NEW YORK, November 26, 2012 - The International Securities Exchange (ISE) today became the first exchange to confirm a launch date of March 18, 2013 to commence trading in Mini Options. Since receiving Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approval for this innovative new product offering, ISE has been coordinating with its member firms to determine an appropriate date for launch readiness. Mini Options will represent a deliverable of 10 shares of an underlying security, whereas standard contracts represent a deliverable of 100 shares. ISE will initially list Mini Options on the following securities: APPL, AMZN, GLD, GOOG, and SPY.
"We are very pleased to announce a launch date of March 18, 2013, to begin trading Mini Options," said Gary Katz, President and CEO of ISE. "This exciting new product will make trading options on popular, high-priced names like Google and Apple more affordable and more flexible for the retail segment of the market. We look forward to coordinating with our member firms to achieve a smooth rollout of Mini Options in March and to broadening the reach and appeal of the options product to retail investors with this new offering."
Mini Options will have the same expiration dates as their standard counterparts, including Weeklies and Quarterlies. Strike prices will also align to those of the standard contracts, as will the quoted bids and offers. The fees associated with Mini Options will be filed with the SEC and announced at a later date.
About ISE
The International Securities Exchange (ISE) operates a leading U.S. options exchange and offers options trading on over 2,000 underlying equity, ETF, index, and FX products. As the first all-electronic options exchange in the U.S., ISE transformed the options industry by creating efficient markets through innovative market structure and technology. Regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a member-owner of OCC, ISE provides investors with a transparent marketplace for price and liquidity discovery on centrally cleared options products. ISE continues to expand its marketplace through the ongoing development of enhanced trading functionality, new products, and market data services. As a complement to its options business, ISE has expanded its reach into multiple asset classes through strategic investments in financial marketplaces and services that foster technology innovation and market efficiency. Through minority investments, ISE participates in the securities lending and equities markets. ISE also licenses its proprietary Longitude technology for trading in event-driven markets.
As a member of Eurex Group, ISE is combined with Eurex Exchange to form one of the largest transatlantic derivatives marketplaces, with daily trading volumes exceeding 10 million contracts in 2011 across a growing range of asset classes.
Eurex Group is comprised of Eurex Exchange, the International Securities Exchange, the European Energy Exchange, Eurex Clearing, Eurex Bonds and Eurex Repo.
Eurex Group is owned by Deutsche Börse AG (Xetra: DB1).
For more information, visit www.ise.com.