These summary reports are produced after the various exercise submission deadlines and reflect submitted instructions from clearing firms. The actual exercise and assignment process is run later in the evening and specific results are made available to clearing firms.

Expiring Options Process:

All options that are "in-the-money" will be automatically exercised at expiration with the exception of Coal (API 2 and API 4) options. "At-the-money" options are considered "out-of-the-money" for exercise and assignment purposes and can only be exercised via contrary instructions as described below

Contrary Instructions
A contrary instruction must be submitted by the clearing firm when a customer submits a request to exercise an "out-of-the-money" option or to abandon an "in-the-money" option. Contrary Instructions are not allowed in some products. Click here to see the products. Abandoned “in-the-money” options and unexercised out-of-the-money options will expire (i.e. do not result in a futures position).

The submission deadlines for the clearing firms for all exercise and abandonment instructions are:

• 10:00 a.m. Eastern for NYMEX Coal (API 2 and API 4) contracts
• 4:30 p.m. Eastern for NYMEX contracts and 4:30 p.m. Eastern for COMEX contracts
• 5:00 p.m. Central for Chicago Board of Trade FLEX contracts
• 6:00 p.m. Central for Chicago Board of Trade non-FLEX contracts
• 7:00 p.m. Central for CME contracts

Reports

• NYMEX/COMEX Contrary Instructions
• CBT FLEX Contrary Instructions
• CBT Contrary Instructions
• CME Contrary Instructions