GLOBEX®2 Volume Soars More Than 94 Percent

Trading volume on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange rose nearly 17 percent in January over year-ago levels to reach more than 18 million contracts. Trading in equity index products soared to a new all-time monthly record, with nearly 4.5 million contracts changing hands. Electronically traded volume on the CME's GLOBEX2 system rose more than 94 percent to 2,085,250 contracts. Trading volume in all CME product groups-agricultural, interest rate, and equity indexes-rose versus year-ago levels. Four index products set new monthly volume marks, including E-mini S&P 500 futures at 1,305,618, Nasdaq 100 futures at 349,813, E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures at 303,588 and GSCI futures at 98,665. In addition, Nasdaq 100 options traded greater volume than during any previous January, with 28,703 options changing hands. S&P/BARRA Growth futures also notched a new January high of 1,762. Overall, equity index product volume rose 38.8 percent over January 1999 levels to total nearly 4.5 million. Interest rate product volume, totaling nearly 11 million in January, saw increased trading of 12 percent over year-ago levels. Euroyen futures set a new January trading record of 91,533. Trading volume in currency products increased 9.8 percent versus year-ago levels and totaled more than 1.8 million contracts. All-time monthly volume highs were set in Euro FX futures at 419,910 and E-mini Euro FX futures at 1,614, as well as in South African rand futures at 11,283. New January highs were set in Australian dollar futures at 90,602 Euro FX option at 20,663 and New Zealand dollar futures at 4,030. Open interest, the number of contracts outstanding at the close of trading, stood at 7.5 million positions at month's end.