CME trading volume slides further as recession deepens

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

CHICAGO, Feb. 3 (Chinese media) -- CME Group, the world's largest and most diverse derivatives exchange, said Tuesday its trading volume in January decreased 41 percent year-on-year.

The falling trading volume is a result of the current global recession as credit was no longer easily available, which limited the amount of borrowed money used in trading.

CME Group's interest rate trading volume averaged 3.6 million contracts per day in January, down 59 percent compared with the same period last year.

E-mini equity index volume averaged 2.9 million contracts per day in January, a decrease of 26 percent year-on-year. Equity standard volume in January also fell by 36 percent year-on-year.

CME Group commodities and alternative investments volume totaled 655,000 contracts in average per day, falling 28 percent from January 2008.