The Philadelphia Stock Exchange Announces March Volume - “Phlx Continues As The Third Largest Marketplace For Options”

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange announced today that equity option volume in March jumped 78.55% when 20,483,235 contracts traded compared to the same period last year when 11,471,847 contracts traded. The Exchange garnered 13.60% equity options market share in March making it the third largest market center for options for the fifth month in a row. Market share without ex-dividend volume of 2,454,818 contracts was 12.72%. Equity option volume increased 19.74% compared to the previous month when 17,107,136 contracts traded.

Volume in sectors index options in March increased 15.66% when 617,309 contracts traded compared to 533,712 contracts traded in the same year-ago period. Sectors index options volume in March decreased 9.67% compared to previous month when 683,411 contracts traded.

Equity volume for March decreased 47.64% when 74,212,258 shares traded compared to the same year-ago period when 141,745,854 shares traded. Equity volume in March increased 13.81% compared to the previous month when 65,209,717 shares traded.

Trading volume in the customized and standardized currency options for March totaled 10,649 contracts, a decrease of 53.78% compared to the same year-ago period when 23,039 contracts traded. Volume increased 2.97% compared to the previous month when 10,342 contracts traded. PHLX currently lists options on 20 sectors, among them are: PHLX/KBW Bank Index (BKX^SM); KBW Insurance Index (KIX^SM); KBW Capital Markets Index (KSX^SM); PHLX Drug Sector^SM (RXS^SM); PHLX Gold/Silver Sector^SM (XAU^SM); PHLX Oil Service Sector^SM (OSX^SM); PHLX Defense Sector^SM (DFX^SM); TheStreet.com Internet Sector (DOT^SM); PHLX Semiconductor Sector^SM (SOX^SM); PHLX Utility SectorSM (UTY^SM); PHLX Housing Sector^SM (HGX^SM); the SIG Investment Managers Index^TM (SMQ^SM); the PHLX Europe Sector^SM (XEX^SM); SIG Cable, Media & Entertainment Index^TM (SCQ^SM); SIG Casino Gaming IndexÔ (SGV^SM); SIG Semiconductor Device IndexÔ (SDL^SM); the SIG Steel Producers Index^TM (STQ^SM).

The PHLX now trades iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund (FXI^SM). This is the first time investors in the United States and abroad will be able to track the performance of the largest and most widely traded Chinese stocks by mirroring the FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index, which captures the top Chinese stocks available to international investors by total market capitalization.

The Philadelphia Stock Exchange was founded in 1790. The PHLX trades 1,959 stocks, 2,094 equity options, 20 sectors index options, and currency options and futures. For more information about the PHLX and its products, visit www.phlx.com.