http://www.cme.com/spasia50 Contract Specs http://au.news.yahoo.com/051011/3/wb0m.html CME, the most diverse global financial exchange and dominant marketplace for equity derivatives trading, today announced plans to launch a new futures contract based on the S&P Asia 50 Index, the only Pan-Asia equity index that tracks the 50 largest stocks traded in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. The new CME S&P Asia 50 futures contract is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2006 exclusively on the CME(R) Globex(R) electronic trading platform. This contract is designed specifically to help investors hedge financial risks associated with movements in the region's equity markets. It is also the first contract to be launched by CME since it agreed last month to extend and expand its existing exclusive licensing agreement with Standard & Poor's through 2016, with another non-exclusive year in 2017. "As a result of CME and Standard & Poor's long and successful alliance, since 1982 when we launched our full-size CME S&P 500 futures contract, today more than 90 percent of all U.S. equity index derivatives trading takes place at our exchange," said CME Chairman Terry Duffy. "We are pleased to again partner with Standard & Poor's to further extend our international focus with the introduction of this new product serving the Asian region." "Since its introduction in 2003, the S&P Asia 50 has been a favorite with issuers of financial products because it is an effective measure of equity performance in four Asian economic powerhouses - Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan," said Robert Shakotko, Managing Director of Standard & Poor's Index Services. "This new CME futures contract is sure to reinforce this trend, particularly in Asia and Europe, as well as streamline hedging strategies for pan-Asian equity portfolios." "CME is expanding its global reach and market share beyond U.S. borders through a number of fronts, all designed to attract new non-U.S. market participants to our products," said Craig Donohue, CME Chief Executive Officer. "Given the continued growth in Asia, market participants are increasingly seeking investment and hedging opportunities in the Far East. By providing the first stock index futures contract covering major companies located in Asian financial centers, the new CME S&P Asia 50 futures will provide a needed tool to invest and hedge stock movements of Asian companies." The S&P Asia 50 is a large cap, free float adjusted index. Constituents are selected on the basis of size, liquidity, sector and country representation. SOURCE: CME CONTACT: Anita Liskey, +1-312-375-7401 Pamela Plehn, +1-312-930-3446, news@cme.com Investor Contact John Peschier, +1-312-930-8491 David Guarino, +1-212-438-1471 Geoff Breusch, 65-6239-6378 both of Standard & Poor's Web site: http://www.cme.com http://www.cme.com/spasia50 http://www.standardandpoors.com (CME MHP) ASIA PULSE
Will this offer enough liquidty for intradaytrading? Because it trades from sunday-thursday 5.30pm-3.30pm the next day Can this replace HSI for us trading? http://www.cme.com/files/Asia50TermSheet.pdf
Doubt it ... for instance, yesterday, 3/7, there were a grand total of 12 contracts traded. There is zero liquidity right now.
I hope it doesn't turn out like the ETF futures, or the biotech stock futures - not another CME equity index, dead on the vine . . .