CME Group announced on June 11, 2026, that it will offer 24/7 trading for new, smaller-sized crude oil and gold contracts, pending regulatory review. The move aims to provide traders with more precise hedging tools and expanded market access amid geopolitical uncertainty. The new contracts are designed to be right-sized and available around the clock, allowing market participants to manage exposure whenever news breaks.

The new oil contract will be 1/10th the size of CME Group's existing Micro WTI futures and is scheduled to launch on August 30. Separately, 24/7 trading for the company's existing 1-Ounce Gold futures will commence on July 26. These initiatives are part of CME Group's strategy to meet growing demand for diversified commodity market exposure.

Derek Sammann, CME Group Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Commodities Markets, highlighted the rationale behind the launch. "Traders are increasingly looking to diversify their portfolios across commodity markets in the face of geopolitical uncertainty," Sammann stated. "Our new WTI and Gold futures provide regulated products that are right-sized and available 24/7, ensuring traders can manage exposure whenever news breaks."

The introduction of these contracts underscores CME Group's focus on innovation in its derivatives marketplace. The 24/7 trading capability for gold futures is expected to facilitate continuous price discovery, while the smaller-sized crude oil contract offers a more granular instrument for hedging and speculation.

Key Contract Details

CME Group announced it will expand its benchmark suite of Equity Index futures with the launch of four new E-mini contracts on June 29, pending regulatory review. These products will enable market participants to trade futures on broad market indices covering more than 90% of the entire U.S. investable market capitalization, providing unified, all-cap risk management tools.

New Contract Offerings

The expansion includes futures on the following indices:

• E-mini Morningstar U.S. Total Market Index futures
• E-mini Russell 3000® Index Futures
• E-mini S&P 1500 Composite Index Futures
• E-mini S&P Total Market Index Futures

Strategic Benefits

Joe Hickey, Global Head of Equity Products at CME Group, stated that these contracts meet growing client demand for precision and capital efficiency. The launch follows a new multi-year index-based derivatives licensing agreement with Morningstar Indexes. Amelia Furr, President of Morningstar Indexes, highlighted that the Morningstar U.S. Total Market Index underpins approximately $2 trillion in assets. Representatives from S&P Dow Jones Indices and FTSE Russell also emphasized the role of transparent, broad market benchmarks in helping investors access the U.S. equity market.