April 14, 2015

  • MSCI EEM, EAFE Indexes First of Six Planned to Launch in 2015
  • In U.S., MSCI Index Options Listed Solely on CBOE
  • IMC Financial Markets to be Designated Primary Market-Maker

CHICAGO, IL - April 14, 2015 - CBOE Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) said today it will launch options on the MSCI Emerging Markets and MSCI EAFE Indexes on Tuesday, April 21. The CBOE ticker symbols are MXEF for options on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and MXEA for options on the MSCI EAFE Index.

Under an agreement with MSCI Inc., announced in December 2014, options on the MSCI Indexes will be listed for trading in the U.S. solely on the Chicago Board Options Exchange® (CBOE®). IMC Financial Markets will serve as the Electronic Designated Primary Market-Maker (E-DPM) for the new MSCI options contracts.

"Last year, nearly 100 million options traded industrywide on the popular EFA and EEM ETFs. CBOE's ability to now also offer cash-settled, European-style options on these popular indexes enables us to better respond to the needs of institutional customers who wish to trade them," said CBOE Chief Executive Officer Edward Tilly. "In addition, the settlement times for the options will match the futures on these products, creating still more trading opportunities for our customers."

Options on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and the MSCI EAFE Index are designed to enable investors to efficiently hedge their non-U.S. equity portfolio exposures or to diversify their portfolios.

  • The MSCI Emerging Markets Index captures large- and mid-cap representation across 23 emerging-market countries. With over 800 constituents, the index covers approximately 85 percent of the free-float-adjusted market capitalization in each country.
  • The MSCI EAFE Index is recognized as the pre-eminent benchmark in the United States to measure international equity performance. It comprises MSCI country indexes that represent developed markets outside of North America: Europe, Australasia and the Far East. The MSCI EAFE Index is calculated in U.S. dollars on a real-time basis, and its values are disseminated every 60 seconds during market trading hours.

Options on the MSCI Emerging Markets and EAFE Indexes are the first of six MSCI Indexes expected to launch in 2015. Later this year, CBOE also plans to offer options on the MSCI ACWI Index, MSCI USA Index, MSCI World Index and the MSCI ACWI ex-USA Index, subject to regulatory approval.

In total, all of MSCI's Indexes have more than an estimated $9.5 trillion benchmarked to them on a worldwide basis. For more information on CBOE's MSCI Index options, see www.cboe.com/MSCI.

Since creating the first cash-settled index option in 1983, CBOE has been a pioneer and leader in index options trading. Today, CBOE lists nearly 20 broad-based index options and is the exclusive home for options on the S&P 500 Index (SPX), the S&P 100 Index (OEX®), the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJX), and lists options on the NASDAQ-100 Index (NDX). CBOE exclusively offers trading in options on its CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX® Index) and a broad array of other volatility-related indexes.

For additional information on CBOE index options, visit: http://www.cboe.com/micro/spx-stock-index-options.aspx.

About CBOE Holdings:
CBOE Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE) is the holding company for Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), the CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE) and other subsidiaries. CBOE, the largest U.S. options exchange and creator of listed options, continues to set the bar for options and volatility trading through product innovation, trading technology and investor education. CBOE Holdings offers equity, index and ETP options, including proprietary products, such as S&P 500 options (SPX), the most active U.S. index option, and options and futures on the CBOE Volatility Index (the VIX Index). Other products engineered by CBOE include equity options, security index options, Weeklys options, LEAPS options, FLEX options, and benchmark products such as the CBOE S&P 500 BuyWrite Index (BXM). CBOE Holdings is home to the world-renowned Options Institute and www.cboe.com, the go-to place for options and volatility trading resources.

Media Contacts:

Analyst Contact:

Suzanne Cosgrove Gary Compton

Debbie Koopman

(312) 786-7123 (312) 786-7612 (312) 786-7136
cosgrove@cboe.com comptong@cboe.com koopman@cboe.com

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CBOE®, Chicago Board Options Exchange®, CFE®, Execute Success®, OEX®, FLEX®, LEAPS®, CBOE Volatility Index® and VIX® are registered trademarks, and BuyWriteSM, BXMSM, CBOE Futures ExchangeSM, The Options InstituteSM and WeeklysSM are service marks of Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated (CBOE). Standard & Poor's®, S&P®, S&P 100® and S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC and have been licensed for use by CBOE and CFE. Nasdaq® and Nasdaq-100® are registered trademarks of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. and have been licensed for use by CBOE and CFE. MSCI® and the MSCI index names are service marks of MSCI Inc. or its affiliates and have been licensed for use by the CBOE and CFE. Options contracts on any MSCI index are not sponsored, guaranteed or endorsed by MSCI, its affiliates or any other party involved in, or related to, making or compiling such MSCI index.All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners

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