Nymex Sets Monthly Volume Records

The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., today announced monthly volume records for August for Exchange-wide futures and options, futures, and options; NYMEX Division; NYMEX Division futures; NYMEX Division options; light, sweet crude oil futures; gasoline futures; and overall NYMEX miNY^sm and NYMEX miNY^sm crude oil and natural gas futures.

Total NYMEX Division volume reached 18,773,390 contracts, exceeding the 15,880,014 contracts traded in June. NYMEX Division futures volume hit 15,055,425 contracts surpassing the 12,950,077 set in June. NYMEX Division options volume surpassed the previous record of 2,929,937 contracts traded in June with the 3,717,965 contracts traded in August.

Exchange&150;wide futures and options monthly volume reached 21,355,701 contracts, surpassing the 18,616,482 traded in June. Total Exchange futures volumes reached 17,327,512 contracts surpassing the record of 15,289,265 contracts set in June. Total Exchange options volume hit 4,028,189 contracts surpassing the record 3,327,217 contracts traded in June.

Crude oil futures monthly volume reached 6,091,063 contracts, exceeding the 5,720,759 traded in March. Gasoline futures reached 1,341,256 surpassing the record 1,203,821 contracts traded in May.

A record 765,449 NYMEX miNY^sm futures contracts were traded, surpassing the 473,150 contracts traded in July. NYMEX miNY^sm natural gas futures volume hit 53,396 contracts, exceeding the 32,833 contracts traded in June. NYMEX miNY^sm crude oil futures volume reached 712,053 contracts, surpassing the record of 447,550 contracts set in June.

Exchange President James E. Newsome said, "We are pleased to see these volume records. They are a demonstration of the desire of the trading community for a safe, reliable venue to lay off risk and the recognition by the marketplace of the financial safeguards of the Exchange and its clearinghouse that provide a uniquely secure environment."