General Comments Here are some snippets of information regarding exchange-traded futures and options volume during the first eight months of 2013 (January-August) as gleaned from data compiled by the Futures Industry Association (FIA).
Global futures trading volume is up 18.5 percent over the same period in 2012. Interestingly, global trade in options is down 9.8 percent. Combining the two, global trade in futures and options gained 4.5 percent over the first eight months of 2012. The CME Group remains the world's largest derivative exchange, followed by the National Stock Exchange of India, Eurex and NYSE Euronext. Global trading volume in agricultural futures and options is down 4.7 percent. Based on the number of contracts tr...
As predicted, the Federal Reserve held rates steady at the last meeting before the midterm elections, likely in part because of the election (see WPI 19 October and 22 September). The decision comes at the tail end of a midterm election cycle that has been marked by the two parties campaigning...
Key Takeaways: WPI’s new EU rapeseed crushing margin models point to weaker processing returns over the next four months due to higher rapeseed procurement costs and weaker product values. Statistical forecasts call for German crushing margins to decline from €181/MT to €...
Key Takeaways: The tariff burden rose sharply in 2025 and 2026: the effective rate on imports in HTS Chapters 1–24 increased from 1.53 percent in 2024 to 6.11 percent in 2025, before averaging 5.68 percent in January–August 2026. Headline rates tell only part of the story: exemptio...