CME CEO eyes gold, says no plan to move floor

Craig Donahue, CEO of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, speaks to Reuters in New York June 22, 2009.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The chief executive of CME Group Inc (CME.O) said on Monday the largest U.S. commodities exchange plans to invest in its COMEX gold futures trading operation, and shot down speculation that the trading floor would be moved out of New York.

In an interview with Reuters, CEO Craig Donohue said that the Chicago-based company would not move its trading floor to Chicago from New York.

Asked if a sale of its NYMEX building is possible, Donohue says: "It may not be in that building in the future, and that remains to be seen, but it (trading floor) will not be outside of the New York City."

CME Group has promised to keep the trading floor in lower Manhattan open until at least 2012.

While CME is known for its agricultural and financial derivatives products, crude oil and metals futures had largely been trading on NYMEX before its acquisition by CME in August 2008.

In addition, Donohue said he expected the CME to have more collaboration with London's bullion market, including clearing services.

(Reporting by Frank Tang; Editing by David Gregorio)