HOW DID THE KCBT ACHIEVE PROMINENCE?
The Kansas City Board of Trade is located near one of the most productive wheat-growing regions in the world – the Great Plains. Its history and growth are tied closely to that of Kansas City, an important trade center during settlement of the American West and a world agribusiness center today. A “grain call,” similar to wheat futures trading as it is known today, was established at the KCBT in 1876. The wheat futures contract and the exchange have endured two world wars, the Depression and several recessionary periods. KCBT’s wheat futures contract provided price protection for wheat growers and traders during those times and continues to offer stability amid uncertain U.S. government farm policy and changing supply and demand conditions. The innovative traders at the KCBT introduced the first stock index futures contract ever, the Value Line®, in February 1982. The stock index futures concept became reality only after lengthy legal and regulatory battles. Since then, exchanges all o
