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Understanding Stock Index Futures - CME Group
Vibrant Array for Institutional, Retail Traders
Introduced in 1982, stock index futures have grown to become perhaps the second-most significant sector, after interest rates, within the futures trading community, CME Group analysts said in a report.
The basic model was embraced on a domestic and global basis by many other exchanges, leading to a "vibrant array" of stock index futures for access by institutional and retail traders alike, according to the report.
The report focuses on several successful stock index futures contracts that share common design characteristics, including the "E-mini" line launched by CME Group in 1997.