Date of Award

5-2016

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Economics and Finance

Committee Chair(s)

Tyler Brough

Committee

Tyler Brough

Committee

Ben Blau

Committee

Ryan Whitby

Abstract

Are single stock futures and stock options complement or substitute goods? In this study, I test this research question by examining option trading activity (option volume and open interest) surrounding an arguably exogenous introduction of single stock futures. This event study provides a natural experiment that allows us to make causal inferences about how the presence of single stock futures affects the options market. While it is commonly thought that single stock futures and options are substitute goods, my evidence instead suggests that they are complements. While I observe very little change in option volume surrounding the introduction of single stock futures, I find that total open interest increases by 9%, on average, after the introduction of single stock futures. The most plausible explanation is that the introduction of single stock futures makes it easier to hedge the risk of writing on option.

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