CBOE Ends the Summer with Record Volume. Dell Options (DELL) Add to Average Daily Volume.

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) continued its record setting pace for the year, trading 151,479,686 option contracts. With the addition on August 23rd of options on Dell Computer, Inc., CBOE now lists options on more than 1,250 stocks with total average daily volume for the month of August reaching 888,039 contracts. During the month of August, a total of 19,536,851 option contracts (11,720,618 calls and 7,816,233 puts) changed hands at the CBOE, a 4% increase over July, 1999 levels. A new record was set for exchange wide open interest at month's end, when open interest stood at 26,099,064 contracts at the close of August. The previous month end record was set at the end of July, 1999 when open interest stood at 24,417,811 contracts. Year-to-date volume in stock options set a record of 114,494,452 contracts (80,532,141 calls and 33,962,311 puts), an increase of 27% over the previous year-to-date August record of 90,059,577 contracts set at the close of August, 1998. During the month of August, 1999 a total of 14,785,707 stock option contracts (9,817,099 calls and 4,968,608 puts) traded, an increase of 28% over August 1998. A new month's end record for open interest in stock options was established at the close of August, when open interest stood at 21,777,580 contracts (13,773,730 calls and 8,003,850 puts), an increase of 49% over August 1998 month's end. The previous month-end record of 20,400,346 contracts was set at the close of July, 1999. Total index option volume for August at CBOE was 4,748,076 contracts (1,901,558 calls and 2,846,518 puts). Trading in S&P 100® Index options (OEX®) totaled 2,195,193 contracts (992,991 calls and 1,202,202 puts). Open interest in the OEX stood at 352,693 contracts at month's end. Trading volume for the month of August in the S&P 500® Index options (SPX) was 2,016,268 contracts (734,067 calls and 1,282,201 puts). Open interest in SPX options stood at 2,255,163 contracts at the end of August. Volume in Options on the Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM (DJX) totaled 254,804 contracts (69,206 calls and 185,598 puts) for the month of August. Open interest stood at 364,438 contracts at month's end. Active trading in CBOE's internet indexes resulted in a 56% increase over August 1998 levels in overall sector indexes. Volume in the CBOE Internet Index (INX) stood at a total of 5,371 contracts for the month. Volume in the GSTI Internet Index (GIN) was 2,687 contracts. Volume in the Dow Jones Internet Commerce Index (ECM) was 2,257 contracts. On September 1, 1999 CBOE began trading 29 new high volume classes, including Microsoft Corporation (MSFT/MSQ), Compaq Computer Corporation (CPQ), Home Depot (HD), Sprint Corporation (FON) and Nike, Inc. (NKE). CBOE, the world's largest options marketplace and the creator of listed options is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For additional information about the CBOE and its products, visit the new CBOE web site at http://www.cboe.com.