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Monday, November 24, 2008

Trading in CBOE Volatility Options

Options on CBOE volatility indexes can be an invaluable tool for investors seeking to hedge against market risk or speculate on future volatility.

Important differences between volatility options and other index options:

  • Quoting – Volatility-related index options quotes are based on the expected value at expiration, and are not the same as the "spot" price, which represents the current index value.
  • Expiration and settlement – Volatility-related index options normally expire on a Wednesday, with settlement completed the following day. The last trade day is typically the Tuesday before expiration.

Volatility-Related IndexUnderlying IndexIndex SymbolSettlement Symbol
CBOE Volatility Index®S&P 500 (SPX)VIXVRO
CBOE NASDAQ-100 Volatility IndexSMNASDAQ-100 (NDX)VXNVSX
CBOE Russell 2000 Volatility IndexSMRussell 2000 (RUT)RVXRSL

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