The Guard Rail Of
European Style
Index options are European-style, which means they can be exercised only at expiration. Stock and ETF options, in contrast, are American-style. They can be exercised at any time before expiration.
Make European Exercise Style work for you
European-Style Options
- The option holder has the right to exercise the option only at expiration.
- The risk of early assignment is eliminated.
- Traders can implement hedging strategies with more confidence.
American-Style Options
- The option holder has the right to exercise the option at anytime.
- You'll have to monitor option prices. If an option is in the money, you can get assigned.
- It's riskier to implement hedging strategies since you can be assigned at any time.
No unexpected assignment surprises
If you've followed the stock market for a while, you know anything unexpected can happen. Negative news, management changes, dividends, and more can cause significant price changes to the underlying assets.
If you trade European-style index options, these surprises won't arise because there's no risk of assignment before the index option's expiration date.
Take dividends, for example. Suppose you sold a call option on a stock. The owner of that call option isn't entitled to any dividends, so before the ex-dividend day, the call owner may exercise the contract. As the option seller, you might be surprised by an assignment notice. You'll be forced to liquidate your position at the strike price.
Benefits Of Index Options:
Lapping The Competition
Your first thought might be "But can't you do that with stock or exchange-traded fund (ETF) options?" You can, but index options come with unique benefits worth exploring that you won't find with stock or ETF options.
Cash Settlement
Take pole position with cash settled index options - account credited or debited in cash
Potential Better Tax Treatment
Know the split: profits are taxed as 60% long-term and 40% short-term
Flexible Sizes, Expiration, and Market Exposure
Medium or hard tires: large & small cap index options, multiple sizes & expiries
Why Trade Index Options?
Crossing the Finish Line:
The Checkered Flag
Download our free guide to learn more about the potential benefits of index options and why you may want to consider them as part of your trading strategy.
SPX Product Suite Comparison
| Cboe Index Options | ETF Options | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NanosSM | Mini-SPX (XSP®) | SPX ® | Versus | SPDR ETF (SPY) |
| 1/100th of XSP | 1/10th of SPX | 1 | Contract Size | 1/10th of SPX |
| $1 | $100 | $100 | Contract Multiplier | $100 |
| $450 | $45,000 | $450,000 | Approx. Notional Size (if S&P 500 is $4,500) |
$45,000 |
| Trading account credited or debited in cash | Settlement Type | Delivery of underlying shares | ||
European style, exercised at expiration, no risk of early exercise or assignment |
Exercise Style | American style, can be exercised or assigned prior to expiration | ||
| Capital gains may benefit from 60% / 40% tax treatment* | Tax Treatment | Standard short- and long-term tax rules | ||
| Standard market trading hours | Global trading hours available** | Extended Trading Hours | Standard market trading hours | |
| Settlement and exercise style eliminate potential economic and tax risk for writers | Certainty of Settlement | After market contract assignment may result in unplanned residual positions | ||
Cboe Index Options Quick Links
Tradable Products:
Options Learning:
*Under section 1256 of the IRS tax code, profit and loss on transactions in certain exchange-traded options, including SPX options, 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. 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.
**Global Trading Hours (GTH). The trading hours for options on the SPX, SPXW (SPX Weeklys and SPX End-of-Month), and XSP (Mini-SPX) begin at 8:15 p.m. Eastern time and end at 9:25 a.m. Eastern time. Please visit the Hours & Holidays page for more details. Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading options, you should discuss with your broker whether trading options is right for you and review the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options (or Options Disclosure Document) regarding risks associated with trading options. There are important risks associated with transacting in any of the Cboe Company products or any of the digital assets discussed here. Before engaging in any transactions in those products or digital assets, it is important for market participants to carefully review the disclosures and disclaimers detailed at https://www.cboe.com/us_disclaimers/. These products and digital assets are complex and are suitable only for sophisticated market participants. These products involve the risk of loss, which can be substantial and, depending on the type of product, can exceed the amount of money deposited in establishing the position. Market participants should put at risk only funds that they can afford to lose without affecting their lifestyle.