NEW YORK, February 1 /PRNewswire/ --

- Acquisition Complements GFI's Hybrid Brokerage Model by
Accelerating Electronic Trading Capability

GFI Group Inc. (Nasdaq: GFIG) announced today that it has acquired
Trayport, a leading provider of real-time electronic trading software for
brokers, exchanges and traders in the commodities, fixed income, currencies
and equities markets. Trayport's software is installed on more than 10,000
trading screens worldwide, dealing in over 2,000 different trading
instruments and supporting over 50 marketplaces across 15 countries.
Trayport, a privately-held company founded in London in 1993, had estimated
revenues of 14 million pounds (approximately US$28 million) for their fiscal
year ending January 31, 2008.

Through its highly regarded GlobalVision(TM) products, Trayport has
established a leading position in supplying software to the European OTC
energy markets including electric power, natural gas, coal, emissions and
freight. Trayport's flexible and robust GlobalVision(TM) platforms can
accommodate electronic trading, information sharing and
straight-through-processing capabilities in all commodity and financial
instruments, and is particularly widespread in energy derivatives.

GFI has paid 75 million pounds for Trayport (approximately US$146
million), plus an additional 9 million pounds for excess working capital
mostly in the form of surplus cash, for an aggregate purchase price of 84
million pounds (approximately US$164 million). GFI financed the all-cash
transaction with the proceeds of a private placement of senior secured notes
and amounts drawn under its amended credit facility, as described below. With
Trayport's attractive record of growth, cost structure and profitability
performance, GFI anticipates that this transaction will be neutral to its
non-GAAP 2008 earnings (which excludes amortization of intangibles) and
accretive thereafter.

Michael Gooch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GFI, commented:
"Over the past two years GFI has created a sizeable footprint and leading
position in the OTC energy derivatives marketplace through our acquisition
strategy. At the same time, we have utilized internal development to create
technology platforms in credit, foreign exchange and energy to facilitate
customer execution and enhance broker productivity. The acquisition of
Trayport represents a singular opportunity to substantively build upon both
of these initiatives. Through the addition of Trayport, GFI's products and
services will be fully integrated into the desktop, middle office and back
office of our European energy customers. Additionally, we will be able to
streamline the introduction of new product offerings in all our regions."

Through GlobalVision(TM), Trayport offers a comprehensive range of proven
products including three electronic trading platforms: Exchange Trading
System, Broker Trading System and Trading Gateway, which are tailored to the
needs of the specific user communities; Multi-Broker Trading System, which
can aggregate multiple liquidity pools onto a single screen; and Whiteboard
and Market Information systems, which provide for differing levels of market
pricing information and communication.

Mr. Gooch continued: "The scope of Trayport's product offerings is
extensive and their quality is of the highest caliber, to which we can attest
as one of their customers. We are committed to providing the rest of
Trayport's impressive customer roster, which includes major IDBs such as
ICAP, Tullett-Prebon and Tradition Financial Services, exchanges including
Imarex, OneChicago, the European Energy Exchange and the New Zealand Stock
Exchange, as well as trading counterparties such as Merrill Lynch, Barclays,
EDF Trading and Electrabel, with the same level of technologically advanced
products and services on which they have come to rely. We are pleased to
report that the entire Trayport team, including its founder Ed Hor, will join
GFI to ensure this. Together, we will better serve all our clients, further
increase overall market efficiency and build additional value for GFI's
employees and shareholders."

Edmund Hor, Managing Director of Trayport, stated: "GFI is one of
Trayport's oldest and best customers and understands the critical importance
of technology leadership. Teaming up with GFI will enable Trayport to draw
upon GFI's innovative market knowledge in developing more leading edge
products for the global trading markets."

Private Placement and Amended Credit Agreement

GFI also reported that it has completed a private placement of US$60
million of 7.17% senior secured notes due in 2013. The Company further
disclosed that it has amended its existing revolving credit facility to
increase the available borrowings under the facility to US$265 million from
US$160 million.

Conference Call

GFI has scheduled an investor conference call at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern Time)
today, Friday, February 1, to discuss the Trayport acquisition. Those wishing
to listen to the live conference via telephone should dial +1-800-798-2864 in
North America and +1-617-614-6206 in Europe. The passcode for the call is
89923229. A live audio web cast of the conference call will be available on
the Investor Relations section of GFI's Web site. For web cast registration
information, please visit the Investor Relations page at
http://www.gfigroup.com. Following the conference call, an archived recording
will be available at the same site.

About GFI Group Inc.

GFI Group Inc. (http://www.GFIgroup.com) is a leading inter-dealer broker
specializing in over-the-counter derivatives products and related securities.
GFI Group Inc. provides brokerage services, market data and analytics
software products to institutional clients in markets for a range of credit,
financial, equity and commodity instruments.

Headquartered in New York, GFI was founded in 1987 and employs more than
1,500 people with additional offices in London, Paris, Hong Kong, Seoul,
Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, Cape Town, Englewood (NJ), and Sugar Land (TX). GFI
provides services and products to over 2,000 institutional clients, including
leading investment and commercial banks, corporations, insurance companies
and hedge funds. Its brands include GFI(TM), GFInet(R), CreditMatch(R), GFI
ForexMatch(TM), EnergyMatch(R), FENICS(R), Starsupply(R) and Amerex(R).

About Trayport Ltd.

Trayport (Trayport.com) is a London-based company with over 100 employees
that specializes in developing software to facilitate trading and to support
emerging trading communities in the OTC and exchange traded markets. Trayport
is known for its expertise in real-time electronic trading systems and has
thousands of users worldwide using its GlobalVision(TM) products in a wide
range of asset classes and markets. In addition to its main London office,
Trayport also has sales offices in Hong Kong and Jersey City (NJ).

Forward-looking statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe,"
"estimate," "may," "might," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions
identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or
achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or
implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These
forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the
Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These
include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with:
acquisitions by us of businesses or technologies, economic, political and
market factors affecting trading volumes, securities prices or demand for the
Company's brokerage services; competition from current and new competitors;
the Company's ability to attract and retain key personnel, including
highly-qualified brokerage personnel; the Company's ability to identify and
develop new products and markets; changes in laws and regulations governing
the Company's business and operations or permissible activities; the
Company's ability to manage its international operations; financial
difficulties experienced by the Company's customers or key participants in
the markets in which the Company focuses its brokerage services; the
Company's ability to keep up with technological changes; and uncertainties
relating to litigation. Further information about factors that could affect
the Company's financial and other results is included in the Company's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not
undertake to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Web site: http://www.gfigroup.com
              http://www.Trayport.com