Can't buy and sell same contract (IB)

Quote from DesertTrader:

The option exchanges prohibit you from "acting like a market maker". Thus, you can't make a market on both side of an option contract at the same time. This is a long standing policy.

This all was covered in another thread previously and I don't remember the end result, but I'm pretty sure we found that to be inaccurate. I've had an open buy and sell order on the same contract on a few different brokers in the past. The only time I've ever heard people mention this problem is with IB.
 
The regs do change from time to time; however, I believe this restriction is still alive and well. CBOE recently amended this rule in May to lift the prohibition for certain classes of professionals. Using multiple accounts with the same benefucal owner is also restricted (tough to enforce). As one of the RAES bandits in the late 90s, I am painfully aware of each and every one of these rules used to keep the market makers from getting creamed daily by high tech retail customers.

From the CBOE rule book;

Rule 6.8C. Prohibition Against Members Functioning as Market-Makers
(a) Members may neither enter nor permit the entry of customer orders into the Exchange's electronic Order Routing System if (i) the orders are limit orders for the account or accounts of the same beneficial owner(s) and (ii) the limit orders are entered in such a manner that the beneficial owner(s) effectively is operating as a market maker by holding itself out as willing to buy and sell such securities on a regular or continuous basis.

(b) In determining whether a beneficial owner effectively is operating as a market maker, the Exchange will consider, among other things, the simultaneous or near simultaneous entry of limit orders to buy and sell the same security and the entry of multiple limit orders at different prices in the same security.

Approved May 4, 2001 (2001-20); amended April 2, 2009 (09-009).
 
Quote from DesertTrader:

The regs do change from time to time; however, I believe this restriction is still alive and well. CBOE recently amended this rule in May to lift the prohibition for certain classes of professionals. Using multiple accounts with the same benefucal owner is also restricted (tough to enforce). As one of the RAES bandits in the late 90s, I am painfully aware of each and every one of these rules used to keep the market makers from getting creamed daily by high tech retail customers.

From the CBOE rule book;

Rule 6.8C. Prohibition Against Members Functioning as Market-Makers
(a) Members may neither enter nor permit the entry of customer orders into the Exchange's electronic Order Routing System if (i) the orders are limit orders for the account or accounts of the same beneficial owner(s) and (ii) the limit orders are entered in such a manner that the beneficial owner(s) effectively is operating as a market maker by holding itself out as willing to buy and sell such securities on a regular or continuous basis.

(b) In determining whether a beneficial owner effectively is operating as a market maker, the Exchange will consider, among other things, the simultaneous or near simultaneous entry of limit orders to buy and sell the same security and the entry of multiple limit orders at different prices in the same security.

Approved May 4, 2001 (2001-20); amended April 2, 2009 (09-009).

Thanks DT, Very informative.

@SF - IB has a cancel fee, so I leave the order to expire. If I was with any other broker, I would have happily canceled the first order and continued with the second order. Hence no issue.

It's good to know the boundaries and limitations.

Thanks guys.

Good luck trading.
 
Quote from gaj:

and, tradersu, if you cancel an options order, you get charged $1 / contract.

some brokers (which charge more than IB) eat the cost of that. IB passes it on. i'm fine with IB passing it on, but it's pretty awful that thee xchanges have decided "we" can't cancel contracts without a fee, or have buy/sells on the same contract.
You can just choose an exchange which doesn't charge these fees. For instance, BOX only charges $0.10 for a modify, which is negligible in my opinion.

When only few % of the traders route to BOX (an exchange partially owned by IB BTW) then that's at least a signal to the other exchanges.
 
Quote from teun:

You can just choose an exchange which doesn't charge these fees. For instance, BOX only charges $0.10 for a modify, which is negligible in my opinion.

When only few % of the traders route to BOX (an exchange partially owned by IB BTW) then that's at least a signal to the other exchanges.

If you submit a non-smart option order then per contract commission is $1.75 :-(

And if you submit smart order then you don't have destination control.
 
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