Fed Rate Hike Probability Pushes CME Interest Rate Trading to Record

CME Group, one of the industry’s largest derivatives marketplace, recently recorded an all time record high volume of Fed Fund Futures contracts on February 22, 2017, shattering a previous high established on November 9, 2016, which followed immediately after the US presidential election.

Last week, CME Group saw its Fed Fund Futures contracts swell to a fresh high of 658,700 contracts. In addition, on the same day, its Ultra 10-Year Treasury Futures also scored a new milestone with a record high of 315,730 contracts traded, having surpassed a previous high on November 28, 2016.

Overall, both contracts managed to again set record open interest on February 22, 2017 of 1.6 million and 342,000 contracts, respectively. The swell in volumes too place ahead of a US Federal Reserve meeting of officials, which ultimately yielded a hawkish stance.

Consequently, traders have since rushed to price a March 2017 rate hike – the implied probability on the futures market is currently pricing in an 80 percent chance of a hike by the Fed at its next meeting on March 15th.

According to Agha Mirza, CME Group's Global Head of Interest Rate Products, in a statement on the record volumes: "CME Group continues to be the destination of choice for U.S. interest rate Risk Management Risk Management One of the most common terms utilized by brokers, risk management refers to the practice of identifying potential risks in advance. Most commonly, this also involves the analysis of risk and the undertaking of precautionary steps to both mitigate and prevent for such risk.Such efforts are essential for brokers and venues in the finance industry, given the potential for fallout in the face of unforeseen events or crises. Given a more tightly regulated environment across nearly every asset class, One of the most common terms utilized by brokers, risk management refers to the practice of identifying potential risks in advance. Most commonly, this also involves the analysis of risk and the undertaking of precautionary steps to both mitigate and prevent for such risk.Such efforts are essential for brokers and venues in the finance industry, given the potential for fallout in the face of unforeseen events or crises. Given a more tightly regulated environment across nearly every asset class, Read this Term across the yield curve. As these records demonstrate, market participants around the world are using our deep, liquid interest rate products to navigate increased market Volatility Volatility In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Traders In finance, volatility refers to the amount of change in the rate of a financial instrument, such as commodities, currencies, stocks, over a given time period. Essentially, volatility describes the nature of an instrument’s fluctuation; a highly volatile security equates to large fluctuations in price, and a low volatile security equates to timid fluctuations in price. Volatility is an important statistical indicator used by financial traders to assist them in developing trading systems. Traders Read this Term and geopolitical uncertainty."