News Centre

NASD Fines Three Firms $6.75 Million, Expels A Fourth Firm For Corporate High Yield Bond Trade Violations - Firms Also Ordered To Pay Customers Restitution Exceeding $1.1 Million

Date 31/10/2005

NASD announced today that it has fined three firms - and expelled a fourth - for violations relating to trading in corporate high yield bonds. All four firms were cited for charging excessive markups or markdowns in bond trades, as well as for supervision violations. The four firms will also pay restitution to customers totaling more than $1.1 million.

Korea Exchange: Transaction Fee Schedules For Star Index Futures And ELWs Finalized And Fee Waiver Granted For Liquidity-Providing Transactions

Date 31/10/2005

At a board meeting held on Oct 28, 2005, the KRX finalized the transaction fee schedules for Star Index futures and equity-linked warrants (ELW), two new product series to be listed on November 7 and December 1 of this year, respectively; and decided to wave fees on transactions by liquidity providers (LPs) under the liquidity program introduced to provide liquidity to low trading-volume products.

Københavns Fondsbørs, Quarterly Report Q3 2005 For The FUTOP Clearing Centre A/S

Date 31/10/2005

The company’s earnings and the trading volume on the derivatives market reached new highs in the first nine months of 2005. Total revenues amounted to DKK 3,356 thousand as against DKK 2,075 thousand in the same period of 2004, corresponding to a rise of 62 per cent.The FUTOP Clearing Centre reported a net loss of DKK 247 thousand, up from a net loss of DKK 946 thousand in the corresponding period last year.

HKEx: Report On Initial Public Offering Applications, Delisting Proceedings And Suspensions

Date 31/10/2005

Euronext.liffe’s White Sugar Futures Contract Sets Daily Volume Record

Date 31/10/2005

Euronext.liffe’s White Sugar contract set a new futures daily volume record of 19,667 contracts on Friday 28 October, breaking the previous record of 19,045 contracts set on 30 August 2005.

CBOT Successfully Moves Trading Host To Chicago - Move Provides Greater Transaction Speed

Date 31/10/2005

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT®) announced that it has successfully completed the implementation of its North American Trading Host, moving the site of the trading host for the Exchange’s electronic trading platform, e-cbot, powered by LIFFE CONNECT®, to Chicago from London.

CBOT Receives Approval From Monetary Authority Of Singapore

Date 31/10/2005

The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT®) announced today that the Exchange received regulatory approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to be a Recognized Market Operator in Singapore. Becoming a Recognized Market Operator allows the CBOT to offer professional investors based in Singapore access to the Exchange’s markets through its premier electronic trading platform, e-cbot, powered by LIFFE CONNECT®.

CBOT Fed Watch - October 31 Market Close

Date 31/10/2005

Based upon the October 31 market close, the CBOT 30-Day Federal Funds futures contract for the November 2005 expiration is currently pricing in a 100 percent probability that the FOMC will increase the target rate by at least 25 basis points from 3-3/4 percent to 4 percent at tomorrow’s FOMC meeting

Boston Options Exchange Breaks Trading Volume And Price Improvement Records

Date 31/10/2005

Average daily volume for October, 2005 was 454,184 contracts, an increase of 34.5% over the previous month and of 159.8% over the same month in 2004. Average daily volume for contracts which received price improvement reached 73,170 contracts and average improvement per contract is estimated at $2.58, both of which are records. Total savings to investors from the PIP for the month is estimated at $4,200,000.

ASX Welcomes Positive “Issues Free” Assessment Of Market Support Structures

Date 31/10/2005

Australian Stock Exchange Limited (ASX) on Friday October 28 welcomed the release of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s annual assessment of its clearing and settlement arrangements and systems.