Spanish and Italian market participants can now trade directly on the new fully electronic U.S. futures and options exchange Eurex US following regulatory clearance from the Spanish Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) and the Italian regulator CONSOB.
Market participants from 14 countries can now access Eurex US: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Gibraltar, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, USA and the United Kingdom. Spanish market participants are required to apply for authorization with the CNMV before commencing trading. Currently, a total of 33 European member firms are connected to Eurex US.
As previously announced, Eurex US has introduced a new market maker program during European trading hours. The European market making program will incentivize participants to provide liquidity during European trading hours and will further connect the European and US customer bases in U.S. Treasury futures.
Trading on Eurex US began on February 8, 2004. The exchange currently lists futures and options on 2-, 5- and 10-year Treasury notes and on 30-year Treasury bonds; pending approval of international regulatory authorities, Eurex US will expand its offering to include futures and options on Euro-denominated interest rates and indices as well as U.S. indices.