PHLX Options Volume Continues Record Growth

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX) has announced that year-to-date volume in PHLX's 900 equity options increased 27% to reach a record 32,950,061 contracts, surpassing the industry's percentage growth of 25% over the same period last year. In addition, equity options volume for the month of September reached 3,679,803 contracts traded. Year-to-date volume in PHLX's sectors index options increased to 2,419,876 contracts traded. In addition, sector volume for the month of September reached 377,466 contracts traded, an increase of 58% over August's volume when 239,221 contracts changed hands. The PHLX trades 13 sectors index options. PHLX equity volume through the first nine months of 1999 increased to 1.2 billion shares traded, an increase of approximately 22% in comparison to the same time period last year when 1 billion shares changed hands. In addition, equity volume for the month of September reached 137,108,211 shares, an increase of 11% in comparison to the same month last year when 124,071,024 shares traded. The PHLX trades over 2600 equity issues. Volume in PHLX's customized and standardized currency options for the month of September reached 80,420 contracts traded ($3.6 billion in underlying value), an 18% increase over August's volume when 67,994 contracts traded. 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 2600 stocks, 900 equity options, 13 sectors index options, and 100 currency pairs.