PHLX Allocates 46 Of Industry's Most Active Equity Options

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) announced today that it has allocated 46 of the industry's most actively traded equity options. With this most recent allocation, the PHLX now trades all 120 of the industry's most active equity options. Additional trading information regarding these options will be forthcoming.

PHLX's equity options continue to set volume records. Equity Options volume for the month of June 2000 reached 4,856,628 contracts traded, a 61% increase over June 1999 when 3,018,155 contracts changed hands. Year to date equity options volume reached a new record of 28,300,085 contracts traded, a 27% increase over the first six months of 1999 when approximately 22 million contracts changed hands.

The PHLX is the first securities exchange in the U.S. and the nation's fastest growing sectors index options exchange. Founded in 1790, PHLX is a market leader in the trading of over 2,300 stocks, 770 equity options, eleven sectors index options, and 100 currency pairs.