OREANDA-NEWS. July 12, 2010. As of July 12, 2010 futures-style options on the refined platinum futures contract will trade on RTS Stock Exchange.

The new option broadens the choice of RTS’s bullion contracts. Currently futures on all the classic precious metals (gold, silver, platinum, and palladium) and 3 options on gold, silver and platinum futures are trading on FORTS, the derivatives section of RTS.

This new contract can be used to mitigate price risks and as an underlying asset for structured products created in order to protect investors’ capital.

"The launch of options on the platinum futures contract is driven by our commitment to meet the needs of our market participants who wish to diversify their investment portfolios with a commodity product that is a hedging instrument in times of turbulence in financial markets. It enables professional market participants, banks and investment companies to offer their customers new structured products underlied by precious metals", comments Evgeny Serdyukov, Director of the Futures & Options Market at RTS Stock Exchange.

FORTS commodity contracts on precious metals allow investors to diversify their portfolios and minimize the risk related to the dependence of the Russian cash equities market on oil prices.

FORTS, the derivatives market of RTS, is the leading trading venue for futures and options in Russia. Trading on FORTS started in September 2001. According to the Futures Industry Association the derivatives market of RTS is among the TOP-10 global derivatives exchanges based on the results of 2009. At present FORTS has the widest range of instruments in Russia. These are 47 contracts (33 futures and 14 options) on RTS Index, RTS Standard Index, shares of Russian companies, bonds, short term interest rates, currency, oil, gasoil, gold, silver, and sugar.