TOCOM September 2012 Volume Up 55.4% with 120,650 Contracts per Day

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) announced today that September 2012 trading volume averaged 120,650 contracts per day, up 55.4% from August 2012.

Average daily volume increased for all TOCOM contracts on a month-over-month basis: Trading in Gold, the most active product at TOCOM, was up 67.8% to 58,241 contracts. The Gold Mini was up 67.4% to 10,175 contracts and Platinum was up 56.4% to 19,026 contracts.

Recent announcements of additional stimulus plans by the central banks of Japan and the United States are estimated to have improved market sentiment. The Federal Reserve Bank announced a third quantitative easing in its FOMC statement of September 13. The Bank of Japan revealed new monetary easing plans on September 19.

Open interest at the end of July for all listed contracts totaled 321,803, a decrease of 6,877 (2.09%) from the prior month.

TOCOM – Trading Volume Breakdown (Main products)
		Monthly Trading Volume			Average Daily Volume
Contract		Sept. ’12		August ‘12			Sept. '12		August ‘12		month-to-month change		year-to-year change
Gold		1,106,584		798,314			58,241		34,709		67.8%		-39.7%
Gold Mini		193,322		139,834			10,175		6,080		67.4%		-54.5%
Silver		16,752		10,323			882		449		96.4%		-25.6%
Platinum		361,503		279,762			19,026		12,164		56.4%		37.4%
Platinum Mini		26,853		20,369			1,413		886		59.6%		16.1%
Crude Oil		105,570		106,298			5,556		4,622		20.2%		10.7%
Gasoline		196,410		192,028			10,337		8,349		23.8%		26.6%
Kerosene		54,317		57,792			2,859		2,513		13.8%		-2.2%
Gas Oil		853		169,906			45		33		35.2%		3.1%
Rubber		219,216		1,785,416			11,538		7,387		56.2%		42.7%
Total		2,292,357		2,188,114			120,650		77,627		55.4%		-24.8%

The whole summary of September 2012 activities at TOCOM including news items such as “TOCOM to Amend Contract Specs of Gold Mini and Platinum Mini” and “TOCOM Files Application to Launch Agricultural and Sugar Market” is available online.

About Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM)

Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Inc. (TOCOM) is Japan's largest commodity futures exchange with a trading volume of 34.5 million contracts, representing nearly 91.7% market share, in 2011, and one of the most prominent exchanges in Asia. Futures and Options contracts on a variety of industrial products such as gold, platinum (precious metals market), crude oil, gasoline, kerosene gas oil (oil market), RSS3 (rubber market) are traded electronically. In February 2013, TOCOM plans to launch an agricultural market listing soybeans, azuki (red bean), corn and raw sugar. TOCOM was established in 1984 as a result of a merger between Tokyo Textile Exchange, Tokyo Rubber Exchange and Tokyo Gold Exchange.

TOCOM's recent achievements include launching a new trading platform based on the Nasdaq OMX technology and extending the night session until 4:00 JST to overlap US and European business times. www.tocom.or.jp/

Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Inc.
Keiko Koyama, [phone]
Global Business Development (global media relations)
[e-mail]

Source: Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Inc.