UNITED STATES March 03 2016 8:15 AM

NEW YORK (Scrap Register): CME Group has reported that February 2016 volume averaged a record 18.7 million contracts per day, up 18 percent from February 2015. CME Group options volume averaged 3.5 million contracts per day, up 24 percent versus February 2015, with electronic options growing 38 percent over the same period.

Energy volume averaged a record 2.7 million contracts per day in February 2016, up 13 percent from February 2015. It included record energy futures of 2.4 million contracts per day, record WTI crude oil futures and options of 1.5 million contracts per day, record RBOB gasoline futures of 192,000 contracts per day and record European gasoil futures of 23,000 contracts per day.

Agricultural commodities volume averaged 1.4 million contracts per day, up 2 percent from the prior-year period. Average daily volume for the month represented the fourth highest month ever. 

Metals volume averaged 487,000 contracts per day, up 48 percent from the same period a year ago, representing the fourth highest monthly average daily volume. It also included monthly average daily volume records in gold weekly options, gold kilo futures, and E-micro gold futures.