CME Group has launched of options on its Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts, which are now available for trading.

Options on the Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures are 1/10th the size of their E-mini options counterparts. The listing cycle for the new options consists of five Friday weekly options, three end-of-month options and two quarterly options contracts.

Successful options contracts require a robust, liquid underlying futures market. Since launching one year ago, Micro E-mini Equity futures have rapidly developed round-the-clock liquidity and become the most successful new product in CME Group's history. Some highlights include:

Since launch, 186 million cumulative Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures contracts traded and 131 million cumulative Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts traded, 1.5 million contracts traded across both futures products combined, on average, each day in 2020, 30 per cent of Micro E-Mini S&P 500 and Micro E-Mini Nasdaq-100 futures trading volume originated outside of the US year-to-date in 2020, and 93,000-plus unique accounts have traded both futures contracts since launch.