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NYSE Euronext to buy 5% stake in MCX

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Announcement Corporate
* NYSE Euronext's first investment in a commodity exchange in Asia Pacific
 
 
Chennai, February 15, 2008: NYSE Euronext (NYX), the world's leading and most diverse financial market group, today announced that it has signed a binding term sheet to acquire a 5% equity position in the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), India's leading commodity marketplace, subject to certain conditions.
 
 
The 5% equity investment is the maximum equity interest permitted by foreign investors in derivative exchanges under current Indian law. Closing of the transaction is expected to take place during the first half of 2008, subject to all relevant regulatory approvals.
 
 
MCX is India's No. 1 commodity exchange for the trading of precious metals, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, energy, agriculture and industrial commodities.
 
 
Founded in 2003, MCX has exhibited strong leadership in product innovation, trading and clearing functionality, self-regulation, transaction cost efficiency and customer focus, positioning MCX to compete on a global scale.
 
 
"We believe that our investment in MCX will produce new business opportunities for NYSE Euronext in the commodities sector and deliver value to NYSE Euronext shareholders," said Duncan L. Niederauer, NYSE Euronext Chief Executive Officer. "This transaction underscores our long-standing commitment to India and is consistent with our strategic business goal of aligning NYSE Euronext with partners globally and diversifying our product portfolio."
 
 
Mr. Jignesh Shah, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of MCX, added, "The milestone bears testament to the quality of the institution we have built where the best of India and the world converge. It is a statement on India's economic standing and we are proud to be part of it."
 
 
In addition to NYSE Euronext, other shareholders in MCX include State Bank of India and its associates (SBI), National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), SBI Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Bank of India (BoI) , Bank of Baroda ( BoB ), Union Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, Fid Fund (Mauritius) Ltd. - an affiliate of Fidelity International, ICICI Ventures, IL&FS, Kotak group, Citibank, Merrill Lynch and Financial Technologies.
 
 
Currently, there are 14 corporate listings from India on NYSE Euronext markets, 12 on the New York Stock Exchange and two on Euronext, whose combined total global market capitalization exceeds $110 billion. On July 31, 2006, MCX and Liffe, NYSE Euronext's derivatives business, entered a licensing agreement for MCX to use Liffe futures prices, enabling MCX to list domestic 'mini' futures contracts for both robusta and white sugar based upon Liffe futures prices and to identify other areas of potential collaboration.
 
 
About NYSE Euronext
 
 
NYSE Euronext (NYX) operates the world's leading and most liquid exchange group, and seeks to provide the highest levels of quality, customer choice and innovation. Its family of exchanges, located in six countries, include the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest cash equities market; Euronext, the Eurozone's largest cash equities market; Liffe, Europe's leading derivatives exchange by value of trading; and NYSE Arca Options, one of the fastest growing U.S. options trading platforms. NYSE Euronext offers a diverse array of financial products and services for issuers, investors and financial institutions in cash equities, options and derivatives, ETFs, bonds, market data, and commercial technology solutions. NYSE Euronext's nearly 4,000 listed companies represent a combined $30.5 trillion/€20.9 trillion in total global market capitalization (as of Dec. 31, 2007), more than four times that of any other exchange group. NYSE Euronext's equity exchanges transact an average daily trading value of approximately $141 billion/€103 billion (as of Dec. 31, 2007), which represents more than one-third of the worlds cash equities trading. NYSE Euronext is part of the S&P 500 index and the only exchange operator in the S&P 100 index. For more information about NYSE Euronext, please visit www.nyx.com.
 
 
About MCX
 
 
Headquartered in the financial capital of India, Mumbai, MCX (www.mcxindia.com) is a demutualised nationwide electronic multi commodity futures exchange set up by Financial Technologies with permanent recognition from Government of India for facilitating online trading, clearing & settlement operations for futures market across the country. The exchange started operations in November 2003 and presently is the top commodity exchange in the country with over 70% market share for quarter ended December 31, 2007 of the total commodity exchange industry in the country. Among the top ten commodity derivatives exchanges in the world, MCX ranks among the top three bullion, energy and copper exchanges in the world in terms of contracts traded.
 
 
Apart from being accredited with ISO 9001:2000 for quality management, it is the world's first and only multi- commodity exchange to have achieved ISO 27001:2005 certification, the global benchmark for information security management systems.
 
 
MCX offers futures trading in 56 commodities as on December 31, 2007, defined in terms of the type of contracts offered, from various market segments including bullion, energy, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, oils and oil seeds, cereals, pulses, plantations, spices, plastics and fibres. The exchange strives to be at the forefront of developments in the commodities futures industry and has forged eleven strategic alliances across the world, including with Tokyo Commodity Exchange, Chicago Climate Exchange, London Metal Exchange, New York Mercantile Exchange, New York Board of Trade and Bursa Malaysia Derivatives, Berhad.
 
 
Financial Technologies India Ltd, a leading provider of transaction automation technologies for Equities, Derivatives, Forex and Commodity markets, is the majority shareholder of MCX. Other key stakeholders include Fidelity International, State Bank of India & its subsidiaries, National Stock Exchange (NSE) and National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD).
 
 
MCX is India's No. 1 commodity exchange. Source: FMC website (www.fmc.gov.in) based on turnover in terms of value for FY 07.
 
 
 

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First Published: Feb 15 2008 | 12:00 AM IST

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