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Options activity hits fever pitch as traders play stock market volatility

The most popular bets expire in a matter of days as equities experience some of the biggest swings since the 2008 financial crisis

Activity in the market for stock options is hitting a fever pitch, with many rushing to trades expiring within mere hours or days to play the wild market swings.

Options contracts that expire in less than a week make up about half of all activity in the US-listed options market, according to the derivatives analytics firm SpotGamma. That is up from around 45% last year and roughly a third of all activity in 2019.

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