CME GROUP INC 'A' : CME Group Statement on CFTC Position on Exchange of Futures for Futures

CHICAGO, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CME Group released the following statement regarding the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) position on the exchange of futures for futures (EFFs):

"We have been assured by the Commission that CBOT's rules respecting block trading and improper trade practices remain in full force and effect and must be enforced. The Commission has not required CBOT to accept block trades that violate those rules or to accept block trades that otherwise violate CBOT trade practice rules. CBOT and CME clearing have not been directed to accept directions from ELX or any of its members to transfer open positions.

"We are confident that CBOT is operating in strict compliance with all of the Core Principles. We believe, that upon full consideration, the Commission will agree that Core Principle 18 is directed at conduct which is considered to be anticompetitive under the antitrust laws and that CBOT's rules do not facilitate any anticompetitive activity. Antitrust laws do not require us to take action to enable new entrants to take advantage of our substantial investments in innovation and marketing through which we have developed deep liquidity, broad customer relationships and distribution networks and established a world-class central counterparty clearing systems."

As the world's largest and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) is where the world comes to manage risk. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural commodities, metals, weather and real estate. CME Group brings buyers and sellers together through its CME Globex® electronic trading platform and its trading facilities in New York and Chicago. CME Group also operates CME Clearing, one of the largest central counterparty clearing services in the world, which provides clearing and settlement services for exchange-traded contracts, as well as for over-the-counter derivatives transactions through CME ClearPort®. These products and services ensure that businesses everywhere can substantially mitigate counterparty credit risk in both listed and over-the-counter derivatives markets.

The Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, CME Group, Globex, E-mini and CME ClearPort are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago. NYMEX and New York Mercantile Exchange are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Further information about CME Group (Nasdaq: CME) and its products can be found at www.cmegroup.com.

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SOURCE CME Group