CME Group Reports Another Drop in FX Options

CME Group (NASDAQ: CME) has just released its Options Monthly Review for the month ending April 30, 2018, which showed a mixed performance across the group’s six product lines, according to a CME statement.

On an aggregated basis, CME’s ADV total option dropped by 14 percent year-over-year, coming in at 3,436,806 per day, compared to ‎ 4,005,997 ‎a year ago.

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During April 2018, total FX options averaged 64,615 contracts per day, which represented a loss of 11 percent year-on-year from ‎ 72,768 ‎contracts per day in April 2017. Across a monthly interval, the latest figures also reported an 11.2 decrease from ‎‎72,781‎ contracts per day in March 2018.

More specifically, the EUR/USD options fell 30 percent year-on-year with only 28,024 contracts traded daily, while JPY/USD options ADVs were lower by 13 percent compared to last year.

During the reported period, CME Group’s average daily equity index options volumes pointed higher, coming in at 797,069 contracts for the month, up by 15 percent from‎ 692,206 ‎in the same period last year. However, the figure reflects a notable decline on a monthly basis, down nearly 10 percent compared to 883,725 in the prior month.

In terms of metals options, the holding company for CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX exchanges averaged 57,211 contracts per day last month, up 18 percent when compared to last year’s figures. Relative to March, CME saw a higher ADV of 6 percent month-over-month from ‎53,661‎ contracts in the month prior.

Last week, the CME Group made headlines after the exchange operator said it is going to provide a real-time Ethereum price listing. It will be offering this via a partnership with Crypto Facilities, which is a cryptocurrency trading platform based in London.