Additional Notes on Performance Bond Requirements

Spread Rules

Inter-commodity spreads are not allowed when either contract is in the delivery month.

Spread Rules

Regarding any inter-commodity spreads between products with different I/M ratios, the inter-commodity spread calculations for initial performance bond requirements outlined in the current SPAN Technical Specifications (dated 5/20/94) also meet the requirements for these spreads.

Spread Rules

There will be no performance bond requirement for spreads formed with futures contracts based on the same underlying contract in both products: i.e. SP v ES (1:5), ND v NQ (1:5), JY v J7 (1:2), EC v E7 (1:2). Combinations of different futures expirations will be margined at calendar spread rates.

GSCI Breakdown

GSCI Basket-10 vs. Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GI)

GSCI Basket-100 vs. Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GI)

GSCI ER Futures Basket-100 vs. OTC S&P GSCI Excess Return Swap (SES)  

CME Product

Basket of 100

Basket to 10

Corn

22

2

Coca

1

0

Crude Oil

66

7

Cotton

4

0

Feeder Cattle

2

0

Gold

3

0

Heating Oil

7

1

Coffee

2

0

Kansas Wheat

3

0

Live Cattle

9

1

Brent Crude Oil

23

2

Gasoil

10

1

Hogs

7

1

Aluminum

6

1

Copper

6

1

Nickle

1

0

Lead

1

0

Zinc

2

0

Natural Gas

13

1

RBOB Gasoline

7

1

Soybeans

6

1

Sugar

12

1

Silver

1

0

Wheat

15

2

 

 

GSCI ER Futures Basket-100 vs. GSCI ER Futures (GA)

 

CME Product

Basket of 100

Basket to 10

Corn

9

1

Coca

1

0

Crude Oil

26

3

Cotton

2

0

Feeder Cattle

1

0

Gold

1

0

Heating Oil

3

0

Coffee

1

0

Kansas Wheat

1

0

Live Cattle

4

0

Brent Crude Oil

9

1

Gasoil

4

0

Hogs

3

0

Aluminum

2

0

Copper

2

0

Nickle

0

0

Lead

0

0

Zinc

1

0

Natural Gas

5

1

RBOB Gasoline

3

0

Soybeans

2

0

Sugar

5

0

Silver

0

0

Wheat

6

1

Short Positions

Margins for short customer positions are based on original trade price.

Short Positions

For short customer positions, there will be a lower margin threshold of 30% and an upper margin threshold of 70% so that if these levels are breached, there will be a margin call (in the case of a lower threshold) or a margin release (in the case of a higher threshold) to bring the margin level to 50% of the current price.

Delivery

If either contract is in the delivery month, the performance bond will be the higher of the two non-spread delivery month performance bonds.

Delivery

For Agricultural and Forest Products, delivery month performance bond becomes effective on the business day following the expiration of the options.

Large Currency Spread

Long/Long or Short/Short

Milk

Milk (DA) outright has a decreased delivery month expiration margin requirement that applies 15 days prior to expiration. Feeder Cattle (FC) outright has a decreased delivery month expiration margin requirement that applies 7 days prior to contract expiration.

Rounding

For inter-commodity spreads, in some cases the calculated requirements may differ slightly due to rounding and the number of digits used in the calculation.

Spread Determination

The Clearing House will recognize certain inter-commodity ratio spreads in ratios designed to estimate the appropriate arbitrage relationships. They are based on current market conditions and will change as the value of the component contracts fluctuates. For currently recognized ratios and additional information contact the Clearing House, Risk Control Department at (312)648-3888.

Eurodollar/Yen Spread

This spread shall contain long (short) contracts in the first month of JY, short (long) contracts in the second month of JY, long (short) the Euroyen contract, short (long) the Eurodollar contract. The Eurodollar/Euroyen spread must be in the same calendar month as the front month of the JY Spread.

Spread Determination

The approximation of actual spread ratios has been approved by the Exchange. There may be discrepancies due to the application of rounding conventions.

Eurodollar/Libor Spread

Three ED futures in a given March quarterly month against a strip of three consecutive LIBOR futures, where the LIBOR strip would start in the same contract month as the Eurodollar futures.

Butterfly Spreads

Butterfly Spread: Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months of either (+1:-2:+1) or (-1:+2:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Jun 00, Sep 00). Serial months are not eligible.

Butterfly Spreads

Butterfly Spread (Skipping 1 Month): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping one month in between each month, of either (+1:-2:+1) or (-1:+2:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Sep 00, Mar 01). Serial months are not eligible.

Butterfly Spreads

Butterfly Spread (Skipping 2 Months): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping 2 months in between each month, of either (+1:-2:+1) or (-1:+2:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Dec 00, Sep 01). Serial months are not eligible.

Butterfly Spreads

Butterfly Spread (Skipping 3 Months): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping 3 months in between each month, of either (+1:-2:+1) or (-1:+2:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Mar 01, Mar 02). Serial months are not eligible.

Butterfly Spreads

Double Butterfly: Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months of either (+1:-3:+3:-1) or (-1:+3:-3:+1) configuration.

Butterfly Spreads

Double Butterfly Spread (Skipping 1 Month): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping one month in between each month, of either (+1:-3:+3:-1) or (-1:+3:-3:+1) configuration.

Condor Spreads

Condor Spread: Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months of either (+1:-1:-1:+1) or (-1:+1:+1:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Jun 00, Sep 00, Dec 00). Serial months are not eligible.

Condor Spreads

Condor Spread (Skipping 1 Month): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping 1 month in between each month, of either (+1:-1:-1:+1) or (-1:+1:+1:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Sep 00, Mar 01, Sep 01).Serial months are not eligible.

Condor Spreads

Condor Spread (Skipping 2 Months): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping 2 months in between each month, of either (+1:-1:-1:+1) or (-1:+1:+1:-1) configuration. (i.e. Mar 00, Dec 00, Sep 01, Jun 02). Serial months are not eligible.

Condor Spreads

Condor Spread (Skipping 3 Months): Positions in consecutive quarterly futures months, skipping 3 months in between each month, of either (+1:-1:-1:+1) or (-1:+1:+1:-1) configuration: (i.e. Mar 00, Mar 01, Mar 02. Mar 03). Serial months are not eligible.

CBOE

Margin requirement for those who qualify as a CBOE market maker.

Crop Year

CBOT Soybean Meal: Crop Year October through September

Crop Year

CBOT Soybean Oil: Crop Year October through September

Binary Fed Funds

Binary Options on Target Fed Funds Rate (commodity code '08') will have the following margin requirements under the specified market conditions: Short options between 0-25 basis pts. OTM will have a margin of $1000 minus option value *45% Short options between 26-50 basis pts. OTM will have a margin of $1000 minus option value *30% Short options between 51-75 basis pts. OTM will have a margin of $1000 minus option value *15% Short options greater than 76 basis pts. OTM will have a margin of $1000 minus option value *5% Long Options will have a margin that is equal to or less than the option value (an account containing only long options will never have a margin deficiency when the options are fully paid for).

Crop Year

CBOT Corn: Crop Year November through September

Crop Year

CBOT Oats: Crop Year July through May

Crop Year

CBOT Soybean: Crop Year November through September

Crop Year

CBOT Wheat: Crop Year July through May

Crop Year

CME Frozen Pork Belly: Crop Year February through August

Eurodollars

ED consecutive month spreads include consecutive quarterly contracts.

Crush

CBOT Crush spread: Soybean vs. Soy Meal, vs. Soybean Oil.

Tier Configuration

Tier Configuration is used to calculate inter-month and delivery month performance bond requirements. Tiers allow for a more precise assessment of risk at the commodity month level. Each tier consists of at least one futures month, and all of the months within a tier are consecutive. This includes serial months. Calendar spread performance bond requirements may differ from the published amounts due to Scan Risk (i.e. for products such as Feeder Cattle or Milk in which the months are configured into tiers) due to the difference in outright rates for each tier.

S&P Spreads

The options and futures vs. options on other Exchanges ratio spreads must be on a weighted (2:5) futures equivalent basis for SP spreads with the exception of SP v OEX and SP v XII, and (2:1) futures equivelent basis for ES with the exception of ES v OEX and ES v XII.