CME Group announced that it will launch round-the-clock trading for its 100-Ounce Silver futures contract starting September 11, 2026, as reported by Reuters and CNBC TV18. This expansion follows the successful launch of 24/7 trading for 1-Ounce Gold futures on July 24, 2026, which has generated significant market interest. The silver futures extension is pending regulatory review and represents CME's continued response to heightened retail demand for precious metals products. The expanded schedule is designed to provide greater flexibility for investors managing positions during periods when traditional U.S. futures markets would normally be closed. "Silver bridges the precious and industrial metals worlds, acting as a diversifier for investors that responds to both macroeconomic news and real-world demand," said Jin Hennig, Managing Director and Global Head of Metals at CME Group. "Our retail clients have shown a strong appetite for right-sized gold futures available whenever they need them, so we are now extending that same 24/7 access to help participants manage risk and pursue opportunities in silver."
Since launching 24/7 gold trading, more than 53,000 contracts have traded during expanded weekend sessions, representing approximately $219 million in notional value, according to Reuters and CNBC TV18. CME described this as the largest liquidity pool for weekend trading in gold futures. The company's metals division achieved record volumes in the first half of the year, with average daily volume of 1.3 million contracts, up 55% from a year earlier, driven largely by precious metals trading. The strong response convinced the exchange that demand exists for similar access to silver markets.
A record $50 billion average notional traded each day across CME Group's silver futures in the first half of 2026, as reported by Reuters and CNBC TV18. The 100-Ounce Silver futures launched in February 2026 had 17,800 contracts average daily volume (ADV) traded in the first half of 2026. Both the 1-Ounce Gold and 100-Ounce Silver contracts are designed with smaller notional exposure to appeal to retail traders, making them accessible to individual investors seeking precious metals exposure. The exchange's newer 100-Ounce Silver futures contract has also gained traction since its February launch, with 100-Ounce Silver futures are financially-settled based on the daily settlement price of the global benchmark COMEX 5,000-Ounce Silver futures contract and are listed by and subject to the rules of COMEX.
The move to 24/7 silver trading is expected to benefit several categories of market participants, according to Reuters and CNBC TV18. Commodity traders will have greater flexibility to manage exposure during weekends and overnight market events. Mining companies, refiners, manufacturers, and industrial users may also benefit from improved hedging opportunities when significant news develops outside traditional exchange hours. For investors, continuous trading may improve price discovery by reducing the gaps that sometimes occur between Friday's close and Sunday evening's reopening following major geopolitical or economic developments. However, expanded trading hours could increase short-term volatility during lower-volume overnight periods, requiring traders to pay closer attention to risk management and liquidity conditions.
