DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (ICE) said its average daily
volume of futures contracts rose 14% in April after a slow start to
the year as CME Group Inc. (CME), the world's largest futures
exchange operator, said average daily volume fell 23% amid
continued weakness in its core interest-rate products.
Exchanges around the globe have been hurt as five years of
double-digit volume growth gave way earlier this year.
Average daily volume at IntercontinentalExchange totaled
983,928. The daily average edged up slightly in Europe during
April, while the figure jumped 42% in the U.S. on an increase in
some sugar options and futures and a huge jump in ICE's Russell
2000 mini product.
The exchange operator said total April futures volume rose to
20.7 million contracts, but didn't provide a year-earlier figure.
It didn't give a total figure in its April report last year
either.
Average daily volume at CME was 9.2 million, down 23%.
CME's interest-rate volume averaged 3.3 million contracts a day,
down 45% from a year earlier. The complex has, historically,
accounted for 60% of volume, but was down to 36% last month.
CME's shares closed Friday at $222.59 and ICE's closed at
$85.15.
-By Kerry E. Grace, Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-5089;
kerry.grace@dowjones.com