MSCI and LIFFE Announce Futures and Options on New MSCI European Indices

Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) announced on Wednesday January 27 that it and LIFFE were launching futures and options contracts on MSCI's new Euro and Pan-Euro stock indices. Trading in the new, euro-denominated derivative contracts was expected to start in May 1999. MSCI said the futures and options aimed to offer greater flexibility and efficiency for investors in the MSCI indices, two of a clutch of newly-launched euro zone indices. The MSCI Euro Index initially contains 130 securities across ten countries that are participating in the first wave of European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) compared with 343 securities in the broader MSCI EMU Index. The MSCI Pan-Euro Index initially contains 236 securities in 15 European countries compared with 599 securities in the broader MSCI Europe Index. The news MSCI European indices will be published in real-time from February 1999-01-29