Nymex Records Highest Annual Volume - Sets Gold Record and Others

Activity on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., achieved the highest volume in Exchange history with the total of 139,163,370 contracts breaking the record of 134,223,757 contracts set in 2002.

The 2003 total includes 6,040,165 energy futures contracts cleared through NYMEX ClearPort^sm during 2003. In 2002, 534,311 contracts were cleared through the system.Record volumes were also set for total futures; COMEX Division futures and options and COMEX Division futures, both of which topped 16-year records; COMEX Division options; and numerous futures and options contracts including a gold futures record that was in place for 21 years.

Total futures volume was a record 113,727,589 contracts, breaking the record of 107,839,041 futures contracts set in 2002.

COMEX Division futures and options volume of 24,463,980 contracts exceeded the 1987 record of 21,495,598 contracts. The COMEX Division of the Exchange offers trading in futures and options contracts for gold, silver, copper, and aluminum.

COMEX Division futures volume totaled 19,543,639 contracts, breaking the record of 17,884,617 contracts, also set in 1987.

Record options volume on the COMEX Division totaled 4,920,341 contracts, surpassing the 3,703,215 contracts traded in 1999.

Gold futures volume was a record 12,235,689 contracts, breaking the 1982 record of 12,123,987 contracts.

New York harbor heating oil futures volume set a record of 11,581,670 contracts, exceeding the record of 10,695,202 contracts set in 2002.

New York harbor gasoline futures volume was a record 11,172,050 contracts, breaking the record of 10,979,736 contracts for 2002.

Copper futures volume of 3,089,270 contracts surpassed the 2001 record of 2,856,641 contracts.

Aluminum futures volume set a record of 107,490 contracts, exceeding the record 74,000 contracts traded in 2002.

Gold options volume of 4,310,318 contracts shattered the 1999 record of 2,815,831 contracts.

Other volume highlights included:

PJM monthly electricity futures, which were launched on April 11, 2003, traded a total of 142,859 contracts for the year.
e-miNY^{sm^{energy futures trading was a record 392,913 contracts compared to the 278,209 contracts traded during 2002, the first year of trading in the new contracts.}}
Calendar spread energy options volume set a record of 185,630 contracts, topping the 103,683 contracts traded in 2002, its first year of trading.
Aluminum options volume set a record of 2,679 contracts, exceeding the previous record of 642 contracts set in 1999.

In addition, the following records were set on NYMEX ACCESS®, the Exchange's overnight electronic trading system:

Total futures volume on NYMEX ACCESS® set a record of 5,880,455 contracts, breaking the previous record of 4,902,458 contracts set in 2002.
NYMEX Division futures volume was a record 5,030,086 contracts, breaking the 2002 record of 4,455,194 contracts.
Energy futures volume was a record 5,017,703 contracts, exceeding the 2002 record of 4,448,964 contracts.
COMEX Division futures trading was a record 850,369 contracts, surpassing the 2002 record of 447,264 contracts.
Light, sweet crude oil futures volume was a record 3,433,976 contracts, topping the 2002 record of 2,892,134 contracts.
Heating oil futures volume set a record of 358,115 contracts, versus the 2002 record of 247,670 contracts.
Gasoline futures trading was a record 293,060 contracts, exceeding the record of 206,138 contracts set in 2002.
Gold futures activity set a record of 646,576 contracts, breaking the 2002 record of 331,965 contracts.
Silver futures trading set a record of 168,136 contracts, breaking the record of 110,518 contracts set in 1998.
Copper futures trading was a record 35,653 contracts, breaking the record of 22,962 contracts set in 1999.

Exchange President J. Robert Collins, Jr., said, "This year's trading performance was particularly remarkable, coming on the heels of the record volume and 30% growth recorded in 2002. The records set in 2003 continued to build on the trading benchmarks set last year. It was also particularly gratifying to see a combination of growth in new products and on the NYMEX ClearPort^sm system while witnessing the shattering of records that had stood since the 1980s, as market participants returned to the metals markets. This trading performance, along with the record seat values reached during the year, which culminated in the $1.625 million sale in September, reflects the confidence of the marketplace in the innovation, liquidity, and financial integrity of the Exchange."