Australian investors drive record US options trading surge
Australian investors are engaging with US options trading at record rates despite ongoing market volatility and concerns over recession and tariffs.
Data from Tiger Brokers indicates that there has been a 62.7% year-on-year increase in the number of Australian users trading US options on its platform.
This heightened activity comes despite broader market uncertainty, with factors such as the so-called "Trump Tariffs" and fears of recession affecting global markets. Rather than exercising greater caution, Australian investors are taking more active positions in the US options market.
Tiger Brokers has reported that its platform saw a total of 71,597 options contracts traded by Australian users in the first half of 2025. This marks a 44% increase in the number of investors trading US options compared to the same period in 2024.
The trading volume of US options reached USD $116.5 million in the first half of 2025, up from USD $96.8 million in the first half of 2024. The most popular symbols traded during this period included TSLA, QQQ, and NVDA.
Tiger Brokers recorded a 256.5% increase in US options trading volume during 2024 compared to 2023. Additionally, the average contracts per trade rose by 932.2%, which the company interprets as an indication of more confident, higher-value positioning among traders.
Options contracts give buyers the right, but not the obligation, to purchase or sell an underlying asset at a set price at a predetermined time. These tools are often used by investors to hedge risk or take calculated positions on market movements with potentially lower upfront costs.
Greg Boland, Chief Strategy Officer at Tiger Brokers Australia, commented on the trend: "The US options market is the biggest and most liquid in the world, so it's always been on the radar of seasoned Australian investors. But the recent surge is unprecedented because of the spike in volatility in the US market that presents increased opportunity for savvy investors.
"Tiger Brokers by offering demo trading and options education allows clients to learn quickly how to master options basics before applying this knowledge to real world trading situations. We have also added options strategies to the Tiger Trade platform allowing clients to enter market positions more easily as one trade for multiple options legs thus taking away some of the uncertainty around order execution."
Industry data shows that US daily options volume reached a record high of 48 million contracts, a 9% increase compared to the previous year. The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) noted that globally, 10.2 billion options contracts were exchanged in 2024, up from 10.1 billion in 2023.
Tiger Brokers investor John Manciameli shared his perspective on the platform: "The reason I invest in US options is because of monthly cashflow. For someone who isn't overly-versed in trading, the Tiger Brokers platform lays out all the tools and information really clearly. It'll help emerging traders know if US options are something they want to invest in."
Tiger Brokers has indicated its commitment to making US options trading accessible for a range of investors, offering facilities such as demo accounts and options education. The platform supports various strategies, including long openings, selling covered calls, and selling cash-secured puts for US options in Australia.
The platform recently received recognition as "Best Trading Platform Australia 2024" from the Global Banking & Finance Awards. It also reported a 148% increase in new account openings among Australian users in the final quarter of 2024, reflecting continued interest in both the platform and international market access.
