PHILADELPHIA – April 3, 2008 - The Philadelphia Stock Exchange
(PHLX) announced today that 38,778,747 equity option contracts traded
in March, an increase of 38.05%, compared to the same year-ago period
when 28,503,350 contracts traded. Equity option volume in March
rose 17.04% compared to last month when 33,131,940 contracts traded.
Market share for equity options in March was 14.95%. The average
daily volume for equity options was 1,938,937 contracts.
Volume on the six World Currency Options (WCOs) soared 2809.76%
in March when 520,993 contracts traded compared to 17,905 contracts
during the same year-ago period. Volume increased 48.50% compared
to the previous month when 350,830 contracts traded.
Index options volume for March decreased 27.021% when 381,654 contracts
traded compared to the same year-ago period when 522,920 contracts
traded. Volume in index options in March decreased 11.46% compared
to the previous month when 431,030 contracts traded.
Equity volume for March increased 40.34% when 145,089,403 shares
traded compared to the same year-ago period when 103,384,296 shares
traded. Equity volume for March rose 16.23% compared to the previous
month when 124,089,809 shares traded.
PHLX currently lists options on 16 sectors, among them are: 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); and the SIG Oil & Exploration IndexÔ (EPXSM)
The Philadelphia Stock Exchange was founded in 1790. The PHLX trades
more than 7,000 stocks, 2,639 equity options, 16 sectors index options,
options on all major currencies, and futures through its subsidiary,
The Philadelphia Board of Trade (PBOT). For more information about
the PHLX and its products, visit www.phlx.com.
SIG Investment Managers Index™ is a trademark of Susquehanna
Indices, LLP.
SMQ SM is a service mark of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.
The PHLX trades iShares FTSE/Xinhua China 25 Index Fund (FXISM).
This is the first time investors in the United States and abroad
are 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.
SIG Casino Gaming IndexÔ, SIG Semiconductor Capital Equipment
IndexÔ and SIG Semiconductor DeviceÔ Index are trademarks
of SIG Indices, LLLP. SGVSM, SEZSM and SDLSM are service marks of
the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Inc.
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