Yen-denominated Nikkei 225 futures provide a way to efficiently gain exposure to the benchmark index of 225 top-rated, blue-chip Japanese stocks. They also enable you to:

• Lessen the systematic (market) risk of a portfolio containing Japanese equities and minimize dollar-yen FX risk
• Protect the value of a portfolio of Japanese equities during bear markets without incurring high transaction costs, taxes and custodial fees.
• Use a yen-based contract to eliminate the need to perform multiple foreign exchange conversions
• Participate in the Japanese equity markets with one trading decision rather than selecting individual issues to engage in global asset allocation.
• Accommodate a range of strategies, different market environments and varied objectives  

Things to know:

• Contracts are eligible for the Mutual Offset System (MOS), enabling them to be cleared at CME Group or the Singapore Exchange (SGX)
• CME Nikkei 225 futures expire on a quarterly basis and are listed four months out in the March quarterly cycle
• Contracts trade solely electronically, on the CME Globex platform
  • Virtually around the clock, around the world
  • Complete price transparency and anonymity
• CME Clearing matches and settles all trades and guarantees counterparty creditworthiness