CME Group Posts Record International Volume in Q1 2026 | LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis
CME Group reported record international average daily volume of 11.4 million contracts in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 30 percent increase compared with the same period in 2025.
All-time highs were achieved across every major region and asset class outside the United States.
The strong performance was led by interest rate products, which reached a record international average daily volume of 5.7 million contracts, also up 30 percent year-on-year.
For the first time, quarterly records were simultaneously achieved across metals, up 116 percent, energy, up 62 percent, agricultural products, up 16 percent, equity index, up 11 percent, and foreign exchange, up 1 percent.
Regionally, Europe, the Middle East and Africa delivered a record 8.4 million contracts per day, up 29 percent, with records across all asset classes.
Asia Pacific average daily volume reached an all-time high of 2.6 million contracts, up 33 percent, driven particularly by metals, which surged 204 percent, and energy, up 101 percent. Latin America and Canada also set quarterly records of 224,000 and 219,000 contracts per day, respectively.
Globally, CME Group recorded a record average daily volume of 36.2 million contracts in the first quarter, up 22 percent over Q1 2025, with simultaneous records across all major product categories for the first time.
Julie Winkler, Chief Commercial Officer at CME Group, attributed the surge to clients turning to the exchange to manage risk in real time across all asset classes and time zones.
