Taiwan Futures Exchange hits record 395M contracts in 2024

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwan Futures Exchange's (台灣期貨交易所) chairman on Tuesday (Jan.14) reported a record-breaking trading volume of 395 million contracts in 2024. The exchange's chair, Wu Tzu-hsin (吳自心), expects the market to maintain a stable volume of over 300 million contracts in 2025.

Wu highlighted the introduction of a new weekly options contract, expiring on Fridays, to further invigorate the market in the first half of the year. Wu noted that the average daily volume 2024 reached approximately 1.634 million contracts, marking a 20.3% year-on-year growth.

The nighttime trading volume also hit an all-time high, contributing significantly to the overall growth. Wu explained that the annual trading volume grew by 21.8% in 2024, marking the fifth consecutive year with volumes exceeding 300 million contracts.

The nighttime trading average reached over 540,000 contracts, accounting for about 33% of the daily trading volume. The micro TAIEX futures product became the fifth most traded product, with an average daily volume of 140,000 contracts. Wu anticipates healthier market conditions in 2025, with improved performance of micro TAIEX futures and potentially greater index volatility.

Wu commented on the evolving market dynamics, stating that the policies of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump have gradually become more apparent, and the market has adapted to the policy fluctuations.

Recently, foreign investors' net short positions increased to over 40,000 contracts, though this is a decrease from the peak of over 50,000 contracts in Nov. 2024. Wu emphasized that the futures market accommodates long and short strategies, with actual conditions dependent on trading circumstances.