(Adds data from ICE)
By Everdeen Mason
CME Group Inc.'s (CME) November daily trading volume rose as a
significant increase in interest-rate and futures contract volumes
offset a drop in equity index and metals volume, while rival
exchange IntercontinentalExchange Group (ICE) reported a jump in
futures and options contract volume.
Exchanges are seeing an increase in business this year from
handling swap trades, which lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe
targeted for stricter regulation after some privately traded
derivatives markets, such as for credit default swaps, were blamed
for deepening the 2008 financial crisis.
CME, parent company of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, said on
average 12.1 million contracts were traded daily in November, up 9%
from last year. A total of 241 million contracts were traded in
November, with 87% traded electronically.
Interest-rate volume averaged six million contracts a day, up
32% from last November. CME runs the leading franchise in U.S.
interest-rate futures and has long been seen as a natural place for
traders to clear swap contracts linked to similar rates.
Equity index volume, however, dropped 18% to 2.2 million
contracts per day.
Metals volume fell 9% to 379,000 contracts a day.
Eurodollar futures volume climbed 53% to an average of two
million contracts a day, while Treasury futures volumes rose 16% to
three million contracts a day.
Meanwhile, Eurodollar options averaged 484,000 contracts a day,
up 56% from last year, and Treasury options rose 48% to 533,000
contracts a day.
ICE reported its daily volume for options and futures increased
5% to 3.37 million contracts year over year as its largest segment,
oil, rose 13%. However, ICE's gains were offset by declines in
natural gas, gasoil equity index.
ICE reported its ICE Brent futures and options volumes increased
17%; however, its ICE gasoil and ICE natural gas volumes each
dropped 5%. ICE equity index futures and options volumes decreased
18%.
Write to Everdeen Mason at everdeen.mason@wsj.com
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