CME Launches Online Trading of Exchange Listed and OTC Markets for Energy Products

CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, today announced the launch of CME Direct, a new technology offering side-by-side trading of exchange-listed and over-the-counter (OTC) markets. CME Direct will initially support trading of CME Group's benchmark energy futures markets alongside OTC energy Swaps Swaps Swaps can be defined as a derivate contact composed of two parties that exchange to cash flow between two separate financial instruments.They are generally divided into two categories. This includes contingent claims (options) and forward claims, where forward contracts, swaps, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are exchanged. Commodity price, equity price, interest rate, and foreign exchange rate are common variables used as one of the cash flows in swaps upon initiation. Different Types of Swaps Swaps can be defined as a derivate contact composed of two parties that exchange to cash flow between two separate financial instruments.They are generally divided into two categories. This includes contingent claims (options) and forward claims, where forward contracts, swaps, and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are exchanged. Commodity price, equity price, interest rate, and foreign exchange rate are common variables used as one of the cash flows in swaps upon initiation. Different Types of Swaps Read this Term through leading inter-dealer brokers.

The exchange-listed products on CME Globex that may be traded through the CME Direct technology include NYMEX WTI crude oil, NYMEX Brent, DME Oman crude oil, RBOB Gasoline, New York Heating Oil and the benchmark Henry Hub Natural Gas futures contract. These products are part of the CME Group energy complex, which has average daily trading volumes of over 1.9 million contracts.

NYMEX WTI is currently trading at $91.66 bbl.

CME Group is licensing the CME Direct technology to leading inter-dealer brokers to offer trading of global OTC oil markets, including Marex Spectron, Tradition and Tullett Prebon. Traders will be able to execute electronically or in a hybrid, broker-assisted model on CME Direct through the participating brokers, combining the benefits of electronic trading, yet retaining the flexibility of voice brokering.

CME Direct is integrated with CME Group's OTC post-trade services, CME ClearPort for straight-through clearing to CME Clearing and CME Clearing Europe and CME ConfirmHub for straight-through processing (STP). This integration ensures OTC markets are cleared and processed quickly and without manual intervention, reducing operational overheads, errors and counterparty risk.

"At CME Group, we have a proven track record of providing our customers with advanced trading technologies that enable them to execute even the most complex and demanding of trades," said Bryan Durkin, COO and MD, Products & Services, at CME Group. "With the introduction of CME Direct, we are offering our clients a new way to access simultaneously our listed markets as well as OTC energy markets in a fully automated trading environment, expanding access to our global Liquidity Liquidity The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash.The most liquid asset of all is cash itself.· In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent The term liquidity refers to the process, speed, and ease of which a given asset or security can be converted into cash. Notably, liquidity surmises a retention in market price, with the most liquid assets representing cash.The most liquid asset of all is cash itself.· In economics, liquidity is defined by how efficiently and quickly an asset can be converted into usable cash without materially affecting its market price. · Nothing is more liquid than cash, while other assets represent Read this Term and price discovery functionality."

"By combining brokered OTC markets with CME Group's clearing and STP platforms – ClearPort and ConfirmHub – CME Direct offers the first global, fully automated front-to-back-office platform for trading CME listed and OTC energy products," said Michel Everaert, Managing Director, OTC Solutions, CME Group. "CME Direct is a big step forward for markets to comply with current and anticipated market regulations, including those proposed under the Dodd-Frank Act and MIFID that call for more transparency, automated trading, data reporting and clearing in OTC markets."