CBOE Futures Exchange Announces Launch Dates For VIX Futures Extended Trading Hours

CHICAGO, Sept. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CBOE Futures Exchange, LLC (CFE^®) today announced that the first phase of its extended trading hours initiative for CBOE Volatility Index^® (VIX^® Index) futures will begin on Monday, October 21, with the second phase to follow on Monday, October 28.

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"Volatility traders have eagerly anticipated the expansion of trading hours for our highly successful VIX futures contract, and we are thrilled to begin that rollout in a few weeks," CBOE Holdings Chief Executive Officer Edward T. Tilly said.  "We are pleased to provide our European customers with the opportunity to trade VIX futures during local trading hours, but we also believe our entire global base of VIX users will benefit by extended trading hours."

Phase I
The first phase of the extended trading hours initiative is designed to respond to demand from both U.S. and European customers for a post-settlement trading period by adding a 45-minute trading period to the current trading hours for VIX futures (7:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.Chicago time).

• Fifteen minutes after the 3:15 p.m. (Chicago time) close of VIX futures, the market will reopen for a new trading period from 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. (Chicago time). Trading will then resume at 7:00 a.m. (Chicago time) the following morning.
• The new 45-minute period, which marks the beginning of the next trading day, will be available from Monday through Thursday.

Phase II
The second phase of the extended trading hours initiative will benefit U.S. and European customers who are seeking longer hours for trading in VIX futures. European-based customers will have the opportunity to trade VIX futures during their local trading hours by beginning the current trading session five hours earlier than its current opening time of 7:00 a.m. (Chicago time).

With both extended trading periods in place, VIX futures trading hours will run from 2:00 a.m. through 3:15 p.m. (Chicago time), Monday through Friday, with the 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. (Chicago time) trading period available Monday through Thursday.  No trading is scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays in either of the phases.

• Trading will begin at 2:00 a.m. (Chicago time) (8:00 a.m. GMT).  
• The new five-hour period, which precedes the current trading hours, will be available from Monday through Friday.

The changes are subject to regulatory review.

On February 1, CFE opened a communications hub outside of London to further expand VIX futures trading from Europe. The Hub, which connects the Equinix facility in Slough, England to the CBOE Command Center at the Equinix facility in New Jersey, provides European firms with an economical choice to connect to the CFE trading system.   

About CBOE Futures Exchange
CBOE Futures Exchange currently offers trading in: the CBOE Volatility Index (The VIX Index) futures (VX), Mini-VIX (VM) futures, S&P 500 Variance (VA) futures,CBOE NASDAQ-100 Volatility Index (VXN) futures (VN), CBOE Gold ETF Volatility Index (GVZ) security futures (GV), CBOE Crude Oil ETF Volatility Index (OVX) security futures (OV), CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index (VXEEM) security futures (VXEM) and CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility Index (VXEWZ) security futures (VXEW). 

CFE, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBOE Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBOE), offers an all-electronic, open-access market model, with traders providing liquidity and making markets. CFE is regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and all trades are cleared by the OCC. 

More information on CFE and its products, including contract specifications, can be found at: http://cfe.cboe.com/.   

CBOE-EF 

CBOE®, Chicago Board Options Exchange®, CFE®, CBOE Volatility Index® and VIX® are registered trademarks, and CBOE Futures Exchange^SM, CBOE Nasdaq-100 Volatility Index^SM, VXN^SM, VN^SM,CBOE Brazil ETF Volatility Index^SM, VXEW^SM, VXEWZ^SM, CBOE Crude Oil ETF Volatility Index^SM, OVX^SM, OV^SM, CBOE Emerging Markets ETF Volatility Index^SM, VXEM^SM, VXEEM^SM,  CBOE Gold ETF Volatility Index^SM, GVZ^SM, GV^SM, VA^SM,VM^SMand VX^SM are service marks of Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated (CBOE). Standard & Poor's®, S&P® and S&P 500® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services, LLC, and have been licensed for use by CBOE and CFE. The Nasdaq-100 Index®, Nasdaq-100®, and Nasdaq® are trademark or service marks of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (with which its affiliates are the "Corporations"). These marks are licensed for use by CBOE in connection with the trading of products based on the Nasdaq-100 Index. The products have not been passed on by the Corporations as to their legality or suitability. The products are not issued, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Corporations. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTIES AND BEAR NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE PRODUCT(S).

SOURCE CBOE Futures Exchange, LLC