KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 25, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- FCStone Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCSX), a commodity risk management firm, announced today the acquisitions of Globecot, Inc., a leading supplier of information, market research, news, and consulting for the global fiber and textile industries, and The Jernigan Group, LLC, a registered brokerage group that provides execution services to the global fiber and textile industries.

The all-cash transaction is expected to close in early 2008 and should be immediately accretive to earnings. In addition to supporting and complementing FCStone's existing business platform, the acquisitions of Globecot and The Jernigan Group will help facilitate and expedite the development of FCStone's Asian market presence and service offerings.

"The acquisitions of Globecot and The Jernigan Group provide another strategic milestone for our business as we pursue opportunities that are extremely complementary to the FCStone business model," said Pete Anderson, FCStone's Chief Executive Officer. "Additionally, we believe that this acquisition affords us significant prospects to increase our penetration of the Asian markets, as both businesses have existing relationships and experience in this high-growth market."

Joining the FCStone management team is Ed Jernigan, Chairman and CEO of Globecot as well as the owner of The Jernigan Group, who will provide ongoing leadership while heading up the Cotton Division of FCStone Group, Inc.

"We are very excited to be bringing our proven news, research and service offerings to FCStone," stated Mr. Jernigan. "This deal will provide Globecot and The Jernigan Group with the unique opportunity to undertake consulting projects and provide global cotton and textile information and services to the vast network of current and potential FCStone customers. In consolidating these two related businesses into one comprehensive Cotton division, we believe that our service offering and expertise will significantly contribute to the ongoing success and growth of FCStone."

About FCStone Group, Inc.

FCStone Group, Inc., along with its affiliates, is an integrated commodity risk management company providing risk management consulting and transaction execution services to commercial commodity intermediaries, end-users and producers. The firm assists primarily middle market customers in optimizing their profit margins and mitigating exposure to commodity price risk. In addition to risk management consulting services, FCStone, LLC, operates one of the leading independent clearing and execution platforms for exchange-traded futures and options contracts. FCStone Group, Inc. serves more than 7,500 customers and in the 12 months ended November 30, 2007, executed 71.8 million derivative contracts in the exchange-traded and over-the-counter markets. The FCStone Group companies work in all the major commodity areas including agriculture, energy, renewable fuels, foods, forestry, and currency exchange. Headquartered in the Midwest, it has offices located throughout the world and is a clearing member of all major North American Futures exchanges. FCStone Group, Inc., trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FCSX."

About Globecot, Inc.

Globecot is the world's leading supplier of news, analysis and market research for the global fiber and textile industries. Subscribers in nearly 100 countries around the world use the Globecot News Network (www.globecotnews.com).

About The Jernigan Group, LLC

The Jernigan Group, LLC is a registered Introducing Broker which provides execution services for the global fiber and textile industries.

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