CBOE Sets New All Time Total Volume Record In September Average Daily Volume At Record Level

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) announced today that total option volume during the month of September set a new record for monthly volume. Volume year-to-date is also at record levels. A total of 22,117,963 option contracts (13,387,680 calls, 8,730,283 puts) traded during the month of September at CBOE, surpassing the previous monthly record of 21,465,249 contracts set in April, 1999. Year-to-date option volume reached a record high of 173,597,649 contracts (109,430,364 calls, 64,167,285 puts). Total average daily volume for September reached a record 1,053,236 contracts, up nearly 19% over year ago levels, and well ahead of 1999's record setting pace of 923,392 contracts. CBOE also established a new month's end record for open interest at the close of September, when total open interest stood at 34,698,015 contracts. The previous high at month's end was posted at the close of last month when total open interest stood at 26,099,064 contracts. A new monthly record was also set for stock option volume at CBOE in September. A total of 16,962,367 contracts (11,084,462 calls and 5,877,905 puts) changed hands, beating the previous monthly record of 16,695,327 contracts set in April of 1999. Year-to-date volume in stock options was a record, with 131,456,819 contracts trading so far this year. At the close of the month, open interest in stock options stood at a record high 30,504,112 contracts, an increase of 40% over the record setting level of 21,777,580 contracts at the close of August 1999. Total index option volume for September at CBOE was 5,153,491 contracts (2,301,885 calls, 2,851,606 puts) up 8 ½ percent from August. Open interest for all CBOE indexes stood at 4,184,685 contracts. Trading volume for the month of September in the S&P 500® Index options (SPX) 2,275,733 contracts (1,025,049 calls and 1,250,684 puts). Open interest in SPX options stood at 2,116,418 contracts at the end of September. Volume in Options on the Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM (DJX) totaled 323,403 contacts (106,208 calls and 217,195 puts) for the month of September. DJX Open interest stood at 542,706 contracts at month's end. CBOE, regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is the pioneer of listed options and the world's largest options marketplace. For additional information about the CBOE and its products, visit the CBOE web site at http://www.cboe.com.