April Total Open Interest Up 23% YoY
April highlights include: Total open interest up 23% y/y, including record OI of 125.5M lots on April 24; Total Energy OI up 6% y/y; Total Oil OI up 4% y/y; Brent OI up 3% y/y; Other Crude & Refined products OI up 7% y/y; Total Natural Gas OI up 7% y/y; North American Gas OI up 7% y/y; TTF gas OI up 3% y/y; Asia gas OI up 32% y/y; Total Agriculture & Metals ADV up 24% y/y; OI up 37% y/y; Sugar ADV up 30% y/y; OI up 26% y/y; Cocoa ADV up 41% y/y; OI up 51% y/y; Record Cotton ADV up 28% y/y; OI up 77% y/y; Coffee OI up 15% y/y; Total Financials ADV up 8% y/y; OI up 55% y/y, including record OI of 51.4M lots on April 30; Total Interest Rates ADV up 10% y/y; OI up 61% y/y, including record OI of 47.8M lots on April 30; Euribor OI up 39% y/y; SONIA ADV up 34% y/y; OI up 105% y/y, including record OI of 18.5M lots on April 30; Gilts OI up 14% y/y; NYSE Equity Options ADV up 30% y/y
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- Strategic Collaboration: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has announced a strategic partnership with the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to enhance transparency and consistency in the global sustainable bonds market, leveraging ICE's Sustainable Bonds Classification data to support CBI's sustainable bond universe, which is expected to enhance insights for market participants.
- Data Integration: ICE plans to integrate CBI's alignment indicators into its sustainable bond solutions, a move that not only enhances ICE's product competitiveness but also provides clients with deeper investment impact assessments, thereby driving growth in sustainable investments.
- Market Impact: The Climate Bonds Initiative aims to mobilize $30 trillion in climate finance by 2030, and this collaboration is set to accelerate capital flow towards climate action projects, assisting governments and financial institutions in lowering capital costs and facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.
- Innovation Opportunities: The partnership between ICE and CBI provides a platform for both parties to explore innovation and develop new solutions, combining ICE's classification framework with CBI's alignment expertise, which is expected to drive further development of sustainable bond solutions.
- Index Innovation: OpenVC has launched the NYSE®OpenVC® 500 Index, designed to track the 500 largest companies in the U.S., regardless of whether they are publicly listed or venture-backed, thereby addressing the gap left by traditional indices.
- Market Demand Response: The launch of this index responds to investor demands for greater transparency, especially considering that the two largest venture-backed companies in the U.S. are each valued at over $850 billion, which would place them among the top 15 in the NYSE U.S. 500.
- Comprehensive Methodology: The new index combines constituents from the NYSE U.S. 500 Index and the NYSE OPEN Venture Capital Unicorn Index, utilizing a modified, non-float-adjusted market capitalization approach to ensure fair representation of private companies alongside public peers, enhancing investability.
- Annual Reconstitution and Daily Calculation: The index is reconstituted annually and calculated daily by ICE Data Indices, aiming to provide investors with a benchmark that accurately reflects total U.S. equity performance, capturing value and innovation beyond public markets.

- Volume Growth: In April 2026, Intercontinental Exchange reported a total open interest (OI) increase of 23% year-over-year, reaching a record 125.5 million lots on April 24, indicating a significant rise in market activity that enhances the company's competitive edge in global financial markets.
- Energy Market Performance: Total energy OI rose by 6% year-over-year, with oil OI increasing by 4% and Brent OI by 3%, suggesting sustained demand in the energy sector that could drive prices of related products higher.
- Agricultural and Metals Trading: The average daily volume (ADV) for agriculture and metals grew by 24% year-over-year, with OI up 37%, including a 30% ADV increase for sugar and a 26% rise in OI, reflecting heightened investor interest in these commodities that may influence future market strategies.
- Financial Products Trading: Financial products saw an 8% increase in ADV and a 55% rise in OI, with a record 51.4 million lots on April 30, indicating heightened activity in the financial markets that could lead to increased trading revenue for the company.
- Market Overview: Equities showed little change on Friday morning after the S&P 500 closed above 7,200 for the first time, marking its best month since November 2020, indicating market stability and a recovery in investor confidence.
- Apple's Strong Performance: Global X NYSE 100 ETF component Apple exceeded analyst estimates in its earnings report, with outgoing CEO Tim Cook describing iPhone sales as 'extraordinary,' which is likely to enhance the company's competitive edge and bolster investor confidence.
- BNY's AI Investment: BNY (NYSE: BK) has invested in the sovereign AI platform Domyn to strengthen its financial AI objectives, reflecting the company's strategic positioning in technology innovation and financial services, potentially leading to long-term business growth.
- Artemis II Celebration: Astronauts from the historic Artemis II mission will participate in a 'Bell Moment' at the NYSE, which not only enhances the exchange's public image but may also attract more investor interest in space exploration-related investment opportunities.
- Significant Profit Growth: Cboe Global Markets reported a net income of $384.1 million for Q1, translating to $3.66 per share, a substantial increase from $249.4 million and $2.37 per share a year earlier, showcasing the company's robust profitability amid market volatility.
- Trading Driven by Volatility: Heightened market volatility due to the Middle East conflict led to a surge in options trading, with average daily volume in index options reaching an all-time high of 6.1 million contracts, a 27% increase from 4.8 million a year prior, significantly boosting transaction and clearing fee revenues.
- Strategic Restructuring Plan: Cboe announced a 20% workforce reduction as part of a strategic realignment, with CEO Craig Donohue stating that this move aims to enhance focus and investment in core businesses driving earnings, reflecting the company's agility and foresight in navigating market changes.
- Strong Industry Performance: Cboe's impressive results align with the overall strong performance of U.S. exchange operators like CME Group, Nasdaq, and Intercontinental Exchange, indicating that increased trading activity across the industry is bolstered by market volatility, further solidifying Cboe's competitive position.
- Strong Performance: Intercontinental Exchange reported adjusted earnings per share of $2.35 for Q1 2026, a 37% year-over-year increase, with net revenues reaching a record $3 billion, showcasing the company's robust market performance and profitability.
- Capital Returns: The company repurchased approximately $550 million of stock and returned nearly $850 million to shareholders, including dividends, indicating management's confidence in future growth and commitment to shareholders.
- Robust Market Activity: First quarter exchange net revenues hit $1.8 billion, up 27% year-over-year, with interest rate products growing nearly 70% and global oil revenues increasing by 47%, reflecting heightened market participation and customer confidence.
- Strategic Developments: Management highlighted the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Securitize to advance the tokenized securities platform and collaboration with OKX to launch regulated crypto futures tied to OKX spot prices, demonstrating the company's forward-looking approach in the digital asset space.







