Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) today announced record liquidity across its global natural gas futures markets including record open interest (OI) in U.S. Financial Gas futures and options markets and record OI in TTF futures.
On August 27, 2024, ICE’s global natural gas futures markets reached record OI of 22.4 million contracts, up 15% year-over-year (y/y). In North America, ICE’s U.S. Financial Gas futures and options markets hit a series of OI records in August and September including a record 11.7 million contracts on September 3, 2024, up 13% y/y.
ICE’s U.S. Financial Gas markets cover 70 hubs across North America allowing customers to manage regional supply and demand dynamics. Henry Hub markets, the U.S. natural gas benchmark, continues to see strong OI figures, up 26% y/y.
ICE TTF futures reached a series of OI records throughout August, including record OI of 2.1 million on August 29, 2024, up 53% y/y. TTF futures for Calendar year 2033 traded for the first time in August, meaning liquidity stretches out to 2033 in line with the U.S. benchmark Henry Hub, providing customers with the most liquid contracts globally to manage longer term exposure to natural gas prices. TTF options continue to see strong activity with OI at 2.2 million contracts, up 86% y/y.
In addition to Henry Hub and TTF, ICE is home to the Canadian natural gas benchmark AECO, ICE’s U.K. natural gas benchmark NBP, and ICE JKM LNG (Platts), the benchmark price for natural gas for North-East Asia. ICE’s global natural gas portfolio is one part of its global energy markets which are the most liquid in the world to trade energy derivatives, with OI up 23% y/y at 59.2 million contracts.