Six New Records Set In Open Interest At Winnipeg Commodity Exchange

Six new records in open interest were established recently in futures and options contracts traded on Winnipeg Commodity Exchange (WCE). A record total open interest in canola futures was set on October 6, 1999, at 73,755 contracts. The previous record occurred on December 17, 1998 (70,327 contracts). The November 1999 canola futures contract has performed particularly well, with a record open interest on October 5, 1999 of 41,786 contracts (exceeding 40,721 contracts on July 14, 1998). This represents the highest open interest ever established in any single canola futures contract. Trade in canola options has been quite active, with a total open interest historical high of 23,532 contracts on September 29, 1999. Also on October 6, 1999, a record was established as the number of total futures contracts open reached 102,028. Formerly, the high was 100,516 contracts on December 11, 1996. Following increased activity over the past several months in the oilseeds options market, 24,311 total options contracts were open on September 29, 1999, creating another benchmark. And finally, a new total futures and options open interest of 126,160 contracts was recorded on October 6, 1999. WCE is a not-for-profit organization and Canada's only agricultural futures and options exchange. WCE offers futures contracts on canola, flaxseed, domestic feed wheat, western barley, oats, and field peas. Options contracts are available on canola, flaxseed, feed wheat, and western barley.