CBOE's First Seat Sale Of The Year Sets New Record - $1.8 Million Tops Previous Record Set Last Month

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) reported that the first CBOE seat, or membership, of the year traded today, January 10th, for $1,800,000, setting a new record high price for CBOE seats. The previous record was set on December 6th, when a seat was bought for $1,775,000.

During 2006 CBOE seat prices increased over 100% from the first sale of the year on January 5th for $875,000, to the last trade of the year on December 27th for $1,750,000. During the year, a total of 111 CBOE seats were bought and sold.

CBOE's Membership Department facilitates the purchase and sale of seats using an auction method in which bids and offers are submitted to the Exchange. When a bid matches an offer, a sale is made.

CBOE, the largest U.S. 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, access the CBOE website at: www.cboe.com.