OptionsXpress
Encyclopedia
optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. is a retail, online
brokerage firm
, headquartered in Chicago
, Illinois
, that provides brokerage services for options, stocks, futures, mutual funds, and fixed-income investments in the United States
and internationally. Its browser-based technology provides trading tools, enabling investors to identify, analyze, and execute a range of investment strategies.
The company's education unit offers a full range of education products and services for traders at all experience levels -- from beginners to the very advanced. All traders gain access to a comprehensive suite of education for stock, option, foreign exchange and futures investors and traders. optionsXpress offers free live webinars covering a range of topics including, strategy discussion, market outlooks, and optionsXpress site tutorials. The company also hosts free in-depth live events that provide education on options strategies and trade execution tailored to beginner, intermediate and advanced investors.
Virtual Trade, optionsXpress' virtual trading platform, gives customers the ability to test trading strategies and ideas under real market conditions, without putting real money on the line.
The Charles Schwab Corporation and optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. announced on March 21, 2011 that Schwab will acquire optionsXpress.
• March 2003 — The company creates brokersXpress to serve registered representatives, financial planners and registered investment advisors
• 2004 — Inception of optionsXpress International, which expanded the company's offerings internationally
• 2004 — optionsXpress' services are extended to Australia
• 2005 — optionsXpress goes public with an IPO
• 2005 — The company begins offering its services in Canada
• 2006 — The company expands its offerings to Singapore
• 2006 — The company launches optionsXpress Europe
• January 2007 — optionsXpress acquires Xpresstrade, which increased optionsXpress' offerings to include over 300 futures products worldwide
• October 2007 — David Fisher becomes CEO (previously served as CFO)
• July 2008 — Acquisition of Paragon Futures/Open E Cry
• May 2009 — Acquisition Lanai Parners, LLC/Optionetics, Inc. This acquisition widened the breadth of optionsXpress' educational offerings, which now include workshops, classes (live and online), newsletters, DVDs and strategy support
• July 2009 — Launch of OX Mobile, allowing OX customers to monitor their accounts from their mobile phones
• May 2010 — optionsXpress launches Xtend, a downloadable and customizable platform that offers real-time streaming quotes, charts, and news on users’ desktops
• March 21, 2011 — Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW.N) announced a buyout of optionsXpress Holdings Inc (OXPS.O) in a $1 billion deal, valuing optionsXpress at $17.91/share.
• August 2004 — Named “Best Discount Broker” by Smart Money
• 2004-2006 — Barron’s rated optionsXpress “Best Online Broker” for three years in a row
• March 2009 — Rated “Best Online Broker for Usability” (4 stars) by Barron’s
• May 2009 — Rated 5 stars (highest) for Trading Tools by Smart Money
• March 2010 — Barron’s rated optionsXpress 4 stars – based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Report, Customer Service & Access, and Costs – making it nine years in a row that the company is recognized for its excellence in the online brokerage industry
• January 2011 — "2010 Broker of the Year" by The Options Insider, based on tools/platform quality, quantity/quality of education, execution quality, commissions, and order routing
• March 2011 — Barron’s rated optionsXpress 4 stars – based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Report, Customer Service & Access, and Costs – making it ten years in a row that the company is recognized for its excellence in the online brokerage industry
Investing online
Investing online, or self-directed investing, has become the norm for individual investors and traders over the past decade with many, if not all brokers now offering online services with unique trading platforms.-Overview:...
brokerage firm
Brokerage firm
A brokerage firm, or simply brokerage or broker in context, is a financial institution that facilitates the buying and selling of financial derivatives between a buyer and a seller...
, headquartered in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, that provides brokerage services for options, stocks, futures, mutual funds, and fixed-income investments in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and internationally. Its browser-based technology provides trading tools, enabling investors to identify, analyze, and execute a range of investment strategies.
The company's education unit offers a full range of education products and services for traders at all experience levels -- from beginners to the very advanced. All traders gain access to a comprehensive suite of education for stock, option, foreign exchange and futures investors and traders. optionsXpress offers free live webinars covering a range of topics including, strategy discussion, market outlooks, and optionsXpress site tutorials. The company also hosts free in-depth live events that provide education on options strategies and trade execution tailored to beginner, intermediate and advanced investors.
Virtual Trade, optionsXpress' virtual trading platform, gives customers the ability to test trading strategies and ideas under real market conditions, without putting real money on the line.
The Charles Schwab Corporation and optionsXpress Holdings, Inc. announced on March 21, 2011 that Schwab will acquire optionsXpress.
History
• 2000 — optionsXpress founded by Ned Bennett, David Kalt and Jim Gray• March 2003 — The company creates brokersXpress to serve registered representatives, financial planners and registered investment advisors
• 2004 — Inception of optionsXpress International, which expanded the company's offerings internationally
• 2004 — optionsXpress' services are extended to Australia
• 2005 — optionsXpress goes public with an IPO
• 2005 — The company begins offering its services in Canada
• 2006 — The company expands its offerings to Singapore
• 2006 — The company launches optionsXpress Europe
• January 2007 — optionsXpress acquires Xpresstrade, which increased optionsXpress' offerings to include over 300 futures products worldwide
• October 2007 — David Fisher becomes CEO (previously served as CFO)
• July 2008 — Acquisition of Paragon Futures/Open E Cry
• May 2009 — Acquisition Lanai Parners, LLC/Optionetics, Inc. This acquisition widened the breadth of optionsXpress' educational offerings, which now include workshops, classes (live and online), newsletters, DVDs and strategy support
• July 2009 — Launch of OX Mobile, allowing OX customers to monitor their accounts from their mobile phones
• May 2010 — optionsXpress launches Xtend, a downloadable and customizable platform that offers real-time streaming quotes, charts, and news on users’ desktops
• March 21, 2011 — Charles Schwab Corporation (SCHW.N) announced a buyout of optionsXpress Holdings Inc (OXPS.O) in a $1 billion deal, valuing optionsXpress at $17.91/share.
Industry Awards and Rankings
• March 2003 — Barron’s rates optionsXpress first-ever 4 ½ stars• August 2004 — Named “Best Discount Broker” by Smart Money
• 2004-2006 — Barron’s rated optionsXpress “Best Online Broker” for three years in a row
• March 2009 — Rated “Best Online Broker for Usability” (4 stars) by Barron’s
• May 2009 — Rated 5 stars (highest) for Trading Tools by Smart Money
• March 2010 — Barron’s rated optionsXpress 4 stars – based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Report, Customer Service & Access, and Costs – making it nine years in a row that the company is recognized for its excellence in the online brokerage industry
• January 2011 — "2010 Broker of the Year" by The Options Insider, based on tools/platform quality, quantity/quality of education, execution quality, commissions, and order routing
• March 2011 — Barron’s rated optionsXpress 4 stars – based on Usability, Trade Experience, Trading Technology, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Report, Customer Service & Access, and Costs – making it ten years in a row that the company is recognized for its excellence in the online brokerage industry