 = 3,114,080), total Ag futures increased 22% (2004 = 3,463,422 vs. 2003 = 2,840,347), and Currency futures rose 42% (2004 = 276,393 vs. 2003 = 194,937).

NYBOT's options market also continued to rise with an overall increase of 27% total YTD (2004 = 1,087,805 vs. 2003 = 855,065). Ag options increased 24% (2004 = 1,044,408 vs. 2003 = 839,749), Currencies are up 302% (2004 = 15,257 vs. 2003 = 3,793), and Index options had a 144% YTD increase (2004 = 28,140 vs. 2003 = 11,523).

Some February 2004 volume increases:

Coffee: Coffee "C" options on futures were up 77% YTD (2004 = 326,849 vs. 2003 = 184,981)
Cotton: Cotton options were 74% higher than 2003 (2004 = 328,744 vs. 2003 = 188,464)
Coffee: Coffee "C" futures saw a 61% increase YTD (2004 = 787,520 vs. 2003 = 488,737)
Cotton: Cotton futures were up 35% YTD (2004 = 632,053 vs. 2003 = 469,849)
FCOJ FCOJ futures rose 28% YTD (2004 = 139,508 vs. 2003 = 109,169)
FCOJ FCOJ options increased 26% YTD (2004 = 48,691 vs. 2003 = 38,771)
Sugar: Sugar #11 futures saw a 12% jump YTD (2004 = 1,532,226 vs. 2003 = 1,363,656)
Russell 1000®: the Index options were up 416% YTD (2004 = 15,724 vs. 2003 = 3,045)
USDX: US Dollar Index options contract had a 332% increase YTD (2004 = 14,701 vs. 2003 = 3,402)
USDX: the US Dollar Index futures are up 103% (2004 = 104,640 vs. 2003 = 51,446)

The full NYBOT Monthly Volume and Open Interest Report is available at www.nybot.com.

The New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) is the parent company of the Coffee, Sugar and Cocoa Exchange, Inc. (CSCE) and the New York Cotton Exchange (NYCE). Through its two exchanges, NYBOT offers an expanding range of agricultural and financial products. Information about the New York Board of Trade can be found at www.nybot.com and www.nybotlive.com.