CME Expands Emerging Markets Currency Futures Suite

"We see emerging markets currencies, such as the Turkish lira, as another component in growing our FX business around the world. As Turkey continues its development within the global economy, the lira contract will be a key plank in our growing emerging markets currency products range," said Derek Sammann, CME Group Managing Director of FX Products. "Overall CME Group FX volumes achieved new record highs in September, averaging 835,000 contracts per day, up 32 percent on September 2007, which was a record average daily notional value of $111 billion, up 41 percent."

In the last 12 months, volumes in CME Group's top four emerging markets currencies -- the Russian ruble, Mexican peso, South African rand and Chinese renminbi -- have grown an average of 152 percent. Individually, volumes in the renminbi rose 234 percent, the ruble 178 percent, the rand 141 percent and the peso 56 percent.

CME Group Turkish lira futures are designed to serve global customers by expanding liquidity in this growing currency. Benefits include:

-- Access to $100 billion in overall FX futures and options liquidity each day

-- Guarantee of counterparty credit risk and central clearing by CME Clearing

-- Global access to CME Group's electronic FX markets virtually 24 hours a day

-- Transparent market prices

With a GDP approaching $950 billion, forecast to grow at 5.4 percent this year, Turkey's economy offers long-term potential for trading in the lira. -- www.cme.com