LIFFE'S Financial Options To Trade Exclusively On LIFFE CONNECT™ From Tuesday 2 May 2000

The London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE) announces that its financial option contracts will trade exclusively on the Exchange's electronic trading system LIFFE CONNECT™ from Tuesday 2 May 2000. As a consequence, floor-based trading in financial options will be discontinued after Friday 28 April 2000, resulting in all financial futures and options trading exclusively on LIFFE CONNECT™. Hugh Freedberg, LIFFE's Chief Executive said, "LIFFE CONNECT™ was launched just over a year ago with the objective of delivering a world-beating, cost-efficient derivatives trading platform. The system has since proved itself as the world's number one for providing customers with the functionality, speed and flexibility they require. It is the only system capable of providing the complex functionality required for trading short term interest rate products. By extending LIFFE CONNECT™ to our Financial Options customers they will also be able to enjoy the many benefits provided by LIFFE CONNECT™." The following contracts will migrate from pit trading to LIFFE's electronic trading system: Option on Long Gilt future , Option on Euro BTP future, Option on Euro Bund future, Option on 3 month Euribor future and 1 year Mid-Curve Euribor option, Option on 3 month Euro Libor future and 1 year Mid-Curve Euro Libor option, Option on 3 month Sterling future and 1 year Mid-Curve Sterling option, Option on 3 month Euroswiss future. Option on FTSE 100 Index futures (American style and European style).