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CME Group to Launch U.S. Corporate Bond Index Futures in Summer 2024

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CME Group announced the expansion of its interest rate complex with the launch of U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures in summer 2024. The new futures contracts will be based on the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Index and the Bloomberg U.S. High Yield Very Liquid Index. The launch aims to provide clients with tools to navigate growing credit exposure and gain capital efficiencies through portfolio margining.
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The introduction of U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures by CME Group signifies an important development in the financial derivatives market. These instruments will provide investors with a new avenue for hedging credit exposure and achieving capital efficiency. The futures contracts are based on indices that track investment grade and high yield corporate bonds, segments that have seen increased activity due to corporate debt issuance. The availability of these contracts on the CME Globex and CME ClearPort platforms, with the benefit of automatic margin offsets against existing interest rate and equity index futures, could potentially enhance liquidity and reduce costs for market participants.

From a financial perspective, the introduction of these futures could impact the underlying corporate bond market by providing more transparent pricing and potentially reducing the bid-ask spread, which can be beneficial for all market players. Moreover, the ability to trade these futures could attract new participants to the market, thus increasing overall market volume and depth. The long-term implications may include a shift in how corporate credit risk is managed, with a possible reduction in the reliance on over-the-counter instruments that are less standardized and more opaque.

The expansion of CME Group's interest rate complex to include U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures reflects a strategic move to capitalize on the growing demand for tools that can manage growing credit exposure. By offering these futures contracts, CME Group is responding to the needs of market participants for speed, precision and capital efficiencies in risk management. This launch is likely to bolster CME Group's position in the derivatives market, potentially increasing its market share and influence.

An analysis of the industry landscape shows that the move could encourage competitors to innovate and offer similar products, leading to a more dynamic market environment. For investors, the availability of such futures contracts may provide a more diversified set of financial instruments to manage their portfolios, especially in times of market volatility or economic uncertainty. Additionally, the partnership with Bloomberg Indices leverages their expertise in index creation, which could enhance the credibility and acceptance of these new futures contracts among institutional investors.

The launch of U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures is indicative of the evolving nature of financial markets and the increasing sophistication of financial instruments available to market participants. These futures contracts represent a financial innovation that could have broader economic implications, such as promoting greater market efficiency and stability in the corporate bond market. By providing a standardized and exchange-traded way to hedge credit risk, these instruments could potentially reduce systemic risk associated with corporate debt markets.

Furthermore, the ability to gain exposure to the corporate bond market through futures could lead to a more efficient allocation of capital and resources within the economy. It allows investors to express views on the corporate bond market without the need to hold the underlying securities, which can be particularly useful in portfolio management and strategic asset allocation. The economic impact of such financial instruments could be significant, as they may influence corporate financing costs and the behavior of investors seeking to manage credit risk exposure.

CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today announced that its interest rate complex will expand in summer 2024 with the launch of U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures, pending regulatory review.

The new futures contracts will be based on the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Index, which measures the performance of investment grade corporate bonds, and the Bloomberg U.S. High Yield Very Liquid Index, which is designed to measure a liquid, diversified component of the high yield corporate bond market.

"As corporate debt issuance continues to increase across sectors, market participants are looking for tools to help them navigate growing credit exposure," said Agha Mirza, CME Group Global Head of Rates and OTC Products. "Our new U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures will bring clients the speed and precision they need to manage risk and pursue opportunities in the market, while gaining capital efficiencies through portfolio margining." 

"Bloomberg Indices is proud to be at the forefront of advancing the evolution of credit markets and we're excited to be working with CME Group to bring this new offering to market," said Umesh Gajria, Global Head of Index Linked Products, Bloomberg Index Services Limited. "The launch of listed futures on the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Indices is intended to provide investors with the ability to more accurately and efficiently gain exposure to the corporate bond market and hedge their credit risk."

Available to trade on CME Globex and eligible for submission to clearing via CME ClearPort, U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures will be listed with, and subject to, the rules of a Designated Contract Market at CME Group. These contracts will also receive automatic margin offsets against existing CME Group Interest Rate and Equity Index futures upon launch.

For more information, please visit www.cmegroup.com/credit.

As the world's leading derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) enables clients to trade futures, options, cash and OTC markets, optimize portfolios, and analyze data – empowering market participants worldwide to efficiently manage risk and capture opportunities. CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes based on interest ratesequity indexesforeign exchangeenergyagricultural products and metals.  The company offers futures and options on futures trading through the CME Globex platform, fixed income trading via BrokerTec and foreign exchange trading on the EBS platform.  In addition, it operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers, CME Clearing. 

CME Group, the Globe logo, CME, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Globex, and E-mini are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc. BrokerTec is a trademark of BrokerTec Americas LLC and EBS is a trademark of EBS Group LTD. The S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Points Index (Annual) are products of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC ("S&P DJI"). "S&P®", "S&P 500®", "SPY®", "SPX®", US 500 and The 500 are trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones®, DJIA® and Dow Jones Industrial Average are service and/or trademarks of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. These indices and trademarks have been licensed for use by Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. Futures contracts based on the Indices are not sponsored, endorsed, marketed, or promoted by S&P DJI, and S&P DJI makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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SOURCE CME Group

FAQ

When will CME Group launch U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures?

CME Group will launch U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures in summer 2024.

What are the new futures contracts based on?

The new futures contracts will be based on the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Index and the Bloomberg U.S. High Yield Very Liquid Index.

Who is the Global Head of Rates and OTC Products at CME Group?

Agha Mirza is the Global Head of Rates and OTC Products at CME Group.

Where will the U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures be available to trade?

U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures will be available to trade on CME Globex and eligible for submission to clearing via CME ClearPort.

What is the purpose of launching U.S. Corporate Bond Index futures?

The launch aims to provide clients with tools to navigate growing credit exposure and gain capital efficiencies through portfolio margining.

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