Volume Up 54% in '94 At the Chicago Merc

CHICAGO - The Chicago Mercantile Exchange said 226.4 million contracts were traded in 1994, a 54% increase over 1993.

A record 20.9 million contracts were traded in December, up 84.6% from the same period in 1993.

The exchange said the 1994 increase in volume was led by an 80% increase in Eurodollar futures and options turnover.

The exchange said the volume of all futures contracts for 1994 was 16.3 million, up 80.9% from 1993. Currency contract volume ended the year at 2.2 million, down 10.9% from the previous year. The Chicago Merc said its currency contract volume was dragged down by a poor performance in German- mark contracts, which had a volume of 705,450, down 32.9% from 1993.

The exchange also said equity contract volume for 1994 stood at more than 2 million, up 53.7% from 1993. Interest rate contracts rose a staggering 146.3% from 1993, ending the year at 11.5 million contracts traded.

Separately, The Chicago Board of Trade said it traded 219 million contracts in 1994, breaking its record of 178.8 million set the previous year.

Compiled from staff and wire reports.

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