CME Group Inc. - CME STOCK NEWS

CME Group announced that combined trading in its Tuesday and Thursday Crude Oil Weekly options has surpassed 100,000 total contracts traded since launching on July 22, 2024. This week, more than 50,000 Crude Oil Weekly options traded on a single day for the first time ever as demand for short-term options soars. Crude Oil Weekly options are the fastest growing energy products at CME Group, achieving new milestones:

• October 1, 2024: Single day open interest record of 72,053 contracts
• September: Highest volume month with ADV of 27,162 contracts, 15% higher than August
• September: Highest month for average daily open interest, reaching 54,700 contracts
• Three of the top 10 volume days occurred in September

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, announced plans to launch options on six E-mini Select Sector futures and Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index futures on October 28, 2024, pending regulatory review. These new options aim to help clients manage volatility in individual equity sectors amid significant dispersion across sectors this year.

The options will be available on futures contracts for various sectors including Energy, Financial, Health Care, Industrial, Technology, and Utilities. This expansion is designed to provide added flexibility and capital efficiencies for market participants to adjust exposure to different segments of the equity market.

CME Group's existing Sector futures product suite has shown significant growth, with 2024-to-date average daily volume at a record 21,000 contracts and open interest at a record 267,000 contracts.

CME Group reported record-breaking average daily volume (ADV) for Q3 and September 2024, with growth across all asset classes. Q3 ADV reached 28.3 million contracts, up 27% year-over-year, while September ADV hit 28.4 million contracts, a 25% increase. Notable achievements include:

- Record quarterly interest rate ADV of 14.9 million contracts
- Record U.S. Treasury futures and options ADV of 8.4 million contracts in Q3
- Record SOFR futures ADV of 4.1 million contracts in Q3
- Record international ADV of 8.4 million contracts in Q3
- Significant growth in Equity Index, Energy, Agricultural, Foreign Exchange, and Metals products

The company's performance was driven by strong demand across various products, including U.S. Treasury futures, SOFR futures, and Micro E-mini contracts. CME Group's diverse product offerings and global reach continue to attract market participants seeking efficient risk management solutions.

CME Group has launched Bitcoin Friday futures (BFF), becoming their most successful cryptocurrency product launch with 31,498 contracts traded across two contract weeks. The first trade was executed by Galaxy and Marex on September 29. These futures are sized at one-fiftieth of one bitcoin and cash-settled to the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate New York Variant (BRRNY) every Friday at 4:00 p.m. New York time.

Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, highlighted the strong customer interest and the benefits of the smaller contract size and weekly Friday expiry. Industry leaders from Marex and Galaxy praised the launch, emphasizing its role in bridging traditional finance and crypto markets, and providing efficient hedging tools.

A new BFF contract is listed every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. New York time for a Friday trade date, with traders able to access the nearest two Fridays at any given point.

The Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer recorded its lowest readings since March 2016 in September, with the barometer falling 12 points to 88. The Index of Future Expectations dropped 14 points to 94, while the Index of Current Conditions fell 7 points to 76. Farmers expressed increasing concerns about commodity prices, input costs, agricultural trade prospects, and the potential impact of the upcoming election on their operations.

Key findings include:

• 34% of farmers cited input prices as their primary concern
• 33% pointed to lower output prices as their main worry
• Only 26% expect agricultural exports to rise over the next five years
• 78% of producers are concerned about post-election policy changes affecting their farms
• The Farm Financial Performance Index fell to 68 in September
• The Short-Term Farmland Value Expectations Index dropped below 100 for the first time since 2020

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, has announced the launch of yen- and U.S. dollar-denominated Micro Nikkei futures on October 28, 2024, pending regulatory review. These new micro-sized contracts, sized at 50 yen and $0.50 respectively, will expand CME Group's suite of Nikkei 225 futures contracts. The addition aims to provide global market participants with more efficient access to the Japanese stock market, mitigate FX exposure, and allow for more granular trading capabilities.

Key highlights include:

• Nearly 75% of trades in CME's Nikkei futures occurred outside Tokyo cash hours year-to-date
• 220 million cumulative Nikkei futures contracts traded since 2004
• Year-to-date average daily volume of 41,000 contracts, up 9% year-over-year
• Year-to-date open interest of 67,000 contracts, up 2% year-over-year

The launch coincides with the 20th anniversary of the first Nikkei futures contracts listing on CME Globex in 2004.

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, announced the launch of a Spodumene CIF China (Fastmarkets) Futures contract on October 28, 2024, pending regulatory review. This expansion of their battery metals suite aims to enhance hedging capabilities and manage price differences across the lithium value chain. The contract will be financially-settled and listed by COMEX.

Industry leaders from Albemarle, Liontown, and Fastmarkets have expressed support for this initiative, highlighting its potential to improve risk management and market transparency. CME Group's existing battery metals products, including Lithium Hydroxide and Cobalt Metal futures, have shown significant growth, with open interest in Lithium Hydroxide futures surpassing 30,000 contracts this year.

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, has announced new records for its SOFR futures contracts. In September, SOFR futures reached an all-time record average daily volume (ADV) of 5.4 million contracts and an open interest record of 13,159,646 contracts on September 17. The contracts now have a record 1,144 large open interest holders (LOIH).

SOFR options also performed strongly, with a month-to-date ADV of 2.5 million contracts in September, the second-highest ever, and open interest exceeding 44.5 million contracts. Launched in May 2018, CME Group SOFR futures have broad participation from various global financial institutions and traders.

CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, announced that Chairman and CEO Terry Duffy will participate in a fireside chat at the 22nd Annual Barclays Global Financial Services Conference in New York on September 9, 2024, at 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The presentation will be broadcast live on the company's Investor Relations website, with an audio replay available approximately 24 hours after the event.

CME Group enables clients to trade futures, options, cash, and OTC markets, offering a wide range of global benchmark products across major asset classes. The company operates through platforms including CME Globex, BrokerTec, and EBS, and provides central counterparty clearing via CME Clearing.