Robust trading volume during the month of March at the Kansas City Board of Trade yielded new monthly volume records. New calendar month volume records were set for both the HRW wheat futures contract and the exchange as a whole. This marks the 10th consecutive month a new calendar month record has been set for HRW wheat futures. New exchange calendar month volume records have been set nine out of the last 10 months.
A total of 574,969 contracts were traded at the exchange in March, breaking the previous March volume record of 421,222 contracts set in 2006 by 36.5 percent. HRW wheat futures trading volume of 547,543 contracts was also a March monthly volume record, breaking the previous record of 363,605 set in 2006 by 50.6 percent.
Year-to-date trading volume is posting momentous gains over trading volume in 2010, a year in which new annual volume records were set. Total exchange trading volume is running 90.3 percent higher than last year, with HRW wheat futures volume running 87.2 percent ahead.
“Global geopolitical unrest, coupled with increasing discretionary spending on the part of developing countries continues to focus attention on sources of food and energy,” said KCBT President and CEO Jeff Borchardt. “As the global benchmark for bread wheat, the Kansas City Board of Trade is proud to serve the risk management needs of our global customer base for this critical food source.”
The Kansas City Board of Trade is a for-profit corporation organized under the laws of Delaware. The KCBT, founded in 1856, is the world's largest futures market for hard red winter wheat. Daily quotes, market commentary, historical data and charting services are available on our website at www.kcbt.com.
VOLUME AND OPEN INTEREST SUMMARY
(in contracts)
|
Volume
|
Volume
|
%
|
Volume
|
%
|
Year-to-date
|
Year-to-date
|
%
|
|
| CONTRACT |
Mar 2011
|
Mar 2010
|
Change
|
Feb 2010
|
Change
|
2011 Volume
|
2010 Volume
|
Change
|
| Wheat |
547,543
|
273,549
|
100.2%
|
689,530
|
-20.6%
|
1,722,664
|
920,276
|
87.2%
|
| Wheat Options |
27,426
|
8,749
|
213.5%
|
24,987
|
9.8%
|
72,600
|
22,930
|
216.6%
|
| Total Exchange |
574,969
|
282,298
|
103.7%
|
714,517
|
-19.5%
|
1,795,264
|
943,206
|
90.3%
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Open
|
Open
|
Open
|
||||||
|
Interest
|
Interest
|
%
|
Interest
|
%
|
||||
|
3/31/2011
|
3/31/2010
|
Change
|
2/28/2011
|
Change
|
||||
| Wheat |
184,175
|
152,059
|
21.1%
|
198,189
|
-7.1%
|
|||
| Wheat Options |
36,506
|
15,917
|
129.4%
|
25,690
|
42.1%
|
|||
| Total Exchange |
220,681
|
167,976
|
31.4%
|
223,879
|
-1.4%
|
