US options trading remained robust in August, as 2006 is set to turn into a record volume year, topping the prior high of 1.5 billion contracts in 2005.

The Options Industry Council, the industry group that represents the six US options exchanges, said 160.45 million options contracts were traded last month, while year-to-date options volume stood at 1.32 billion contracts, up 42.1% over the same period in 2005.