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The Options Industry Council (OIC) announced today that 335,425,947 total options contracts were traded in April, 7.02 percent less than the 360,753,581 contracts traded in April 2010. While April monthly volume was lower in 2011 compared to 2010, last month remains the second highest April on record for volume.
Year-to-date volume for April stood at 1,485,309,264 contracts, which is 15.52 percent more than the 1,285,754,225 contracts at the same point last year. Average daily trading volume for April was 16,771,298 contracts, 2.37 percent lower than the 17,178,742 contracts in the same year ago period.
Equity options volume (options on individual stocks and ETFs) in April came in at 314,102,867 contracts, down 6.17 percent compared to April of 2010 year when 334,758,439 contracts were traded. Average daily trading volume in April was 15,705,143 contracts, which is 1.48 percent lower than the same period last year when 15,940,878 contracts changed hands daily. Equity options year-to-date volume came in at 1,387,063,516 contracts, up 16.83 percent over the 1,187,262,011 contracts traded throughout the same period last year.
