Saxo Bank, the Danish online investment bank, has launched stock options trading on its platform for retail and institutional investors.

Clients of Saxo Bank will be able to trade multiple asset classes from a single account and more easily manage margins across different Saxo Bank accounts.

The 200 most liquid stock options across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific will be accessible initially. The top stock options in four key markets will be available: 50 for the US, including ETF options; 100 for Europe; 20 for Hong Kong; and 30 for Australia. Over the next year, the bank will expand its offering to a further 150 stock options.

There was a 6.4% rise in the number of exchange traded derivatives  (ETDs) in 2013. Saxo Bank’s latest offering aims to address this rise in demand for stock options from investors.

“The addition of equity options to our platform marks an important step,” said Alan Plaugmann, head of platforms and products at Saxo Bank, “particularly at a time when appetite for this particular instrument is on the rise.”

 “As investors are seeking more diversity in asset classes, instruments and financial services, we have built a flexible solution which caters both to the retail and institutional market segments.”
 
Saxo Bank has also signed a content sharing agreement with The Options Industry Council (OIC), allowing clients to access the OIC’s equity options educational materials.