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Options 1 General Provisions
Section 1. Applicability, Definitions and References

(a) Applicability. The Rules in Options 1 Part 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 Part 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.

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

(1) The term "account number" means a number assigned to a member organization. Member organizations may have more than one account number.

(2) The term "aggregate exercise price" means the exercise price of an option contract multiplied by the number of shares of the underlying stock (in the case of an option on a stock), the number of Exchange-Traded Fund Shares (in the case of an option on an Exchange-Traded Fund Share) or the number of units of the underlying foreign currency (in the case of an option on a foreign currency) covered by such option contract.

(3) The term "American Option" or "American Style Option" mean an option contract that may be exercised at any time from its commencement until its expiration.

(4) The term "Approved person" means an individual or corporation, partnership or other entity which controls a member or member organization, or which is engaged in the securities business and either controlled by or under common control with a member or member organization.

(5) The term "Away Best Bid or Offer" or "ABBO" mean the displayed National Best Bid or Offer not including the Exchange's Best Bid or Offer.

(6) The term "badge" means an account number, which may contain letters and/or numbers, assigned to Lead Market Makers and Market Makers. A Lead Market Maker or Market Maker account may be associated with multiple badges.

(7) The term "bid" means a quote or limit order to buy one or more options contracts.

(8) The term "call" means an option contract under which the holder of the option has the right, in accordance with the terms of the option, to purchase from The Options Clearing Corporation the number of shares of the underlying stock (in the case of an option on a stock), the number of Exchange-Traded Fund Shares (in the case of an option on an Exchange-Traded Fund Share) or the number of units of the underlying foreign currency (in the case of an option on a foreign currency) covered by the option contract.

(9) The term “class” means, when applied to options, all option contracts of the same type and style covering the same underlying interest; provided, however, that OTC options and listed options that would otherwise constitute a single class of options shall constitute separate classes. When applied to futures, the term “class” means all futures covering the same underlying interest.

(10) The term "Clearing Member" means a member organization which has been admitted to membership in The Options Clearing Corporation pursuant to the provisions of the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation.

(11) The term "closing purchase transaction" means an Exchange options transaction in which the purchaser's intention is to reduce or eliminate a short position in the series of options involved in such transaction.

(12) The term "closing sale transaction" means an Exchange options transaction in which the seller's intention is to reduce or eliminate a long position in the series of options involved in such transaction.

(13) The term "covered" in respect of a short position in a call option contract on a stock means that the writer's obligation is secured by a "specific deposit" or an "escrow deposit" meeting the conditions of rule 610(f) or 610(h), respectively, of the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation, or the writer holds in the same account as the short position, on a share-for-share basis, a long position either in the underlying stock or Exchange-Traded Fund Share, or in an option contract of the same class of options having an exercise price equal to or less than the exercise price of the option contract in such short position. The term "covered" in respect of a short position in a call option contract on a foreign currency means that the writer's obligation is secured in any of the ways set forth in subparagraphs (H)(i), (H)(ii) or (H)(iii) of Rule 722 of the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation or the writer holds in the same account as the short position, on a unit-for-unit basis, a long position in an option contract of the same class of options having an exercise price equal to or less than the exercise price of the option contract in such short position.

(13A) The term "covered" in respect of a short position in a put option contract on a stock means that the writer holds in the same account as the short position on a share-for-share basis, a long position in an option contract of the same class of options having an exercise price equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option contract in such short position. The term "covered" in respect of a short position in a put option contract on a foreign currency means that the writer's obligation is secured in the manner set forth in subparagraphs (H)(iv) or (H)(v) of Rule 722 of the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation or that the writer holds in the same account as the short position on a unit-for-unit basis, a long position in an option contract of the same class of options having an exercise price equal to or greater than the exercise price of the option contract in such short position.

(14) The term "currency index group" means a group of currencies each of whose inclusion and relative representation in the group is determined by its inclusion and relative representation in a currency index.

(15) The term "European Option" or "European Style Option" mean an option contract that can be exercised only on the day it expires.

(16) The term "Exchange options transaction" means a transaction effected on the Exchange between members for the purchase or sale of an option contract, or for the closing out of a long or short position in an option contract.

(17) 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.

(18) The term "Exchange-Traded Fund Share" shall have the meaning assigned to it in Options 4, Section 3, Supplementary Material .06.

(19) The term "exercise strike price" in respect of an option contract means the stated price per share at which the underlying stock or Exchange-Traded Fund Share may be purchased (in the case of a call option on a stock or Exchange-Traded Fund Share) or sold (in the case of a put option on a stock or Exchange-Traded Fund Share) or the stated price per unit at which the underlying foreign currency may be purchased (in the case of a call option on a foreign currency) or sold (in the case of a put option on a foreign currency), or, in the case of U.S. dollar-settled foreign currency option contracts, the stated price per unit which determines the differential received upon the exercise of such option contract.

(20) The term "expiration date" in the case of options on stocks or Exchange-Traded Fund Shares, is (i) in the case of such an option expiring prior to February 1, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, the Saturday immediately following the third Friday of the expiration month of such option contract and (ii) in the case of such an option expiring on or after February 1, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, the third Friday of the expiration month of such option contract, or if such Friday is a day on which the Exchange on which such option is listed is not open for business, the preceding day on which such Exchange is open for business. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of certain options expiring on or after February 1, 2015 that The Options Clearing Corporation has designated as grandfathered, the term "expiration date" shall mean the Saturday immediately following the third Friday of the expiration month. In the case of options on foreign currencies listed on or after June 13, 1993, the expiration date is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the Friday preceding the third Wednesday of the expiration month except in the following instances:

(1) In the case where American style foreign currency options contracts are listed subsequent to the European style options contracts for the June and December 1994 series of foreign currency options;

(2) In the case of end of the month foreign currency option contracts listed on or after August 1, 1993, the expiration date is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the last Friday of the expiration month; provided, however, that if the last Friday of the expiration month of such option contracts is December 25th, then the term "expiration date" shall be the Friday immediately preceding December 25th, and if the last Friday of the expiration month of such option contracts is December 31st, then the term "expiration date" shall be the Friday immediately preceding December 24th.

(3) In the case of U.S. dollar-settled foreign currency option contracts, the expiration date is (i) in the case of such an option expiring prior to February 1, 2015,11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, the Saturday immediately following the third Friday of the expiration month of such option contract and (ii) in the case of such option expiring on or after February 1, 2015, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, the third Friday of the expiration month of such option contract, or if such Friday is a day on which the Exchange on which such option is listed is not open for business, the preceding day on which the Exchange is open for business.

(21) The term "expiration month" in respect of an option contract means the month and year in which such option contract expires.

(22) The term "foreign broker-dealer" means any person or entity that is registered, authorized or licensed, or required to be by a foreign governmental agency or foreign regulatory organization to perform the function of a broker or a dealer in securities, or both. The terms "broker" or "dealer" mean the same as set out in Sections 3(a)(4) and 3(a)(5) of the Exchange Act, as amended, provided that a broker or dealer may be a bank. For purposes of Options 2, Section 4, Options 3, Section 7 and Options 8, Section 34, the term broker-dealer includes foreign broker-dealers, which are not Public Customers.

(23) The term "foreign currency" means the standard unit of the official medium of exchange of a sovereign government including the United States Government (e.g., the British pound, the Swiss franc, the Canadian dollar, the Australian dollar, 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, the Swedish krona, or the United States dollar) or the Euro.

(24) The term "long position" means the number of outstanding option contracts of a given series of options held by a person (purchaser).

(25) The term "forward sales prices" in respect of an option contract on a foreign currency means the prices, quoted by various interbank foreign exchange participants for the sale of a single unit of the underlying foreign currency for other than immediate delivery (which generally means delivery more than two business days following the date on which the terms of such a sale are agreed upon), as reflected in the foreign currency price quotations reported by the foreign currency price quotation dissemination system selected by the Exchange.

(26) The term "in-the-money" means the following: for call options, all strike prices at or below the offer in the underlying security on the primary listing market; for put options, all strike prices at or above the bid in the underlying security on the primary listing market. This definition shall only apply for purposes of quoting obligations in Options 2, Section 4 and Options 3, Section 8.

(27) A "Lead Market Maker" means a member who is registered as an options Lead Market Maker pursuant to Options 2, Section 12(a). A Lead Market Maker includes a Remote Lead Market Maker which is defined as a Lead Market Maker in one or more classes that does not have a physical presence on the Exchange's Trading Floor and is approved by the Exchange pursuant to Options 2, Section 11.

(28) A "Market Maker" means a Streaming Quote Trader or a Remote Streaming Quote Trader who enters quotations for his own account electronically into the System.

(29) A "mnemonic" means an acronym comprised of letters and/or numbers assigned to member organizations. A member organization account may be associated with multiple mnemonics.

(30) The term "Non-Public Customer" means a person or entity that is a broker or dealer in securities, or is a Professional.

(31) The term "offer" means a quote or limit order to sell one or more options contracts.

(32) The term "Order Entry Firm or "OEF" means a member organization that submits orders, as agent or principal, on the Exchange.

(33) The term "Off-Floor Broker-Dealer Order" means an order delivered from off the floor of the Exchange by or on behalf of a broker-dealer for the proprietary account(s) of such broker-dealer, including an order for a market maker located on an exchange or trading floor other than the Exchange's trading floor delivered electronically for the proprietary account(s) of such market maker.

(34) The term "opening purchase transaction" means an Exchange options transaction in which the purchaser's intention is to create or increase a long position in the series of options involved in such transaction.

(35) The term "opening writing transaction" means an Exchange options transaction in which the seller's (writer's) intention is to create or increase a short position in the series of options involved in such transaction.

(36) The term "The Options Clearing Corporation" means The Options Clearing Corporation, a subsidiary of the Participating Exchanges.

(37) The term "option contract" means a put or a call issued, or subject to issuance, by The Options Clearing Corporation pursuant to the Rules of The Options Clearing Corporation.

(38) The term "Option Exchange Official" means an Exchange staff member or contract employee designated as such by the Chief Regulatory Officer. A list of individual Options Exchange Officials shall be displayed on the Exchange website. The Chief Regulatory Officer shall maintain the list of Options Exchange Officials and update the website each time a name is added to, or deleted from, the list of Options Exchange Officials. In the event no Options Exchange Official is available to rule on a particular matter, the Chief Regulatory Officer or his/her designee shall rule on such matter.

(39) The term "options trading" when not preceded by the word "Exchange," means trading in any option issued by The Options Clearing Corporation, whether or not of a class or series which has been approved for trading on the Exchange.

(40) The term "Order" means a single order submitted to the System by a member that is eligible to submit such orders.

(41) The term "out-of-the-money" means the following: for call options, all strike prices above the offer in the underlying security on the primary listing market; for put options, all strike prices below the bid in the underlying security on the primary listing market. This definition shall only apply for purposes of quoting obligations in Options 2, Section 4 and Options 3, Section 8.

(42) The term "outstanding" in respect of an option contract means an option contract which has been issued by The Options Clearing Corporation and has neither been the subject of a closing sale transaction on the Exchange or a comparable closing transaction on another Participating Exchange nor been exercised nor reached its expiration date.

(43) The term "Participating Exchange" means a national securities exchange which has qualified for participation in The Options Clearing Corporation pursuant to the provisions of the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation.

(44) The term "primary market" means, in the case of securities listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market, the market that is identified as the listing market pursuant to Section X(d) of the approved national market system plan governing the trading of Nasdaq-listed securities, and, in the case of securities listed on another national securities exchange, the market that is identified as the listing market pursuant to Section XI of the Consolidated Tape Association Plan.

(45) The term "Professional" means any person or entity that (i) is not a broker or dealer in securities, and (ii) places more than 390 orders in listed options per day on average during a calendar month for its own beneficial account(s). Member organizations must indicate whether orders are for Professionals.

(i) Calculation of Professional Orders. With respect to computing the number of orders in listed options per day on average during a calendar month for its own beneficial account(s), the following shall apply:

(a) Each order is counted toward the number of orders, regardless of the options exchange to which the order was routed in determining Professional orders, except FLEX orders.

(b) A cancel and replace order which replaces a prior order shall be counted as a second order, or multiple new orders in the case of Complex Order comprising 9 options legs or more, including "single-strike algorithms." A cancel message is not an order. A series of cancel and replace orders in an individual strike, which track the NBBO, shall be counted as new orders.

(c) Complex Orders consisting of 8 legs or fewer will be counted as a single order, and respecting Complex Orders of 9 options legs or more, each leg will count as a separate order. Stock orders shall not count toward the number of legs.

(d) An order that converts into multiple subordinate orders to achieve an execution strategy shall be counted as one order per side and series, even if the order is routed away. An order that cancels and replaces the resulting subordinate order and results in multiple sides/series shall be counted as a new order per side and series. An order that cancels and replaces the subordinate order on the same side and series will count as one order. For purposes of counting Customer orders, if one Customer order on the same side and series is subsequently broken-up by a broker into multiple orders for purposes of execution or routed away, this order will count as one order.

(46) The term "Public Customer" means a person or entity that is not a broker or dealer in securities and is not a Professional as defined within Options 1, Section (b)(45).

(47) The term "put" means an option contract under which the holder of the option has the right, in accordance with the terms of the option, to sell to The Options Clearing Corporation the number of shares of the underlying stock (in the case of an option on a stock), the number of Exchange-Traded Fund Shares (in the case of an option on an Exchange-Traded Fund Share) or the number of units of the underlying foreign currency (in the case of an option on a foreign currency) covered by the option contract.

(48) The term "Quarterly Options Series" means a series in an options class that is approved for listing and trading on the Exchange in which the series is opened for trading on any business day and expires at the close of business on the last business day of a calendar quarter.

(49) A "Remote Streaming Quote Trader" or "RSQT" means a Market Maker that is a member affiliated with an Remote Streaming Quote Trader Organization with no physical trading floor presence who has received permission from the Exchange to generate and submit option quotations electronically in options to which such RSQT has been assigned. A qualified RSQT may function as a Remote Lead Market Maker upon Exchange approval. An RSQT is also known as a Remote Market Maker ("RMM") pursuant to Options 2, Section 11. A Remote Streaming Quote Organization ("RSQTO") or Remote Market Maker Organization ("RMO") are Exchange member organizations that have qualified pursuant to Options 2, Section 1.

(50) The term "rules of The Options Clearing Corporation" means the by-laws and the rules of The Options Clearing Corporation, and all written interpretations thereof, as the same may be in effect from time to time.

(51) The term “series,” when used in respect of options, means all option contracts of the same class and having otherwise identical terms including exercise price (or, in the case of delayed start option contracts that do not yet have a set exercise price, the same exercise price setting formula and exercise price setting date), expiration date, unit of trading and, in the case of futures options or commodity options, series marker if any; and when used in respect of futures, means all futures of the same class having identical terms, including the same maturity date and series marker, if any.

(52) The term "short position" means the number of outstanding option contracts of a given series of options with respect to which a person is obligated as a writer (seller).

(53) The term "Short Term Option Series" means a series in an option class that is approved for listing and trading on the Exchange in which the series is opened for trading on any Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is a business day and that expires on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday of the next business week, or, in the case of a series that is listed on a Friday and expires on a Monday, is listed one business week and one business day prior to that expiration. If a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday is not a business day, the series may be opened (or shall expire) on the first business day immediately prior to that Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, respectively. For a series listed pursuant to this section for Monday expiration, if a Monday is not a business day, the series shall expire on the first business day immediately following that Monday.

(54) A "Streaming Quote Trader" or "SQT" means a Market Maker who has received permission from the Exchange to generate and submit option quotations electronically in options to which such SQT is assigned. An SQT may only submit such quotations while such SQT is physically present on the trading floor of the Exchange. An SQT may only submit quotes in classes of options in which the SQT is assigned.

(55) The terms "stock index group", "broad stock index group" and "industry stock index group" in respect of stock index warrants shall have the same meaning as in respect of stock index options.

(56) The term "stock index warrant" means a warrant on a stock index group.

(57) The term "System" shall mean the automated system for order execution and trade reporting owned and operated by the Exchange which comprises:

(i) an order execution service that enables members to automatically execute transactions in option series; and provides members with sufficient monitoring and updating capability to participate in an automated execution environment;

(ii) a trade reporting service that submits "locked-in" trades for clearing to a registered clearing agency for clearance and settlement; transmits last-sale reports of transactions automatically to the Options Price Reporting Authority ("OPRA") for dissemination to the public and industry; and provides participants with monitoring and risk management capabilities to facilitate participation in a "locked-in" trading environment; and

(iii) the data feeds described at Options 3, Section 23.

(58) The term "type of option" means the classification of an option contract as either a put or a call.

(59) The term "uncovered" in respect of a short position in an option contract means that the short position is not covered.

(60) The term "underlying security" when used in respect of any contract other than a cash-settled contract means the security or other asset which the Corporation is obligated to sell or purchase upon exercise or maturity of the contract. When used in respect of a cash-settled contract, the term means the index or other underlying interest on which the exercise settlement amount or final settlement price is based.

(61) 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).

(c) References. Exchange Contracts as defined in General 2, Section 18 include option contracts purchased or sold in Exchange options transactions.

(d) Local Time. All times are stated in these Rules in terms of the local time in effect in New York City.

Adopted Feb. 3, 2020 (20-03); amended January 26, 2021 (SR-Phlx-2021-05); amended May 24, 2021 (SR-Phlx-2021-32); amended Nov. 22, 2022 (SR-Phlx-2022-48).

 
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