American Stock Exchange to Trade Options on Seven Additional Securities

American Stock Exchange to Trade Options on Seven Additional
Securities 


NEW YORK, May 12  /PRNewswire/ -- The American Stock Exchange(R) (Amex(R)) will
launch trading in options on Thursday, May 13, 2004 on the following Nasdaq
Stock Market and New York Stock Exchange listed stocks of:

   * ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. (Symbol: AMI)

   * Amedisys, Inc. (Option Symbol: CQW/Stock Symbol: AMED)

   * Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. (Option Symbol: BFU/Stock
     Symbol: BPFH)

   * Edge Petroleum Corporation (Option Symbol: EBQ/Stock Symbol: EPEX)

   * Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Option Symbol: QUJ/Stock Symbol: EYET)

   * Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Class A (Symbol: NUS)

   * USF Corporation (Option Symbol: CZQ/Stock Symbol: USFC)



ALARIS Medical Systems, Inc. options will open with strike prices of 17-1/2 -
20 - 22-1/2 and position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on
the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September,
and December.  The specialist will be Bowery Specialist Group, LLC.  ALARIS
Medical Systems, Inc. designs, manufactures and markets intravenous medication
delivery and infusion therapy devices, needle-free disposables and related
monitoring equipment.

Amedisys, Inc. options will open with strike prices of 22-1/2 - 25 - 30 and
position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on the March
expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and
December.  The specialist will be Susquehanna Investment Group.  Amedisys, Inc.
is a multi-regional provider of alternate-site health care services.  The
Company offers home health care nursing, home infusion therapy and ambulatory
surgery centers.

Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. options will open with strike prices of
20 - 22-1/2 - 25 and position limits of 1,350,000 shares.  The options will
trade on the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June,
September, and December.  The specialist will be Wolverine Trading, L.P. 
Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc. is the holding company for Boston
Private Bank & Trust Company, Westfield Capital Management Company, Inc., Sand
Hill Advisors, Inc. and RINET Company, Inc.  The Company offers a variety of
banking, commercial and residential lending services, as well as trust and
investment management services to its domestic and international clientele.

Edge Petroleum Corporation options will open with strike prices of 12-1/2 - 15
- 17-1/2 and position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on
the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September,
and December.  The specialist will be Highland Securities Corp.  Edge Petroleum
Corporation explores for, develops and produces oil and natural gas.  The
Company applies an integrated application of data visualization techniques and
computerized three-dimensional seismic data analysis to identify potential
hydrocarbon accumulations.

Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. options will open with strike prices of 30 - 35 -
40 and position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on the
March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and
December.  The specialist will be Tanstaafl Research & Trading, LLC.  Eyetech
Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and
commercializes novel therapeutics to treat diseases of the eye.

Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. Class A options will open with strike prices of
22-1/2 - 25 - 30 and position limits of 3,150,000 shares.  The options will
trade on the March expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June,
September, and December.  The specialist will be Charlton Specialist Partners,
LLC.  Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. is a global direct selling company.  The
Company distributes premium quality personal care products and nutritional
supplements.

USF Corporation options will open with strike prices of 25 - 30 - 35 and
position limits of 2,250,000 shares.  The options will trade on the March
expiration cycle with initial expirations in May, June, September, and
December.  The specialist will be Kellogg Capital Group, LLC.  USF Corporation
provides a variety of supply chain management services.  The Company's services
include regional less-than-truckload transportation, logistics and regional and
national truckload transportation.

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 138 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: American Stock Exchange



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





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

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