Quote from zdreg:
an interesting question is how the exchanges will handle the options with a november expiration.
DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2010
SUBJECT: RINO OPTIONS - TRADING HALT/EXPIRATION PRICING CONSIDERATIONS
OCC STRONGLY RECOMMENDS CLEARING MEMBERS CONTACT ALL HOLDERS OF EXPIRING RINO OPTIONS TO APPRISE THEM OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS MEMO.
The OCC has been informed that trading in RINO International Corporation (RINO) Common Shares was halted on NASDAQ Global Select on November 18, 2010.
MEMBERS SHOULD ADVISE THEIR CUSTOMERS TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING CONSIDERATIONS INTO ACCOUNT IN DECIDING TO EXERCISE, OR NOT TO EXERCISE, THESE OPTIONS.
RINO Option Exercise
There continues to be no OCC restriction on the exercise of RINO put and call options, and OCC does not currently anticipate imposing such restrictions. RINO Expiration Exercise Procedures
November series of RINO options expire November 20, 2010. For purposes of calculating a price for use in expiration processing, OCC will use the last available RINO price of $6.07 from November 17, 2010. OCC anticipates expiring RINO options will be processed in the normal fashion this weekend, including the use of the customary in-the-money thresholds to effect exercise of expiring RINO positions.
CUSTOMER EXERCISE INSTRUCTIONS
Clearing Members are reminded that exercise thresholds are employed by OCC in expiration processing solely as an operational convenience, as described in interpretation .02 to OCC Rule 805(d): âThe exercise thresholds provided for in Rule 805(d) and elsewhere in the rules are part of the administrative procedure established by the Corporation to expedite its processing of exercise of expiring options by Clearing Members, and are not intended to dictate to Clearing Members which positions in customerâs accounts should or must be exercised.â
Clearing Members should remind customers of
their obligations to submit exercise instructions before expiration, as described in the Options Disclosure Document âCharacteristics and Risks of Standardized Optionsâ:
An option holder who intends to exercise an option before expiration must give exercise instructions to his brokerage firm before the firmâs cut-off time for accepting exercise instructions on the last trading day before expiration. Many brokerage firms accept standing instructions to exercise, or have procedures for the exercise of, every option, which is in the money by a specified amount at expiration. These procedures often incorporate by reference OCCâs administrative procedures that provide for the exercise of every option that is in the money by a specified amount at expiration unless the Clearing Firm carrying the option in its accounts instructs OCC not to exercise the option. Investors should determine from their brokerage firm the applicable cut-off times, the firmâs procedures for submitting exercise instructions, and whether any of their options are subject to automatic exercise. Investors should also determine whether the exercise of their options is subject to standing instructions of their brokerage firm, and, if so, they should discuss with the firm the potential consequences of such instructions.â