[ T H O U G H T L E A D E R S H I P | C B O E G L O B A L M A R K E T S ]
US options activity has been growing consistently as new traders enter the market, existing traders explore new strategies and products evolve to meet the needs of both groups. Overall options activity hit new highs in the first quarter of 2026, with market-wide average daily volume( ADV) reaching 68.6 million contracts.
At Cboe Global Markets- the largest US options exchange operator- index options volume increased 22 % in the first quarter, averaging 6.1 million contracts daily. S & P 500 Index options( SPX) reached a record ADV of 4.9 million. Mini-SPX Index options( XSP) volume also reached a new record, rising 47 % quarter-overquarter to 187,000 contracts- a 78 % increase compared to firstquarter 2025. VIX Index options ADV was one million contracts, its second-best quarter on record.
The proliferation of options trading in the US has, of course, only increased the availability of options market intelligence via real-time market data. This data is a boon for market participants who want to inform their own options trading strategies or use what is happening in the options market to better understand the macro environment.
For Cboe, the pioneer of listed options, creating a one-stop solution for options data and analytics was a no-brainer. Cboe operates the world’ s largest US options exchanges and its home to proprietary index options products like Cboe Volatility Index options( VIX options) and S & P 500 Index options( SPX options). These two products are derived from key US benchmarks and cannot be traded anywhere else- making Cboe an ideal provider of US options data.
Bringing realtime US options analytics to APAC market participants
As participation in US options markets expands beyond domestic investors, demand for institutional-grade analytics is following suit. Cboe Global Markets discusses how extending real-time options analytics into Asia Pacific is helping firms make more informed trading and risk management decisions while simplifying access to complex market intelligence.
Cboe Options Analytics takes an“ as-a-service " approach to deliver the sophisticated risk intelligence and market insights market participants need, without the complexity and cost of building those capabilities in-house. The offering includes real-time options risk analytics, portfolio and margin analytics, comprehensive options data and historical data. It’ s everything an options trader could want, packaged with simplified technology integration, independent validation, expert customisation and top-tier data integrity.
Notably, however, it is not just US-based investors who want access to this robust options market data. Across the board, capital markets have become increasingly global, with US equities markets expected to expand trading hours to 23 hours a day, five days a week at the end of 2026. This change is happening after years of investors worldwide seeking new ways to access US markets. Extended trading hours helped push this expansion
54 // TheTRADE // Q2 2026