DTN, MGEX Create New Ag Indexes

NEW YORK - Oct 28/04 - SNS -- The Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) has agreed to use new agricultural indexes computed by DTN as the basis of its five new agricultural index futures and options contracts beginning December 15.

The new indexes are intended to make it possible for individuals to trade agricultural index futures and options based on country origin pricing provided by DTN.

At the end of each month, the index futures and options contracts will settle financially to the DTN calculated indexes, with no threat of delivery. The MGEX agricultural index futures and options will trade electronically on the Chicago Board of Trade’s electronic trading platform – e-cbot® powered by LIFFE CONNECT®.

The DTN agricultural indexes that will be offered to MGEX through this partnership include the Hard Red Spring Wheat Index (HRSI), Hard Red Winter Wheat Index (HRWI), Soft Red Winter Wheat Index (SRWI), National Corn Index (NCI) and the National Soybean Index (NSI). All the index contracts will trade electronically on one platform, allowing extensive opportunities for spread trading.