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The Philadelphia Stock Exchange announced today that equity option volume in 2006 reached an all-time high when 265,370,986 contracts traded compared to 2005 when 156,222,382 contracts traded. This 69.9% year-over-year growth represents the largest percentage growth in equity options volume of all of the U.S. options exchanges in 2006. Equity option volume in December reached a record high when 28,644,124 contracts, an increase of 6.32% compared to the previous month when 26,941,072 contracts traded.
Market share for equity options in 2006 was 14.39%, an increase of 26.12% compared to 2005 when market share was 11.41%. In December, the Exchange garnered 18.46 % equity options market share making it the third largest market center in the U.S. for options for the 14th month in a row. PHLX market share in December without ex-dividend volume was 13.84%.
Sectors index options volume for 2006 jumped 22.31% when 7,625,525 contracts traded. Volume in December decreased 22.63% when 374,977 contracts traded compared to the previous month when 484,637 contracts traded. Volume in sectors index options in December declined 22.31% compared to same year-ago period when 536,781 contracts traded.
Trading volume in the customized and standardized currency options for December totaled 9,532 contracts, a decrease of 13.86% compared to the previous month when 11,066 contracts traded. Volume in December decreased 29.39% compared to the same year-ago period when 13,499 contracts traded. Year-to-date volume was 131,508 contracts, a decrease of 17.68% compared to 2005 when 159,748 contracts traded.
Equity volume for December decreased 2.76% when 62,481,706 shares traded compared the previous month when 64,253,015 shares traded. Equity volume for December decreased 12.58% compared to the same year-ago period when 71,152,634 shares traded. Year-to-date volume was down 46.76.
PHLX currently lists options on 15 sectors, among them are: PHLX/KBW Bank Index (BKXSM); KBW Mortgage Finance Index (MFXSM); KBW Regional Banking Index (KRXSM); PHLX Drug SectorSM (RXSSM); PHLX Gold/Silver SectorSM (XAUSM); PHLX Oil Service SectorSM (OSXSM); PHLX Defense SectorSM (DFXSM); TheStreet.com Internet Sector (DOTSM); PHLX Semiconductor SectorSM (SOXSM); PHLX Utility SectorSM (UTYSM); PHLX Housing SectorSM (HGXSM); SIG Coal Producers IndexTM (SCPSM); SIG Oil & Exploration IndexTM (EPXSM); and the SIG Steel Producers IndexTM (STQSM); and Hapoalim American Israeli IndexTM (HAI).
The Philadelphia Stock Exchange was founded in 1790. The PHLX trades 7,000 stocks, 2,308 equity options, 17 sectors index options, and currency options and futures. For more information about the PHLX and its products, visit www.phlx.com.
