Nymex To Add Trading Month To Crude Oil Calendar Spread Options

The New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., announced today that it will add another inter–month spread to the listings for its crude oil calendar spread options contract beginning on Friday, this one for the February–to–February differential, initially listed as the February 2005 to February 2006 spread.

Other spread combinations currently listed, include similar spreads for March–to–March, June–to–June, September–to–September, and December–to–December; 25 consecutive one–month spreads; spreads between the first and third nearby months, the first and fourth nearby months, and the second and fourth nearby months; and spreads between June/December and December/June.

Exchange President J. Robert Collins, Jr., said, "This latest addition, following previous additions to spread listings in the winter, are a result of the increased interest in and use of these instruments by market participants to devise innovative risk management strategies."