Short an option: Difference between revisions

From The Jolly Contrarian
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
 
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{g}}If you are [[short an option]], you stand to lose if an event that you can’t control happens. In the literal sense, it means you have sold to another person (or “gone [[short]]”) the right (an “[[option]]”) to buy (a “[[call option]]”) or sell you (a “[[put option]]”) an asset at a pre-agreed price the “[[strike price]]”. If the market value of that asset goes above the strike price (for a call) or below it (for a put) then the random can force you to trade the asset at the strike price. You can define your loss as the difference between the market price and the strike price. The loss on a [[call option]] is potentially unlimited; for a [[put option]] it is bounded at the [[strike price]] (seeing as assets can’t really go negative in value).
{{g}}If you are [[short an option]], you stand to lose if an event that you can’t control happens. In the literal sense, it means you have sold to another person (or “gone [[short]]”) the right (an “[[option]]”) to buy (a “[[call option]]”) or sell you (a “[[put option]]”) an asset at a pre-agreed price the “[[strike price]]”. If the market value of that asset goes above the strike price (for a call) or below it (for a put) then the random can force you to trade the asset at the strike price. You can define your loss as the difference between the market price and the strike price. The loss on a [[call option]] is potentially unlimited; for a [[put option]] it is bounded at the [[strike price]] (seeing as assets can’t really go negative in value).


One often uses the expression figuratively. Trading types will often document [[OTC]] [[option]]s using the argot of the {{eqderivs}}.
One often uses the expression figuratively. Trading types will often document [[OTC]] [[option]]s using the argot of the {{eqderivdefs}}.


{{sa}}
{{sa}}

Latest revision as of 06:50, 27 September 2019

The Jolly Contrarian’s Glossary
The snippy guide to financial services lingo.™
Index — Click the ᐅ to expand:
Tell me more
Sign up for our newsletter — or just get in touch: for ½ a weekly 🍺 you get to consult JC. Ask about it here.

If you are short an option, you stand to lose if an event that you can’t control happens. In the literal sense, it means you have sold to another person (or “gone short”) the right (an “option”) to buy (a “call option”) or sell you (a “put option”) an asset at a pre-agreed price the “strike price”. If the market value of that asset goes above the strike price (for a call) or below it (for a put) then the random can force you to trade the asset at the strike price. You can define your loss as the difference between the market price and the strike price. The loss on a call option is potentially unlimited; for a put option it is bounded at the strike price (seeing as assets can’t really go negative in value).

One often uses the expression figuratively. Trading types will often document OTC options using the argot of the 2002 ISDA Equity Derivatives Definitions.

See also