In response to media inquiries CME Group (NASDAQ: CME), the world's largest and most diverse derivatives exchange, has issued the following statement:
Lehman Brothers Inc., the CME Group clearing member, continues to meet all of its obligations to CME Clearing and continues to operate as normal.
CME Group's clearing member, Lehman Brothers Inc., is a subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., but is a separate company with its own accounts, assets and customers. These accounts, assets and customers are protected through a comprehensive federal statutory and regulatory regime and other financial safeguards and risk management protections provided by CME Clearing. All customer funds are required to be segregated from firm assets, held in specially identified accounts and are not subject to any creditors' claims against the firm.
CME Clearing provides a marketplace where futures and options on futures contracts are traded. CME Clearing clears, settles and guarantees all matched transactions in CME Group companies including CME, CBOT and NYMEX. The financial integrity of CME Clearing is the foremost consideration of CME Group Management, its Board of Directors and its Clearing House Risk Committee. CME Group is vitally aware of its essential role in international financial markets and believes that its financial safeguard system, designed for the benefit and protection of CME Group markets, clearing members and their customers, is second to none. CME Clearing's financial safeguard systems and auditing systems have proved absolutely effective for over a century to protect customers and other members of its clearing house against any loss.
