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Featured News
2010
Sept. 22
Wall Street Journal – Vix May Not Stay Quiet for Long
“They see a dull market, but they don’t want to bet the ranch on it,” OptionsHouse Chief Investment Strategist Steve Claussen said.
May 15
Barron’s – Newest Trading Play: Screen Savings
“The site is packed with tools for options traders, and it has added some for stock traders, too. The core of the OptionsHouse platform is its risk viewer…The potential effects of a change in the market on your positions, and your overall portfolio, are nicely laid out and understandable.”
May 10
Reuters — “Wall Street Anxiety Plunges on Euro Zone Aid – VIX”
“It doesn’t mean the people are not all of a sudden not fearful at all. But the rescue package, the coordinated efforts of the market are giving less reasons to invest in options,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at online brokerage OptionsHouse.com in Chicago.”
May 6
Wall Street Journal — “UPDATE:NYSE: P&G’s Plunge Came After Stock Moved Below Circuit Breaker”
May 6
Marketwatch — “NYSE: P&G’s Plunge Came After Stock Moved Below Circuit Breaker”
“The speed at which liquidity can disappear from the equity markets is frightening,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist for OptionsHouse. “There is some talk about bogus prints on third markets, which if recorded for calculating the index values could show an artificially low print.”
May 4
Wall Street Journal — “VIX Volatility Index Climbs More Than 27% As Stocks Slide”
“This is much more of a macro event in front of us,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist for OptionsHouse. “It’s not like earnings season, where one stock could have good earnings and another stock could have bad earnings. We’re now talking about sovereign risk and systemic risk.”
April 30
Wall Street Journal — “After Palm Gets an Offer, Traders Seek Cover”
“There were a ton of people betting that the stock would go to zero,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse LLC.”
April 14
Reuters — “Options Investors Appear to be Bullish on Yum Brand Earnings”
“Most of the trades are on the bid side of the market, implying there are mostly sellers anticipating not much of a move from today’s price after earnings,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at online brokerage OptionsHouse.com in Chicago.
April 1
Marketwatch — “April Options for Nervous Bulls” by OptionsHouse Chief Investment Strategist Steve Claussen.
“If you have been long stocks, you may have enjoyed a tremendous run from the lows of March 2009. Now, understandably, you may be afraid to sell them for fear of missing out on additional potential gains. Yet, it’s starting to get hard to get a peaceful night’s sleep over concerns this rally might be running out of gas…..”
April 1
Dow Jones Newswire — “It’s SPY vs. SPX in CBOE battle of generics”
Despite technical differences in contract specifications, “they’re virtually the same options,” said George Ruhana, chief executive of Chicago-based brokerage OptionsHouse LLC.
March 19
Reuters — U.S. Health Insurers Attract Bullish Options Bets
“Typically, traders buy on the rumor and sell on the news. In this case, it’s the complete opposite,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at online brokerage OptionsHouse.com in Chicago.
March 5
Wall Street Journal — Betting on Stability, Traders ‘Straddle’ and ‘Strangle’
“Earnings season is pretty much behind us, and that is typically when you see volatility sellers come out—after the events are known,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist for OptionsHouse.
Feb. 23
MoneyMagazine.ws — Review of Online Brokerage OptionsHouse
Feb. 22
Benzinga.com — Interview with OptionsHouse CEO George Ruhana
Feb. 17
Reuters — AMAT Options Suggests Small Gains on Results
“Investors definitely seem to be awaiting somewhat of a pop after earnings tonight,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at online brokerage OptionsHouse.com in Chicago.
Feb. 1
Stocks, Futures and Options Magazine — Options at the Crossroads
“A lot of people want to be customers on the most liquid front-month stuff and the at-the-money strikes,” Ruhana says. “But there are strikes across the board on this thing, and we need fair and orderly markets in all of them.”
Feb. 1
Futures Magazine — CBOE Creates New Order Type
George Ruhana, CEO of OptionsHouse, says “professional” customers caused two problems for CBOE and ISE before this rule went into effect. “First, they get priority at the top of the book, so they get filled before the market makers, when in essence they are making markets in much the same way. Second, these people do not pay fees. …they were free-loading in the CBOE model,” he explains.
Jan. 28
Wall Street Journal — Steady for Express Scripts, Dollar Tree?
“They seem to be selling front-month premium because the companies don’t announce earnings until after February options expire,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse LLC.
Jan. 26
Reuters — Yahoo Options Show Investors Split on Post-Earnings Direction
“In early afternoon trading, 26,000 trades were made on the underlying stock in the options market, with 16,000 calls and 9,700 puts,” according to Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at online brokerage OptionsHouse.com in Chicago. “The average daily trade volume is about 45,000, with calls beating puts by a ratio of 2:1.”
Jan. 4
MarketWatch — “Meet the Covered Strangle” by OptionsHouse Chief Investment Strategist Steve Claussen
“One of the basic option strategies stock investors first trade when they make the plunge into option trading is the covered call…”
2009
Barron’s — Social Investing Doesn’t Quite Click
“SO LONG TO FLAT PRICING: OptionsHouse, which has featured flat-fee pricing for stock and options trades, is changing part of its fee structure to reflect changes in the way exchanges operate. George Ruhana, CEO of Options-House, detailed the new fees for us.”
The Sun’s Financial Diary — OptionsHouse Introduction:An Interview with CEO George Ruhana
Reuters — Traders Pull Back in Dollar Fund After New Shares Issued
“When that supply became available today, the premium disappeared,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at online brokerage OptionsHouse LLC. “It seemed that some option investors exited their long call positions earlier in the session, giving up on the idea that the dollar would rally in the near term.”
Bloomberg — 3Com Options Trades May Have Been More Than Luck
“I don’t believe in that much luck,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse LLC, the Chicago- based online brokerage unit of options trading firm PEAK6 Investments LP, and a former market maker at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. “If you’re on the other side of someone buying calls and a takeover is announced, it’s like someone held you up at gunpoint. It’s like you’ve been robbed and you feel violated.”
Bloomberg — VIX Falls to Two-Week Low as G-20 Says Stimulus Will Continue
“As soon as the market shows any signs of stability, people are willing to sell options,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse LLC, the Chicago-based online brokerage unit of options trading firm PEAK6 Investments LP. “There’s a high probability that we could touch 20 in the next two weeks.”
Nov. 5
Wall Street Journal — Dollar ETF Lures Traders
“This could be a relatively cheap way to hedge against strength in the dollar, potentially for someone who’s long hard assets, like metals, miners, energy or industrials,” said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist with OptionsHouse.
Oct. 30
Wall Street Journal — Volatility Yardstick for Stocks Reverses its Surges
“In particular, an institutional investor appeared to buy call options in the $13-$14 range as far out as January”, according to Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse.
Oct. 22
Wall Street Journal — Freeport Earnings Unleash Plays in Other Miners
“One trader sold June $30 Vale calls”, Mr. (Steve) Claussen, chief investment strategist at OptionsHouse said. “At a premium of $2.39, that would mean the seller thinks the stock won’t rise above $32.39 before the middle of next year. Vale’s American depositary receipts rose 48 cents, or 1.8%, to $26.93, on the NYSE.”
Oct. 15
Wall Street Journal — After Intel, Traders Rally Behind IBM
“You can make the assumption that people are expecting a good number” when IBM reports earnings, said Steve Claussen, chief investment strategist of OptionsHouse LLC.
Sept. 12
Wall Street Journal — ‘Fear Gauge’ is Showing Far Less of it
In fact, some strategists said the VIX could go lower. “Even though the VIX is coming in a great deal, there could still be some room to go,” said Stephen Claussen, chief investment strategist of OptionsHouse LLC.
March 16
Barron’s Names OptionsHouse Leading Broker for Trade Experience
- PEAK6-owned retail broker also ranks high in terms of usability, costs, portfolio analysis
CHICAGO – March 16, 2009 Independent investors may discover a better brokerage fit thanks to the latest issue of Barron’s, featuring the weekly newspaper’s 14th annual review of online brokers. Tied for top honors among 25 brokers in the “Trade Experience” category was OptionsHouse, which scored a 4.7 out of a possible 5.0. “Fast matters,” the motto of OptionsHouse.com, “…goes for everything from finding possible trades to populating an order ticket to executing the trade itself,” the article notes.1
Barron’s also speaks well of the professional-grade tools offered at OptionsHouse, mentioning especially the platform’s risk viewer and MAXITTM tax-management software2, a free benefit for customers. Last month, OptionsHouse added a new collection of tools to its arsenal, including streaming charts and news, volatility charts, and profit/loss and probability calculators.
“I’m extremely pleased by all of our efforts during the past year and honored by the strong review we received from Barron’s,” said OptionsHouse Chief Executive Officer, George Ruhana. “We have strived to improve our platform, our website, and our personal attention to customers … this has paid off as we have demonstrated ourselves to be, in Barron’s estimation, a better alternative to much larger competitors.” In the overall rankings, OptionsHouse outscored much older and larger firms, including E*Trade Securities, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab.
The brokerage, a subsidiary of Chicago-based market maker PEAK6 Investments, L.P., earned four stars overall in the survey, with notably high ranks for costs (ranking third for frequent traders), usability (tied for second), and portfolio analysis & report (tied for second).
“Our customers are truly in a sweet spot,” said John B. Jaeger, head of product management and development for OptionsHouse. “They can enjoy speedy execution, a great library of tools, and among the lowest commissions in the business.3 With investors becoming more self-directed, we are striving to make the trading process as straightforward and intuitive as possible.”
About OptionsHouse:
is an online stock and option broker delivering a fast, streamlined trading experience on its professional-grade trading platform, accessible at OptionsHouse.com. A licensed FINRA broker-dealer, OptionsHouse, LLC was founded in 2005 and is a subsidiary of proprietary option-trading firm, PEAK6 Investments, L.P.
2008
Oct. 8
- Tops competition with flat-rate commission structure
- Efficient customer service also commended
CHICAGO, Oct. 8, 2008 — Online retail and institutional brokerage firm, OptionsHouse, LLC (“OptionsHouse”), was given exemplary marks in Kiplinger’s “Best of the Online Brokers,” published in the November 2008 issue of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.
The survey of 12 online firms ranked OptionsHouse number one when it came to pricing, giving the firm “the best overall score in [the low commissions] category.” Kiplinger’s noted OptionsHouse prices stock trades at $4.95 each with “few of those pesky fees.” Option trades are $9.95 per trade (with no per-contract charges).*
The firm’s customer-service professionals were praised by Kiplinger’s, which noted representatives “answered the phone in a snap.”
OptionsHouse was also given competitive marks for its research and tools and ease of use.
“OptionsHouse prides itself on our efficient trading process and our top-notch customer service,” said George Ruhana, CEO of OptionsHouse. “Additionally, we feel our flat-rate commissions are extremely competitive and unique… we find it very satisfying Kiplinger’s recognized our advantage in this area.”
The Kiplinger’s survey follows on the heels of Barron’s 2008 survey of online brokers, which in March named OptionsHouse number-one in terms of “usability” among 23 competing firms.
About OptionsHouse:
OptionsHouse, LLC, is an online stock and option broker delivering a fast, streamlined trading experience on its professional-grade trading platform, accessible at OptionsHouse.com. OptionsHouse’s flat-rate commission structure offers online trading of $9.95 per option trade and $4.95 per stock trade, with no escalating fees, regardless of size.*
In Barron’s 2008 survey of Online Brokers, OptionsHouse earned a four-star rating and its innovative platform was ranked number-one for “usability.”** A licensed FINRA broker-dealer, OptionsHouse, LLC was founded in 2005 and is a subsidiary of proprietary option-trading firm, PEAK6 Investments, L.P.
About PEAK6:
Established in 1997, PEAK6 Investments, L.P. (“PEAK6″) is a leading financial institution in Chicago with an established track record of success in proprietary trading. PEAK6 is also rapidly expanding its commercial focus to include innovative initiatives in asset management and online media.
March 17
Barron’s Awards OptionsHouse Four Stars on Overall Performance
OptionsHouse excelled in the following categories:
- Usability
- Trade Experience
- Costs
- Customer Service & Access
- Portfolio Analysis & Reports
CHICAGO, March 17, 2008 — OptionsHouse, Inc. (“OptionsHouse”), an online retail and institutional brokerage firm, earned a four star rating in today’s 13th Annual Barron’s Online Broker Survey, which measures overall brokerage performance. Among the 23 firms that were ranked, OptionsHouse was the highest ranked firm for “usability,” and was among the best performers in a number of other categories including: “trade experience”; “cost”; “portfolio analysis & reports”; and “customer service & access”.
“We are thrilled the definitive industry survey by Barron’s recognizes our steadfast efforts to provide our customers with the best possible investing and trading experience,” OptionsHouse Chief Executive Officer, John Hass said. “To rank so highly in such a prestigious list of brokerages demonstrates the excellence and value we deliver to retail options and stock investors.
“OptionsHouse is particularly proud of being recognized as the industry leader in terms of our site’s ease of use and design (‘usability’),” Hass said. “Since our inception, our goal has been to offer a user-friendly, intuitive platform.
“Our customers have been drawn to our technology because of its power, and the ease of use and flexibility it affords them,” added Hass. “This technology, backed by the experience and expertise of PEAK6, is what led to our high rating in the ‘trade experience’ category.”
OptionsHouse was among the leaders in the category of cost. “We redefined retail options trading by offering a true flat rate of $9.95 per option trade, regardless of the size of the trade,” Hass said.
The Barron’s article also noted OptionsHouse’s customer service, describing it as “excellent.”
Continued Enhancements
OptionsHouse continues to improve its core product offerings, having introduced among other enhancements, its Covered Call Investigator, to help identify covered call opportunities; ability Risk Viewer, an enhanced state-of-the-industry risk monitoring and management tool; Virtual Trading, providing customers the opportunity to practice trading without risk to their own money; a trading tool-based Message Center; and Advanced Orders, which allow a client to enter additional order types including trailing stops and contingent orders.
OptionsHouse will soon unveil its new Tax Optimization and Reporting Tools from Maxit, which provides real-time, cost basis and tax-based investment decision support.
About OptionsHouse:
OptionsHouse, LLC, is an online stock and option broker delivering a fast, streamlined trading experience on its professional-grade trading platform, accessible at OptionsHouse.com. OptionsHouse’s flat-rate commission structure offers online trading of $9.95 per option trade and $4.95 per stock trade, with no escalating fees, regardless of size.*
In Barron’s 2008 survey of Online Brokers, OptionsHouse earned a four-star rating and its innovative platform was ranked number-one for “usability.”** A licensed FINRA broker-dealer, OptionsHouse, LLC was founded in 2005 and is a subsidiary of proprietary option-trading firm, PEAK6 Investments, L.P.
About PEAK6:
Established in 1997, PEAK6 Investments, L.P. (“PEAK6″) is a leading financial institution in Chicago with an established track record of success in proprietary trading. PEAK6 is also rapidly expanding its commercial focus to include innovative initiatives in asset management and online media.
Barron’s, March 17, 2008, 13th annual survey, “The Best Online Brokers.” Overall ratings based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Reports, Customer Service, Costs. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones, L.P.
* No escalating per-contract fees for equity options. OptionsHouse reserves the right to pass-through any third-party fees related to index and ETF options. See www.optionshouse.com/rates/ for more details on trade commissions for stocks under $2 per share, mutual funds, and other securities. Customers may trade up to 50,000 shares or 4,000 option contracts per trade; trades in excess of these parameters require multiple order tickets and will be billed as separate orders.
** Barron’s, March 17, 2008, 13th annual survey, “The Best Online Brokers.” Overall ratings (on a five-star scale) based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Reports, Customer Service, Costs. Usability rating based on overall site design, ease of use and navigation, ability to customize and constant ticket availability. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones, L.P.
Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. In addition, electronic trading poses unique risk to investors. System response and access times may vary due to market conditions, system performance and other factors. OptionsHouse provides neither investment nor tax advice. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options | Risk Statements and Disclosures | Privacy Policy, copies of which can also be obtained by contacting our Customer Service Department at customerservice@optionshouse.com.
© 2006-9 OptionsHouse, LLC All rights reserved. Member of FINRA, SIPC. The OptionsHouse Affiliate Program
UseableMarkets — Interview: Gong Szeto of OptionsHouse
TheStreet.com Options Report (Webcast) — TheStreet.com’s Steve Smith Interviews OptionsHouse’s John Hass about Volatility and Industry Consolidation
Wall Street Journal Webcast — MarketWatch’s Paul Lin Interviews OptionsHouse’s CEO John Hass
Wall Street & Technology — Online Options Brokers Should Target Women and Generation Y, Survey Shows
2007
Barron’s — Price Volatility: Brokers Adjust Fees
Oct. 17
InvestmentNews — OptionsHouse debuts flat-rate commission
Oct. 17
Bloomberg — OptionsHouse Slashes Commissions to Challenge Larger Rivals
Oct. 17
The Wall Street Journal — Options and Futures Flow into the Portfolio Mainstream
Aug. 6
InvestmentNews — OptionsHouse latest to offer “virtual trading” tool
June 20
BusinessWeek — That’s the Ticker! Online options trading has gotten much simpler…
May 1
The Wall Street Journal — The Trading Pool Grows
April 13
Wall Street Letter — OptionsHouse Plots Analytics Push, Hires For Institutional Biz
March 29
TheStreet.com TV — OptionsHouse: The New Player in the House (Video)
TheStreet.com — Time for a System Check
Jan. 15
Barron’s — Barron’s, Sign of a Bull Market: New Brokers
Wall Street & Technology — OptionsHouse Goes Lives with Online Trading Site
Forbes — The Return Of The Daytrader
Reuters — New brokerage OptionsHouse offers flat trading fee
Four Star Rating Based on Overall Performance
OptionsHouse excelled in the following categories:
- Usability
- Trade Experience
- Costs
- Customer Service & Access
- Portfolio Analysis & Reports
CHICAGO, March 17, 2008 — OptionsHouse, Inc. (“OptionsHouse”), an online retail and institutional brokerage firm, earned a four star rating in today’s 13th Annual Barron’s Online Broker Survey, which measures overall brokerage performance. Among the 23 firms that were ranked, OptionsHouse was the highest ranked firm for “usability,” and was among the best performers in a number of other categories including: “trade experience”; “cost”; “portfolio analysis & reports”; and “customer service & access”.
“We are thrilled the definitive industry survey by Barron’s recognizes our steadfast efforts to provide our customers with the best possible investing and trading experience,” OptionsHouse Chief Executive Officer, John Hass said. “To rank so highly in such a prestigious list of brokerages demonstrates the excellence and value we deliver to retail options and stock investors.
“OptionsHouse is particularly proud of being recognized as the industry leader in terms of our site’s ease of use and design (‘usability’),” Hass said. “Since our inception, our goal has been to offer a user-friendly, intuitive platform.
“Our customers have been drawn to our technology because of its power, and the ease of use and flexibility it affords them,” added Hass. “This technology, backed by the experience and expertise of PEAK6, is what led to our high rating in the ‘trade experience’ category.”
OptionsHouse was among the leaders in the category of cost. “We redefined retail options trading by offering a true flat rate of $9.95 per option trade, regardless of the size of the trade,” Hass said.
The Barron’s article also noted OptionsHouse’s customer service, describing it as “excellent.”
Continued Enhancements
OptionsHouse continues to improve its core product offerings, having introduced among other enhancements, its Covered Call Investigator, to help identify covered call opportunities; ability Risk Viewer, an enhanced state-of-the-industry risk monitoring and management tool; Virtual Trading, providing customers the opportunity to practice trading without risk to their own money; a trading tool-based Message Center; and Advanced Orders, which allow a client to enter additional order types including trailing stops and contingent orders.
OptionsHouse will soon unveil its new Tax Optimization and Reporting Tools from Maxit, which provides real-time, cost basis and tax-based investment decision support.
About OptionsHouse:
OptionsHouse, LLC, is an online stock and option broker delivering a fast, streamlined trading experience on its professional-grade trading platform, accessible at OptionsHouse.com. OptionsHouse’s flat-rate commission structure offers online trading of $9.95 per option trade and $4.95 per stock trade, with no escalating fees, regardless of size.*
In Barron’s 2008 survey of Online Brokers, OptionsHouse earned a four-star rating and its innovative platform was ranked number-one for “usability.”** A licensed FINRA broker-dealer, OptionsHouse, LLC was founded in 2005 and is a subsidiary of proprietary option-trading firm, PEAK6 Investments, L.P.
About PEAK6:
Established in 1997, PEAK6 Investments, L.P. (“PEAK6″) is a leading financial institution in Chicago with an established track record of success in proprietary trading. PEAK6 is also rapidly expanding its commercial focus to include innovative initiatives in asset management and online media.
Barron’s, March 17, 2008, 13th annual survey, “The Best Online Brokers.” Overall ratings based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Reports, Customer Service, Costs. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones, L.P.
* No escalating per-contract fees for equity options. OptionsHouse reserves the right to pass-through any third-party fees related to index and ETF options. See www.optionshouse.com/rates/ for more details on trade commissions for stocks under $2 per share, mutual funds, and other securities. Customers may trade up to 50,000 shares or 4,000 option contracts per trade; trades in excess of these parameters require multiple order tickets and will be billed as separate orders.
** Barron’s, March 17, 2008, 13th annual survey, “The Best Online Brokers.” Overall ratings (on a five-star scale) based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Reports, Customer Service, Costs. Usability rating based on overall site design, ease of use and navigation, ability to customize and constant ticket availability. Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones, L.P.
Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. In addition, electronic trading poses unique risk to investors. System response and access times may vary due to market conditions, system performance and other factors. OptionsHouse provides neither investment nor tax advice. Please read Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options | Risk Statements and Disclosures | Privacy Policy, copies of which can also be obtained by contacting our Customer Service Department at customerservice@optionshouse.com.
© 2006-9 OptionsHouse, LLC All rights reserved. Member of FINRA, SIPC. The OptionsHouse Affiliate Program
