US Options Trading 2014/2015: The Buy-side’s Insatiable Thirst for Liquidity

The past 12 months have hardly been an options trader’s nirvana but there is light at the end of the tunnel. The lack of volatility and incessant upward grind in equity prices provided few opportunities to trade but a resurgence in fourth quarter volatility brought a measure optimism for the industry. And if the first few days of 2015 are any indication, options traders will be presented with a wealth of opportunities that have been sorely lacking in recent years. Traders tend to be an optimistic bunch and with any luck, this optimism will translate into renewed interest, higher trading volumes and a boon to the options industry in 2015.