Nikkei 225 Futures See Sharp Drop in Open Interest as Volume Plummets

Nikkei 225 futures on CME recorded a collapse in open interest by 51,850 contracts to 83,840 as of January 29, 2026, signaling reduced market participation despite minimal trading volume of 101 contracts. Wednesday’s volume stood at 28,727 contracts, highlighting a near-total evaporation of intraday activity. Each contract is valued at 500 yen multiplied by the Nikkei 225 index level. The steep decline in open interest suggests large-scale position unwinding or institutional pullback ahead of key macroeconomic events.