On Wednesday, the?IntercontinentalExchange?Group?(NYSE: ICE) reported exchange trading volumes for?February 2014.
ICE’s February average daily volume (ADV) for global derivatives was 10.7 million contracts, a decrease of 9% compared to?February 2013.?Commodity futures and options ADV increased 8%, driven by continued strength in natural gas, up 18%, and agriculture contract volume, up 29% year to year.
In addition, financial futures and options ADV declined 20% driven primarily by a 24% decline in interest rate volumes versus?February 2013, when expectations for changes in interest rate levels drove increased Euribor volumes.
For equity derivatives, NYSE U.S. equity options had a February ADV of 4 million contracts versus 2013’s ADV of 4,346,000 contracts, an 8% decline. NYSE share was 25% in February 2013 versus last year’s 28%, off three points. Total U.S. options volume was 16,168,000 last month versus February 2013’s 15,399,000 figure, a 5% fall.?
?ICE February highlights included the following:
- ICE Trade Vault Europe?processed around 4.5 million trades across energy, agricultural commodities, metals, credit, interest rates and equity derivatives on the first day of trade reporting.
- ICE declared a quarterly?$0.65?per share dividend?payable on?March 31, 2014?to shareholders of record as of?March 17, 2014.
- Monthly total volume and ADV records were established in ICE Sugar 11 and Coffee futures, and Emissions EUA and Rotterdam Coal options. Monthly ADV records were set in?UK Natural Gas?futures and WTI options.
- Short Sterling futures, Canola futures and?Dutch TTF Natural Gas?futures established daily volume records of 2,055,972 contracts, 71,536 contracts and 20,630 contracts, respectively, during the month of February.
- Open interest records were established in Low Sulphur Gasoil futures, ICE Cocoa futures,?MSCI?index futures,?UK Natural Gasoptions, and ICE?Newcastle,?Richards Bay?and Rotterdam Coal options contracts.