CME Group Inc.'s (CME) daily trading volume jumped 31% in March,
the exchange operator said Monday, as it posted its second-highest
quarterly volume ever in the first quarter.
The world's biggest futures exchange operator has benefited of
late from investors' increased focus on unrest in the Middle East
and North Africa. The company has also seen traders gradually
return to its markets as the financial crisis has receded further
into the past.
Meanwhile, Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ) and
IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) unveiled plans Friday that
could shake up the global exchange sector, teaming up to offer
$11.3 billion for NYSE Euronext Inc. (NYX). The cash-and-stock
offer would see Nasdaq OMX expand its franchise in U.S. and
European equity and options trading and boost ICE's position in
derivatives trading.
CME said Monday its daily volume averaged 14.4 million contracts
in March, which was a 2% decline from February. A record 85% of
last month's total 331 million contracts were traded
electronically.
CME said daily volume for interest-rate futures, its biggest
product by that metric, climbed by a third from a year earlier to
6.6 million contracts a day. Commodities contract volume surged 60%
while energy saw a 20% gain.
For the first quarter, volume jumped 19% to 13.8 million
contracts a day.
Class A shares closed Friday at $304.27 and were inactive in
recent premarket trading.
-By Matt Jarzemsky, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2240;
matthew.jarzemsky@dowjones.com