CHICAGO, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — CME (NYSE, Nasdaq: CME), the world’s largest and most diverse financial exchange announced today the successful launch of the Rogers International Commodity Index TRAKRS(TM) product, the eighth in a series of non-traditional futures products developed jointly with Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER).
In a special opening procedure concluded on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 28.7 million contracts representing more than $716 million in value were traded. The Rogers International Commodity Index TRAKRS start their regular trading schedule tomorrow and will trade Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central time on the CME® Globex® electronic trading platform.
The Rogers TRAKRS is designed to provide customers with an effective way to invest in the underlying basket of commodities tracked by the Rogers International Commodity Index. This basket is broad-based and includes commodities ranging from agricultural products, such as wheat, corn and cotton, to energy products, including crude oil, gasoline and natural gas, to metals and minerals, including gold, silver, aluminum and lead. The value of this basket is tracked via futures contracts on 35 different exchange-traded physical commodities listed on 10 exchanges.
The underlying index was developed to be an effective measure of the price action of raw materials on a worldwide basis. The large number of contracts and underlying raw materials represents diversification while the global coverage of those contracts reflects the current state of international trade and commerce.
TRAKRS, or Total Return Asset Contracts(SM) are designed to enable investors to track an index of stocks, bonds, currencies, commodities or other financial instruments. Previous TRAKRS offerings include Long-Short Technology TRAKRS, Select 50 TRAKRS, LMC TRAKRS, Commodity TRAKRS, Euro Currency TRAKRS and Gold TRAKRS. TRAKRS are the first broad-based index products traded on a U.S. futures exchange that can be sold by securities brokers. Furthermore, when purchased by non-institutional investors, they are the first futures contracts that can be held in securities accounts. Each TRAKRS contract, for which CME receives significantly lower than usual clearing fees, has a notional value of approximately $25 at launch.
TRAKRS differ from traditional futures contracts in that are not leveraged for most long non-institutional investors, who are required to post 100 percent of the TRAKRS market value at the time of purchase. As a result, non- institutional investors establishing long TRAKRS positions will not be subject to margin calls or any requirement to make any additional payments throughout the life of their TRAKRS positions. Non-institutional investors establishing short TRAKRS positions post 50 percent of the price. Short positions held by non-institutional investors are subject to certain maintenance payments if the settlement price increases substantially. Alternatively, if the settlement price decreases significantly, non-institutional investors will receive a maintenance payment. Securities brokers, subject to notice registering with the National Futures Association, are able to solicit trades in TRAKRS from non-institutional investors.
For more information on this product, please visit www.cme.com
About Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is one of the world’s leading wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies, with offices in 36 countries and territories and total client assets of approximately $1.7 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a leading global trader and underwriter of securities and derivatives across a broad range of asset classes and serves as a strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Through Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, the company is one of the world’s largest managers of financial assets. Firmwide, assets under management total $524 billion. For more information on Merrill Lynch, please visit www.ml.com.
About CME
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (www.cme.com) is the world’s largest and most diverse financial exchange. As an international marketplace, CME brings together buyers and sellers on the CME Globex electronic trading platform and on its trading floors. CME offers futures and options on futures primarily in four product areas: interest rates, equities, foreign exchange and commodities. The exchange moved about $1.4 billion per day in settlement payments in the first three quarters of 2005 and managed $43.8 billion in collateral deposits at September 30, 2005, including $3.8 billion in deposits for non-CME products.
Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward- looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. More detailed information about factors that may affect our performance may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which can be obtained at its Web site at www.sec.gov. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward- looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange, CME, the globe logo and CME Globex are registered trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. E-mini is a trademark of CME. CLEARING 21 is a registered trademark of CME and New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. S&P, S&P 500, NASDAQ-100, Nikkei 225, Russell 1000, Russell 2000, TRAKRS, Total Return Asset Contracts and other trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks that are not proprietary to Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. are the property of their respective owners, and are used herein under license. Further information about CME and its products is available on the CME Web site at www.cme.com.