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Home > > Nasdaq Options 4C
Options 4C U.S. Dollar-Settled Foreign Currency Options
Section 1. Applicability

(a) The Rules in Options 4C are applicable to U.S. Dollar-Settled Foreign Currency Options. Except to the extent that specific rules in this Section 4C govern, or unless the context otherwise requires, the provisions of Options 4C are applicable to the trading on the Exchange of U.S. Dollar-Settled Foreign Currency Options.

Adopted July 20, 2021 (SR-NASDAQ-2021-059).

Section 2. Definitions

(a) Applicability. The Rules in Options 4C shall be applicable to the trading on the Exchange in option contracts issued by The Options Clearing Corporation, the terms and conditions of such contracts, the exercise and settlement thereof, the handling of orders, and the conduct of accounts and other matters relating to options trading. Except to the extent that specific Rules in this Options 4C govern or unless the context otherwise requires, the provisions of the By-Laws and of all other Rules and Policies of the Board of Directors shall be applicable to the trading on the Exchange of option contracts.

Foreign currency option contracts purchased and sold on the Exchange are designated by reference to the underlying foreign currency (e.g., the British pound), expiration month, exercise price and type (put or call).

(b) Definitions. The following terms as used in the Rules shall, unless the context otherwise indicates, have the meanings herein specified:

(1) The term “aggregate exercise price” is as defined within Options 1, Section 1(a)(3).

(2) The term “foreign currency” is as defined within Options 1, Section 1(a)(27).

(3) The term “Exchange Spot Price” in respect of an option contract on a foreign currency means the cash market spot price, for the sale of one foreign currency for another, quoted by various foreign exchange participants for the sale of a single unit of such foreign currency for immediate delivery that is calculated from the foreign currency price quotation reported by the foreign currency price quotation dissemination system selected by the Exchange, to which an appropriate multiplier is applied. The multiplier(s) will be: 100 for the British pound, the Euro, the Swiss Franc, the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar, the Brazilian real, and the New Zealand dollar; 1,000 for the Chinese yuan, the Danish krone, the Mexican peso, the Norwegian krone, the South African rand, and the Swedish krona; 10,000 for the Japanese yen and the Russian ruble; and 100,000 for the South Korean won.

(4) The term “unit of underlying foreign currency” means a single unit of the foreign currency (e.g., one British pound, one Swiss franc, one Canadian dollar, one Australian dollar, one Japanese yen, one Mexican peso, one Euro, one Brazilian real, one Chinese yuan, one Danish krone, one New Zealand dollar, one Norwegian krone, one Russian ruble, one South African rand, one South Korean won, or one Swedish krona).

Adopted July 20, 2021 (SR-NASDAQ-2021-059).

Section 3. Criteria for Underlying Securities

(a) The British pound, the Swiss franc, the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, the U.S. dollar, the Mexican peso, the Euro, the Brazilian real, the Chinese yuan, the Danish krone, the New Zealand dollar, the Norwegian krone, the Russian ruble, the South African rand, the South Korean won, and the Swedish krona may be approved as underlying foreign currencies for options transactions by the Exchange, subject to any approval criteria the Exchange may deem necessary or appropriate in the interests of maintaining a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors. In the event that any of the sovereign governments or the European Economic Community's European Monetary System issuing any of the above-mentioned currencies should issue a new currency intended to replace one of the above-mentioned currencies as the standard unit of the official medium of exchange of such government, such new currency also may be approved as an underlying foreign currency for options transactions by the Exchange, subject to any approval criteria the Exchange may deem necessary or appropriate in the interests of maintaining a fair and orderly market or for the protection of investors. Options trading in such new currency may occur simultaneously with options trading in any of the above-mentioned currencies; provided, however, that the Exchange shall withdraw its approval of options transactions in the currency which is intended to be replaced by such new currency as expeditiously as it deems consistent with the maintenance of a fair and orderly market or the protection of investors.

Adopted July 20, 2021 (SR-NASDAQ-2021-059).

Section 4. Withdrawal of Approval of Underlying Securities or Options

(a) The Exchange may determine to withdraw approval of an underlying foreign currency whenever it deems such withdrawal advisable in the public interest or for the protection of investors. In the event that the Exchange effects such a withdrawal, the Exchange shall not open for trading any additional series of options of the class covering that underlying foreign currency.

Adopted July 20, 2021 (SR-NASDAQ-2021-059).

Section 5. Series of U.S. Dollar-Settled Foreign Currency Options Contracts Open for Trading

(a) After a particular class of options (call option contracts or put option contracts relating to a specific underlying foreign currency) has been approved for listing and trading on the Exchange, the Exchange shall from time to time open for trading series of options therein. Prior to the opening of trading in any series of options, the Exchange shall fix the expiration month and exercise price of option contracts included in each such series as follows:

(1) Within each class of approved U.S. dollar-settled foreign currency options, the Exchange may open for trading series of options expiring in consecutive calendar months (“consecutive month series”), as provided in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, and series of options expiring at three-month intervals ("cycle month series"), as provided in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph. Prior to the opening of trading in any series of U.S. dollar-settled FCO, the Exchange shall fix the expiration month and exercise price of option contracts included in each such series. The Exchange may initially list exercise strike prices for each expiration of U.S. dollar-settled options on currencies within a 40 percent band around the current Exchange Spot Price at fifty cent ($.50) intervals. Thus, if the Exchange Spot Price of the Euro were at $100.00, the Exchange would list strikes in $.50 intervals up to $120.00 and down to $80.00, for a total of eighty-one strike prices available for trading. As the Exchange Spot Price for U.S. dollar-settled FCOs moves, the Exchange may list new strike prices that, at the time of listing, do not exceed the Exchange Spot Price by more than 20 percent and are not less than the Exchange Spot Price by more than 20 percent. For example, if at the time of initial listing, the Exchange Spot Price of the Euro is at $100.00, the strike prices the Exchange will list will be $80.00 to $120.00. If the Exchange Spot Price then moves to $105.00, the Exchange may list additional strikes at the following prices: $105.50 to $126.00.

(A) Consecutive Month Series. With respect to each class of U.S. dollar-settled FCO, series of options having up to four consecutive expiration months may be opened for trading simultaneously, with the shortest-term series initially having no more than two months to expiration. Additional consecutive month series of the same class may be opened for trading on the Exchange at or about the time a prior consecutive month series expires, and the expiration month of each such new series shall normally be the month immediately succeeding the expiration month of the then outstanding consecutive month series of the same class of options having the longest remaining time to expiration.

(B) Cycle Month Series. The Exchange may designate one expiration cycle for each class of U.S. dollar-settled FCO. An expiration cycle shall consist of four calendar months (“cycle months”) occurring at three-month intervals. With respect to any particular class of U.S. dollar-settled FCO, series of options expiring in the four cycle months designated by the Exchange for that class may be opened for trading simultaneously, with the shortest-term series initially having approximately three months to expiration. Additional cycle month series of the same class may be opened for trading on the Exchange at or about the time a prior cycle month series expires, and the expiration month of each such new series shall normally be approximately three months after the expiration month of the then outstanding cycle month series of the same class of options having the longest remaining time to expiration.

(C) Long-Term Series Options or “LEAPs”. The Exchange may list, with respect to any U.S. dollar-settled foreign currencies, options having up to three years from the time they are listed until expiration. There may be up to ten options series, options having up to thirty-six months from the time they are listed until expiration. There may be up to six additional expiration months. Strike price intervals shall not apply to such options series until the time to expiration is less than nine months. Bid/ask differentials for long-term options contracts are specified within Options 2, Section 5(d)(2)(A).

(D) For each expiration month opened for trading of U.S. dollar-settled foreign currency options, in addition to the strike prices listed by the Exchange pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this Options 4C, Section 5, the Exchange shall also list a single strike price of $0.01.

(E) Additional series of options of the same class may be opened for trading on the Exchange as the market price of the underlying foreign currency moves substantially from the initial exercise price or prices. The opening of a new series of options on the Exchange shall not affect any other series of options of the same class previously opened.

(b) Exercise Price. The exercise price of each series of foreign currency options opened for trading on the Exchange normally shall be fixed at a price per unit which is reasonably close to the current Exchange Spot Price per unit of the underlying foreign currency in the foreign exchange market at or before the time such series of options is first opened for trading on the Exchange, as determined by finding the arithmetic mean of Exchange Spot Prices as defined in Options 4C, Section 2(b)(3) at or about such time. The Exchange may initially list exercise strike prices for each expiration of U.S. dollar-settled options on currencies within a 40 percent band around the current Exchange Spot Price at fifty cent ($.50) intervals. Thus, if the Exchange Spot Price of the Euro were at $100.00, the Exchange would list strikes in $.50 intervals up to $120.00 and down to $80.00, for a total of eighty-one strike prices available for trading. As the Exchange Spot Price for U.S. dollar-settled FCOs moves, the Exchange may list new strike prices that, at the time of listing, do not exceed the Exchange Spot Price by more than 20 percent and are not less than the Exchange Spot Price by more than 20 percent. For example, if at the time of initial listing, the Exchange Spot Price of the Euro is at $100.00, the strike prices the Exchange will list will be $80.00 to $120.00. If the Exchange Spot Price then moves to $105.00, the Exchange may list additional strikes at the following prices: $105.50 to $126.00.

(c) In fixing the exercise price of one or more series of options on any underlying foreign currency, the Exchange may take into account the forward sales prices quoted for that underlying foreign currency in the interbank foreign exchange market.

(d) When put option contracts or put and call option contracts are first opened for trading on an underlying foreign currency, the Exchange may open a series of put option contracts corresponding to each series of call option contracts open or to be opened for trading on the same underlying foreign currency.

Adopted July 20, 2021 (SR-NASDAQ-2021-059).

Section 6. U.S. Dollar-Settled Foreign Currency Option Closing Settlement Value

(a) U.S. dollar-settled foreign currency options are settled in U.S. dollars.

(b) The closing settlement value for the U.S. dollar-settled FCO on the Australian dollar, the Euro, the British pound, the Canadian dollar, the Swiss franc, the Japanese yen, the Mexican peso, the Brazilian real, the Chinese yuan, the Danish krone, the New Zealand dollar, the Norwegian krone, the Russian ruble, the South African rand, the South Korean won, and the Swedish krona shall be the Exchange Spot Price at 12:00:00 Eastern Time (noon) on the business day of expiration, or, in the case of an option contract expiring on a day that is not a business day, on the business day prior to the expiration date unless the Exchange determines to apply an alternative closing settlement value as a result of extraordinary circumstances.

(c) Neither the Exchange, nor any agent of the Exchange shall have any liability for damages, claims, losses or expenses caused by any errors, omissions, or delays in calculating or disseminating the current settlement value or the closing settlement value resulting from an act, condition, or cause beyond the reasonable control of the Exchange including but not limited to, an act of God; fire; flood; extraordinary weather conditions; war; insurrection; riot; strike; accident; action of government; communications or power failure; equipment or software malfunction; any error, omission, or delay in the reports of transactions in one or more underlying currencies or any error, omission or delay in the reports of the current settlement value or the closing settlement value by the Exchange.

(d) The Exchange shall post the closing settlement value on its website or disseminate it through one or more major market data vendors.

Adopted July 20, 2021 (SR-NASDAQ-2021-059).

 
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