Trading in equities options is enjoying a resurgence, thanks to recent volatility in underlying cash markets, a burst in IPO activity and heightened hedging action in the stocks of companies such as Apple, Inc. according to reporting by TradersMag. Citing a TABB Group recent study, 0ptions mart trading volume exceeded 1 billion contracts in Q3. The third quarter gains represent a 4.9% increase from the second quarter total and an 8.2% increase from the year-earlier period.

In its latest research, “U.S. Options Market Review: Third Quarter 2014,” Tabb Group also reported that U.S. options volume rebound was driven in part by a 15.8% jump in September’s total as retail fervor around Apple’s new product announcements, the Alibaba IPO and rising volatility brought monthly volume to 365.9 million contracts.

The report, compiled and written by TABB Group principal Andy Nybo, head of derivatives research, also noted that volatility spikes in late July and late September helped push volatility averages up in each month, with the CBOE index averaging 13.5 in both August and September – prompting more trading.

Weeklies trading, Nybo noted, remained strong in the third quarter with volume totaling 270 million contracts, up 7% from the second quarter total and 39% from the year-earlier period.

Noted Matt Gohd, market strategist at WallachBeth Capital, “Aside from volume spikes that typically come with increased volatility, I think there is clearly an increasing trend towards using equity option strategies for opportunistic, alpha capture and hedging purposes on the part of sophisticated investors as well as institutional fund managers.” Added Gohd, “The better news is that an increasing number of fiduciaries recognize that equity option strategies can play a crucial part of their overall approach to managing risk in a responsible way.”