Established in 1960 as the Sydney Greasy Wool Futures Exchange. The exchange was renamed in 1972 to reflect its diversification from wool. A cattle futures contract was introduced in 1975, followed by gold in 1978. The SFE became the first futures exchange outside the US to offer financial futures when, in 1979, it launched a 90 - day bank bill futures contract. This was followed by the introduction of currency futures in 1980 and a share-price index futures contract in 1983. A ten-year government bond futures contract was launched in 1984, exchange-traded options began trading in 1985 and three-year bond futures arrived in 1988. Options are available on bank bills, government bonds and share price index futures. In 1991 the SFE acquired the business of the New Zealand Futures and Options Exchange. In 1994 the SFE launched Individual Shares Futures and by mid-1995 listed ten share futures contracts. In 1994 the exchange also announced a link with the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) through which SFE members can trade Nymex's energy products including the West Texas Intermediate crude oil contract. See also: futures contract, futures markets, International Commodities Clearing House, local, London International Financial Futures Exchange, Sydney Computerised Overnight Market, Sydney Futures Exchange Clearing House.
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