Media Contact:                                                       Investor Contact:
Maria Gemskie                                                
Craig Grabiner                                                           Debbie Koopman
(312) 435-3620                                                        (312) 789-8532
news@cbot.com                                                       investorrelations@cbot.com

CHICAGO, April 19, 2007 – CBOT Holdings, Inc. (CBOT), holding company for the Chicago Board of Trade, today announced record quarterly earnings and revenues.  Net income was $55.4 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007.  Excluding merger-related expenses, net income was $68.4 million, or $1.29 per diluted share, a 95 percent increase from the first quarter of 2006.  In last year’s first quarter, the company reported net income of $35.1 million, or $0.66 per diluted share.  A reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial information to GAAP financial information is included following the financial statements.

Revenues for the quarter increased 34 percent to $187.7 million, driven by record trading volume and higher average exchange fee rates.  Operating margin for the quarter, excluding merger-related expenses, rose nearly 15 percentage points to 54.6 percent, reflecting the effectiveness of the company’s operating model and its disciplined expense management.

Included in the first-quarter 2007 results are $13.0 million in merger-related expenses.  These expenses are non-deductible for tax purposes and consist primarily of legal and advisory fees incurred in connection with the CBOT’s merger agreement with Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. (CME) and the previously-announced, unsolicited proposal from IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (ICE).

“The positive momentum we built last year is carrying through into 2007, as we experience higher trading volume and continue to effectively manage expenses,” said CBOT President and CEO Bernard W. Dan.  “I believe that the CBOT is better positioned than ever to provide market participants around the world with unique products, innovative risk management tools and deep, liquid markets.”

Dan continued, “This is a dynamic time for the CBOT and our industry, which is undergoing consolidation and intense global competition.  We remain focused on driving growth, managing our day-to-day business and serving the diverse needs of our customers.”

Revenue growth for the quarter was primarily driven by higher exchange and clearing fees, which increased $45.3 million, or 43 percent.  This growth was a result of a 24 percent increase in trading volume and a 15 percent increase in the average rate per contract in the first quarter of 2007 compared with 2006.

CBOT achieved record trading volume for the quarter with 239.7 million contracts traded, reporting volume increases across each of CBOT’s major product categories.  Average daily volume (ADV) for the quarter was 3.9 million contracts, up 24 percent from the same period last year.  Electronic trading volume increased 42 percent, boosting the percentage of trades executed on the CBOT’s electronic trading platform to 78 percent of total exchange ADV in 2007’s first quarter, up from 69 percent in the first quarter of 2006 and 73 percent in the fourth quarter of 2006.  The higher level of electronic trading, in part, reflects the favorable reception by market participants to the electronic trading of Agricultural futures during daytime hours.

The average rate per contract was $0.633 for the quarter compared with $0.552 in the first quarter of 2006.  The rate increase primarily resulted from changes in trading fees implemented in 2006, as part of the company’s strategy to further segment its pricing structure.  The average rate per contract also benefited from increased electronic trading of Agricultural contracts following the August 1, 2006, introduction of electronic trading of Agricultural futures during daytime trading hours.  The average rate per contract represents total exchange and clearing fee revenue divided by total reported trading volume.

Total operating expenses for the first quarter were $98.2 million, up 16 percent over the prior year’s first quarter.  Excluding merger-related expenses of $13.0 million for the quarter, operating expenses were relatively flat compared with the prior year period.  Volume-based expenses of $23.9 million rose 21 percent, in line with the growth in trading volume.  Baseline and other costs, or non-volume based expenses, were $74.3 million this quarter compared with $64.7 million in the first quarter of 2006, a 15 percent increase.  Excluding first quarter 2007 merger-related expenses, non-volume based expenses were down about 5 percent from last year’s first quarter.

Disciplined expense management was a key factor in delivering higher operating margins in the first quarter.  The operating margin for the quarter increased to 47.7 percent from 39.7 percent in the same period last year.  Excluding merger-related expenses, the operating margin for the quarter was 54.6 percent.

Outlook

The guidance outlined below is based on the company’s current operating model as a standalone company and does not take into account merger-related expenses expected to be incurred in connection with the merger agreement between CBOT and CME or the unsolicited proposal from ICE.  Given current market conditions and what is known today, CBOT currently expects the following:

The company does not provide an outlook for trading volume or revenue but does report the trading volume daily on its website at http://www.cbot.com/cbot/pub/page/0,3181,834,00.html#daily

 

 

CBOT Executives will host a conference call to review its first quarter results today, April 19, 2007, at 8:00 a.m. ET / 7:00 a.m. CT.  The conference call and any accompanying slides will be publicly available via live webcast from the investor relations section of the CBOT Holdings website at http://www.cbot.com.  The webcast will be available for replay at the same address approximately two hours following its conclusion.  Those who wish to listen to the conference call via telephone should dial 888.396.2298 (U.S. callers) and 617.847.8708 (International callers) at least 10 minutes before the call begins. The verbal passcode for the call is “CBOT Holdings.”  To listen to an archived recording after the call, please dial 888-286-8010 (U.S. callers) and 617-801-6888 (International callers).  The passcode for the replay is 40764305.

In this press release, we use non-GAAP financial measures of operating performance.  For purposes of Regulation G, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, financial position, or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure, calculated and prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”).  Non-GAAP financial measures do not replace and are not a substitute for our GAAP financial results, but are provided to present the effects of expenses recorded by CBOT Holdings, Inc. in connection with our proposed merger with Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings, Inc. and the unsolicited offer from IntercontinentalExchange, Inc., and to improve overall understanding of our current financial performance and our prospects for the future. Specifically, we believe the non-GAAP financial results provide useful information to both management and investors regarding certain additional financial and business trends relating to financial condition and operating results. In addition, our management uses these measures for reviewing financial results and evaluating financial performance.

As one of the leading global derivative exchanges, the Chicago Board of Trade provides a diverse mix of financial, equity, and commodity futures and options-on-futures products.  Building on its 159-year history, the CBOT continues to advance into the future using the strength of deep liquidity, market integrity and member-trader expertise.  Using superior trading technology in both electronic and open-auction trading platforms, the CBOT provides premier customer service to risk managers and investors worldwide.  For more information visit our website at www.cbot.com.

In connection with the proposed merger of CBOT Holdings, Inc. (“CBOT”) and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Holdings Inc. (“CME”), the parties have filed relevant materials with the Securities Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including a joint proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction.  INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS REGARDING THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION, BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT INFORMATION.  Investors are able to obtain a free copy of the joint proxy statement/prospectus, as well as other filings containing information about CBOT and CME without charge, at the SEC’s website (http://www.sec.gov).  Copies of the joint proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained when available, without charge by directing a request to CBOT Holdings, Inc., Attention: Investor Relations, at 141 West Jackson, Chicago, Illinois 60604 or calling (312) 435-3500.

CBOT, CME and their respective directors and executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from CBOT shareholders in respect of the proposed transaction.  Information regarding CBOT directors and executive officers is available in CBOT’s proxy statement for its 2007 annual meeting of stockholders, dated March 29, 2007.  Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants is included in the joint proxy statement/prospectus and the other relevant documents filed with the SEC.  This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Certain statements in this document and its attachments may contain forward-looking information regarding CBOT, CME and the combined company after the completion of the transactions that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for “forward-looking statements” provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements include, but are not limited to, the benefits of the business combination transaction involving CBOT and CME including future financial and operating results, the combined company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts.  Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the management of CBOT and CME and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties.  Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the ability to obtain governmental approvals of the transaction on the proposed terms and schedule; the failure of CBOT shareholders or CME shareholders to approve the transaction; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; the risk that the cost savings and any other synergies from the transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain relationships with customers, employees or suppliers; competition and its effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; social and political conditions such as war, political unrest or terrorism; general economic conditions and normal business uncertainty.  Additional risks and factors are identified in CBOT’s filings with the SEC, including its Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006 which is available on CBOT’s website at http://www.cbot.com.

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this document.  Except for any obligation to disclose material information under the Federal securities laws, CBOT undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document.

“Dow Jones,” and “Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index” are service marks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc., and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by CBOT.  CBOT’s DJUSRE Index futures contract based on the Dow Jones U.S. Real Estate Index^SM, is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, and none of Dow Jones, or any of its respective subsidiaries or affiliates make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such contracts.