CME Group Approves China Merchants Futures as New Clearing Member

CHICAGO, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced China Merchants Futures (HK) Co. Limited, a wholly-owned unit of China Merchant Securities Company Limited, has been approved as a CME, CBOT, NYMEX and COMEX Clearing Member, effective 21 October 2013.

"We are pleased to welcome China Merchants Futures as our clearing member," said Kim Taylor, President, CME Clearing.  "Having clearing member firms in Asia continuing to join, allows us to better address the needs of our increasing client base in the region.  Essential for many of our regional customers is the local experience and presence that China Merchants brings with their membership, and which we continue to build on."

"With Greater China clients now gaining access to global markets through financial institutions such as China Merchants Futures, we look forward to further support their participation and their clients," said Julien Le Noble, Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific, CME Group.  "As we further enhance and expand our network of clearing members in the region, we will continue to bring our wide range of global benchmark products to new Asian client segments."

"Obtaining CME Group clearing membership is a part of China Merchants Securities' strategy to meet the huge demand from the mainland China to hedge the commodities price risks globally on major commodities exchanges," said Stephen Chan, Chief Executive Officer of China Merchants Futures (HK) Co. Limited. "We see this membership as another step towards globalizing our business."

The addition of China Merchants Futures brings the total number of clearing firms at CME Group to 72, with the Hong Kong-based firm becoming its fifth Asian clearing member.

CME Group continues to build on its commitment to its business in Asia, and inaugurate new services to cater to the evolving needs of its Asian customer base.  Since 2012, clients of CME Group have been able to use offshore Renminbi (CNH) deposits as collateral on all exchange futures products cleared through CME Clearing.  The company recently launched a telecommunications hub in Hong Kong, bringing to five the number of telecommunications hub it operates across Asia, including in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Singapore and Tokyo.  In the second quarter of 2013, trading volumes from Asia in CME Group's core business was up 28 per cent from the same period last year.

As the world's leading 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 world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, which offers clearing and settlement services across asset classes for exchange-traded contracts and over-the-counter derivatives transactions. These products and services ensure that businesses everywhere can substantially mitigate counterparty credit risk.

CME Group is a trademark of CME Group Inc. The Globe Logo, CME, Globex and Chicago Mercantile Exchange are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and the Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are registered trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc.  KCBOT, KCBT and Kansas City Board of Trade are trademarks of The Board of Trade of Kansas City, Missouri, 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.

Founded on August 8, 1991, China Merchants Securities Company Limited is a leading Chinese domestic investment bank under China Merchants Group. It provides investors, via its dedicated subsidiaries, with diversified investment banking services including equities and fixed income sales and trading, equities research, corporate finance, equity and debt capital markets, merger & acquisition, asset management, private equity, global commodities and futures, leveraged and structured finance, and investment advisory in Mainland China and Hong Kong. In November 2009, China Merchants Securities was listed on the Shanghai Securities Exchange (Trading code: 600999).

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SOURCE CME Group