Trading in US natural gas futures was temporarily halted on Wednesday due to technical issues, marking the second major disruption this month in one of the most active commodity markets. CME Group Inc. reported that trading of gas futures and options on its Globex electronic platform was paused for approximately 35 minutes before resuming.
The interruption coincided with the expiration of the March delivery contract, a critical date for traders managing their positions. Natural gas futures rose following the restart, closing 1.9% higher at $2.969 per million British thermal units.
Metals trading, including gold and copper, was also affected, with trading halting briefly before resuming around 1:45 p.m. Central Time. CME has not yet provided additional details on the cause of the disruptions.
