Stats Options, shorts and positioning Option expiry

Triple witching moved prices 0.15%, and it reversed by morning

MeasureFinding
Incremental volumeAbout one third of expiring open interest
Price effect, gross0.4% of the closing index value
Price effect, net of spreadAbout 0.15%
The next morningReversed
Stocks outside the S&P 500No abnormal price effect

Source: Stoll and Whaley, Program Trading and Expiration Day Effects, Financial Analysts Journal, using 1984 and 1985 data.

Four times a year US index futures, index options and single stock options expire together. The best study found the price effect was about 0.15% net of the spread, and it reversed the next morning. The trillion dollar headline comes from one analyst.

0.15%Price effect net of spread
0.4%Gross price effect
about a thirdOpen interest that trades
59%0DTE share of SPX volume

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