As an observer of financial markets, I've been stunned by the recent growth of options trading. Options and futures trading have become huge among individual investors, and the interest in the topic is only getting bigger.

So, who benefits most from the surge in options and futures trading? CME Group (NASDAQ: CME).

CME Group is the company that operates the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade, the place where options and futures trades actually take place. Whenever you place an options or futures transaction, the only sure winner in the game is CME Group.

Continue reading Real bargain stock #8: CME Group (CME)

Real bargain stock #8: CME Group (CME) originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Wheat tops $10 per bushel -- could cereal become too expensive?

Wheat tops $10 per bushel -- could cereal become too expensive? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• The Chicago Board of Trade (NYSE: BOT) and Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc (NYSE: CME) to hold a special shareholder meeting in Chicago about merging at 4pm.
• Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ: TTWO) to hold a business update at 4:30pm.
• Alcoa Inc (NYSE: AA) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 5pm.

• Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, to be held from July 10-July 13 in Santa Monica, California.
• The Home Depot Inc (NYSE: HD) to release a 2007 Sales Update at 9am.
• Sealy Corporation (NYSE: ZZ) to report Q2 earnings; conference call at 5pm.

Continue reading Market highlights for next week: Monthly sales numbers coming

Market highlights for next week: Monthly sales numbers coming originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

MAJOR PAPERS:

• The Wall Street Journal reported that President Bush picked former advisor Robert Zoellick to take over the World Bank from Paul Wolfowitz; Mr. Zoellick, now a vice chairman at Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE: GS), was a trade representative and deputy secretary of state.
• The Institutional Shareholder Service has advised shareholders of medical device maker Biomet Inc (NASDAQ: BMET) to turn down a $10.9B private equity deal for the company, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• The Financial Times reported that the IntercontinentalExchange Inc (NYSE: ICE) has signed an exclusive deal with the CBOT Holdings Inc (NYSE: BOT), a move that could advance ICE's unsolicited bid for the Chicago Board of Trade.
• Rather than focus on potential take-out targets, Barron's Online's "Weekday Trader" said that the smart bet for investors is to focus on companies with rising profits, cash flows and dividends, such as Loews Corp-Carolina Group (NYSE: CG) and Imperial Tobacco Group plc (NYSE: ITY), which boast free cash and dividends.

• Best Buy Co Inc (NYSE: BBY) is in talks with Vivek for a "foray" into India, the Economic Times reported.
  
• The Washington Post reported that Nigeria filed criminal charges against Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) over child deaths.

Newspaper wrap-up 5-30-07: Bush taps Robert Zoellick to head World Bank originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 30 May 2007 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Over the past few years, a variety of securities and commodities exchanges have gone public. For the most part, it has been lucrative for shareholders.

Now, with the high valuations, these exchanges are engaging in M&A.

And why not? Exchanges benefit from scale - in terms of consolidating trading systems, as well as offering products for investors. It's kind of like the value proposition of eBay. The bigger the network, the more valuable it generally becomes.

Well, the latest deal in the exchange business is the Chicago Mercantile Exchange's (CME) $8 billion purchase of the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT).

The deal is vitally important for the CBOT.

Continue reading CME, CBOT linkup: A new $25 billion colossus

CME, CBOT linkup: A new $25 billion colossus originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 17 Oct 2006 11:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.