UPDATE: J.P. Morgan Announces Sale of its Physical Commodities Business to Mercuria Energy Group Limited for $3.5B

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its physical commodities business to Mercuria Energy Group Limited, a global energy and commodities trading company, for $3.5 billion. The all cash transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014, subject to regulatory approvals. J.P. Morgan will work closely with Mercuria to ensure a smooth transition of commodities assets, transactions, physical trading operations and employees to Mercuria at the close of the transaction. “Our goal from the outset was to find a buyer that was interested in preserving the value of J.P. Morgan's physical business,” said Blythe Masters, head of J.P. Morgan's global commodities business. “Mercuria is a global leader in the commodities markets and an excellent long-term home for these businesses.” Following the sale, J.P. Morgan will continue to provide traditional banking activities in the commodities markets, including financial products and the vaulting and trading of precious metals – businesses that the firm has been a leader in for years. The firm will also continue to make markets, provide liquidity and risk management, and offer advice to global companies and institutions around the world. The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on JPMorgan Chase's earnings. JPMorgan Chase & Co.

is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.4 trillion and operations worldwide. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.