CME Expands Silver Trading Hours to 24/7 After Gold Futures Weekend Success
CME Group, the world's leading derivatives exchange, is set to expand its trading hours for silver futures to 24/7 starting September 11, 2026. This move follows the success of weekend trading for 1-ounce gold futures, which has seen a cumulative volume of over 53,000 contracts in less than three weeks, representing a notional value of approximately $219 million.
The decision was driven by strong demand from retail investors, who have shown tremendous enthusiasm and demand for 'always-available, appropriately-sized' precious metals products. Jin Hennig, Global Head of Metals at CME Group, stated that the company is extending 24/7 trading to silver futures to help market participants manage risk more effectively and capture trading opportunities in real time.
Silver possesses both safe-haven characteristics and real-economy linkages, making it responsive to macroeconomic fluctuations. The 100-ounce silver futures contract, which listed in February this year, saw its average daily volume rapidly climb to 17,800 contracts in the first half of the year.