Products

A  A  A     

WeeklysSM: Options Listed with One Week to Expiration


SPX Weeklys Options

Weeklys options, first introduced by CBOE in 2005, are options that expire at the end of a week, unless an options expiration already exists.


SPX Weeklys - Extended

On Thursday, May 31, 2012, CBOE began extending the listings of SPX Weeklys and maintaining five consecutive expiration weeks available for trading options on the S&P 500. For details, see Regulatory Circular RG12-066. Current listing and expiration dates are noted on AVAILABLE WEEKLYS.

SPX Weeklys are PM-settled on the last trading day, typically a Friday. As with other PM-settled index options, the exercise-settlement value is calculated using the last (closing) reported sales price in the primary market of each component stock. On the last trading day, trading in expiring SPX Weeklys closes at 3:00 p.m. (Chicago time). All non-expiring SPX Weeklys continue to trade until 3:15 p.m. (Chicago time).



Key Features Of SPXSM WeeklysSM Options Include:

  1. HYBRID TRADING SYSTEM FOR TRADING FLEXIBILITY
    • SPX Weeklys are available on CBOE's Hybrid® Trading System , which incorporates electronic and open-outcry trading in order to enable investors to choose their trading method.
  2. PM-SETTLEMENT
    • Aligns with single-stock options and ETF options and with S&P 500 options traded OTC.
    • Preferred by many investors including those with end-of-day reporting needs.
    • The ability to trade in and out of positions on settlement day.
  3. LARGE CONTRACT SIZE WITH A $100 MULTIPLIER
    • If the S&P 500 Index is at 1400, SPX Weeklys options have a notIonal size of about $140,000 (ten times larger than SPY options).
  4. CASH-SETTLEMENT, EUROPEAN-STYLE EXERCISE
    • Like SPX and most other index options, and unlike SPY and other ETF options.
    • No risk of early assignment and loss of dividends, no portfolio disruption on assignment.
    • CBOE Circulars (RG99-09 and RG00-171) allow SPX options to be written on a "covered" basis against SPY or IVV ETF shares in a margin account, provided the investor's brokerage firm has such policies in place
  5. TAX TREATMENT
    • Under section 1256 of the Tax Code, profit and loss on transactions in certain exchange-traded options, including SPX and SPXpm, are entitled to be taxed at a rate equal to 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss, provided that the investor involved and the strategy employed satisfy the criteria of the Tax Code*
SPX Weeklys Chart

* Investors should consult with their tax advisors to determine how the profit and loss on any particular option strategy will be taxed. Tax laws and regulations change from time to time and may be subject to varying interpretations.