Philadelphia Stock Exchange Announces March Volume - "Equity Trading Reaches Record Volume"

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange announced today that it set a new record in equity volume, with 289,987,527 shares traded in March. Volume nearly doubled when compared to the same year-ago period when 158,129,147 shares traded. This represents an 83.39% increase. Equity volume increased 18.52% compared to the previous month when 244,987,527 shares traded.

Equity options trading volume for the month of March reached 7,518,398 contracts, up 20.55% compared to the same month last year when 6,236,658 contracts traded and up 16.43% when compared to the previous month when 6,457,398 contracts traded.

Sectors index options trading volume in March decreased 1.62% when 256,961contracts traded compared to the previous month when 261,200 contracts traded. Sector index option volume declined 14.07% when compared to the same month last year when 299,032 contracts traded. PHLX currently lists options on 13 sectors: PHLX/KBW Bank Sector (BKX^SM); PHLX Computer Box Maker Sector^SM (BMX^SM); PHLX Drug Sector^SM (RXS^SM); PHLX Forest and Paper Products Sector^SM (FPP^SM); PHLX Gold/Silver Sector^SM (XAU^SM); PHLX Oil Service SectorSM (OSX^SM); PHLX OTC Prime Sector^SM (OTX^SM); PHLX Defense Sector^SM (DFX^SM); TheStreet.com Internet Sector (DOT^SM); PHLX Semiconductor Sector^SM (SOX^SM); PHLX Utility Sector^SM (UTY^SM); PHLX Housing Sector^SM (HGX) and the SIG Investment Managers Index^SM (SMQ^SM).

Trading volume in March in the customized and standardized currency options totaled 33,156 contracts, a 90% increase from the previous month when 17,450 contracts traded, and a 1.42% decrease from the same month last year when 33,634 contracts traded.

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange was founded in 1790. The PHLX trades more than 2,000 stocks, nearly 1,0 00 equity options, 13 sectors index options, and currency options. For more information about the PHLX and its products, visit www.phlx.com.