The Chicago Board of Trade announced that trading of its 5,000 oz. silver futures contract reached a new daily volume record on December 15, 2006, hitting 14,409 contracts. This new record surpasses the previous record of 14,217 contracts set on November 29, 2006.

Since their launch in October 2004, CBOT Metals futures contracts continue to attract new market participants and achieve greater volume. Month-to-date through December 14, 2006, the Exchange’s Silver futures complex, which includes Full-sized (100 oz.) and mini-sized Silver futures contracts, accounted for nearly 46 percent of the trading volume of all Silver futures contracts listed in North America.