It's Not April Fool's Day Is It?

31/01/13 -- Remember all the controversy and general kerfuffle about around this time last year when the CME Group decided to change the trading hours at the Chicago Board of Trade? How could you forget? We've subsequently had all sorts of buggering about with the daytime session opening early in the day of the monthly WASDE reports, and more latterly the USDA changing the timings of these to unhelpfully coincide with just when the European markets are closing.

Well, a little bird now tells me that in their infinite wisdom the CME Group has now decided to reduce CBOT trading hours (by a hitherto unspecified amount), recognising that they might have overdone it a bit with 21-hours/day trading in an embarrassing display of petulance over the establishment of the (very small) rival InterContinental Exchange futures market. You couldn't make it up could you? Anyone who's ever been shopping for a pair of shoes and a dress with the missus for some upcoming party will be all too familiar with this sort of carry on. I'd send them a sarcastic email but there's no satisfaction in getting involved in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent is there?

We wait with baited breath for further details.