These capabilities enhance Knight's already extensive options offering by allowing customers to choose from a variety of industry-standard trading strategies, or create their own custom trading strategies.

"We have had a great deal of demand from our clients for complex options execution capabilities," said Bill Cronin, Managing Director at Knight. "We now offer both an intuitive, practical interface, as well as a superior, automated smart-order routing capability with access to every domestic option exchange."

This additional functionality is consistent with the increasing demands for a single desktop application that can handle multi-asset class, domestic and international trading through one unified system. Available in the latest release of Knight Direct EMS, the complex options execution capabilities allow users to build multi-leg custom orders from option contracts listed on all seven of the option exchanges. The custom strategy also allows for the creation of mixed options contracts and equity leg orders, up to four in total. Complex order smart-routing provides for in-line trading of component legs and can be used to work desired strategies.

"We have many clients who, for example, need to hedge their equity positions, whether that be through options, futures or currency," Mr. Cronin said. "We are here to facilitate that complex process."