CME to offer Gold contract

Merc to offer gold contract

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the largest U.S. futures market,
plans to start offering a contract linked to the price of gold next
week that the exchange hopes will appeal to retail investors. The Gold
Total Return Asset Contracts, developed by Merrill Lynch & Co. and the
exchange, will start trading Thursday at $25 each on the Globex
electronic system, the Merc said. The contracts, known as Gold TRAKRS,
will be cheaper than a New York Mercantile Exchange gold futures
contract, which cost $39,800 at the close of trading Wednesday.