Further expanding its portfolio of derivatives products, the Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) has announced the launch of SENSEX Futures, the first ever Indian equity index futures contract to be listed on an exchange in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The new contract, which will go live on July 5, 2013, will be cleared by the Dubai Commodities Clearing Corporation (DCCC).
DGCX SENSEX Futures is a futures contract based on the S&P BSE SENSEX, the blue-chip stock index of India’s leading bourse, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Recently co-branded in partnership with S&P Dow Jones Indices, the SENSEX is considered the most popular gauge of the Indian equity market and has high brand recall among investors. The SENSEX Index tracks the performance of 30 of the largest and most heavily traded stocks on the BSE.
Gary Anderson, CEO of DGCX said:«The contract is part of a planned expansion of our Emerging Market product offering, and will offer an exciting trading option for investors seeking exposure to one of the world’s largest Emerging Markets. While the retail segment is a key target market, we are also anticipating strong interest from a wide range of regional and international investors including UNHWIs, professional traders and institutional investors. DGCX participants have already shown great interest in trading SENSEX futures.»
DGCX’s new equity futures contract will target retail participants including non-resident Indians (NRIs) across the world, existing DGCX members focused on retail offerings, the NRI desks of banks, professional traders trading and arbitraging Indian markets offshore and large foreign institutional investors seeking exposure to Indian equity markets.
Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD, BSE said:«BSE tied up with DGCX for SENSEX derivatives in October 17 2011. Derivatives on India Stock Indices are very popular in several overseas markets including Singapore. Trading in Indian indices has grown substantially over the last decade in overseas markets. This launch is a key milestone for us since it is the first time we have partnered with an exchange in the MENA region to launch an equity-based derivatives product. DGCX SENSEX Futures will provide investors with an important tool for managing their portfolios benchmarked to BSE’s equity indices.»
«Given that a large number of NRIs reside in the Middle East region, we are confident about the SENSEX futures contract’s potential to generate high interest and trade volumes in line with interest in other jurisdictions,» Chauhan added.
Established in 2005, DGCX is the region’s first derivatives exchange and the only one allowing participants to clear and settle transactions within the Gulf region. The Exchange has played a pioneering role in developing the regional market for derivatives. DGCX, which has 267 members from across the globe, offers futures and options contracts covering the precious metals, energy and currency sectors.