Why VIX Options Don't Track the VIX
VIX options don't track the VIX: each one prices off its own VIX future and settles on a Wednesday morning SOQ. The mechanism, with a worked 25-strike example.
#settlement
Filtering by topic #settlement · clear
Street Name vs Holder of Record: Cede & Co
Street name vs holder of record: your broker holds the position at DTC and Cede & Co is the registered owner. What that means for dividends and proxies.
Cash Settled vs Physical Delivery Options
Cash settled vs physical delivery: read the settlement line on a contract spec, and see what an assignment on SPY can hand you that SPX never will.
Who Sets the Ex-Dividend Date? Not the Board
Who sets the ex-dividend date? The listing exchange does, under FINRA uniform practice rules, working from the record date and the T+1 settlement cycle.
What Time Do Mutual Fund Prices Update?
Mutual fund prices update once a day: NAV is struck at the 4:00 p.m. ET close and published that evening. See the timeline and why your order fills blind.
Good Faith Violations in Cash Accounts
A good faith violation happens when you buy with unsettled proceeds and sell before they settle. Here is the T+1 rule, worked examples, and the 90 day penalty.
Due Bills and Stock Splits: Ex-Date Timing
Why a stock split's ex-date lands after the payable date, what a due bill is, who tracks it, and the full timeline from record date to first adjusted session.
When Is SQ Day for Nikkei 225 Options?
SQ day is the Nikkei 225 settlement price built from Friday morning opening prints. Here is when it lands each month and what happens to an open position.
How Event Contracts Settle: Payout and Fees
How event contracts settle: the dollar payout, full collateral, who resolves the outcome, and how a one cent fee shifts your breakeven at 90 cents.
SPX vs SPY Options: Which One to Trade
SPX vs SPY options compared on contract size, settlement, early assignment and the 60/40 tax split, with the notional and tax math computed from data.
Can You Sell on the Ex-Dividend Date?
Can you sell on the ex-dividend date and keep the dividend? Yes, if you owned the shares at the open. Here is the record date and settlement chain behind it.
How Stock Settlement Works Under T+1
How stock settlement works under T+1: trade date versus settlement date, what clearing does in between, and why ex-dividend and record date now match.
Nikkei 225 Options and SQ Settlement
Nikkei 225 options settle in cash against the SQ, an opening print from all 225 stocks. How the second Friday settlement works and what long premium costs.
AM vs PM Settled Index Options Explained
AM settled index options settle off Friday's opening quotation and stop trading Thursday. PM settled options run to the close. The gap between them, measured.
When Do Mutual Fund Trades Settle?
Mutual fund settlement runs on a different clock than fund pricing. Walk a sale through both clocks, day by day, and see when the cash is really yours.
American vs European Options Explained
American options can be exercised on any trading day, European options only at expiration. How SPY and SPX differ, and when early exercise matters.
When Is Short Interest Released?
FINRA publishes short interest twice a month, mid-month and month-end, about two weeks after each settlement date. See the live release cadence and lag.
Ex-Dividend Date vs. Record Date: Same Day?
Is the ex-dividend date the same as the record date? Since the T+1 switch in May 2024, yes, they fall on the same day for nearly every US dividend, measured.
Why Short Interest Data Is Always Two Weeks Old
Short interest is measured twice a month and published on a lag. The FINRA cycle, the measured delay, what moves while a print is pending, and days to cover.