VIX volatility index option volumes are averaging over 740k contracts a day so far this year, which if sustained, would make 2023 a record volume year. This is an impressive increase of 40% compared to recent years where volumes have hovered around the 500k ADV mark (see Exhibit 1). What’s behind this surge in VIX options activity? Looking at put vs. call volumes, it’s clear the increase is primarily coming from the call side. Call option volumes are up 54% (vs. 16% for puts), nearing the all-time high in ADV that we saw in 2017 (see Exhibit 2). Focusing specifically on customer activity and breaking it down by ... (full story)