Earnings per share were $33,538. Operating revenue increased to $237.4 million in 2004 from $184.2 million during the prior year.
Clearing and transaction fees increased 38% to $193.3 million in 2004 due primarily to increased trading and clearing volume.
Net income in 2003 was $8.9 million and earnings per share were $10,882.
During 2004, futures and options trading and clearing volume on the Exchange was a record 169.5 million contracts, an 18% increase over the 143.9 million contracts traded and cleared in 2003. Volume submitted for clearing only through the NYMEX ClearPortsm platform was 14.3 million contracts, a 138% increase from the 6 million in 2003.
Operating expenses totaled $186.7 million in 2004 compared with $164.9 million in 2003, primarily due to higher general and administrative expenses.
Other developments during the year included:
- NYMEX Holdings paid total dividends of $6,127 per share during 2004, and declared its fifth dividend, $4,289.22 per share, to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2004.
- A NYMEX Division seat sold for a record $2 million on October 12, the most ever for a seat on any futures exchange.
- The Exchange launched open outcry trading for Brent crude oil futures in Dublin on November 1.