The Exchange also set monthly volume records in November for overall volume, futures volume, metals futures volume, COMEX Division volume, COMEX Division futures volume, and gold futures volume. The overall monthly volume was 15,118,544 contracts, surpassing the previous record of 14,757,935 contracts set in October 2004.
Metals futures reached a monthly record of 2,785,639 contracts, surpassing their previous record of 2,395,585 set in March 2004. COMEX Division futures and options volume was 3,218,269 contracts, exceeding the previous monthly record of 2,701,974 contracts, set in April 1987. COMEX Division futures activity of 2,725,764 contracts also surpassed its previous monthly volume record of 2,239,379 contracts, set in April 1987. Monthly volume in gold futures was 1,864,653 contracts, surpassing the previous monthly record of 1,649,521 contracts set in March 2004.
The annual total includes a record 122,505,817 Exchange–wide futures contracts and a record 26,984,084 Exchange–wide options contracts, which surpassed the 2003 records of 113,691,700 futures contracts, and 26,386,718 options contracts. A monthly record of 12,235,492 futures contracts was also set, exceeding the previous record of 11,851,448 contracts set in August 2004.
Total NYMEX Division annual volume has set a record of 122,340,903 contracts, surpassing the previous record of 114,663,501 contracts set in 2003. NYMEX Division futures volume of 100,901,870 contracts has also surpassed the previous record of 94,148,061 contracts set in 2003.
COMEX Division annual futures and options volume has already reached 27,148,998 contracts, exceeding the 2003 record of 24,463,980 contracts. COMEX Division futures volume is a record 21,603,947 contracts, surpassing the 2003 annual volume record of 19,543,639 contracts, while COMEX Division options have reached a record volume of 5,545,051 contracts, surpassing the previous record of 4,920,341 contracts set in 2003.
Metals futures volume reached a record 22,110,931 contracts, well ahead of the previous record of 19,907,557 contracts traded in 2003. This record included 13,906,372 gold futures contracts, which broke the 2003 record of 12,235,689 contracts.
The Brent crude oil futures contract, reintroduced in Dublin on November 1, traded 95,435 contracts in its first month, topping the previous annual record of 49,565 contracts when the futures contract was originally introduced in 2001.
New York harbor heating oil futures volume set an annual record of 11,720,130 contracts, surpassing the previous record of 11,581,670 contracts set in 2003.
e–miNYsm futures volume almost doubled its previous record with 724,958 contracts, as versus the 2003 record of 392,913 contracts. This total includes a record 603,453 e–miNYsm crude oil futures contracts, which surpassed the 2003 record of 277,411 contracts, and a record 121,505 e–miNYsm natural gas contracts, which surpassed the 2003 record of 115,502 contracts.
In addtion to trading activity, 12,600,503 contracts were traded off of the Exchange and cleared through NYMEX ClearPortsm, topping last year's record of 6,004,276 contracts.
Other annual volume highlights included:
- Gasoline futures reached a record volume of 11,781,504 contracts, exceeding the previous record of 11,172,050 contracts set in 2003.
- Crude oil futures set a record of 48,774,912 contracts, surpassing the record set in 2002 of 45,679,468 contracts.
- Crude oil calendar spread options reached a record volume of 343,286 contracts, surpassing the previous year's record of 166,053 contracts.
- Crude oil average price options, launched in November 2003, set a record of 23,460 contracts in its first full year of trading.
- Natural gas calendar spread options set a record of 40,781 contracts, surpassing the record set in 2003 of 13,557 contracts.
- Gasoline/crude oil crack spread options reached a record 77,405 contracts, surpassing the 1995 volume of 64,285 contracts.
- Heating oil/crude oil crack spread options also surpassed the previous annual volume record of 72,969 contracts set in 1995, when 85,874 contracts were traded.
