What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
In March 2026, about 17.4% of SPX options volume was executed through open outcry: Cboe reported an average of 937,000 floor contracts per day out of 5.4 million SPX contracts overall. That is roughly one contract in six for that month—not a fixed share of SPX trading, and not proof of what traders intended.
What SPX options flow is—and what the numbers show
“Flow” is a broad label for options trading activity, often discussed through volume, trade prints, or open interest. Those measures describe activity or outstanding contracts; by themselves, they do not explain who traded, why they traded, or whether the position was bullish or bearish.
![The Options Trading Bible [50 in 1]: Unlock Proven Tactics to Read Markets, Spot High-Probability Entries, and Manage Risk Like a Pro. For Beginners Seeking Clarity, Confidence, and Consistent Profits](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BG0YDBN-L._SL160_.jpg)
Cboe’s March 2026 trading-volume report gives a useful venue comparison for that month: total SPX average daily volume (ADV) was 5.4 million contracts, while open-outcry ADV was 937,000. Dividing the floor figure by the total gives about 17.4%. The ratio is calculated from Cboe’s paired monthly averages; it is not a separately quoted Cboe statistic. Cboe’s trading-volume reports
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →That makes “about a fifth” a reasonable shorthand for March 2026, but “roughly one in six” is closer to the calculation. The figures do not establish the floor share for other months.
#1 Best Overall
Why some SPX orders still go to the floor
Open outcry means participants execute trades by communicating in person on an exchange floor. Cboe has said customers continue to value this venue particularly for larger, more complex orders, and for price discovery and liquidity from market-makers and floor brokers. That describes why customers use the floor; it does not mean every floor trade is large or complex. Cboe’s account of its Chicago trading floor
The physical venue is one part of a market that also trades electronically. Cboe identifies its global trading hours (GTH) and curb sessions as all-electronic; therefore, the existence of a floor does not mean SPX trading generally takes place there.
How to read the volume figures without overreading them
Volume counts contracts, not motives
Volume tells you how many contracts traded over a period. A trade print can show a transaction and its terms, but volume alone does not identify a participant’s strategy or establish that the trade was a directional bet.
Recommended Free Tools
Open interest is not a directional tally
Open interest counts outstanding option contracts, but interpreting changes requires knowing whether each side of a transaction opened or closed a position. The Options Industry Council explains that this information is needed to reflect open interest accurately. Consequently, volume and open interest should not be treated as direct measures of bullish or bearish positioning. Options Industry Council: General Information
Keep time periods distinct
Cboe reported SPX ADV of 3.9 million contracts for 2025, including 2.3 million 0DTE contracts per day, or 59% of SPX volume. For Q2 2026, Cboe reported quarterly SPX ADV of 5.1 million contracts. It also reported a single-day SPX record of 7.8 million contracts on June 5, 2026. These figures describe different periods and measures; none supplies a floor share for those periods. Cboe: The State of the Options Industry, 2025 · Cboe’s June 2026 trading-volume report
Where SPX options trade during the day
Cboe’s product specification, dated March 19, 2024, lists regular trading from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET, curb trading from 4:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, and global trading hours from 8:15 p.m. to 9:25 a.m. ET. Cboe’s hours page identifies the curb and GTH sessions as all-electronic. Because the product specification is a dated snapshot, check Cboe’s current hours and contract details before relying on these times. Cboe SPX product specifications · Cboe options hours and holidays
The specification lists a contract multiplier of 100. That is a contract detail, not a measure of venue, trade direction, or trader intent; consult the current specification for confirmation.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat the floor-share figure can—and cannot—tell you
- It can quantify venue activity: for March 2026, open-outcry ADV was about 17.4% of total SPX ADV.
- It cannot identify motive: the volume totals do not show whether participants were hedging, speculating, opening, or closing positions.
- It cannot be generalized across time: the supplied floor and total figures are paired for March 2026 only; the other period statistics are not a substitute for a matching venue breakdown.
- It does not characterize every floor execution: Cboe says the floor is especially valued for larger, complex orders, but that is not evidence that all open-outcry trades have those features.
For a view of individual end-of-day volume and open-interest data, Cboe DataShop describes its Option EOD Summary as providing those fields, with optional implied-volatility and Greeks calculations at 15:45. Cboe DataShop Option EOD Summary
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
