CBOE Updates
MOST ACTIVE MAY EVER: CBOE VOLUME UP 22%
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Jun 7, 2009 - 2:34:29 PM

MOST ACTIVE MAY EVER: CBOE AVERAGE DAILY VOLUME UP 22%

The Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE) announced that daily trading volume in May averaged five million contracts, up 22 percent compared to average daily volume (ADV) of 4.1 million contracts in May 2008 and down one percent from April 2009.During its most active May ever, Exchange volume totaled nearly 100 million contracts, a 16-percent increase over 85.6 million contracts traded in May 2008.May was the third month in a row in which CBOE established a volume record versus the same month in past years.

In May, 58.5 million equity options contracts changed hands at CBOE, up 20 percent compared with 48.6 million contracts traded in May one year ago. Equity options average daily trading volume for the month was 2.9 million contracts, a 26-percent jump over May 2008 ADV of 2.3 million contracts.ETF options monthly volume totaled 23.9 million contracts, 20 percent ahead of 19.8 million contracts in May 2008. ETF average daily volume rose 26 percent to 1.2 million contracts from 945,000 one year ago.Nearly 16.8 million cash-settled index options were traded in May; this translates to an average daily volume of about 838,000 contracts, up three percent from May 2008.

CBOE's year-to-date trading volume through May totaled 477.4 million contracts, a five-percent increase over the 454.5 million contracts traded during the same five-month period in 2008.Year-to-date ADV was 4.7 million contracts, a seven-percent increase over January through May 2008 when volume averaged 4.4 million contracts daily.

May Highlights

The top five most actively traded equity options during May were Citigroup (C), Bank of America Corporation (BAC), General Motors (GM), General Electric (GE) and Wells Fargo & Company (WFC).

The top five most-actively traded index and ETF options at CBOE during May were S&P 500 Index (SPX), Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts (SPY), PowerShares QQQ Trust (QQQQ), iShares Russell 2000 Index Fund (IWM), and the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX).

During May, one CBOE membership changed hands at $1.77 million, the highest seat price recorded thus far in 2009.Year to date 11 CBOE seats have changed hands.

The CBOE Futures Exchange, LLC (CFE) announced that average daily volume during May totaled 2,836 contracts, an increase of 28 percent from 2,220 contracts traded during April 2009.Total trading volume during May 2009 was 56,728 contracts, 22 percent ahead of the previous month when 46,624 contracts changed hands.Compared to a year ago, May 2009 total volume fell 52 percent from 119,327 contracts traded in May 2008, the busiest May ever at CFE.Average daily volume during the month was off 50 percent versus 5,679 contracts per day during the same month last year.   May was the most active trading month of 2009 and the busiest since last October.