October 23, 2012
I oppose this rule for non-Weekly options. This puts option spread and strategy traders at a disadvantage since the more granular strikes are not available prior to a week before expiration. It forces liquidity from the standard legs into the short-term more granular strikes and increases the liquidation and closing costs prior to expiration.
Over the long-term, this encourages short-term irrational trading one week before expiration and increases the costs of mid- to long-term options traders. It it with these considerations that I oppose this and similiar rules by other SROs.