BrokerTec Futures Exchange (BTEX) sais today that March’s monthly volume was up nearly 130 percent over the same period last year , with 182,950 contracts traded in March 2003 compared to 79,783 contracts traded in March 2002. In addition, March’s turnover was 27.7 percent higher than February 2003, when 143,275 contracts were traded. Volume year-to-date (531,621 contracts traded) increased 80.21 percent over the first three months of last year (294,999 contracts traded).
Volume in the 10-year Treasury note was 96,592 contracts; turnover in the 30-year Treasury bond future was 43,369 contracts; while 42,989 5-year U.S. Treasury note contracts were traded in March.
BTEX recently announced that their exchange feed is available via Bloomberg desktop terminals, giving Bloomberg’s 170,000 users access to BTEX market data. In addition, the exchange has seen an influx of new members, especially from Chicago “locals”, who have traditionally traded in an open-outcry environment.
“We are seeing a steady rise in volume,” says Hank Mlynarski, President, BrokerTec Futures Exchange. “As BTEX’s distribution expands and more and more end-users are able to take advantage of our value proposition, BTEX’s market participants will continue to see better transaction prices and more competitive, liquid markets.”