A

 

American-Style

Term referring to options that can be exercised into a spot position at any time before expiration.

See also

European-Style

 

Ask

The price at which the spot market or an option can be bought.

See also

Bid

Also known as

Offer

 

Assignment

The process of turning a short option into a spot position.

See also

Exercise

 

At-the-Money

Term referring to an option whose strike price is equal to the current spot market price.

See also

In-the-Money

Intrinsic Value

Out-of-the-Money

Near-the-Money

Time Value

B

 

Base Currency

In a cross rate or currency pair, the currency that remains constant when determining the price.  The base currency appears first in a currency pair symbol.

See also

Quote Currency

 

Basis Point

0.01%

 

Bear(ish)

Term describing a market sentiment that the price will fall.

See also

Bull(ish)

 

Bear Spread

An option strategy executed by buying an option with a higher strike and selling an option with a lower strike.  The options can either be either both calls or both puts, but they must have the same expiration.

See also

Bull Spread

Vertical Spread

 

Bid

The price at which the spot market or an option can be sold.

See also

Ask

 

Breakeven

The market price at which a position earns neither a profit nor a loss.

 

Bull(ish)

Term describing a market sentiment that the price will rise.

See also

Bear(ish)

 

Bull Spread

An option strategy executed by buying an option with a lower strike and selling an option with a higher strike.  The options can either be either both calls or both puts, but they must have the same expiration.

See also

Bear Spread

Vertical Spread

 

Buy-Write

See Covered Write

C

 

Calendar Spread
An option strategy executed by selling an option with a shorter expiration and buying an option with a longer expiration.  The options can either be either both calls or both puts but must have the same strike price.

Also known as

Horizontal Spread

Time Spread

See also

Diagonal Spread

 

Call (Option)

A financial instrument that allows the owner the right to buy a quantity of a spot market at a specific price within specific time.

See also

Put (Option)

Option

 

Cash (Market)

See Spot (Market)

 

Collar

An option strategy executed by selling (buying) a put and buying (selling) a call with different strikes but the same expiration.

 

Combination

See Strangle

 

Covered Call
See Covered Write

 

Covered Write

An option strategy executed by buying the spot market and selling an equivalent number of call options.

Also known as

Covered Call

Buy-Write

 

Credit Spread

A spread position that results in a cash inflow.

See also

Debit Spread

 

Cross (Rate)

The rate of exchange between two currencies if one is not a major currency.

See also

Currency Pair

 

Currency

One of the various forms of money used around the world.

 

Currency Pair

The rate of exchange between two currencies.

See also

Cross (Rate)

 

Curvature

See Gamma

D

Day Order

An order type designating that the order expires at the end of the current trading session.

See also

Order Type

 

Debit Spread

A spread position that results in a cash outflow.

See also

Credit Spread

 

Delta
The rate that an option's premium changes relative to a change in the spot market if all other market factors remain constant.

Also known as

Hedge Ratio

 

Diagonal Spread
An option strategy executed by selling an option with a shorter expiration and buying an option with a longer expiration.  The options can either be either both calls or both puts but must have different strike prices.

See also

Calendar Spread

 

Domestic Interest Rate

The prevailing interest rate for the quote currency.

See also

Foreign Interest Rate

E

 

European-Style

Term referring to options that can only be exercised into a spot position upon expiration.

See also

American-Style

 

Exercise

The process of turning a long option into a spot position.

See also

Assignment

 

Exercise Price

See Strike Price

 

Expiration

The termination of an option.  Upon expiration, an option can no longer be traded or exercised.

 

Extrinsic Value

See Time Value

F

 

Fair Value

See Theoretical Value

 

Foreign Interest Rate

The prevailing interest rate for the base currency.

See also

Domestic Interest Rate

G

 

Gamma

The rate that an option's delta changes relative to a change in the spot market if all other market factors remain constant.

See also

Delta

 

Good Until Canceled (GTC)

An order type designating that the order has no time limit.  GTC (“Good ‘til Canceled”) orders are either filled, canceled, or expire (in the case of an option).

See also

Order Type

H

 

Hedge
A position that offsets the risk associated with another position.

 

Hedge Ratio

See Delta

 

Horizontal Spread
See Calendar Spread

I

 

Implied Volatility
The level of market volatility that makes an option’s
theoretical value equal to its current market price.

See also Volatility.

 

In-the-Money

Term referring to an option that has intrinsic value.  Call options are in-the-money if the spot price is greater than the strike price; put options are in-the-money if the spot price is less than the strike price.

See also

At-the-Money

Intrinsic Value

Near-the-Money

Out-of-the-Money

Time Value

 

Intrinsic Value

The profit that would result if an option were immediately exercised.  It is also the amount that an option is in-the-money.  For call options, the intrinsic value is equal to zero or (spotstrike), whichever is greater.  For put options, the intrinsic value is equal to zero or (strikespot), whichever is greater.

See also

Time Value

In-the-Money

Out-of-the-Money

L

 

Limit Order
An order to buy or sell at a specified price (limit), or at a price that is more beneficial to the trader (“or better”).

Also known as

Price Order

Or-Better Order

See also

Order Type

 

Long

Term referring to an inventory of spot positions and/or options that have been bought.

See also

Short

M

 

Margin
An amount of capital that must be allocated toward offsetting the risk associated with a position.

 

Market Order
An order to buy at the current bid price or sell at the current ask price.

See also

Order Type

N

 

Naked
Term referring to a
short option position that is unhedged.

 

Near-the-Money

Term referring to an option whose strike price is nearly equal to the current spot market price.

See also

At-the-Money

In-the-Money

Intrinsic Value

Out-of-the-Money

Time Value

O

 

Offer

See Ask

 

Offset

A trade that liquidates a current position.

 

On-the-Money

See At-the-Money

 

One Cancels Other (OCO) Order

An order composed of a stop order and a limit order linked together.  In the event one order is executed, the other is cancelled.

See also

Order Type

 

Option

A financial instrument that allows the owner the right to buy or sell a quantity of a spot market at a specific price within specific time.

See also

Call (Option)

Put (Option)

 

Or-Better Order

See Limit Order

 

Order

Instruction to buy or sell the spot market or an option.

See also

Order Type

 

Order Type

Classification of an order, defining the precise instructions for execution.

See also

Day Order

Good Until Canceled (GTC) Order

Limit Order

Market Order

One Cancels Other (OCO) Order

Stop-Limit Order

Stop Order

 

Out-of-the-Money

Term referring to an option that has no intrinsic value.  Call options are out-of-the-money if the spot price is less than the strike price; put options are out-of-the-money if the spot price is greater than the strike price.

See also

At-the-Money

In-the-Money

Intrinsic Value

Near-the-Money

Time Value

P

 

Payoff Diagram
A graph depicting the potential profit and loss of a trade.

 

Pip

The smallest increment that a spot market price can change.

 

Position

A collection of spot and/or option transactions.

 

Premium
The price of an
option.

 

Price Order

See Limit Order

 

Psi

The amount that an option's price changes for a 1% (i.e. from 2% to 3%) change in the foreign interest rate if all other market factors remain constant.

See also

Theoretical Value

 

Put (Option)

A financial instrument that allows the owner the right to sell a quantity of a spot market at a specific price within specific time.

See also

Call (Option)

Option

Q

 

Quote Currency

In a cross rate or currency pair, the currency that varies when determining the price.  The quote currency appears second in a currency pair symbol.

See also

Base Currency

R

 

Rho

The amount that an option's price changes for a 1% (i.e. from 2% to 3%) change in the domestic interest rate if all other market factors remain constant.

See also

Theoretical Value

S

 

Short

Term referring to an inventory of spot positions and/or options that have been sold.

See also

Long

 

Spot (Market)

The available rate for an immediate exchange of currency.

Also known as

Cash (Market)

 

Spread

The difference between the bid and the ask.

 

Spread Position
A position composed of a long option and a short option of the same type.

 

Stop Order
An order type designating the execution of a
market order when the market reaches a specific price (stop).

See also

Order Types

 

Stop-Limit Order
An order type designating the execution of a limit order when the market reaches a specific price (stop).

See also

Order Types

 

Straddle

An option strategy executed by buying or selling both a call option and a put option with the same strike and expiration.

See also

Strangle


Strangle

An option strategy executed by buying or selling both a call option with a lower strike price and a put option with a higher strike price with the same expiration.

See also

Straddle

 

Strike Price

The price at which an option owner can buy or sell the spot market upon option exercise.

Also known as

Exercise Price

 

Synthetic Call
An option strategy executed by buying (selling) the spot market and buying (selling) a put.  The profit and loss associated with this position is equivalent to buying (selling) a call with the same strike and expiration.

See also

Synthetic Put

Synthetic Spot

 

Synthetic Put
An option strategy executed by selling (buying) the spot market and buying (selling) a call.  The profit and loss associated with this position is equivalent to buying (selling) a put with the same strike and expiration.

See also

Synthetic Call

Synthetic Spot

 

Synthetic Spot
An option strategy executed by selling (buying) a put and buying (selling) a call with the same strike and expiration.  The profit and loss associated with this position is equivalent to buying (selling) the spot market.

See also

Synthetic Call

Synthetic Put

T

 

Theoretical Value
An estimate of an option’s value based on a mathematical model.

Also known as

Fair Value

 

Theta
The amount an option’s value will change over time if all other market factors remain constant.

 

Time Decay
See Theta

 

Time Spread
See Calendar Spread

 

Time Value
The amount of an option’s value that is in excess of intrinsic value.

Also known as

Extrinsic Value

See also

At-the-Money

In-the-Money

Intrinsic Value

Near-the-Money

Out-of-the-Money

 

Type

Classification of an option, defining an option to buy (call) or an option to sell (put).

U

 

Uncovered

See Naked

V

 

Vega

The amount that an option's price changes for a 1% (i.e. from 12% to 13%) change in volatility if all other market factors remain constant.

See also

Theoretical Value


Vertical Spread

An option strategy executed by buying and selling  options with different  strikes but  the same expiration.

See also

Bear Spread

Bull Spread

 

Volatility
A measure of the variation in the spot price.

See also

Implied Volatility

 

Volatility Skew

The pattern of implied volatility levels across the options of the same expiration.

W

 

Write (an option)
Sell an option.