On December 3, 2001, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.® (CME) became a wholly owned subsidiary of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. ("CME Holdings"). Shares of Class A common stock of CME Holdings represent equity rights in the holding company. CME Holdings has four classes of Class B common stock, which consist of equity rights in the holding company, an associated membership in CME and the right to elect a certain number of members to the Board of Directors of CME Holdings. There are four divisions of membership at CME—CME, International Monetary Market® (IMM), Index and Option Market® (IOM) and Growth and Emerging Markets® (GEM)—and corresponding Class B shares: B-1, B-2, B-3 and B-4. Each type of membership offers the same trading privileges that were previously attached to each series of Class B share.

Prospective purchasers sign and file with the Membership Department a "Bid to Purchase" form which must be either guaranteed by an Exchange clearing member or accompanied by a certified or cashier’s check or wire transfer.

The Membership Department posts bids, offers and last trade prices for purchase of Class B shares and the associated membership.

The Membership Department matches the highest bid to buy and lowest offer to sell. Some sales are affected through negotiation while others are matches between a posted bid and offer. (Purchasers may accept the currently displayed low offer and acquire the membership without negotiation.)

If the bid was guaranteed by a clearing member, the purchaser must submit payment in the form of a clearing member check, certified or cashier’s check, or wire transfer within two business days of notification of the purchase.

To learn updated bid, offer and last sale prices for shares, call 312-930-8207 or  click here. Bid and offer forms also are available  here.