CHICAGO and HELLERUP, Denmark, April 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

The Options Industry Council (OIC) and Saxo Bank, the online trading and investment specialist, have signed a content sharing agreement making OIC's renowned equity options educational materials available to Saxo Bank's global client base.

OIC has been educating investors and financial advisors in the responsible use of exchange-listed options for 22 years. To ensure investors understand both the benefits and risks of options, OIC provides education on a range of basic to advanced strategies and on specific topics such as volatility and options on exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Saxo Bank is a leading player in the global online trading of margin, derivatives and multi-asset products. Its multi-asset trading platforms and infrastructure deliver reliable, competitive and innovative trading solutions to both institutional and retail customers.

"OIC is delighted to be working with a firm like Saxo Bank, which shares our belief that educated investors make the best customers," said Mary Savoie, OIC Executive Director. "Saxo has been diligent and imaginative in its approach to the US listed equity options markets. We are looking forward to participating in Saxo's upcoming roadshow which will visit five major financial centers across Europe to help profile the US equity options markets."

Separately, a recent report commissioned by OIC from market analysts TABB Group, has found that there is a high level of European retail demand from European investors.

Alan Plaugmann, Head of Platforms & Products at Saxo Bank, commented:

"The quality of Saxo Bank's multi-asset offering has a positive impact on client activity levels and retention rates. We are therefore pleased to have reached a content sharing agreement with OIC at a time when appetite for options trading is increasing across all types of investors. We want our clients to be able to trade to the best of their ability, and therefore we place great importance on our ability to help them develop their skills.

"Options have traditionally been perceived as complex or risky instruments, and OIC's educational materials will be instrumental in demystifying their broad range of uses. Moreover, we are continuously evolving our services to reflect the needs of our clients, and look forward to announcing additions to our equity options trading offering shortly."

Saxo Bank also announced that from today stock options are available on its multi-asset class platform for retail and institutional investors.

About OIC 

OIC is an industry cooperative funded by all the U.S. options exchanges and OCC. OIC was formed in 1992 to educate investors and their financial advisors about the benefits and risks of exchange-traded equity options. OIC's resources include: Investor Services live help at 1-888-OPTIONS, its educational website at http://www.OptionsEducation.org, live seminars throughout the continental United States and Canada, and educational literature.

About Saxo Bank  

Saxo Bank is a leading online trading and investment specialist, offering private investors and institutional clients a complete set of tools for their trading and investment strategies. Its financial community portal, TradingFloor.com, is the first multi-asset social trading platform. A fully licensed and regulated European bank, Saxo Bank enables clients to trade FX, CFDs, ETFs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives on our award-winning SaxoTrader platform, accessible on PCs, tablets or smartphones through a single account and available in more than 20 languages. The platform is white-labelled by more than 100 major financial institutions worldwide. Saxo Bank also offers professional portfolio and fund management as well as traditional banking services through Saxo Privatbank. Founded in 1992, Saxo Bank is headquartered in Copenhagen and has offices in 25 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and Australia.

SOURCE Saxo Bank