Intrinsic value and time value are two of the primary determinants of an option's price. Intrinsic value can be defined as the amount by which the strike price of an option is in-the-money. It is actually the portion of an option's price that is not lost due to the passage of time. The following equations will allow you to calculate the intrinsic value of call and put options:
Call Options: Intrinsic value = Underlying Stock's Current Price - Call Strike Price Time Value = Call Premium - Intrinsic Value
Put Options: Intrinsic value = Put Strike Price - Underlying Stock's Current Price Time Value = Put Premium - Intrinsic Value
ATM and OTM options don't have any intrinsic value because they do not have any real value. You are simply buying time value, which decreases as an option approaches expiration. The intrinsic value of an option is not dependent on the time left until expiration. It is simply an option's minimum value; it tells you the minimum amount an option is worth. Time value is the amount by which the price of an option exceeds its intrinsic value. Also referred to as extrinsic value, time value decays over time. In other words, the time value of an option is directly related to how much time an option has until expiration. The more time an option has until expiration, the greater the option's chance of ending up in-the-money. Time value has a snowball effect. If you have ever bought options, you may have noticed that at a certain point close to expiration, the market seems to stop moving anywhere. That's because option prices are exponential-the closer you get to expiration, the more money you're going to lose i f the market doesn't move. On the expiration day, all an option is worth is its intrinsic value. It's either in-the-money, or it isn't.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Put Options
Put options give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to sell an underlying asset at the strike price until market close on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. Just like call options, put options come in various strike prices depending on the current market price of the underlying instrument with a variety of expiration dates. Expiration dates can vary from one month out to more than a year (LEAPS options). However, unlike call options, you might consider going long a put option if you expect market prices to fall (bearish). In contrast, if you are bullish (expect the market to rise), you might consider selling a put option.
If you choose to buy or go long a put option, you are purchasing the right to sell the underlying instrument at whatever strike price you choose until the expiration date. The premium of the long put option will show up as a debit in your trading account. The cost of the premium is the maximum loss you risk by purchasing a put option. The maximum profit is limited to the downside as the underlying stock falls to zero. A profit can be made in one of two ways if the underlying market declines. By exercising a put option, you are short 100 shares of the underlying stock. If and when the underlying stock falls below the put strike price, you can exercise the put to short the shares at a higher price and then buy the underlying stock at a cheaper price to cover the short and exit the trade (strike price - current price = profit). The second technique for profiting on a put comes from offsetting it. If the price of the underlying stock falls, the corresponding put premium increases and can then be sold at a profit. If you go long a put option and the underlying security (index or stock) increases in price, the value of the put will fall. Then you can either sell the put at a loss or let it expire worthless.
If you choose to sell or go short a put option, you are selling the right to sell the underlying stock at a particular strike price to an option holder. The premium of the short put will show up as a credit in your trading account. In most cases, you are anticipating that the short put option will simply expire worthless on the expiration date so that you can keep the premium received. The premium amount is the maximum profit you can receive by selling a put option. If the underlying stock falls below the put strike price, the put will most likely be assigned to an option holder who may choose to exercise the option. The option seller then has an obligation to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock at the put strike price from the option holder. You will then be long 100 shares of the underlying stock and your loss depends on how low the price of the underlying stock falls as you try to sell the shares to exit the position. Experienced traders who choose to go short put options do so in a stable or bull market because the put will not be exercised unless the market falls.
Put options give you the right to sell something at a specific price for a fixed amount of time. A put option is in-the-money (ITM) when the strike price is higher than the market price of the underlying asset. A put option is at-the-money (ATM) when the price of the underlying is equal (or close) to its strike price. A put option is out-of-the-money (OTM) when the price of the underlying security is greater than the strike price.
Example:
Jane opens a small travel business that specializes in island vacations. The manager of a a local business agrees to purchase 100 trips to Hawaii in January for $300 round-trip as perks for his employees. Jane's computed total cost of each trip is $200-a $100 profit on each trip which locks in a guaranteed profit of $10,000 for her initial period of operation. In effect, the guaranteed order is a put option.
Scenario 1: As luck would have it, just as November rolls around, a competitor offers the same trip for only $250. If Jane didn't have a put option agreement, she would have to drop her price to meet the competition's price, and thereby lose a significant amount of profit. Luckily, she exercises her right to sell the trips to Hawaii for $300 each and enjoys a healthy profit in the new year. Jane's put option was in-the-money in comparison to the price of her competitor.
Scenario 2: Jane gets a call from another client who needs to set up 100 trips in January to fulfill obligations to his management team and is willing to pay up to $400 per trip. Since Jane is under no obligation to sell the trips to her first customer, she agrees to sell them for the higher market price and makes a total profit of $20,000 on the deal.
Put Option Review
1. Put options give traders the right, but not the obligation, to sell the underlying stock at the strike price until market close on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. A put option is in-the-money (ITM) if its strike price is above the current price of the underlying stock. A put option is out-of-the-money (OTM) if its strike price is below the current price of the underlying stock. A put option is at-the-money (ATM) if its strike price is the same as (or close to) the current price of the underlying stock.
2. Buying Puts - If the options trader is bearish -- i.e. believes the underlying stock or index will fall in price -- the trader can buy (go long) puts. When the put is purchased, it is called an opening transaction. Now, the buyer has rights. A put buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to sell the underlying stock at the strike price of the option until the expiration date. Furthermore, if a trader buys a put option, the risk of the trade equals the money paid for the option, or the debit. The profit is equal to the fall in the price of the underlying asset. The profit will result if the underlying security moves lower. The profit is limited because the underlying asset will not fall below zero. Finally, to offset a long put, the trader will sell a put with the same terms (strike price and expiration) to "close" out the position. On the other hand, if the trader exercises a long put, then he or she is selling, or short, the underlying stock or index at the strike price of the put option.
3. Selling Puts - If the options trader is bullish -- believes the market will rise -- the trade can sell (go short) puts. Sellers have obligations. A put seller has the obligation to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock at the put strike price. In other words, the option seller must be ready to have the stock "put" to him or her. The put seller's risk is the drop in the stock price, which is limited to the stock falling to zero. The profit equals the credit received from the sale of the put. Put sellers often prefer options with little time left until expiration because they want a put to expire worthless. In that way, the seller keeps the entire premium. A short put is offset by purchasing a put with the same strike price and expiration to close out the position.
If you choose to buy or go long a put option, you are purchasing the right to sell the underlying instrument at whatever strike price you choose until the expiration date. The premium of the long put option will show up as a debit in your trading account. The cost of the premium is the maximum loss you risk by purchasing a put option. The maximum profit is limited to the downside as the underlying stock falls to zero. A profit can be made in one of two ways if the underlying market declines. By exercising a put option, you are short 100 shares of the underlying stock. If and when the underlying stock falls below the put strike price, you can exercise the put to short the shares at a higher price and then buy the underlying stock at a cheaper price to cover the short and exit the trade (strike price - current price = profit). The second technique for profiting on a put comes from offsetting it. If the price of the underlying stock falls, the corresponding put premium increases and can then be sold at a profit. If you go long a put option and the underlying security (index or stock) increases in price, the value of the put will fall. Then you can either sell the put at a loss or let it expire worthless.
If you choose to sell or go short a put option, you are selling the right to sell the underlying stock at a particular strike price to an option holder. The premium of the short put will show up as a credit in your trading account. In most cases, you are anticipating that the short put option will simply expire worthless on the expiration date so that you can keep the premium received. The premium amount is the maximum profit you can receive by selling a put option. If the underlying stock falls below the put strike price, the put will most likely be assigned to an option holder who may choose to exercise the option. The option seller then has an obligation to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock at the put strike price from the option holder. You will then be long 100 shares of the underlying stock and your loss depends on how low the price of the underlying stock falls as you try to sell the shares to exit the position. Experienced traders who choose to go short put options do so in a stable or bull market because the put will not be exercised unless the market falls.
Put options give you the right to sell something at a specific price for a fixed amount of time. A put option is in-the-money (ITM) when the strike price is higher than the market price of the underlying asset. A put option is at-the-money (ATM) when the price of the underlying is equal (or close) to its strike price. A put option is out-of-the-money (OTM) when the price of the underlying security is greater than the strike price.
Example:
Jane opens a small travel business that specializes in island vacations. The manager of a a local business agrees to purchase 100 trips to Hawaii in January for $300 round-trip as perks for his employees. Jane's computed total cost of each trip is $200-a $100 profit on each trip which locks in a guaranteed profit of $10,000 for her initial period of operation. In effect, the guaranteed order is a put option.
Scenario 1: As luck would have it, just as November rolls around, a competitor offers the same trip for only $250. If Jane didn't have a put option agreement, she would have to drop her price to meet the competition's price, and thereby lose a significant amount of profit. Luckily, she exercises her right to sell the trips to Hawaii for $300 each and enjoys a healthy profit in the new year. Jane's put option was in-the-money in comparison to the price of her competitor.
Scenario 2: Jane gets a call from another client who needs to set up 100 trips in January to fulfill obligations to his management team and is willing to pay up to $400 per trip. Since Jane is under no obligation to sell the trips to her first customer, she agrees to sell them for the higher market price and makes a total profit of $20,000 on the deal.
Put Option Review
1. Put options give traders the right, but not the obligation, to sell the underlying stock at the strike price until market close on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. A put option is in-the-money (ITM) if its strike price is above the current price of the underlying stock. A put option is out-of-the-money (OTM) if its strike price is below the current price of the underlying stock. A put option is at-the-money (ATM) if its strike price is the same as (or close to) the current price of the underlying stock.
2. Buying Puts - If the options trader is bearish -- i.e. believes the underlying stock or index will fall in price -- the trader can buy (go long) puts. When the put is purchased, it is called an opening transaction. Now, the buyer has rights. A put buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to sell the underlying stock at the strike price of the option until the expiration date. Furthermore, if a trader buys a put option, the risk of the trade equals the money paid for the option, or the debit. The profit is equal to the fall in the price of the underlying asset. The profit will result if the underlying security moves lower. The profit is limited because the underlying asset will not fall below zero. Finally, to offset a long put, the trader will sell a put with the same terms (strike price and expiration) to "close" out the position. On the other hand, if the trader exercises a long put, then he or she is selling, or short, the underlying stock or index at the strike price of the put option.
3. Selling Puts - If the options trader is bullish -- believes the market will rise -- the trade can sell (go short) puts. Sellers have obligations. A put seller has the obligation to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock at the put strike price. In other words, the option seller must be ready to have the stock "put" to him or her. The put seller's risk is the drop in the stock price, which is limited to the stock falling to zero. The profit equals the credit received from the sale of the put. Put sellers often prefer options with little time left until expiration because they want a put to expire worthless. In that way, the seller keeps the entire premium. A short put is offset by purchasing a put with the same strike price and expiration to close out the position.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Call Options
Call options give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase an underlying asset. They are available in various strike prices depending on the current market price of the underlying instrument. Expiration dates can vary from one month out to more than a year (LEAPS options). Depending on the mood of the market, you may choose to buy (go long) or sell (go short) a call option.
If you choose to buy or go long a call option, you are purchasing the right to buy the underlying instrument at whatever strike price you choose until the expiration date. The premium of a long call option shows up as a debit in your trading account. The premium amount represents the maximum risk a long call strategy can incur. Profit is made on a long call when the price of the underlying asset rises above the strike price of the call. You can then either exercise the call or offset it by selling a call with the same strike price and expiration date. By exercising a long call, you end up with 100 shares per option of the underlying stock at the call strike price. You can then turn around and sell the underlying asset at the current (higher) price to garner a profit on the difference between two (current price - strike price = profit). If you choose to offset the call option, the maximum profit is unlimited. The call's premium will increase in value depending on how high the underlying instrument rises in price beyond the strike price of the call. As the price of the underlying asset rises, the long call becomes more valuable because it gives you (or the person you sell it to) the right to buy the underlying stock at the lower strike price of the call. That's why you want to go long a call option in a rising or bull market.
If you choose to sell or go short a call option, you are selling the right to buy the underlying instrument at a particular strike price to an option holder. Selling a call option prompts the deposit of a credit in your trading account in the amount of the call's premium-a limited profit. You get to keep this credit if the option expires worthless. Thus, to make money on a short call, the price of the underlying asset must stay below the call's strike price. If the price of the underlying asset rises above the short call strike price, it will be assigned to an option holder who may choose to exercise it. This gives the option holder the right to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock from the assigned option buyer at the strike price of the short call. This means that the option seller must buy the underlying asset at the current price and sell it at the call's lower strike price to the assigned option holder, thereby incurring a loss on the trade (current price - strike price = loss). The maximum loss is therefore unlimited to the upside, which is why selling "naked" or unprotected call options comes with such a high risk. However, experienced traders who do choose to short call options would be wise to do so in a stable or bear market.
Call options give you the right to buy something at a specific price for a specific time period. However, if the current market price is more than the strike price, the call option is in-the-money (ITM). If the current market price is less than the strike price, the call option is out-of-the-money (OTM). If the current market price is the same as (or close to) the strike price, the call option is at-the-money (ATM).
Example:
A local newspaper advertises a sale on VCRs for only $129.95. The next day Jane goes down to the electronics store intending to purchase a VCR at the advertised price. Unfortunately, by the time she arrives, the VCR is already out of stock. The manager apologizes and gives her a rain check entitling Jane to buy the same VCR for the advertised price of $129.95 anytime within the next two months. Jane has just received a long call option which gives her the right, but not the ob ligation, to purchase the VCR at the guaranteed strike price of $129.95 until the expiration date two months away.
Scenario 1: A few weeks later, Jane return's to the store to exercise her rain check. The same VCR is now in stock, priced at $179.95. Jane approaches the store manager who agrees to honor the rain-check and sell her a VCR for the advertised p rice of $129.95. Jane has just saved $50. Her long call option was in-the-money.
Scenario 2: A few weeks later, Jane returns to the store and finds the VCR on sale for $119.95? Her rain check is now worthless because she can simply purchase the VCR at the reduced price. In this case, Jane's call option expired worthless b ecause it was out-of-the-money. Just because you own a long call option doesn't mean you are under any obligation to use it.
Scenario 3: Jane's friend Jeff phones and mentions that his VCR has just broken. She tells him about her rain-check and agrees to sell it to Jeff for $5 (the option premium). The strike price is still $129.95 and the expiration date is 2 month s out. However, Jeff is taking a risk. The VCR might be priced lower than the $129.95 strike price in which case the rain-check is worthless and Jeff loses $5.
Call Option Review
1. Call options give traders the right to buy the underlying stock at the strike price until market close on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. A call option is in-the-money (ITM) if its strike price is below the current price of the underlying stock. A call option is out-of-the-money (OTM) if its strike price is above the current price of the underlying stock. A call option is at-the-money (ATM) if its strike price is the same as (or close to) the current price of the underlying stock.
2. Buying Calls - If bullish - believe the market will rise - buy (go long) calls. Buyers have rights. A call buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying stock at the strike price until the expiration date. If you buy a call option, your maximum risk is the money paid for the option, the debit. The maximum profit is unlimited depending on the rise in the price of the underlying asset. To offset a long call, you have to sell a call with the same strike price to close out the position. By exercising a long call, you are choosing to purchase 100 shares of the underlying stock at the strike price of the call option.
3. Selling Calls - If bearish - believe the market will fall - sell (go short) calls. Sellers have obligations. A call seller has the obligation to sell 100 shares of the underlying stock at the strike price to the person to whom the option was sold, if that person chooses to exercise the call option. Sellers have obligations. If you sell a call option, your risk is unlimited to the upside. The profit is limited to the credit received from the sale of the call. When selling calls, make sure to choose options with little time left until expiration. Call sellers want the call to expire worthless so that they can keep the whole premium. To offset a short call, you have to buy a call with the same strike price to close out the position.
If you choose to buy or go long a call option, you are purchasing the right to buy the underlying instrument at whatever strike price you choose until the expiration date. The premium of a long call option shows up as a debit in your trading account. The premium amount represents the maximum risk a long call strategy can incur. Profit is made on a long call when the price of the underlying asset rises above the strike price of the call. You can then either exercise the call or offset it by selling a call with the same strike price and expiration date. By exercising a long call, you end up with 100 shares per option of the underlying stock at the call strike price. You can then turn around and sell the underlying asset at the current (higher) price to garner a profit on the difference between two (current price - strike price = profit). If you choose to offset the call option, the maximum profit is unlimited. The call's premium will increase in value depending on how high the underlying instrument rises in price beyond the strike price of the call. As the price of the underlying asset rises, the long call becomes more valuable because it gives you (or the person you sell it to) the right to buy the underlying stock at the lower strike price of the call. That's why you want to go long a call option in a rising or bull market.
If you choose to sell or go short a call option, you are selling the right to buy the underlying instrument at a particular strike price to an option holder. Selling a call option prompts the deposit of a credit in your trading account in the amount of the call's premium-a limited profit. You get to keep this credit if the option expires worthless. Thus, to make money on a short call, the price of the underlying asset must stay below the call's strike price. If the price of the underlying asset rises above the short call strike price, it will be assigned to an option holder who may choose to exercise it. This gives the option holder the right to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock from the assigned option buyer at the strike price of the short call. This means that the option seller must buy the underlying asset at the current price and sell it at the call's lower strike price to the assigned option holder, thereby incurring a loss on the trade (current price - strike price = loss). The maximum loss is therefore unlimited to the upside, which is why selling "naked" or unprotected call options comes with such a high risk. However, experienced traders who do choose to short call options would be wise to do so in a stable or bear market.
Call options give you the right to buy something at a specific price for a specific time period. However, if the current market price is more than the strike price, the call option is in-the-money (ITM). If the current market price is less than the strike price, the call option is out-of-the-money (OTM). If the current market price is the same as (or close to) the strike price, the call option is at-the-money (ATM).
Example:
A local newspaper advertises a sale on VCRs for only $129.95. The next day Jane goes down to the electronics store intending to purchase a VCR at the advertised price. Unfortunately, by the time she arrives, the VCR is already out of stock. The manager apologizes and gives her a rain check entitling Jane to buy the same VCR for the advertised price of $129.95 anytime within the next two months. Jane has just received a long call option which gives her the right, but not the ob ligation, to purchase the VCR at the guaranteed strike price of $129.95 until the expiration date two months away.
Scenario 1: A few weeks later, Jane return's to the store to exercise her rain check. The same VCR is now in stock, priced at $179.95. Jane approaches the store manager who agrees to honor the rain-check and sell her a VCR for the advertised p rice of $129.95. Jane has just saved $50. Her long call option was in-the-money.
Scenario 2: A few weeks later, Jane returns to the store and finds the VCR on sale for $119.95? Her rain check is now worthless because she can simply purchase the VCR at the reduced price. In this case, Jane's call option expired worthless b ecause it was out-of-the-money. Just because you own a long call option doesn't mean you are under any obligation to use it.
Scenario 3: Jane's friend Jeff phones and mentions that his VCR has just broken. She tells him about her rain-check and agrees to sell it to Jeff for $5 (the option premium). The strike price is still $129.95 and the expiration date is 2 month s out. However, Jeff is taking a risk. The VCR might be priced lower than the $129.95 strike price in which case the rain-check is worthless and Jeff loses $5.
Call Option Review
1. Call options give traders the right to buy the underlying stock at the strike price until market close on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. A call option is in-the-money (ITM) if its strike price is below the current price of the underlying stock. A call option is out-of-the-money (OTM) if its strike price is above the current price of the underlying stock. A call option is at-the-money (ATM) if its strike price is the same as (or close to) the current price of the underlying stock.
2. Buying Calls - If bullish - believe the market will rise - buy (go long) calls. Buyers have rights. A call buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying stock at the strike price until the expiration date. If you buy a call option, your maximum risk is the money paid for the option, the debit. The maximum profit is unlimited depending on the rise in the price of the underlying asset. To offset a long call, you have to sell a call with the same strike price to close out the position. By exercising a long call, you are choosing to purchase 100 shares of the underlying stock at the strike price of the call option.
3. Selling Calls - If bearish - believe the market will fall - sell (go short) calls. Sellers have obligations. A call seller has the obligation to sell 100 shares of the underlying stock at the strike price to the person to whom the option was sold, if that person chooses to exercise the call option. Sellers have obligations. If you sell a call option, your risk is unlimited to the upside. The profit is limited to the credit received from the sale of the call. When selling calls, make sure to choose options with little time left until expiration. Call sellers want the call to expire worthless so that they can keep the whole premium. To offset a short call, you have to buy a call with the same strike price to close out the position.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Learning to Trade Options
Learning to Trade Options
Options are the most versatile trading instrument ever invented. Since options cost less than stock, they provide a high leverage approach to trading that can significantly limit the overall risk of a trade or provide additional income. Simply put, op tion buyers have rights and option sellers have obligations. Option buyers have the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call) or sell (put) the underlying stock (or futures contract) at a specified price until the 3rd Friday of their expiration month. There are two kinds of options: calls and puts. Call options give you the right to buy the underlying asset. Put options give you the right to sell the underlying asset. It is essential to become familiar with the inner workings of both. Every strategy you learn from this point on depends on your thorough understanding of these two kinds of options.
There are no margin requirements if you want to purchase an option because your risk is limited to the price of the option. In contrast, option sellers receive a credit in their account for selling an option and get to keep this amount if the option expires worthless. However, option sellers also have an obligation to buy (put) or sell (call) the underlying instrument if their option is exercised by an assigned option holder. Therefore, selling an option requires a healthy margin.
To trade options, you must be acquainted with the select terminology of the option market. The price at which an underlying stock can be purchased or sold if the option is exercised is called the strike price. Options are available in several strike prices above and below the current price of the underlying asset. Stocks priced below $25 per share usually have strike prices at 2 ½ dollar intervals. Stocks priced over $25 usually have strike prices at $5 dollar intervals.
The date the option expires is referred to as the expiration date. A stock option expires by close of business on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. All listed options have options available for the current month and the next month as well as specific future months. Each stock has a corresponding cycle of months that they offer options in. There are three fixed expiration cycles available. Each cycle has a four-month interval:
A. January, April, July and October
B. February, May, August and November
C. March, June, September and December
The price of an option is called the premium. An option's premium is determined by a number of factors including the current price of the underlying asset, the strike price of the option, the time remaining until expiration, and volatility. An option premium is priced on a per share basis. Each option on a stock corresponds to 100 shares. Therefore, if the premium of an option is priced at 2, the total premium for that option would be $200 (2 x 100 = $200). Buying an option creates a debit in the amount of the premium to the buyer's trading account. Selling an option creates a credit in the amount of the premium to the seller's trading account:
Example:
Jane wants to buy a house. After a few weeks of searching, she discovers one she really likes. Unfortunately, she won't have enough money for a substantial down payment for another six months. So, she approaches the owner of the house and negotiates an option to buy the house within 6 months for $100,000. The owner agrees to sell her the option for $2,000.
Scenario 1: During this 6-month period, Jane discovers an oil field underneath the property. The value of the house shoots up to $1,000,000. However, the writer of the option (the owner) is obligated to sell the house to Jane for $100,000. Jan e buys the house for a total cost of $102,000-$100,000 for the house plus the $2,000 premium paid for the option. She promptly turns around and sells it for a million dollars for huge profit of $898,000 and lives happily ever after.
Scenario 2: Jane discovers a toxic waste dump on the property. Now the value of the house drops to zero and she obviously decides not to exercise the option to buy the house. In this case, Jane loses the $2,000 premium paid for the option to the owner of the property.
How Options Work Review
1. Options give you the right to buy or sell an underlying instrument.
2. If you buy an option, you are not obligated to buy or sell the underlying instrument; you simply have the right to.
3. If you sell an option and the option is exercised, you are obligated to deliver the underlying asset (call) or take delivery of the underlying asset (put) at the strike price of the option regardless of the current price of the underlying asset.
4. Options are good for a specified period of time, after which they expire and you lose your right to buy or sell the underlying instrument at the specified price.
5. Options when bought are done so at a debit to the buyer.
6. Options when sold are done so by giving a credit to the seller.
7. Options are available in several strike prices representing the price of the underlying instrument.
8. The cost of an option is referred to as the option premium. The price reflects a variety of factors including the current price of the underlying asset, the strike price of the option, the time remaining until expiration, and volatility.
9. Options are not available on every stock. There are approximately 2,200 stocks with tradable options. Each stock option represents 100 shares of a company's stock.
Options are the most versatile trading instrument ever invented. Since options cost less than stock, they provide a high leverage approach to trading that can significantly limit the overall risk of a trade or provide additional income. Simply put, op tion buyers have rights and option sellers have obligations. Option buyers have the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call) or sell (put) the underlying stock (or futures contract) at a specified price until the 3rd Friday of their expiration month. There are two kinds of options: calls and puts. Call options give you the right to buy the underlying asset. Put options give you the right to sell the underlying asset. It is essential to become familiar with the inner workings of both. Every strategy you learn from this point on depends on your thorough understanding of these two kinds of options.
There are no margin requirements if you want to purchase an option because your risk is limited to the price of the option. In contrast, option sellers receive a credit in their account for selling an option and get to keep this amount if the option expires worthless. However, option sellers also have an obligation to buy (put) or sell (call) the underlying instrument if their option is exercised by an assigned option holder. Therefore, selling an option requires a healthy margin.
To trade options, you must be acquainted with the select terminology of the option market. The price at which an underlying stock can be purchased or sold if the option is exercised is called the strike price. Options are available in several strike prices above and below the current price of the underlying asset. Stocks priced below $25 per share usually have strike prices at 2 ½ dollar intervals. Stocks priced over $25 usually have strike prices at $5 dollar intervals.
The date the option expires is referred to as the expiration date. A stock option expires by close of business on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. All listed options have options available for the current month and the next month as well as specific future months. Each stock has a corresponding cycle of months that they offer options in. There are three fixed expiration cycles available. Each cycle has a four-month interval:
A. January, April, July and October
B. February, May, August and November
C. March, June, September and December
The price of an option is called the premium. An option's premium is determined by a number of factors including the current price of the underlying asset, the strike price of the option, the time remaining until expiration, and volatility. An option premium is priced on a per share basis. Each option on a stock corresponds to 100 shares. Therefore, if the premium of an option is priced at 2, the total premium for that option would be $200 (2 x 100 = $200). Buying an option creates a debit in the amount of the premium to the buyer's trading account. Selling an option creates a credit in the amount of the premium to the seller's trading account:
Example:
Jane wants to buy a house. After a few weeks of searching, she discovers one she really likes. Unfortunately, she won't have enough money for a substantial down payment for another six months. So, she approaches the owner of the house and negotiates an option to buy the house within 6 months for $100,000. The owner agrees to sell her the option for $2,000.
Scenario 1: During this 6-month period, Jane discovers an oil field underneath the property. The value of the house shoots up to $1,000,000. However, the writer of the option (the owner) is obligated to sell the house to Jane for $100,000. Jan e buys the house for a total cost of $102,000-$100,000 for the house plus the $2,000 premium paid for the option. She promptly turns around and sells it for a million dollars for huge profit of $898,000 and lives happily ever after.
Scenario 2: Jane discovers a toxic waste dump on the property. Now the value of the house drops to zero and she obviously decides not to exercise the option to buy the house. In this case, Jane loses the $2,000 premium paid for the option to the owner of the property.
How Options Work Review
1. Options give you the right to buy or sell an underlying instrument.
2. If you buy an option, you are not obligated to buy or sell the underlying instrument; you simply have the right to.
3. If you sell an option and the option is exercised, you are obligated to deliver the underlying asset (call) or take delivery of the underlying asset (put) at the strike price of the option regardless of the current price of the underlying asset.
4. Options are good for a specified period of time, after which they expire and you lose your right to buy or sell the underlying instrument at the specified price.
5. Options when bought are done so at a debit to the buyer.
6. Options when sold are done so by giving a credit to the seller.
7. Options are available in several strike prices representing the price of the underlying instrument.
8. The cost of an option is referred to as the option premium. The price reflects a variety of factors including the current price of the underlying asset, the strike price of the option, the time remaining until expiration, and volatility.
9. Options are not available on every stock. There are approximately 2,200 stocks with tradable options. Each stock option represents 100 shares of a company's stock.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Nasdaq Internet Bubble
After the 1987 stock market crash, the global markets resumed their previous bull market trend. This powerful trend was driven by computer technology. Many of the technology stocks were listed on the Nasdaq exchange, which is an electronic marketplace.
In the early 1990’s, the personal computer was rapidly gaining acceptance for business and personal use. The computer was at last becoming more reasonably priced and more user-friendly. Computers were no longer the fodder of geeky hobbyists. They were veritable business tools, which were vital in gaining a competitive edge. Business applications were invented to aid the user in accounting, calculating taxes and word processing. Computers also began to compete with televisions as a form of entertainment, as PC video games flooded the marketplace. Corporations such as Microsoft prospered enormously as almost every computer system contained their operating system software.
During this time, the US computer industry focused more upon computer software versus hardware. This is because software was an extremely high margin product, due to it not being a physical product, like chips. Software companies produced a markup from selling licensed information, which costs very little to reproduce. Computer hardware became a commodity product, i.e. virtually indistinguishable from the product of any other competitor. Commodity products produce very little profits as each competitor constantly undercuts each other’s prices. Asian companies, with small manufacturing costs, produced virtually all of the hardware components at this point. Software, however, was protected as intellectual property with patents. Therefore, a product such as Microsoft Windows is a one of a kind product. This creates a strong barrier to entry, a benefit which is highly sought after in business.
The stock prices of software companies were marching ahead rapidly. Many small software companies were started by college students in garages, paying their employees with as much pizza and soda they desired. Every startup wanted to become “the Next Microsoft”.
Eventually, several of these start-up companies took the notice of serious venture capitalists, who were looking to finance these operations, take them public and reap massive profits. Soon the fledgling startups began to pay their hopeful employees with company shares. The premise was that when the company went public, the early shareholders would become instantly wealthy. The majority of the software companies were started in Silicon Valley, near San Francisco, which was a technology Mecca. The Nasdaq index of technology stocks was rising extremely fast, creating many millionaires.
Computers became further popularized in the mid 1990’s, as blockbuster PC games were created, such as Sim City and Duke Nukem. This fueled an increase in tech savvy youth, as computers went from “geek to chic”.
The Internet Age
Around 1994, a new frontier called the internet, was first being made available to the general public. In actuality, a primitive form of the internet had been around since 1969. This early internet was called DARPANet and was created by government agencies as an efficient way to exchange scientific and military information to computers in different locations. By the 1990’s the internet had evolved as a way to communicate using email, use chat rooms and view informational websites.
Almost immediately, businesses saw the internet as a profit opportunity. America Online made the internet available for the masses. The Yahoo search engine was started in 1994 as a directory for the universe of websites. Amazon became the first online bookstore in 1994. EBay was started in 1995 as an online auction site. As the internet moved from the hobbyist domain to a commercialized marketplace, online business owners became fantastically wealthy. Many technology companies were now selling stock in IPO’s. Most initial shareholders, including employees, became millionaires overnight. Companies continued to pay their employees in stock options, which profited greatly if the stock went up even slightly. By the late 1990’s, even secretaries had option portfolios valued in the millions! Many companies had BMW sign on bonuses! This is surely an example of irrational exuberance.
Tech Stock Mania
Several economists even postulated that we were in a “New Economy”, where inflation was virtually nonexistent and the stock market crashes were obsolete! Even worse, it was said that earnings were not relevant in picking stocks either! The “Old Economy” referred to industrial stocks, such as those in the Dow Jones Average. Another buzzword was “Paradigm Shift”, which is a synonym of “New Economy”. Investors were enamored by these buzzwords, as they deceptively described something that was sleek, sexy, and exciting.
From 1996 to 2000, the Nasdaq went from 600 to 5,000! Dot-com companies run by people who were barely in their 30's, were going public and raising hundreds of millions of dollars of capital. These companies didn’t even have much of a business plan, and certainly didn’t have any earnings, either! For example, Pets.com had no earnings yet came public and raised billions of dollars. Dot-coms wasted millions of dollars per night on frivolous parties. Hard work was never part of the picture for dot-commers. There are many stories of dot-com employees walking around barefoot in the office and playing foosball all day. At one point, a new millionaire was created every 60 seconds! Many of these instant millionaires thought that they were so brilliant, that all they had to do was play to make money. Never mistake a bull market for brains.
The Bubble Pops
By early 2000, reality started to sink in. Investors soon realized that the dot-com dream was really a bubble. Within months, the Nasdaq crashed from 5,000 to 2,000. Hundreds of stocks such as Pet.com, which were each worth billions, were off the map as quickly as they appeared. Panic selling ensued as investors lost trillions of dollars. The stock market kept crashing down to 800 in 2002. One high flier, Microstrategy, slid from $3500 per share to $4! Numerous accounting scandals came to light, showing how many companies artificially inflated earnings. Shareholders were crippled. In 2001, the economy entered a recession as the Fed repeatedly cut rates, trying to stop the bleeding. Millions of workers were now jobless and had lost their life savings.
Needless to say, the New Economy was a farce, and traditional economic principles still hold. What is sadly interesting is how bubbles will continue to occur in the future. When they do occur, foolish investors will say, “This time is different!”
In the early 1990’s, the personal computer was rapidly gaining acceptance for business and personal use. The computer was at last becoming more reasonably priced and more user-friendly. Computers were no longer the fodder of geeky hobbyists. They were veritable business tools, which were vital in gaining a competitive edge. Business applications were invented to aid the user in accounting, calculating taxes and word processing. Computers also began to compete with televisions as a form of entertainment, as PC video games flooded the marketplace. Corporations such as Microsoft prospered enormously as almost every computer system contained their operating system software.
During this time, the US computer industry focused more upon computer software versus hardware. This is because software was an extremely high margin product, due to it not being a physical product, like chips. Software companies produced a markup from selling licensed information, which costs very little to reproduce. Computer hardware became a commodity product, i.e. virtually indistinguishable from the product of any other competitor. Commodity products produce very little profits as each competitor constantly undercuts each other’s prices. Asian companies, with small manufacturing costs, produced virtually all of the hardware components at this point. Software, however, was protected as intellectual property with patents. Therefore, a product such as Microsoft Windows is a one of a kind product. This creates a strong barrier to entry, a benefit which is highly sought after in business.
The stock prices of software companies were marching ahead rapidly. Many small software companies were started by college students in garages, paying their employees with as much pizza and soda they desired. Every startup wanted to become “the Next Microsoft”.
Eventually, several of these start-up companies took the notice of serious venture capitalists, who were looking to finance these operations, take them public and reap massive profits. Soon the fledgling startups began to pay their hopeful employees with company shares. The premise was that when the company went public, the early shareholders would become instantly wealthy. The majority of the software companies were started in Silicon Valley, near San Francisco, which was a technology Mecca. The Nasdaq index of technology stocks was rising extremely fast, creating many millionaires.
Computers became further popularized in the mid 1990’s, as blockbuster PC games were created, such as Sim City and Duke Nukem. This fueled an increase in tech savvy youth, as computers went from “geek to chic”.
The Internet Age
Around 1994, a new frontier called the internet, was first being made available to the general public. In actuality, a primitive form of the internet had been around since 1969. This early internet was called DARPANet and was created by government agencies as an efficient way to exchange scientific and military information to computers in different locations. By the 1990’s the internet had evolved as a way to communicate using email, use chat rooms and view informational websites.
Almost immediately, businesses saw the internet as a profit opportunity. America Online made the internet available for the masses. The Yahoo search engine was started in 1994 as a directory for the universe of websites. Amazon became the first online bookstore in 1994. EBay was started in 1995 as an online auction site. As the internet moved from the hobbyist domain to a commercialized marketplace, online business owners became fantastically wealthy. Many technology companies were now selling stock in IPO’s. Most initial shareholders, including employees, became millionaires overnight. Companies continued to pay their employees in stock options, which profited greatly if the stock went up even slightly. By the late 1990’s, even secretaries had option portfolios valued in the millions! Many companies had BMW sign on bonuses! This is surely an example of irrational exuberance.
Tech Stock Mania
Several economists even postulated that we were in a “New Economy”, where inflation was virtually nonexistent and the stock market crashes were obsolete! Even worse, it was said that earnings were not relevant in picking stocks either! The “Old Economy” referred to industrial stocks, such as those in the Dow Jones Average. Another buzzword was “Paradigm Shift”, which is a synonym of “New Economy”. Investors were enamored by these buzzwords, as they deceptively described something that was sleek, sexy, and exciting.
From 1996 to 2000, the Nasdaq went from 600 to 5,000! Dot-com companies run by people who were barely in their 30's, were going public and raising hundreds of millions of dollars of capital. These companies didn’t even have much of a business plan, and certainly didn’t have any earnings, either! For example, Pets.com had no earnings yet came public and raised billions of dollars. Dot-coms wasted millions of dollars per night on frivolous parties. Hard work was never part of the picture for dot-commers. There are many stories of dot-com employees walking around barefoot in the office and playing foosball all day. At one point, a new millionaire was created every 60 seconds! Many of these instant millionaires thought that they were so brilliant, that all they had to do was play to make money. Never mistake a bull market for brains.
The Bubble Pops
By early 2000, reality started to sink in. Investors soon realized that the dot-com dream was really a bubble. Within months, the Nasdaq crashed from 5,000 to 2,000. Hundreds of stocks such as Pet.com, which were each worth billions, were off the map as quickly as they appeared. Panic selling ensued as investors lost trillions of dollars. The stock market kept crashing down to 800 in 2002. One high flier, Microstrategy, slid from $3500 per share to $4! Numerous accounting scandals came to light, showing how many companies artificially inflated earnings. Shareholders were crippled. In 2001, the economy entered a recession as the Fed repeatedly cut rates, trying to stop the bleeding. Millions of workers were now jobless and had lost their life savings.
Needless to say, the New Economy was a farce, and traditional economic principles still hold. What is sadly interesting is how bubbles will continue to occur in the future. When they do occur, foolish investors will say, “This time is different!”
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