CME Group Sets New Open Interest Record in Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures

CME Group sets a new open interest record in Henry Hub natural gas futures as clients hedge rising geopolitical and weather-related risks.

Rhea-AI Summary

CME Group (CME) reported a new open interest record of 1,807,497 contracts in its Henry Hub natural gas futures on September 1, 2026, surpassing the prior record of 1,801,183 set on November 8, 2024.

Open interest in physically delivered Henry Hub futures typically peaks around November, but in 2026 it increased faster than usual as clients positioned for geopolitical shifts and expected winter volatility. The company stated that market participants are using its energy futures and options to manage risk amid a Super El Niño, record LNG output and supply uncertainty in the Middle East. CME Group also reported record energy business performance in the first half of 2026, with average daily volume rising 11% to 3.3 million contracts.

Positive

• Henry Hub futures open interest reached a record 1,807,497 contracts on September 1, 2026
• Previous Henry Hub open interest record of 1,801,183 contracts from November 8, 2024 was surpassed
• Energy business average daily volume rose 11% to 3.3 million contracts in the first half of 2026

Negative

• None.

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CHICAGO, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that its Henry Hub natural gas futures reached a new open interest record of 1,807,497 contracts on September 1, 2026, surpassing the previous record of 1,801,183 contracts traded on November 8, 2024.

Trading in physically-delivered Henry Hub futures tends to rise ahead of winter months, with open interest usually peaking around November of each year. In 2026, as clients positioned for geopolitical shifts and winter volatility, CME Group open interest rose faster than usual and to record levels.

"Clients are turning to CME Group's energy futures and leading options markets to manage their risk as a Super El Niño reshapes weather-driven demand, record LNG output reorders global gas flows, and the Middle East creates ongoing supply uncertainty," said Peter Keavey, Global Head of Energy and Environmental Products at CME Group. "We remain focused on delivering around-the-clock, on-screen liquidity that market participants need to hedge effectively in any environment."

CME Group's energy business had a record first half of 2026, with average daily volume climbing 11% to 3.3 million contracts.

For more information on CME Group Natural Gas futures and options, please visit here.

As the world's leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, cryptocurrencies, energy, agricultural products and metals.  The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform.  In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing. 

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec is a trademark of BrokerTec Americas LLC and EBS is a trademark of EBS Group LTD. The S&P 500 Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI"). "S&P®", "S&P 500®", "SPY®", "SPX®", US 500 and The 500 are trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones®, DJIA® and Dow Jones Industrial Average are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. These trademarks have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Futures contracts based on the S&P 500 Index are not sponsored, endorsed, marketed, or promoted by S&P DJI, and S&P DJI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 

CME-G

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SOURCE CME Group

FAQ

What record did CME Group (CME) set in Henry Hub natural gas futures?

CME Group set a new open interest record in its Henry Hub natural gas futures of 1,807,497 contracts on September 1, 2026, exceeding the previous record of 1,801,183 contracts from November 8, 2024.

When did CME Group (CME) reach the new Henry Hub open interest record?

The new open interest record in Henry Hub natural gas futures was reached on September 1, 2026, when contracts outstanding totaled 1,807,497.

How does the new Henry Hub futures open interest compare to the previous CME (CME) record?

The new open interest of 1,807,497 contracts in Henry Hub natural gas futures surpasses the previous record of 1,801,183 contracts that was set on November 8, 2024.

How did CME Group’s (CME) energy trading volumes perform in the first half of 2026?

CME Group reported that its energy business had a record first half of 2026, with average daily volume rising 11% to 3.3 million contracts across its energy products.

Why is open interest in CME Group (CME) Henry Hub futures rising faster than usual in 2026?

The company said clients are increasing use of Henry Hub futures and options to hedge risk as a Super El Niño changes weather-driven demand, record LNG output alters global gas flows, and Middle East dynamics create supply uncertainty.