HSX MovieStock prices reflect expectations of box office revenues generated in the first four weeks of a movie’s release. For example, a price of H$45 corresponds with cumulative grosses of $45 million at the end of the fourth week. Each trader, provided he or she has sufficient funds,
can own a maximum of 50,000 shares of an individual MovieStock, and buy, sell, short or cover securities at any given moment. Trading starts when the MovieStock has its official IPO on the HSX market, which usually happens months, sometimes years, prior to the movie's theatrical release.
CLDMT began trading in March 1998, well over four years prior to its theatrical opening. Initially, traders may have little information to base their betting decisions on. When CLDMT debuted on the market, they may have known only that United Artists had bought the screen rights to the debut
novel by Charles Frazier, the book was a love story set in the Civil War, and Tom Cruise was one of the actors considered for the male leading role. More information will reach traders in subsequent
months. Trading usually peaks in the days before and after the movie's release. For instance, the day
before its opening on December 25, 2003, over 14 million shares of CLDMT were traded.