CHICAGO, Feb. 28, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:OXPS), a pioneer in bringing professional technology for options and futures trading to individual investors, won The Options Insider's 2010 Broker of the Year Award in its first annual survey of its readers released on January 21.
According to The Options Insider, "The ultimate factor in determining the winner was uptime and the ability to access one's brokerage account at all times including during periods of market instability."
In addition to uptime, survey respondents cited several other factors in their votes for optionsXpress including:
- Large selection of online education and webinars
- "Significant research offerings"
- OX Mobile application – available on both Android & iPhone. According to The Options Insider, "too many brokers ignored non-iPhone users in 2010"
- Xtend platform – "readers loved the additional functionality" offered by this downloadable platform for active traders that leverages Adobe AIR technology to bring the flexibility of drag-and-drop to the powerful optionsXpress trade execution capability. They also appreciated that "optionsXpress has shown a continued commitment to the platform with new upgrades and feature rollouts"
- Futures functionality – optionsXpress' futures offerings were seen as "second-to-none among online options brokers"
Survey respondents weighed many factors in their selections including: tools/platform quality, quantity/quality of education, execution quality, commissions, order routing and more.
"Uptime and availability aren't always mentioned in broker reviews, and we appreciate that the traders who read and listen to The Options Insider agree with our customers – they want an online broker they can count on 24/7," said David Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of optionsXpress. "Our reliable systems and the flexibility obtained through our mobile offerings have been key factors in helping us to keep customers happy over the past year. It's great to also get recognition for our cutting-edge technology and leading education that helps options and futures traders execute their strategies the way they want."
The Options Insider received approximately 4,000 responses to the online survey initiated through its newsletter in late December. Additional "unofficial" feedback was received via Twitter, Facebook, and its radio shows, which largely echoed feedback from the online survey responses. optionsXpress was one of 22 nominees for the Broker of the Year award – the largest category in the survey.
"Our audience is very demanding when it comes to options brokerage firms," said Mark S. Longo, Founder and CEO of The Options Insider. "They expect excellence across the board from execution quality to platform functionality. If a broker falls short in any aspect, our audience will let them know loudly and clearly. The fact that optionsXpress emerged victorious from this demanding gauntlet is a testament to the overall quality of their service."
About optionsXpress Holdings, Inc.
optionsXpress Holdings, Inc., a pioneer in equity options and futures trading, offers an innovative suite of online brokerage services for investor education, strategy evaluation, and trade execution. optionsXpress Holdings subsidiaries include optionsXpress, Inc., a retail online brokerage specializing in options and futures, brokersXpress, LLC, an online trading and reporting platform for independent investment professionals, Open E Cry, LLC, an innovative futures broker offering direct access futures trading for high volume traders through its proprietary software platform, and Optionetics, Inc., a leading provider of investment education services, including live seminars, proprietary software analytics, online and offline educational products and individual coaching. For more information: http://www.optionsxpress.com.
The optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6907
Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Please read "Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options" or available by calling 1-888-280-8020.
Futures involve substantial risk and are not appropriate for all investors. Please read "Risk Disclosure Statement for Futures and Options" prior to applying for an account.
Online trading has inherent risk due to system response and access times that may vary due to market conditions, system performance, volume and other factors. An investor should understand these and additional risks before trading. Products and services intended for U.S. customers and may not be available or offered in other jurisdictions.
"2010 Broker of the Year" by The Options Insider 1/21/11. Selected by The Options Insider's newsletter readers. The Options Insider Inc.© 2011
Copyright (C) 2011 optionsXpress, Inc. All rights reserved. Member FINRA, SIPC, CBOE, ISE, NFA, NASDAQ, NASDAQ OMXPHLX, NYSE ARCA, NYSE AMEX, and NYSE ARCA.
brokersXpress, LLC Member FINRA, SIPC NFA and a Registered Investment Adviser
Open E Cry, LLC, Member NFA.