US equity options trading was 27.8% lower in January than in the same month last year, as options and futures volumes continued their slide in the wake of deleveraging and the global financial downturn. That result followed a 7% decline for December’s volume, versus the same month in 2007.
The Options Industry Council reported total volume of 257.8m contracts in January, down from 357.2m a year ago, though it was still the second busiest January on record. Average daily volume was 12.89m contracts, down 24.2%...