CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) reported the highest monthly and quarterly trading volumes in its history, as a surge in interest rate and energy market activity propelled the world’s largest derivatives exchange to new heights in early 2026.
The Chicago-based exchange operator reached an all-time monthly record average daily volume (ADV) of 41.1 million contracts in March, a 33% increase compared to the same period last year.
This momentum contributed to a record-breaking first quarter, with quarterly ADV climbing 22% to 36.2 million contracts.
The growth was remarkably broad-based, with CME Group achieving quarterly volume records across every major asset class, including interest rates, energy, metals, equity indexes, agriculture, and foreign exchange.
Notably, the U.S. Treasury and SOFR complexes saw unprecedented activity as market participants navigated a shifting interest rate landscape.
SOFR futures and options reached a record monthly ADV of 9.4 million contracts, while interest rate products as a whole saw a 42% year-over-year jump to 20.8 million contracts in March.
Energy markets also saw a significant spike, with March ADV rising 91% to a record 5.1 million contracts, driven largely by high-volume trading in WTI Crude Oil and natural gas products.
Meanwhile, metals ADV rose 88% in the quarter, fueled by record interest in micro-gold and silver contracts.
In the fixed-income space, CME’s BrokerTec platform reached a new milestone.
The overall average daily notional value (ADNV) for the platform hit a record $1.151 trillion in March, a 22% increase over the previous year.
This included a record $412 billion in U.S. Repo ADNV.
The record-breaking quarter underscores CME Group’s central role in global finance during periods of macroeconomic flux.