CME Group Inc.'s (CME) daily trading volume fell 13% in February
over a year-earlier period that hosted particularly strong trading
volume due to a wave of unrest in the Middle East and North
Africa.
Daily volume at the world's largest futures market operator
averaged 12.8 million contracts last month, down from February 2011
although up 10% from January.
Daily volume for interest-rate futures, its largest product by
that metric, averaged roughly 6 million contracts a day in
February, down 19% from a year earlier and up 15% from January.
Equity index volume declined 14% and 1.2%, respectively.
CME has in recent months worked to rebuild confidence in its
operations after facing criticism for its handling of the failure
last year of MF Global Holdings (MFGLQ), one of the largest brokers
on its markets.
Class A shares of CME closed Thursday at $289.54 and were
inactive premarket. The stock is up 19% since the start of the
year.
-By Mia Lamar, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-3207;
mia.lamar@dowjones.com