NASDAQ OMX and IKON GLOBAL MARKETS Launch Spot Gold Futures

Published on Wednesday, 08 February 2012 08:17 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NDAQ), the world's largest exchange group, in partnership with IKON GLOBAL MARKETS, Inc. (IKON), a futures commission merchant registered with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) offering foreign exchange, futures and options, today will launch NASDAQ OMX XAU/USD Spot Gold Futures^TM (patent pending) on the NASDAQ OMX Futures Exchange, Inc. (NFX). The contract will trade under the symbol "NAU" and seeks to simulate the over-the-counter (OTC) spot gold market trading experience.

Instead of physical delivery, the new futures contracts will be cash-settled which gives retail investors an efficient and secure way to trade gold. A daily cost of carry is imbedded in the product with an innovative pay/collect feature called "swap points." The swap point feature will be based on data calculated by IKON. This product seeks to simulate the OTC spot market for gold and give greater transparency to the cost of carry element present in OTC gold transactions.

The contracts will be sized appropriately for portfolios of all types, and can be cash-settled with as little as one 10 Troy oz. contract. Ultimately, all investors will benefit from a product with unique features that allow for flexibility and trading strategies without concerns over delivery and forward rolling dates. The exchange-listed spot gold futures follow the construct of recent Dodd Frank legislation by providing central counterparty clearing and the client protections of The Options Clearing Corporation.

NASDAQ OMX will continue to partner with IKON on developing products that serve investor demand.

Diwakar Jagannath, Chief Executive Officer of IKON, said, "Responding swiftly to the needs of our clients is the cornerstone of our business and IKON is pleased to announce the launch of a ground breaking product to continue that tradition."

He added, "With the significant reforms brought about by the Dodd Frank Act, the structure of the OTC gold market has changed. By combining the components of a futures contract with the integrity of the OTC spot gold market, this is a natural progression of the customer protections and transparencies dictated by that legislation."

Eric Noll, Executive Vice President of Transaction Services U.S. and U.K. at NASDAQ OMX, said, "NASDAQ OMX and IKON are great partners because both firms develop unique products to add to investor portfolios and both firms see regulatory initiatives as an opportunity to create solutions for the financial services community."

He added, "We are thrilled to add spot gold futures to our suite of innovative products traded on NASDAQ OMX PHLX and the NASDAQ Future Exchange."

For more information about NASDAQ OMX XAU/USD Spot Gold Futures, please visit our website at:  www.nasdaqtrader.com/NFX

About NASDAQ OMX:

The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. is the world's largest exchange company. It delivers trading, exchange technology and public company services across six continents, with more than 3,500 listed companies. NASDAQ OMX offers multiple capital raising solutions to companies around the globe, including its U.S. listings market, NASDAQ OMX Nordic, NASDAQ OMX Baltic, NASDAQ OMX First North, and the U.S. 144A sector. The company offers trading across multiple asset classes including equities, derivatives, debt, commodities, structured products and exchange-traded funds. NASDAQ OMX technology supports the operations of over 70 exchanges, clearing organizations and central securities depositories in more than 50 countries. NASDAQ OMX Nordic and NASDAQ OMX Baltic are not legal entities but describe the common offering from NASDAQ OMX exchanges in Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Iceland, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius. For more information about NASDAQ OMX, visit www.NASDAQOMX.com. Please follow NASDAQ OMX on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/NASDAQ.

About IKON GLOBAL MARKETS, Inc.:

IKON GLOBAL MARKETS, Inc. is a CFTC registered Futures Commission Merchant and Member of the National Futures Association (www.nfa.futures.org) and The Options Clearing Corporation (www.theocc.com). IKON is a global provider of financial products servicing investors on six continents.  IKON is an active electronic market maker via its own platforms, as well as to exchanges and ECNs worldwide. For further information, please visit our website (www.ikongm.com).

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The matters described herein may contain forward-looking statements that are made under the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about NASDAQ OMX's products and offerings. We caution that these statements are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond NASDAQ OMX's control. These factors include, but are not limited to, factors detailed in NASDAQ OMX's annual report on Form 10-K, and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements.

Neither The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc. nor any of its affiliates (collectively "NASDAQ OMX") makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing.

NDAQG

CONTACT: NASDAQ OMX Media Contact:
         Robert Madden
         +1.646.441.5045
         
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         IKON GLOBAL MARKETS, Inc. Media Contact:
         Ken Jarrett
         + 1.212.482.8408
         
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