CME Issues Statement on Proposed CME/CBOT Merger

    CHICAGO, March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CME, the world's largest
 and most diverse financial exchange, issued the following statement today
 in regard to its proposed merger with The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT):
     We are confident that the CME/CBOT merger will create a strong
 combination and provide significant and unique benefits for shareholders
 and customers of both companies. We are working toward the successful
 completion of our transaction.
     Important Merger Information
     CME and CBOT have filed a definitive prospectus/joint proxy statement
 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in connection with the
 proposed transaction. This material is not a substitute for the definitive
 prospectus/proxy statement or any other documents CME and CBOT have filed
 or will file with the SEC. Investors and security holders are urged to read
 the definitive prospectus/proxy statement and any other relevant documents
 filed or to be filed by CME or CBOT because they contain or will contain
 important information about the proposed transaction. The definitive
 prospectus/proxy statement is, and other documents filed or to be filed by
 CME and CBOT with the SEC are or will be, available free of charge at the
 SEC's Web site ( http://www.sec.gov ) or from Chicago Mercantile Exchange
 Holdings Inc., Shareholder Relations and Membership Services, 20 South
 Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606, Attention: Beth Hausoul.
     CME and its directors, executive officers and other employees may be
 deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in connection with
 the proposed transaction. Information about CME's directors and executive
 officers is available in CME's proxy statement, dated March 14, 2007, for
 its 2007 annual meeting of stockholders. Additional information about the
 interests of potential participants is included in the definitive
 prospectus/proxy statement referred to above. This document shall not
 constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any
 securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction
 in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to
 registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such
 jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a
 prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities
 Act of 1933, as amended.
     About CME Holdings
     CME Holdings (NYSE,  CME) became the first publicly traded U.S.
 financial exchange on Dec. 6, 2002. The company was added to the Russell
 1000(R) Index on July 1, 2003, and to the S&P 500(R) Index on Aug. 10,
 2006. It is the parent company of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc., the
 world's largest and most diverse financial exchange. As an international
 marketplace, CME brings together buyers and sellers on the CME Globex(R)
 electronic trading platform and on its trading floors. CME offers futures
 and options on futures in these product areas: interest rates, stock
 indexes, foreign exchange, agricultural commodities, energy, and
 alternative investment products such as weather, real estate and economic
 derivatives. CME is a wholly owned subsidiary of CME Holdings.
     Forward-Looking Statements
     This press release may contain forward-looking information regarding
 Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. and CBOT Holdings, Inc. and the
 combined company after the completion of the merger that are intended to be
 covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the
 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include,
 but are not limited to, the benefits of the business combination
 transaction involving CME and CBOT, including future financial and
 operating results, the new company's plans, objectives, expectations and
 intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such
 statements are based on current beliefs, expectations, forecasts and
 assumptions of CME and CBOT's management which are subject to risks and
 uncertainties which could cause actual outcomes and result to differ
 materially from these statements. Other risks and uncertainties relating to
 the proposed transaction include, but are not limited to the satisfaction
 of conditions to closing; including receipt of shareholder, member,
 antitrust, regulatory and other approvals on the proposed terms; the
 proposed transaction may not be consummated on the proposed terms;
 uncertainty of the expected financial performance of CME following
 completion of the proposed transaction; CME may not be able to achieve the
 expected cost savings, synergies and other strategic benefits as a result
 of the proposed transaction; the integration of CBOT with CME's operations
 may not be successful or may be materially delayed or may be more costly or
 difficult than expected; general industry and market conditions; general
 domestic and international economic conditions; and governmental laws and
 regulations affecting domestic and foreign operations. For more information
 regarding other related risks, see Item 1A of CME's Annual Report on Form
 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006. Copies of said 10-K is
 available online at http://www.sec.gov or on request from the CME. You
 should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak
 only as of the date of this press release. Except for any obligation to
 disclose material information under the Federal securities laws, CME
 undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any
 forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the
 date of this press release.
     CME-G
 
 

SOURCE CME