CME Group Reached Average Daily Volume of 15 Million Contracts per Day in September 2016, up 6 Percent from September 2015

CME Group, the world’s leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced that September 2016 average daily volume (ADV) reached 15 million contracts per day, up 6 percent from September 2015.  CME Group September 2016 options volume averaged 2.9 million contracts per day, up 9 percent versus September 2015, with electronic options averaging 1.7 million contracts per day, up 22 percent over the same period last year.  Third-quarter 2016 volume averaged 14.3 million contracts per day, flat compared with a strong third-quarter 2015.  CME Group year-to-date 2016 ADV through September averaged 15.4 million contracts per day, up 8 percent.  Total open interest at the end of third-quarter 2016 was 103 million contracts, up 12 percent from year-end 2015.  During the quarter, CME Group reached open interest approaching record levels, peaking at 111.2 million contracts on September 15, 2016. 

Metals volume averaged 383,000 contracts per day in September 2016, up 30 percent from September 2015.  Highlights include:

• Grew Gold futures and options ADV 34 percent to 225,000 contracts
• Increased Silver futures and options ADV 58 percent to 68,000 contracts

Energy volume averaged 2.4 million contracts per day in September 2016, up 25 percent from September 2015.  Highlights include:

• Achieved 31 percent growth in ADV across Natural Gas futures and options products, driven primarily by electronic Natural Gas futures and options ADV of 405,000 contracts, up 44 percent
• Increased Natural Gas options ADV 40 percent to 105,000 contracts
• Grew WTI Crude Oil futures ADV 46 percent to 1.2 million contracts
• Achieved record electronic trading levels of WTI options, hitting 80 percent electronic, and September 2016electronic WTI options ADV of 146,000 contracts grew 37 percent compared with September 2015
• Reached record RBOB ADV of 223,000 contracts, up 58 percent from September 2015

Interest rate volume averaged 6.5 million contracts per day in September 2016, up 5 percent from September 2015.  Highlights include:

• Grew Fed Fund futures ADV 24 percent to 179,000 contracts per day and hit a new open interest high with more than 1.15 million contracts on September 30, 2016
• Reached record quarterly electronic trading level for Treasury options at 73 percent in third-quarter 2016, up from 69 percent during the prior quarter, and achieved 25 percent growth in weekly Treasury options ADV
• Achieved new high for Ultra 10-Year Futures, reaching ADV of 72,000 contracts in third-quarter 2016, up from 61,000 in second-quarter 2016

Equity index volume averaged 3.8 million contracts per day in September 2016, up 3 percent from September 2015.  Highlights include:

• Grew E-mini S&P 500 end-of-month options ADV 128 percent to a record 117,000 contracts and E-mini S&P 500 weekly options ADV 99 percent to 358,000 contracts
• Achieved record monthly volume for E-mini Nasdaq-100 end-of-month options of 51,000 contracts
• Record quarterly participation in CME Group’s BTIC functionality with over 343,000 contracts traded

Foreign exchange volume averaged 969,000 contracts per day in September 2016, up 2 percent from September 2015.  Highlights include:

• Grew British Pound futures and options ADV 18 percent to 130,000 contracts
• Increased ADV of Emerging Market currency pairs futures and options, with Russian Ruble up 179 percent, Mexican Peso up 51 percent and Brazilian Real up 31 percent

Agricultural volume averaged 964,000 contracts per day in September 2016, down 9 percent from September 2015.  Highlights include:

• Grew Hard Red Winter Wheat futures and options ADV 30 percent and 21 percent respectively

Guidance

At the end of July 2016, CME Group announced the equity member subscription rate program.  It offers all current and potential equity members the option to substitute a monthly subscription fee for their existing requirement to hold CME Group Class A common stock.  Choosing to pay this fee in lieu of holding Class A shares is entirely voluntary.  This program is in early stages; CME Group anticipates approximately $150,000 of revenue to be booked in Other Revenue for third-quarter 2016.

Footnote: To see CME Group daily over-the-counter (OTC) notional cleared volumes and open interest, monthly OTC notional cleared volumes and monthly total trade count, go to https://www.cmegroup.com/education/cme-volume-oi-records.html