Trading Volume On CME Up More Than 19 Percent In January - Equity Index Volume Reaches All-Time High As GLOBEX®2 Volume Doubles

February's trading volume on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) rose more than 19 percent over last year to 18.9 million contracts, a record for any February. Volume in equity index products set a new all-time monthly record for the second consecutive month, and electronically traded volume on the CME's GLOBEX®2 system rose by 105 percent. Volume in equity index products rose more than 35 percent versus year-ago levels, with February's total of 4.6 million contracts surpassing the previous month's all-time volume record by more than two percent. Included in the total were all-time monthly volume records in E-mini S&P 500 futures, at 1,388,389, E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures, at 381,595, Nasdaq 100 futures, at 366,408, and Nasdaq 100 options, at 52,587. Volume in equity index products has risen 37 percent, year-to-date. Reaching new volume highs for any February were GSCI futures at 86,675, Russell 2000 futures at 29,369 and S&P/BARRA Growth and Value futures at 361 and 620, respectively. Volume on the CME's GLOBEX2 electronic system rose 105 percent higher than year-ago levels and totalled 2,183,862 contracts. Year-to-date volume of 4,269,112 has risen 99.5 percent higher than in 1999. Among currency products, E-mini EuroFX and E-mini Japanese yen set new monthly volume records of 1,759 and 1,080, respectively. EuroFX futures trading reached a new February high of 334,967, along with 23,673 EuroFX options and 1,756 South African rand futures. Agricultural products setting new February marks were lean hog futures at 186,352, milk futures at 5,936, and butter futures at 649. Open interest, the number of contracts outstanding at the close of trading, stood at 7.96 million positions at month's end.