OREANDA-NEWS. On 15 April 2009 was announced, that effective April 15, 2009, RTS is launching trading in platinum and palladium futures contracts on FORTS, RTS derivatives section, complementing the established trading in gold and silver.

The contracts are initially for 3 and 6 months and are settled in cash based on the morning fixing on the London Platinum and Palladium Market.

Platinum and palladium futures are targeted for major manufacturers and consumers interested in hedging their risks related to fluctuation of prices for precious metals. The new derivatives and the contracts on gold and silver can be also combined in a commodity investment fund to gain immediate exposure to a basket of precious metals. In addition, these instruments open up opportunities for arbitrage.

The launch of futures contracts on platinum and palladium follows the successful start of trading in the EUR/USD and EUR/RUR futures this February. From the very start the EUR/USD contract hit the top 5 liquid FORTS instruments.

FORTS, the derivatives market of RTS, is the leading trading venue for futures and options in Russia. Trading on FORTS started in September 2001. At present FORTS has the widest range of instruments in Russia. These are 48 contracts (31 futures and 17 options) on shares of Russian companies, bonds, short term interest rates, currency, RTS Index, oil, silver, gas, sugar and gold.