What Are Options Contracts?
An options contract is an agreement that gives a trader the right to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price, either before or at a certain date. Although it may sound similar to futures contracts, traders that buy options contracts are not obligated to settle their positions.
Options contracts are derivatives that can be based on a wide range of underlying assets, including stocks, and cryptocurrencies. These contracts may also be derived from financial indexes. Typically, options contracts are used for hedging risks on existing positions and for speculative trading.
How do options contracts work?
There are two basic types of options, known as puts and calls. Call options give contract owners the right to buy the underlying asset, while put options confer the right to sell. As such, traders usually enter into calls when they expect the price of the underlying asset to increase, and puts when they expect the price to decrease. They may also use calls and puts hoping for prices to remain stable - or even a combination of the two types - to bet in favor or against market volatility.
An options contract consists of at least four components: size, expiration date, strike price, and premium. First, the size of the order refers to the number of contracts to be traded. Second, the expiration date is the date after which a trader can no longer exercise the option. Third, the strike price is the price at which the asset will be bought or sold (in case the contract buyer decides to exercise the option). Finally, the premium is the trading price of the options contract. It indicates the amount an investor must pay to obtain the power of choice. So buyers acquire contracts from writers (sellers) according to the value of the premium, which is constantly changing, as the expiration date gets closer.
Basically speaking, if the strike price is lower than the market price, the trader can buy the underlying asset at a discount and, after including the premium into the equation, they may choose to exercise the contract to make a profit. But if the strike price is higher than the market price, the holder has no reason to exercise the option, and the contract is deemed useless. When the contract is not exercised, the buyer only loses the premium paid when entering the position.
It is important to note that although the buyers are able to choose between exercising or not their calls and puts, the writers (sellers) are dependent on the buyers’ decision. So if a call option buyer decides to exercise his contract, the seller is obligated to sell the underlying asset. Similarly, if a trader buys a put option and decides to exercise it, the seller is obligated to buy the underlying asset from the contract holder. This means that writers are exposed to higher risks than buyers. While buyers have their losses limited to the premium paid for the contract, writers can lose much more depending on the asset’s market price.
Some contracts give traders the right to exercise their option anytime before the expiration date. These are usually referred to as American option contracts. In contrast, the European options contracts can only be exercised at the expiration date. It is worth noting, however, that these denominations have nothing to do with their geographical location.
Basic strategies
When trading options, traders can employ a wide range of strategies, which are based on four basic positions. As a buyer, one can buy a call option (right to buy) or put option (right to sell). As a writer, one can sell call or put options contracts. As mentioned, writers are obligated to buy or sell the assets if the contract holder decides to exercise it.
The different options trading strategies are based on the various possible combinations of call and put contracts. Protective puts, covered calls, straddle, and strangle are some basic examples of such strategies.
Protective put: involves buying a put option contract of an asset that is already owned. This is the hedging strategy used by Alice in the previous example. It is also known as portfolio insurance as it protects the investor from a potential downtrend, while also maintaining their exposure in case the asset’s price increases.
Covered call: involves selling a call option of an asset that is already owned. This strategy is used by investors to generate additional income (options premium) from their holdings. If the contract is not exercised, they earn the premium while keeping their assets. However, if the contract is exercised due to an increase in the market price, they are obligated to sell their positions.
Straddle: involves buying a call and a put on the same asset with identical strike prices and expiration dates. It allows the trader to profit as long as the asset moves far enough in either direction. Simply put, the trader is betting on market volatility.
Strangle: involves buying both a call and a put that are “out-of-the-Money” (i.e., strike price above market price for call options and below for put options). Basically, a strangle is like a straddle, but with lower costs for establishing a position. However, a strangle requires a higher level of volatility to be profitable.
Advantages&Disadvantage
Advantages
Suitable for hedging against market risks.
More flexibility in speculative trading.
Allow for several combinations and trading strategies, with unique risk/reward patterns.
Potential to profit from all the bull, bear, and side-way market trends.
May be used for reducing costs when entering positions.
Allow multiple trades to be performed simultaneously.
Disadvantages
Working mechanisms and premium calculations are not always easy to understand.
Involves high risks, especially for contract writers (sellers)
More complex trading strategies when compared to conventional alternatives.
Options markets are often plagued with low levels of liquidity, making them less attractive for most traders.
The premium value of options contracts is highly volatile and tends to decrease as the expiration date gets closer.
Options vs. Futures
Options and futures contracts are both derivative instruments and, as such, present some common use cases. But despite their similarities, there is a major difference in the settlement mechanism between the two.
Unlike options, futures contracts are always executed when the expiration date is reached, meaning that the contract holders are legally obligated to exchange the underlying asset (or respective value in cash). Options, on the other hand, are only exercised at the discretion of the trader who holds the contract. If the contract holder (buyer) exercises the option, the contract writer (seller) is obligated to trade the underlying asset.