American Stock Exchange to Trade Options On Twenty Two Additional Securities

American Stock Exchange to Trade Options On Twenty Two Additional
Securities 


NEW YORK, Oct. 18  /PRNewswire/ -- The American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R))
will launch trading in options on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 on the following
American Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Stock Market and New York Stock Exchange listed
stocks of:

   -- AAR CORP.  (Symbol: AIR)
   -- Alamosa Holdings, Inc.  (Option Symbol: CUT/ Stock Symbol: APCS)
   -- BioSante Pharmaceuticals (Symbol: BPA)
   -- Carpenter Technology Corporation (Symbol: CRS)
   -- Cogent, Inc. (Option Symbol: QAO/ Stock Symbol: COGT)
   -- Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. (Symbol: ERJ)
   -- EnCana Corporation (Symbol: ECA)
   -- Harvest Natural Resources, Inc.  (Symbol: HNR)
   -- Micrel, Incorporated (Option Symbol: MIQ/Stock Symbol: MCRL)
   -- Questar Corporation  (Symbol: STR)
   -- Redwood Trust, Inc. (Symbol: RWT)
   -- RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.  (RNR)
   -- Ship Finance International Limited (Symbol: SFL)
   -- Southern Peru Copper Corporation (Symbol: PCU)
   -- Southwestern Energy Company (Symbol: SWN)
   -- Star Scientific, Inc. (Option Symbol: QSE/Stock Symbol: STSI)
   -- Steel Technologies Inc. (Option Symbol: SFU/Stock Symbol: STTX)
   -- The Toronto -Dominion Bank (Symbol: TD)
   -- UICI (Symbol: UCI)
   -- United Industrial Corporation (Symbol: UIC)
   -- Willis Group Holdings Limited (Symbol: WSH)
   -- Witness Systems, Inc. (Option Symbol: UPJ/Stock Symbol: WITS)



AAR CORP. options will open with position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The
options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist will be
Charlton Specialist Partners, LLC.  AAR CORP. supplies aftermarket products and
services to the global aviation/aerospace industry.

Alamosa Holdings, Inc. options will open with position limits of 7,500,000
shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist
will be Kellogg Capital Group, LLC. Alamosa Holdings, Inc. provides wireless
personal communications services in the southwestern and midwestern US.

BioSante Pharmaceuticals options will open with position limits of 1,350,000
shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist
will be Kellogg Capital Group, LLC.  Amex-listed BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
is an emerging pharmaceutical company that develops hormone replacement
products to treat testosterone deficiency in men and estrogen deficiency in
women.  BioSante is also developing its nanoparticulate-based platform
technology for novel vaccines, vaccine adjuvant and drug delivery systems.

Carpenter Technology Corporation options will open with position limits of
2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The
specialist will be Fogel Group, LLC. Carpenter Technology Corporation
manufactures, fabricates and distributes stainless steels, titanium and
specialty metal alloys.

Cogent, Inc. options will open with position limits of 2,250,000 shares. The
options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist will be
TANSTAAFL Research & Trading, LLC. Cogent, Inc. provides automated fingerprint
identification systems and other fingerprint biometric solutions to
governments, law enforcement agencies and other organizations worldwide.

EMBRAER-EMPRESA BRASILEIRA DE AERONAUTICA S.A., American Depositary Shares
options will open with position limits of 3,150,000 shares.  The options will
trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist will be AGS Specialists,
LLC.  Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A. manufactures and markets
commercial, corporate and defense aircraft.

EnCana options will open with position limits of 6,000,000 shares.  The options
will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist will be Stuyvesant
Trading Group.  EnCana Corporation explores for, develops, produces and markets
natural gas, crude oil and natural gas liquids.

Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. options will open with position limits of
2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The
specialist will be Group One Trading L.P.  Harvest Natural Resources, Inc. is
an independent oil and gas exploration and development company with principal
operations in Venezuela and Russia.

Micrel, Incorporated options will open with position limits of 7,500,000
shares.  The options will trade on the February expiration cycle. The
specialist will be Kellogg Capital Group, LLC.  Micrel, Incorporated designs,
develops, manufactures and markets analog power integrated circuits and digital
integrated circuits.

Questar Corporation options will open with position limits of 2,250,000 shares.
 The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist will be
Stuyvesant Trading Group.  Questar Corporation is an integrated energy services
holding company which operates through its market resources and regulated
services divisions.

Redwood Trust, Inc., options will open with position limits of 2,250,000
shares.  The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist
will be LaBranche Structured Products, LLC.  Redwood Trust, Inc., a real estate
investment trust, specializes in owning, financing and credit- enhancing
high-quality jumbo residential mortgages loans.

RenaissanceRe Holdings LTD. options will open with position limits of 3,150,000
shares.  The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist
will be Fogel Group, LLC.  RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. is a global provider of
reinsurance and insurance.

Ship Finance International Limited options will open with position limits of
1,350,000 shares.  The options will trade on the February expiration cycle. The
specialist will be Bowery Specialist Group, LLC.   Ship Finance International
Limited operates very large crude carriers (VLCC) to transport crude oil.

Southern Peru Copper Corporation options will open with position limits of
2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The
specialist will be TD Options, LLC.  Southern Peru Copper Corporation mines,
smelts and refines copper.

Southwestern Energy Company options will open with position limits of 2,250,000
shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist
will be Stuyvesant Trading Group.  Southwestern Energy Company is an integrated
energy company primarily focused on natural gas.

Star Scientific, Inc. options will open with position limits of 3,150,000
shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist
will be Charlton Specialist Partners, LLC. Star Scientific, Inc. is developing
proprietary scientific technology for the curing of tobacco so as to prevent,
retard or reduce the formation of carcinogenic toxins present in tobacco.

Steel Technologies Inc. options will open with position limits of 1,350,000
shares.  The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist
will be TANSTAAFL Research & Trading, LLC.  Steel Technologies Inc. processes
flat-rolled steel to specified close tolerances for industrial customers who
require steel of precise thickness, width, temper, finish and shape for their
manufacturing purposes.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank options will open with position limits of 1,350,000
shares.  The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The specialist
will be Group One Trading L.P.  The Toronto-Dominion Bank conducts a general
banking business through banking branches and offices located throughout Canada
and overseas.

UICI options will open with position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The options
will trade on the February expiration cycle. The specialist will be Group One
Trading L.P.  UICI is a diversified financial services company which, through
subsidiaries, offers insurance and financial services to niche consumer
markets.

United Industrial Corporation options will open with position limits of
1,350,000 shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The
specialist will be AGS Specialists, LLC.   United Industrial Corporation
designs and produces defense, training, transportation and energy systems.

Willis Group Holdings Limited options will open with position limits of
7,500,000 shares.  The options will trade on the January expiration cycle. The
specialist will be Fogel Group, LLC.  Willis Group Holdings Limited provides a
range of value-added risk management consulting and employee benefits and
insurance brokering services.

Witness Systems, Inc. options will open with position limits of 3,150,000
shares.  The options will trade on the March expiration cycle. The specialist
will be TANSTAAFL Research & Trading, LLC. Witness Systems, Inc. provides
business-driven multimedia recording and analysis software.

The American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) is the only primary exchange that
offers trading across a full range of equities, options and exchange traded
funds (ETFs), including structured products and HOLDRS(SM). In addition to its
role as a national equities market, the Amex is the pioneer of the ETF,
responsible for bringing the first domestic product to market in 1993. Leading
the industry in ETF listings, the Amex lists 143 ETFs to date. The Amex is also
one of the largest options exchanges in the U.S., trading options on
broad-based and sector indexes as well as domestic and foreign stocks. 

DATASOURCE: The American Stock Exchange



CONTACT:  Lynn Duffy of The American Stock Exchange, [phone], or

 



Web site:  http://www.amex.com/

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