Stock price response to S&P 500 index inclusions: Do options listings and options trading volume matter?

This study investigates the stock price response to Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 index inclusions during the period 1996-2010 and the role of options listings and options trading volume with regard to the information content of index inclusion announcements. Specifically, we address the following questions: (1) Is the magnitude of abnormal returns from the announcements of S&P 500 inclusions significantly lower for stocks with options listings? and (2) Is the magnitude of abnormal returns from the announcements of S&P 500 inclusions significantly lower for stocks with a high level of options trading volume? Our findings indicate that options listings themselves are not related to the magnitude of abnormal returns from the announcements of S&P 500 inclusions. We also find that greater levels of options trading volume do not convey private information about the S&P 500 index changes. We document that any measurable impact of options trading on the stock price response to S&P 500 inclusion announcements lies primarily in the level of abnormal options trading volume in the period immediately preceding the announcements.