What is the Chicago Mercantile Exchange?
Founded in 1898, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange has undergone some degree of change over the years. Originally founded as a not-for-profit organization, the Exchange underwent a merger in 2007 that helped to consolidate functions for finance trades connected with the enterprise. Plans for future mergers are currently in the works that would greatly enhance the presence of the Exchange in the financial world. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange began life at the end of the 19th century as the Chicago Butter and Egg Board. Over time, the Exchange became an instrument for trading in a number of different types of investments. One of the foundations for the function of the Exchange was in the area of financial futures. Throughout most of the 20th century, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange became associated with a variety of financial transactions. Interest rates, commodities, currencies, and equities became a common part of the Exchange. Over time, investment opportunities such as real estate a
The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), also called “The Merc,” was established in Chicago in 1919. It evolved from the Chicago Butter and Egg Board founded in 1898. Since its inception, it has traded futures on a wide range of products, including live cattle, agricultural commodities, and index futures. It is one of the largest and most diverse exchanges in the world. Covering all major asset classes, the CME provides the widest range of benchmark futures and options products available on any exchange. The CME, which created the world’s first financial futures contracts in 1972, covers four major product areas: interest rates, stock indexes, foreign exchange, and commodities. Today, the CME’s currency market is the largest regulated marketplace for foreign exchange trading. The CME has also introduced CME Eurodollar futures, which is the world’s most actively traded interest rate futures contract. From the beginning, members traded futures contracts on agricultural commodities using th
