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LevLane Advertising Wins Two PRSA Pepperpot Awards

LevLane

LevLane Advertising, a full-service, independent advertising, media, digital, and public relations agency, received two awards from the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) Philadelphia Chapter at their 2022 Pepperpot Awards ceremony. The Pepperpot Awards honor Philadelphia-area PR agencies and professionals for exceptional campaigns and tactics. Each year, projects are submitted to be judged by an independent review panel within the PRSA and the best campaigns are awarded with either a Pepperpot for first place, or a Ladle for second place. LevLane was awarded the first place Pepperpot award in the following category: Influencer Programs: Awarded for the work done on behalf of Agile Therapeutics for the partnership campaign featuring USWNT player Carli Lloyd. LevLane was awarded the second place Ladle award in the following category: Research Tactics: Awarded for the work done on behalf of Provident Bank for quarterly original research on banking, finance, and consumer attitudes. “As an agency, our goal has always been to create meaningful, emotional connections between stakeholders and brands,” said Liz Weir, Chief Marketing Officer at LevLane. “Being recognized by our peers for these campaigns is an honor and reinforces the value of our human connection-centric strategy.” About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA, that has been building brands that people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details Lauren Stralo +1 215-825-9692 lstralo@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

February 16, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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XCPCNL Business Services Announces the Issuance of Share Dividend

XCPCNL Business Services Corporation

McapMediaWire -- XCPCNL Business Services Corporation (OTC: XCPL ), a venture development business that leverages knowledge, skill, and experience in the consumer products industry today announces that the company has issued a share dividend. On February 15 th, 2023 a 20% Stock Dividend was issued to shareholders on record as of January 23 rd, 2023. The total Stock Dividend Shares to issue equal 175,373,316. The total Outstanding Post Split equals 1,052,215,982. This is subject to change once DTC sends in their rounding letter on or after February 23 rd, 2023. The Transfer agent has recorded shares and issued to Shareholder Broker/Dealers. Shareholders should receive them in the next 24-48 hours. If not, please contact your Broker/Dealer. XCPCNL Business Services Corporation (OTC Pink: XCPL) encourages shareholders to visit their corporate Twitter account at https://twitter.com/RealXCPCNL Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer: This press release may include, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of the Company may have, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements regarding possible business combinations and the financing thereof and related matters, as well as all other statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "should," "would" and similar expressions, as they relate to our management team or us, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company's filing with the Over-the-Counter Market ("OTC"). All subsequent written or forward-looking oral statements attributable to persons or us acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. About XCPCNL Charlotte, NC-based XCPCNL Business Services is a venture development business that leverages its knowledge, skills, and experience in the consumer products industry. Our primary mission is to provide marketing, technology, and other business services to fast-growing consumer product companies and big-box retailers. XCPCNL is a minority-owned and controlled firm. To learn more about our businesses, services, and opportunities, please contact info@xcpcnl.com To learn more about XPCNL, visit www.xcpcnl.com. For Inquiries: Email: ir@xcpcnl.com Contact Details Tim Matthews ir@xcpcnl.com Company Website http://www.xcpcnl.com/

February 16, 2023 08:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

FRONTERA GROUP ACQUISITION TARGET TEXAS MONEY EXCHANGE ENGAGES FORMER TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER GEORGE P. BUSH AND MICHAEL BEST STRATEGIES, LLC. AS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS ADVISORS

Frontera Group Inc.

McapMediaWire -- Frontera Group, Inc. (OTC: FRTG ) (“Frontera,” “Frontera Group” or “the Company”), a technology-focused strategic acquirer of revenue-generating companies and intellectual property (IP), today announced that in connection with its term sheet to ultimately acquire 100% of the total issued and outstanding shares of common stock of McAllen, Texas-based Texas G & S Investments, Inc. d/b/a Texas Money Exchange (TME) from a joint venture controlled by members of the Solis family, TME has engaged former Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Michael Best Strategies, LLC. as government relations and public affairs advisors. A spokesman for TME stated: “Our collaboration with Commissioner Bush and Michael Best Strategies is something we are looking forward to. Our company operates in the highly regulated financial services sector. We are confident that Commissioner Bush and the Michael Best Strategies team will help us better understand the regulatory and policy environment and the key players, as well as help us communicate the facts to the appropriate parties at the appropriate times in order to produce positive outcomes for our company, our customers, the Great State of Texas, and the United States.” About George P. Bush Bush is a native-born Texan, a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas Law School. A military veteran, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve for 10 years and completed an 8-month tour in Afghanistan. A former businessman, Bush cut his professional teeth in the oil and gas and real estate industries. In 2014, Bush was elected as the 28th Texas Land Commissioner and overwhelmingly re-elected in 2018. During his two terms in office, he built a track record of success collaborating with local, state, and federal officials to make government work better for the citizens of Texas. Through his leadership of the Texas General Land Office, Bush helped thousands of Texans recover from natural disasters, funded Texas public education through the Permanent School Fund, provided benefits to Texas veterans, and preserved the Alamo, vast Texas coastline, and other state-owned lands for future generations of Texans. He also fought to protect the oil and gas industry from federal overreach and bureaucratic rulemaking – and won. Bush is the grandson of President George H.W. Bush, the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and the nephew of President George W. Bush. He lives in Austin with his wife, Amanda, and their two sons. Upon joining Michael Best Strategies, LLC. in January of this year as a principal Bush stated: "I'm thrilled to continue my work in service to fast-growing and dynamic clients in Texas and the rest of the nation as part of Michael Best's team." "Michael Best's focus on the critical issues facing Texas and the nation at large combined with their exceptional team of talented lawyers and advisory experts make for the perfect platform to continue serving the American people." About Michael Best: Michael Best is a full-service firm helping clients navigate the intersection of business and government by providing a full range of services across four primary areas: Governmental Affairs, Public Affairs and Communications, Business and Community Solutions, and cultivation of Strategic Political Relationships. Michael Best also features an affiliate law firm with more than 350 lawyers and technical professionals who work in collaborative, interdisciplinary practices to serve clients around the world. ( www.michaelbeststrategies.com ) About TME TME is a Texas Department of Banking licensed and bonded non-depository financial institution engaged in the money services business (MSB). TME is believed to be the largest foreign exchange and international payment specialist in the Texas Rio Grande Valley (RGV). In business over 27 years, TME is an emerging Fintech and critical cog in the supply chain between the United States and Mexico. On behalf of its customers TME conducts business foreign exchange USD-MXN (Dollars/Pesos), business payments USD-MXN, payment of vendors in Mexico, receiver of payments from Mexico and makes authorized freight voucher payments. TME customers include importers and exporters of a wide range of products such as machinery, equipment, Tupperware, pickles, avocados, watermelon, lemons, limes, mango and many other products Americans use and consume on a daily basis. ( www.texasmoney.com ). About Frontera Frontera Group is a strategic acquirer of intellectual property and revenue-generating companies in the technology and human capital markets. It is developing and executing an aggressive, four-tier acquisition and implementation strategy intended to provide substantial increases in profitability to its acquisitions in industries with traditionally low and stagnant EBITDA multiples. The Company has identified and is currently pursuing several revenue-generating acquisition targets. For further information, please visit Frontera’s website at www.frtgtech.com. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 The statements contained in this news release which are not historical facts may be “forward-looking statements” that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. For example, statements that describe FRTG’s hopes, plans, objectives, goals, intentions, or expectations are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made herein are only made as of the date of this news release. Numerous factors, many of which are beyond FRTG’s control, will affect actual results. FRTG undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. This news release should be read in conjunction with FRTG’s most recent financial reports and other filings posted with the OTC Markets and/or the U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission by FRTG. Frontera Group Contact K. Bryce Toussaint, Board Director invest@frtgtech.com Investor Relations Contact Lindsey Harasta lindsey@frtgtech.com Contact Details Investor Relations Contact lindsey@frtgtech.com

February 16, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL ADVERTISERS PRESENTS THE 2023 DRIVING INFLUENCE AWARD TO QYOU MEDIA FOR ITS ‘OKAY HYUNDAI’ TIKTOK CAMPAIGN

QYOU Media

Contact Details QYOU Media Doug Barker +1 437-992-4814 shareholder@qyoutv.com Company Website https://www.qyoumedia.com

February 16, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Video

News Release

Transportation and Logistics Systems Inc (OTC:TLSS): Here Are Latest Developments & Updates

TopNewsGuide - Market News & Commentary

The logistics industry remains the backbone of most forms of commerce in the world and hence, companies involved in that sector often attract attention from investors in a big way. A company involved in the sector that has been doing stellar work for quite a while is Transportation and Logistics Systems Inc (OTC:TLSS). As the name suggests, it is a transpiration and logistics firm it operates in the United States. The company conducts most of its operations through its subsidiary units. The company offers a wide range of services, which include two-person home delivery, last-mile delivery, e-commerce fulfillment, pickup and warehousing services, and mid-mile and long-mile services. At the end of the 2021 calendar year, the company owned a total of 17 vehicles. It is based out of Jupiter in Florida. On February 6, Transportation and Logistics Systems announced that its fully owned subsidiary unit TLSS-STI Inc had managed to complete the acquisition of the entirety of the outstanding stock in Severance Trucking Co Inc, McGrath Trailer Leasing Inc, and Severance Warehousing Inc. The companies collectively form Severance and are based out of Dracut in Massachusetts. The Chief Executive Officer of Transportation and Logistics Systems, Sebastian Giordano, spoke about the latest acquisition as well. He noted that over the course of more than a hundred years, several generations of a single family had managed to build Severance into a company of impeccable reputation. He went on to note that he was thrilled at the possibility of many members of the Severance family are going to remain and joining hands so as to grow the combined business. The total cost of the acquisition stood at $2,250,000 and also included closing expenses to the tune of $10,747. At the closing of the transaction, TLSS-STI paid $365,613 in the form of cash, took over and paid off vehicle debt worth $152,748, and got into a secured promissory note with the seller bearing the value of $1,572,939. The promissory note is going to carry an annual interest rate of 12%. The entirety of the unpaid principal of the promissory note is supposed to be paid off in three installments on August 1, 2023, February 1, 2024, and August 1, 2024. Back on January 26, 2023, Giordano provided an update to the stakeholders of Transportation and Logistics Systems. Some of the highlights from the list of updates include the expansion of the board of directors and enhanced corporate governance. The company further strengthened its executive team in the fields of human resources, operations, and finance. The company also managed to complete the acquisitions of Freight Connections and JFK Cartage. It was also noted that Transportation and Logistics Systems was in negotiations for two more acquisitions. Last November, Transportation, and Logistics Systems announced its financial results for the three-month and nine-month periods, both of which ended on September 30, 2022. The revenues came in at $1,700,000 and that reflected a year-on-year rise of as much as 40.9%. The company noted at the time that such a change of fortunes was primarily driven by the acquisitions of Freight Connections and JFK Cartage. The losses suffered in the quarter stood at $1,016,000, which was actually a significant drop from the losses of $1,896,000 suffered in the prior year period. Disclaimers: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, assumptions, objectives, goals, assumptions of future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements, indicating certain actions & quotes; may, could or might occur Understand there is no guarantee past performance is indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap or growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investor's investment may be lost or due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. TopNewsGuide 'TNG' (Owned by RazorPitch Inc) is responsible for the production and distribution of this content. TNG is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment advisor. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. TNG authors, contributors, or its agents, may be compensated for preparing research, video graphics, and editorial content. TNG has not been compensated to produce and syndicate this content. As part of that content, readers, subscribers, and webs are expected to read the full disclaimers and financial disclosure statement that can be found on our website http://topnewsguide.com Contact Details Mark McKelvie +1 585-301-7700 markrmckelvie@gmail.com Company Website http://topnewsguide.com

February 15, 2023 07:24 PM Eastern Standard Time

News Release

Foothills Exploration (OTC:FTXP) Acquires Certain Leases and Wells In OKLAHOMA

TopNewsGuide - Market News & Commentary

The oil and gas exploration and development industry has gained a lot of traction among investors over the course of the past year or so and for good reason. The volatility in oil prices and the overall upward momentum in the same resulted in investors becoming increasingly interested in the sector. Foothills Exploration (OTCMKTS:FTXP) is involved in the same industry and is engaged in providing for the energy needs of the present as well as the future. The company’s strategy is to create a balanced portfolio of assets in two unique ways. The first of those is to come up with oil and gas exploration assets with a high impact. The second is to prepare for the low carbon future through involvement in geothermal and hydrogen projects. The second part of its business strategy is executed by Foothills’ New Energy Divisions unit, which is involved in the identification of assets that can help it in contributing towards a more sustainable future. The company has been making some strong moves in recent times and earlier in the week on Monday, it announced that it had managed to complete the acquisition of some wells and leases in Comanche County in Oklahoma. It was announced that back on January 31, 2023, Foothills had been successful in closing the acquisition of as many as 21 shallow oil and gas wells. All those wells are located in Comanche County in Oklahoma and spread across four separate leases. The wells in question are classified as stripper wells with an average depth of 1200 feet and mainly produce thanks to the Granite Wash formation. It was also announced at the time that Foothills was going to commence the return to production operations at the wells immediately. The new production is expected to begin at the site in the week of February 20, 2023. Foothills noted that based on the current price of oil, it is expected to generate revenues to the tune of $432,000 from these wells over the course of the coming 12 months. The wells are going to be operated by WHZ Oil & Gas, which is an indirect subsidiary of Foothills. Back on January 27 this year, Foothills had come up with a key corporate update. It announced at the time that back on November 25, 2022, it had signed a settlement agreement with its biggest institutional lender. By way of the agreement, as many as 11 convertible promissory notes carrying an aggregate principal amount of $6,368,333 were retired and canceled. The agreement also led to the cancellation of 3.9 billion associated warrants. It was also announced that on January 9, 2023, the company had signed a lockup and settlement agreement with the same institutional investor for a convertible promissory note which carried a principal amount of $390,000. Last but certainly not least, back in August last year Foothills had made a significant announcement that could have an effect on the company’s future. On August 25, 2022, the company had announced that the completion operations at the Houser-Sears #6 well had been started. The well had been logged and drilled successfully, which also gave the indication of the possibility of new reserves in the leasehold. The completion logs and the geological analysis indicated that there could be at least six more zones with oil-bearing formations. Disclaimers: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, assumptions, objectives, goals, assumptions of future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements, indicating certain actions & quotes; may, could or might occur Understand there is no guarantee past performance is indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap or growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investor's investment may be lost or due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. TopNewsGuide 'TNG' (Owned by RazorPitch Inc) is responsible for the production and distribution of this content. TNG is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment advisor. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. TNG authors, contributors, or its agents, may be compensated for preparing research, video graphics, and editorial content. TNG has not been compensated to produce and syndicate this content. As part of that content, readers, subscribers, and webs are expected to read the full disclaimers and financial disclosure statement that can be found on our website http://topnewsguide.com Contact Details Mark McKelvie +1 585-301-7700 markrmckelvie@gmail.com Company Website http://topnewsguide.com

February 15, 2023 07:15 PM Eastern Standard Time

News Release

Bidstack expanding in-game advertising strategy into North American market

Bidstack Group PLC

Bidstack CEO James Draper and chief revenue officer Jude O'Connor joined Proactive's Natalie Stoberman to discuss the company's latest expansion in North America. Draper said the expansion is led by O'Connor, who will be leading teams across sales, publishing, marketing, and strategy while scaling the company’s local teams and steering a go-to-market strategy centered on educating the US market on Bidstack’s in-game technology. Bidstack is the leading in-game advertising and video game monetisation platform that bridges the gap between the interactive entertainment industries and advertisers by enhancing the gaming experience with immersive advertising. Contact Details Proactive Investors US +1 347-449-0879 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

February 15, 2023 01:57 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Sekur Private Data Announces Its 2023 Budget Is Fully Covered With Existing Cash Flow

Sekur Private Data Ltd

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga Sekur Private Data Ltd. (OTCQX: SWISF) (CSE: SKUR) (FRA: GDT0) is a US-listed cybersecurity and internet privacy company with roots in Switzerland that provides private and secure communications solutions. It uses its own servers and military-grade encryption security and combines them with its proprietary encryption and Swiss data privacy laws. The company is best known for its corporate products like SekurMail and SekurMessenger which offer users complete privacy. Capitalizing on the strict Swiss privacy laws, Sekur has built a brand that prides itself on state-of-the-art technology allowing for secure communication. The company has seen great success in Latin America and even recently announced its advancement into the privacy markets with its new VPN product, SekurVPN. Sekur also recently announced a partnership with Nobleus, an American all-encompassing e-commerce platform that offers customers tools and resources to run a successful online business. The agreement will allow Nobleus the rights to distribute and resell Sekur services and products to its client base. Nobleus is expected to provide these services to its clients in Q1 2023. This agreement will help position Sekur as an alternative security and privacy communications platform and allow online American businesses to become more independent from big-tech platforms. Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data said: "We are very pleased to have partnered with Nobleus. Nobleus is an innovative company and is progressing very nicely on all fronts in its e-commerce platform rollout. We believe partnering with Nobleus will provide substantial growth opportunities for Sekur to reach the consumer masses through their unique distribution model. Our prime directive is to provide private and secure communications for everyone.” Sekur Announces Its 2023 Finalized Budget In another exciting announcement, Sekur announces that it is entering 2023 with no debt and no need to raise cash to meet its 2023 budget obligations. As of the announcement, the company had approximately $3 million in cash and an established budget of $2,360,000 for 2023. The 2023 budget includes all of its expenses. The company reported a 50% decrease in the budget from 2022 for its marketing, hardware, and general and administrative needs. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y67PiL8Pcig" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> The company is looking at an increase in gross sales and is confident in its ability to succeed in these goals, largely due to the expansion of products launched at the end of 2022, as well as upcoming launches in 2023, like SekurVPN. Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur Private Data said: "We are pleased to announce that we have been able to cut close to 50% of our expenses for 2023, and still expect an increase in sales. Some of the assumptions are due to the new marketing plan we have and some of the sales increases are attributed to the B2B relationships we have signed and established in Latin America and the USA. There has been a lot of chatter, on some investment forums notably, about our need to raise funds in 2023, and we can now demonstrate with certitude that we have no need for new funding to meet the needs of the Company for the 2023 fiscal year. 2023 will increase focus on establishing more B2B relationships and on SMB marketing, as we continue to expand our direct-to-consumer base. As we are not connected to any Big Tech platform, we offer a truly independent, private and secure means of communications without any data mining, through our proprietary technology and our secure servers based in Switzerland. We look forward to continuing to offer true data privacy to all individuals and their businesses and protect their intellectual property, and their privacy, from data miners and malicious hackers." This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Sekur Private Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure communications and secure data management. The Company distributes a suite of secure cloud-based storage, disaster recovery, document management, encrypted e-mails, and secure communication tools. Sekur Private Data Ltd. sells its products through its websites www.sekur.com and www.sekursuite.com, and approved distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. Sekur Private Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Corporate Department corporate@sekurprivatedata.com Company Website https://sekurprivatedata.com

February 15, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

The SPIKES® Index Might Be A More Stable, Accurate Measure Of Volatility Than VIX®

Benzinga

By Rachael Green, Benzinga SPIKES Volatility Index is a measure of the 30-day expected volatility for the S&P500 ETF (SPY) and may be gaining in popularity as the new way to look at volatility, especially among traders. Volatility trading has become a popular means of hedging portfolios or turning market assumptions into tradable opportunities, and subtle differences in the methodologies used to calculate SPIKES and VIX could make the former a more suitable index for those kinds of short-term trades. Here’s a quick look at how the two volatility measures differ and why that matters. How VIX Methodology Works and Why Traders May Want an Alternative VIX generates a quantified measure of future volatility by tracking options contracts, which grant the holder the right to buy or sell an underlying asset at a future date for a guaranteed price. An investor might buy a put option to sell a stock at $20 per share in 30 days if they believed the stock price might dip below $20 in that time period, for example. Alternatively, they might buy a call option to buy a stock at $20 per share in 30 days if they believed the stock’s price would rise above that price. That function of either hedging losses or realizing gains the investor assumes will happen in the future is precisely why the options market is such a useful way to gauge near-term volatility and why VIX is sometimes called the “fear gauge.” As useful as it is, VIX methodology for calculating its value comes with some limitations. Namely, it only tracks options traded on the CBOE Options Exchange and only the less liquid SPX options on that exchange. That limited dataset gives a peek into the S&P 500 options market but not the full picture. SPX options are European-style options based on the S&P 500 index itself. That means the option contracts are larger (and more expensive), can’t be exercised before their expiration date, and trading stops the day before they expire. Those features make them less liquid and prone to wider spreads. One drawback to that lack of liquidity and larger spread is that it can impact the midpoint formula the VIX uses to calculate options prices. The formula sets the price of options as the midpoint in their bid-ask spread. This more or less creates a theoretical “average” contract price rather than the actual price the contracts are trading at. Finally, the VIX updates every 15 seconds, which isn’t a problem for long-term investors using it to check in on market sentiment and volatility. For short-term trading, however, those 15 seconds can be the crucial difference between a trade generating yield or losing money. What the SPIKES Index Does Differently The SPIKES Volatility Index (SPIKE) was designed specifically to address some of the limitations of VIX. While both are a measure of 30-day expected volatility of the S&P 500, one of the most notable differences is SPIKES use of SPY options rather than SPX options. SPY options are the most actively traded exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the world, with strong liquidity and potentially smaller spreads. By tracking SPY options, the SPIKES Volatility Index seeks to minimize the impact of spread on price movements and provide a more precise measure of volatility. Another means of increasing that precision is the use of options data from all 16 U.S. options exchanges instead, whereas SPX options are only traded on one exchange. Finally, SPIKES utilizes a proprietary price-dragging technique for capturing live options prices as an alternative to the midpoint pricing used for VIX. Rather than approximating an average price, SPIKES uses pricing data from actual trades. And instead of updating the index price every 15 seconds, it updates every 100 milliseconds for pinpoint accuracy, making it a viable tool for short-term traders. Differences In Methodology Became Clear In The Aftermath Of Interest Rate Hikes On Sept. 21, 2022, stock prices slumped after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates another 0.25% and provided a clear example of how SPIKES methodology results in a more stable index during moments of low liquidity or high volatility. While SPIKES and VIX move in tandem with each other most of the time, VIX diverged nearly 10% from SPIKES in the five-minute window following the Fed’s rate hike press release. During that window, SPIKES vacillated in the high 27s but VIX spiked above 30 and didn’t move until 2:06 p.m. when it tipped back down to realign with SPIKES. While you can’t trade the Index directly, there are options, futures, and ETFs available on SPIKES. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. The information contained in this document is the proprietary information of Miami International Holdings, Inc. (MIH), however its accuracy and completeness is not expressly nor implicitly guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The information in this document is provided for information purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for financial or legal advice. The information herein is presented “as is” and without representations or warranties of any kind. MIH shall not be liable for loss or damage, direct, indirect or consequential, arising from any use of this information. Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Prior to buying or selling an option, a person must receive a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. Copies are available from your broker, by calling 1-888-OPTIONS or from The Options Clearing Corporation at www.theocc.com. No statement within this document should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell a security or futures contract or to provide investment advice. Contact Details Benzinga +1 877-440-9464 info@benzinga.com Company Website http://www.benzinga.com

February 15, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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