CME fee hike sparks concerns for traders

Fears were aroused among traders last week of wholesale fee increases as Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) announced that it was to repackage its data and up charges, with some sources worried that the changes could herald the start of an unwanted trend among listed exchanges to enhance revenues.

The exchange said last week it would double the cost for data $5 to $10 per package, but added it would also supply more information such as market depth. Unlike Chicago Board of Trade (CBoT)'s effort over the summer to impose a data user fee on customers (see FO Week Vol 11 No 24), CME data price hike is being viewed by most...