CHICAGO and KANSAS CITY, October 17, 2012 – CME Group, a leading derivatives marketplace, and the Kansas City Board of Trade, the leading futures market for hard red winter (HRW) wheat, today announced they have signed a definitive agreement under which CME Group will acquire the Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT).
Under the terms of the transaction, CME Group will pay $126M in cash for KCBT. In addition, KCBT will make a special distribution of excess cash to members concurrent with closing. CME Group has committed to maintain a committee made up of KCBT market participants to advise on HRW wheat contract terms and conditions for at least three years, and to maintain the historic KCBT trading floor in Kansas City for a period of at least six months.
“Global agricultural market participants continue to depend on liquid, transparent risk management tools for price discovery in both established and emerging economies,” said CME Group Executive Chairman and President Terry Duffy. “Building on two rich legacies, the combination of KCBT Hard Red Winter Wheat products with our deep and liquid CBOT Soft Red Winter Wheat futures and options markets will provide new trading opportunities for market participants around the world – both on the trading floor and on the screen.”
The board of directors of KCBT unanimously approved the transaction, which is expected to close later this year pending approval by KCBT shareholders and regulators, expiration of the applicable Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period and completion of customary closing conditions.
The entire announcement can be found here.