TAIFEX Expands Offshore Index Futures Suite with the Launch of FTSE 100 Futures
The new FTSE 100 Futures enables investors to gain exposure to the largest and most liquid segments of the UK equity market
The Taiwan Futures Exchange (TAIFEX) will launch a new offshore futures contract tracking the FTSE® 100 Index, the leading stock market indicator of the UK and one of the world’s most recognized indices, on November 23, 2020.
The listing of the new product expands TAIFEX’s popular suite of international equity index futures – tracking the major US and Japan markets – and extends its reach to Europe for the first time. The new product also intensifies the cooperation between TAIFEX and FTSE Russell following the launch of Asia’s first ESG futures earlier this year.
The new FTSE 100 Futures enables investors to gain exposure to the largest and most liquid segments of the UK equity market. The product is based on the FTSE®100 Index that tracks the performance of 100 UK-listed blue chip companies, many of which have substantial presences in the Asia-Pacific, including global financial institutions, HSBC and Standard Chartered; top miners, Glencore, BHP and Rio Tinto; and pharmaceutical manufacturers, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline.
Cash-settled and denominated in Taiwan dollars (TWD), TAIFEX’s FTSE 100 Futures is designed in a small contract size with a multiplier of TWD 50 (approx. USD 1.7) per index point, making it a cost-efficient, convenient and flexible trading instrument for investors. The contract will also be available during TAIFEX’s night session (3:00 pm to 5:00 am, GMT+8), covering the trading hours of European and U.S. markets.
Over the years, TAIFEX’s efforts to diversify its offshore offerings have strengthened its position as a hub for trading foreign equity index futures in Asia. This is also driven by both robust domestic liquidity and growing numbers of active international investors, with the latter now making up around half of the volume of TAIFEX’s Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 index futures. Joining this line-up, the new FTSE® 100 Futures will further enhance TAIFEX’s ability to cater to offshore investors pursuing transatlantic hedging and trading strategies, while risk-managing the global exposure of their portfolio in a timely manner.
With the addition of FTSE® 100 Futures and the broadening of equity index product line-up, TAIFEX continues to commit to bringing greater diversity of products to the market and responding to the evolving needs of its participants, amid the time of uncertainty.
