Philadelphia Stock Exchange Continues To Set Volume Records

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) announced today that equity volume for the month of July 2000 reached 136,980,844 shares traded, a 23% increase over July 1999, when 111,191,250 shares changed hands. In addition, during the first seven months of 2000, PHLX traded a record of over 1.3 billion shares, an increase of 35% in comparison to the same period last year when 979,739,991 shares changed hands. The PHLX currently trades approximately 2300 equities.

Equity options volume for the month of July 2000 reached 5,198,666 contracts traded, a 57% increase over the same month last year when 3,314,512 contracts changed hands. In addition, year-to-date equity options volume reached a record 33,498,751 contracts traded. This represents a 31% increase over the first seven months of 1999, the previous record, when 25,590,202 contracts traded.

Volume in the PHLX's eleven sectors index options during the first seven months of 2000 reached a record of 2,100,831 contracts traded, an increase of 17% over the first seven months of 1999 when 1,803,189 contracts traded. PHLX currently lists options on eleven sectors: Computer Box Maker Sector, Forest and Paper Sector, Gold/Silver Sector, National Over-the-Counter Sector, Oil Service Sector, OTC Prime Sector, PHLX/KBW Bank Sector, TheStreet.com Internet Sector, Semiconductor Sector, Utility Sector, and Wireless Telecom Sector.

Volume in the PHLX's customized and standardized currency options reached 265,844 contracts traded for the first seven months of the year for an underlying value of approximately $11.9 billion.

The PHLX is the first securities exchange in the U.S. and the nation's fastest growing sectors index option exchange. Founded in 1790, PHLX is a market leader in the trading of over 2,300 stocks, 790 equity options, eleven sectors index options, and 100 currency pairs.