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Finance Options Glossary
finance option options glossary bear bull buy calls contract long money options premium price profit puts sell short spreads strategy strike write
267
Finance
Professional
02/15/2008

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Term
American Style Option
Definition
An option contract that can be exercised at any time between the date of purchase and the expiration date. Most exchange-traded options are American style.
Term
Arbitrage
Definition
The simultaneous purchase and sale of identical financial instruments or commodity futures in order to make a profit where the selling price is higher than the buying price.
Term
Ask
Definition
The price that market makers or sellers will accept to sell an option.
Term
Assignment
Definition
When an options holder excercises the contract, an options writer is chosen to fulfill the obligation.
Term
At-The-Money
Definition
A term that describes an option with a strike price that is equal to the current market price of the underlying stock.
Term
Bear
Definition
An investor who acts on the belief that a security or the market is falling or is expected to fall.
Term
Bear Call Spread
Definition
A strategy in which a trader sells a lower strike call and buys a higher strike call to create a trade with limited profit and limited risk. A fall in the price of the underlying increases the value of the spread. Net credit transaction; Maximum loss = difference between the strike prices less credit; Maximum gain = credit; requires margin.
Term
Bear Market
Definition
A declining stock market over a prolonged period of time usually caused by a weak economy and subsequent decreased corporate profits.
Term
Bear Put Spread
Definition
A strategy in which a trader sells a lower strike put and buys a higher strike put to create a trade with limited profit and limited risk. A fall in the price of the underlying increases the value of the spread. Net debit transaction; Maximum loss = d ifference between strike prices less the debit; no margin.
Term
Bid
Definition
The highest price at which a floor broker, trader or dealer is willing to buy a security or commodity for a specified time.
Term
Bid and Asked
Definition
The bid (the highest price a buyer is prepared to pay for a trading asset) and the asked (the lowest price acceptable to a prospective seller of the same security) together comprise a quotation, or quote.
Term
Bid Up
Definition
Demand for an asset drives up the price paid by buyers.
Term
Bid-asked Spread
Definition
The difference between bid and asked prices constitute the bid-asked spread.
Term
Black-Scholes formula
Definition
The first widely-used model for option pricing. This formula can be used to calculate a theoretical value for an option using current stock prices, expected dividends, the option's strike price, expected interest rates, time to expiration and expected stock volatility. While the Black-Scholes model does not perfectly describe real-world options markets, it is still often used in the valuation and trading of options.
Term
Blue Chip Stock
Definition
A stock with solid value, good security, and a record of dividend payments or other desirable investment characteristics. Many times they have a record of consistent dividend payments, receive extensive media coverage and offer a host of other benefic ial investment attributes. On the downside, blue chip stocks tend to be quite expensive and often have little room for growth.
Term
Blue Chips
Definition
This term is derived from poker where blue chips hold the most value. Blue chips in the stock market are stocks with the best market capitalization in the marketplace.
Term
Bond
Definition
Financial instruments representing debt obligations issued by the government or corporations traded in the futures market. A bond promises to pay its holders periodic interest at a fixed rate (the coupon), and to repay the principal of the loan at mat urity. Bonds are issued with a par or face value of $1,000. Bonds are traded based upon their interest rates - if the bond pays more interest than available elsewhere, its worth increases.
Term
Break-even
Definition
The point at which gains equal losses. The market price that a stock or future must reach for an option to avoid loss if exercised. For a call, the break-even equals the strike price plus the premium paid. For a put, the break-even equals the strike price minus the premium paid.
Term
Breakout
Definition
A rise in the price of an underlying instrument above its resistance level or a drop below the support level.
Term
Bull
Definition
An investor who believes that a market is rising or is expected to rise.
Term
Bull Call Spread
Definition
A strategy in which a trader buys a lower strike call and sells a higher strike call to create a trade with limited profit and limited risk. A rise in the price of the underlying increases the value of the spread. Net debit transaction; Maximum loss = debit; Maximum gain = difference between strike prices less the debit; no margin.
Term
Bull Market
Definition
A rising stock market over a prolonged period of time usually caused by a strong economy and subsequent increased corporate profits.
Term
Bull Put Spread
Definition
A strategy in which a trader sells a higher strike put and buys a lower strike put to create a trade with limited profit and limited risk. A rise in the price of the underlying increases the value of the spread. Net credit transaction; Maximum loss = difference between strike prices less credit; Maximum gain = credit; requires margin.
Term
Butterfly Spread
Definition
The sale (purchase) of two identical options, together with the purchase (sale) of one option with an immediately higher strike, and one option with an immediately lower strike. All options must be the same type, have the same underlying and have the same expiration date.
Term
Buy IV Sell IV
Definition
Many options are spreads that have a buy option leg and a sell option leg. Buy IV is the implied volatility of the option leg with a buy component. Sell IV is the implied volatility of the option leg with a sell component.
Term
Buy on Close
Definition
To buy at the end of a trading session at a price within the closing range.
Term
Buy on Opening
Definition
To buy at the beginning of a trading session at a price within the opening range.
Term
Buy Stop Order
Definition
An order to purchase a security entered at a price above the current offering price triggered when the market hits a specified price.
Term
Buyer
Definition
If you purchase an options contract, regardless of whether you're opening or closing a position, you're a buyer.
Term
Buy-write
Definition
A covered call position in which stock is purchased and an equivalent number of calls written at the same time. This position may be transacted as a combined order, with both sides (buying stock and writing calls) being executed simultaneously. Example: buying 500 shares XYZ stock, and writing 5 XYZ May 60 calls. See also Covered call / covered call writing
Term
Calendar Spread
Definition
A spread consisting of one long and one short option of the same type with the same exercise price, but which expire in different months.
Term
Call Option
Definition
An option contract which gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy a specified amount of an underlying security at a specified price within a specified time in exchange for a paying a premium.
Term
Call Premium
Definition
The amount a call option costs.
Term
Capital
Definition
The amount of money an individual or business has available.
Term
Capital Gain
Definition
The profit realized when a capital asset is sold for a higher price than the purchase price.
Term
Capital Loss
Definition
The loss incurred when a capital asset is sold for a lower price than the purchase price.
Term
Capitalization
Definition
Refers to the current value of a corporation's outstanding shares in dollars.
Term
Capped-style Option
Definition
An option with an established profit cap or cap price.
Term
Cash Account
Definition
An account in which the customer is required to pay in full for all purchased securities.
Term
Cash Dividend
Definition
A dividend paid in cash to a shareholder out of a corporation's profits.
Term
Change
Definition
The difference between the current price and the price of the previous day of a security.
Term
Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT)
Definition
Established in 1886, the CBOT is the oldest commodity exchange in the United States and primarily lists grains, T-Bonds and notes, metals and indexes.
Term
Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE)
Definition
The largest options exchange in the United States.
Term
Class of Options
Definition
Option contracts of the same type (call or put), style and underlying security.
Term
Clearinghouse
Definition
An institution established separately from the exchanges to ensure timely payment and delivery of securities.
Term
Close
Definition
The price of the last transaction for a particular security each day.
Term
Close
Definition
A reduction or an elimination of an open position by the appropriate offsetting purchase or sale. An existing long option position is closed by a selling transaction. An existing short option position is closed by a purchase transaction. This transaction will reduce the open interest for the specific option involved.
Term
Closing Purchase
Definition
A transaction to eliminate a short position.
Term
Closing Range
Definition
The high and low prices recorded during the period designated as the official close.
Term
Closing Sale
Definition
A transaction to eliminate a long position.
Term
Collar
Definition
A protective strategy in which a written call and a long put are taken against a previously owned long stock position. The options may have the same strike price or different strike prices and the expiration months may or may not be the same. For example, if the investor previously purchased XYZ Corporation at $46 and it rose to $62, a 'collar' involving the purchase of a May 60 put and the writing of a May 65 call could be established as a way of protecting some of the unrealized profit in the XYZ Corporation stock position. The reverse -- a long call combined with a written put -- might also be used if the investor has previously established a short stock position in XYZ Corporation. See also Fence
Term
Commission
Definition
A service charge assessed by a broker and his/her investment company in return for arranging the purchase or sale of a security.
Term
Condor
Definition
The sale or purchase of 2 options with consecutive exercise prices, together with the sale or purchase of 1 option with an immediately lower exercise price and 1 option with an immediately higher exercise price.
Term
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Definition
A measure of price changes in consumer goods and services. This index is used to identify periods of economic inflation or deflation.
Term
Contract
Definition
A unit of trading for a financial or commodity future, or option.
Term
Correction
Definition
A sudden decline in the price of a security after a period of market strength.
Term
Covered Call
Definition
A short call option position against a long position in an underlying stock or futures. An option strategy in which a call option is written against an equivalent amount of long stock. Example: writing 2 XYZ May 60 calls while owning 200 shares or more of XYZ stock. See also Buy-write and Overwrite
Term
Covered Put
Definition
A short put option position against a short position in an underlying stock or futures.
Term
Credit Spread
Definition
The difference in value between 2 options, where the value of the short position exceeds the value of the long position.
Term
Cross Rate
Definition
The current exchange rate between differing currencies.
Term
Daily Range
Definition
The difference between the high and low price of a security in one trading day.
Term
Day Trade
Definition
The purchase and sale of a position in the same day.
Term
Day Trading
Definition
An approach to trading in which the same position is entered and exited within one day.
Term
Debit Spread
Definition
The difference in value between 2 options, where the value of the long position exceeds the value of the short position.
Term
Deep-in-the-Money
Definition
A deep-in-the-money call option has a strike price well below the current price of the underlying instrument. A deep-in-the-money put option has a strike price well above the current price of the underlying instrument. Both primarily consist of intrinsic value.
Term
Delta
Definition
The amount by which the price of an option changes for every dollar move in the underlying instrument.
Term
Delta Neutral
Definition
A position arranged by selecting a calculated ratio of short and long positions that balance out to an overall position delta of zero.
Term
Delta Position
Definition
A measure of option or underlying securities delta.
Term
Delta-Hedged
Definition
An options strategy protecting an option against price changes in the option's underlying instrument by balancing the overall position delta to zero.
Term
Derivative
Definition
Financial instruments based on the market value of an underlying asset.
Term
Divergence
Definition
When 2 or more averages or indices fail to show confirming trends.
Term
Dividend
Definition
A sum of money paid out to a shareholder from the stock's profits.
Term
Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)
Definition
Used as an overall indicator of market performance, this average is composed of 30 blue chip stocks which are traded daily on the New York Stock Exchange.
Term
Downside
Definition
The potential for prices to decrease.
Term
Downside Risk
Definition
The potential risk one takes if prices decrease in directional trading.
Term
End of Day
Definition
The close of the trading day when market prices settle.
Term
Equilibrium
Definition
A price level in a sideways market equal-distance from the resistance and support levels.
Term
Equity option
Definition
An option on shares of an individual common stock or exchange traded fund.
Term
European Style Option
Definition
An option contract that can only be exercised on the expiration date.
Term
Exchange
Definition
An area where an asset, option, future, stock or derivative is bought and sold.
Term
Exchange Rate
Definition
The price at which one country's currency can be converted into another country's currency.
Term
Execution
Definition
The process of completing an order to buy or sell securities.
Term
Exercise
Definition
Implementing an option's right to buy or sell the underlying security.
Term
Exercise Price
Definition
A price at which the stock or commodity underlying a call or put option can be purchased (call) or sold (put).
Term
Expected Profit
Definition
The stock price is randomly projected into the future using the stock's 20-day statistical (historical) volatility (SV) in the Optionetics option trade ranker tool. The stock price projection stops at the expiration of the earlist expiring option leg. The stock price future statistical distribution at option expiration is used to compute possible profits and losses. Expected Profit is the predicted profits minus the predicted losses expressed in total dollars.
Term
Expiration
Definition
The date and time after which an option may no longer be exercised.
Term
Expiration Date
Definition
The last day on which an option may be exercised.
Term
Explosive
Definition
An opportunity that can yield large profits with usually a limited risk in a short amount of time.
Term
Extrinsic Value
Definition
The price of an option less its intrinsic value. An out-of-the money option's worth consists of nothing but extrinsic or time value.
Term
Fade
Definition
Selling a rising price or buying a falling price.
Term
Fair Market Value
Definition
The value of an asset under normal conditions.
Term
Fill
Definition
An executed order.
Term
Fill or Kill
Definition
Placing an order to buy or sell an exact number of units or none at all.
Term
Fill Order
Definition
An order that must be filled or canceled immediately.
Term
Financial Instruments
Definition
The term used for debt instruments.
Term
Fixed Delta
Definition
A delta figure that does not change with the change in the underlying. A futures contract has a fixed delta of plus or minus 100.
Term
Fluctuation
Definition
A variation in the market price of a security.
Term
Front Month
Definition
The first expiration month in a series of months.
Term
Fundamental Analysis
Definition
An approach to trading research to predict futures and stock price movements based on a balance sheet and income statements, past records of earnings, sales, assets, management, products and services.
Term
Futures
Definition
All contracts covering the purchase and sale of financial instruments or physical commodities for future delivery. These orders are transacted on a commodity futures exchange.
Term
Futures Contract
Definition
Agreement to buy or sell a set number of shares of a commodity or financial instruments in a designated future month at a price agreed upon by the buyer and seller.
Term
Gamma
Definition
The degree by which the delta changes with respect to changes in the underlying instrument's price.
Term
Gap
Definition
A day in which the daily range is completely above or below the previous day's daily range.
Term
Go Long
Definition
To buy securities, options or futures.
Term
Go Short
Definition
To sell securities, options or futures.
Term
Good Til' Canceled Order (GTC)
Definition
Sometimes simply called "GTC", it means an order to buy or sell stock that is good until you cancel it.
Term
Guts
Definition
A strangle where the call and the put are in-the-money.
Term
Hammering the Market
Definition
The intense selling of stocks by speculators who think the market is about to drop because they think prices are inflated.
Term
Hedge
Definition
Reducing the risk of loss by taking a position through options or futures opposite to the current position they hold in the market.
Term
High (hi)
Definition
The highest price that was paid for a stock during a certain period.
Term
High and Low
Definition
Refers to the high and low transactions prices that occur each trading day.
Term
High Flyer
Definition
A speculative high-priced stock that moves up and down sharply over a short period of time.
Term
Historic Volatility
Definition
A measurement of how much a contract's price has fluctuated over a period of time in the past; usually calculated by taking a stand`ard deviation of price changes over a time period.
Term
Holder
Definition
One who purchases an option.
Term
Illiquid Market
Definition
Market which has no volume that subsequently creates a lot of slippage due to lack of trading volume.
Term
Immediate/Cancel
Definition
An order which must be filled immediately or canceled.
Term
Index
Definition
An index is a group of stocks which can be traded as one portfolio, such as the S&P 500. Broad-based indexes cover a wide range of industries and companies and narrow-based indexes cover stocks in one industry or economic sector.
Term
Index Options
Definition
Call options and put options on indexes of stocks are designed to reflect and fluctuate with market conditions. Index options allow investors to trade in a specific industry group or market without having to buy all the stocks individually.
Term
Interest Rate
Definition
The charge for the privilege of borrowing money, usually expressed as an annual percentage rate.
Term
Interest Rate Driven
Definition
Refers to a point in the business cycle when interest rates are declining and bond prices are rising.
Term
Inter-market Analysis
Definition
Observing the price movement of one market for the purpose of evaluating a different market.
Term
Inter-market Spread
Definition
A spread consisting of opposing positions in instruments with two different markets.
Term
In-the-Money
Definition
If you were to exercise an option and it would generate a profit at the time, it is known to be in the money.
Term
In-the-Money Option
Definition
A "call" option is in-the-money if the strike price is less than the market price of the underlying security. A "put" option is in-the-money if the strike price is greater than the market price of the underlying security Intrinsic Value The amount by which a market is in-the-money. Out-of-the-money options have no intrinsic value. Calls = underlying -strike price. Puts = strike price - underlying.
Term
Intrinsic value
Definition
The in-the-money portion of an option's price. See also In-the-money option . The value of an option if you excercised it at a given moment. Out-of-the money and at-the-money options have no intrinsic value. For in-the-money options, the intrinsic value is the difference between the strike price and the underlying stock price.
Term
Iron Butterfly
Definition
The combination of a long (short) straddle and a short (long) strangle. All options must have the same underlying and have the same expiration.
Term
LEAPS
Definition
Long-term stock or index options which are available with expiration dates up to three years in the future.
Term
Leg
Definition
One side of a spread.
Term
Leverage
Definition
A term describing the greater percentage of profit or loss potential when a given amount of money controls a security with a much larger face value. For example, a call option enables the owner to assume the upside potential of 100 shares of stock by investing a much smaller amount than that required to buy the stock. If the stock increases by 10 percent, for example, the option might double in value. Conversely, a 10 percent stock price decline might result in the total loss of the purchase price of the option.
Term
Limit Move
Definition
The maximum daily price limit for an exchange traded contract.
Term
Limit Order
Definition
An order to buy a stock at or below a specified price or to sell a stock at or above a specified price.
Term
Limit Up, Limit Down
Definition
Commodity exchange restrictions on the maximum upward or downward movements permitted in the price for a commodity during any trading session day.
Term
Liquidity
Definition
The ease with which an asset can be converted to cash in the marketplace. A large number of buyers and sellers and a high volume of trading activity provide high liquidity.
Term
Locked Market
Definition
A market where trading has been halted because prices have reached their daily trading limit.
Term
Long
Definition
The term used to describe the buying of a security, contract, commodity, or option. When you own a security or option…You might have a long porition, or be long.
Term
Low (lo)
Definition
This is the lowest price paid for a stock during a certain period.
Term
Low Risk Investing
Definition
A trade which is hedged for purposes of limiting price loss as opposed to a directional trade where loss is unlimited.
Term
Make a Market
Definition
A market maker stands ready to buy or sell a particular security for his/her own account to keep the market liquid.
Term
Margin
Definition
A deposit contributed by a customer as a percentage of the current market value of the securities held in a margin account is thus the margin amount. This amount changes as the price of the investment changes.
Term
Margin Account
Definition
A customer account in which a brokerage firm lends the customer part of the purchase price of a trade.
Term
Margin Call
Definition
A call from a broker signaling the need for a trader to deposit additional money into a margin account to maintain a trade.
Term
Margin Requirements (Options)
Definition
The amount of cash an uncovered (naked) option writer is required to deposit and maintain to cover his daily position price changes.
Term
Marked to Market
Definition
At the end of each business day the open positions carried in an account held at a brokerage firm are credited or debited funds based on the settlement price of the open positions that day.
Term
Market on Close
Definition
An order specification that requires the broker to get the best price available on the close of trading, usually during the last five minutes of trading.
Term
Market Order
Definition
Buying or selling securities at the price given at the time the order reached the market. A market order is to be executed immediately at the best available price, and is the only order that guarantees execution.
Term
Market Price
Definition
The most recent price at which a security transaction took place.
Term
Market Value
Definition
The price at which investors buy or sell a share of common stock or a bond at a given time. Market value is determined by the interaction between buyers and sellers.
Term
Mark-to-Market
Definition
The daily adjustment of margin accounts to reflect profits and losses. In this way, losses are never allowed to accumulate.
Term
Married put strategy
Definition
The simultaneous purchase of stock and put options representing an equivalent number of shares. This is a limited risk strategy during the life of the puts because the stock can always be sold for at least the strike price of the purchased puts.
Term
Max Loss
Definition
The maximum amount of losses possible from the option trade in the Optionetics option trade ranker tool.
Term
Max Profit
Definition
The maximum amount of net profit possible from the option trade in the Optionetics option trade ranker tool.
Term
Mid-cap Stocks
Definition
Usually solidly established medium growth firms with less than 100 billion in assets. They provide better growth potential than blue-chip stocks, but do not offer as wide a variety of investment attributes.
Term
Model
Definition
A model value for the option quote is the Bjerksund and Stensland Approximation of the Black-Scholes "fair" value of the option based on the estimated IV from the stock's other options.
Term
Model Profit
Definition
The Optionetics option trade ranker tool software uses an option mathematical model ( the Bjerksund Stensland American option model) to fairly price the option. The Optionetics software computes what the profit of the option strategy would be using the mathematical model option prices. The profit value is called the Model Profit. If this "model profit", when the trade is formed, is close to the profit of 0.0 ( a new trade should start with no profit ) then we are confident the option data being used for the trade is good. Model profits that exceed $200 likely are caused by incorrect option data.
Term
Momentum
Definition
When a market continues in the same direction for a certain time frame, the market is said to have momentum.
Term
Momentum Indicator
Definition
A technical indicator utilizing price and volume statistics for predicting the strength or weakness of a current market.
Term
Momentum Trading
Definition
Investing with (or against) the momentum of the market in hopes of profiting from it.
Term
Moving Averages
Definition
The moving average is probably the best known, and most versatile, technical indicator. A mathematical procedure in which the sum of a value plus a selected number of previous values are divided by the total number of values. Used to smooth or eliminate t he fluctuations in data and to assist in determining when to buy and sell.
Term
Naked call
Definition
You write a call on a stock you don't hold.
Term
Naked Option
Definition
An option written (sold) without an underlying hedge position.
Term
Naked Position
Definition
A securities position not hedged from market risk.
Term
Narrowing the Spread
Definition
The closing spread between the bid and asked prices of a security as a result of bidding and offering.
Term
Near-the-Money
Definition
An option with a strike price close to the current price of the underlying tradable.
Term
Note
Definition
A short-term debt security, usually maturing in five years or less.
Term
Odds
Definition
Odds is the predicted profits divided by the predicted losses obtained by projecting the stock price randomly into the future using the Statistical Volatility (SV). The prediction stops at the expiration of the earlist expiring option leg.
Term
Offer
Definition
The lowest price at which a person is willing to sell.
Term
Offer Down
Definition
The change of the offer of the market related to a downward price movement at that specific time.
Term
Offset
Definition
To liquidate a futures position by entering an equivalent but opposite transaction. To offset a long position, a sale is made; to offset a short position, a purchase is made.
Term
On-the-Money
Definition
The option in question is trading at its exercise price (also referred to as at-the-money)..
Term
Open
Definition
If you purchase or write an option, creating a new position on that option, you establish an open position.
Term
Open interest
Definition
The total number of outstanding option contracts on a given series or for a given underlying stock.
Term
Open Order
Definition
An order to buy or sell a security at a specified price, valid until executed or canceled.
Term
Opening Price
Definition
The range of prices at which the first bids and offers were made or first transactions were completed.
Term
Opportunity Costs
Definition
The theoretical cost of using your capital for one investment versus another.
Term
Option
Definition
A security that represents the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specified amount of an underlying security (stock, bond, futures contract, etc.) at a specified price within a specified time.
Term
Option Holder
Definition
The buyer of either a call or put option.
Term
Option Premium
Definition
This is the price of an option.
Term
Option Writer
Definition
The seller of either a call or put option.
Term
Options chain
Definition
A tool that lets you see all the available options for an underlying stock, including their prices and other trading data.
Term
Options class
Definition
All the calls or all the puts on an underlying security.
Term
Options series
Definition
All the calls or puts on an underlying stock with identical terms, including expiration month and strike price.
Term
Order
Definition
A ticket or voucher representing long or short securities and options.
Term
Order Flow
Definition
The volume of orders being bought or sold on the exchanges.
Term
Out-of-the-Money
Definition
An option whose exercise price has no intrinsic value. When a call's strike price is above the underlying stock price, or a put's strike price is below the stock price.
Term
Out-of-the-Money Option (OTM)
Definition
A call option is out-of-the-money if its exercise or strike price is above the current market price of the underlying security. A put option is out-of-the-money if its exercise or strike price is below the current market price of the underlying securi ty.
Term
Overvalued
Definition
A term used to describe a security or option whose current price is not justified.
Term
Par
Definition
The stated or "nominal" value of a bond (typically $1,000) that is paid to the bondholder at maturity.
Term
paste text
Definition
An order to buy or sell a security which expires if not filled by the end of the day.
Term
Perceived Risk
Definition
The theoretical risk of a trade in a specific time frame.
Term
Point Spread
Definition
The price movement required for a security to go from one "full point" level to another (i.e. stock goes up or down $1).
Term
Points
Definition
Points apply to security prices. In the case of shares, one point indicates $1.00 per share. For bonds, , one point means 1% of par value. Commodities differ from market to market.
Term
Position
Definition
The total of a trader's open contracts.
Term
Position Delta
Definition
The sum of all positive and negative deltas in a hedged position.
Term
Position Limit
Definition
The maximum number of open contracts in a single underlying instrument.
Term
Premium
Definition
The amount of cash that an option buyer pays to an option seller. The price you pay if you are an options buyer, or the amount you receive if you're an options writer.
Term
Price
Definition
Price of a share of common stock on the date shown. Highs and lows are based on the highest and lowest intra-day trading price.
Term
Price / Earnings Ratio (PE)
Definition
A technical analysis tool for comparing the prices of different common stocks by assessing how much the market is willing to pay for a share of each corporation's earnings. PE is calculated by dividing the current market price of a stock by the earnin gs per share.
Term
Principal
Definition
The initial purchase price of a bond on which interest is earned.
Term
Probability of Profit
Definition
Probability of Profit is the probability that the predicted stock price falls within the option trade's profit zones. The predicted stock price distribution is computed by projecting the stock price randomly into the future using the SV. The prediction stops at the expiration of the earlist expiring option leg.
Term
Protective put
Definition
You purchase a put on stock you already own.
Term
Put Option
Definition
An option contract giving the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specified amount of an underlying security at a specified price within a specified time. The put option buyer hopes the price of the shares will drop by a specific date w hile the put option seller (or writer) hopes that the price of the shares will rise, remain stable, or drop by an amount less than their profit on the premium by the specified date.
Term
Quickie
Definition
An order that must be filled as soon as it reaches the trading floor at the price specified, or be canceled immediately.
Term
Quote
Definition
The price being offered or bid by a market maker or broker-dealer for a particular security.
Term
Quoted Price
Definition
Refers to the price at which the last sale and purchase of a particular security or commodity took place.
Term
Ratio Backspread
Definition
A delta neutral spread where an uneven amount of contracts are bought and sold with a ratio less than 2 to 3. Optimally no net credit or net debit occurs.
Term
Ratio Call Spread
Definition
A bearish or stable strategy in which a trader buys 2 higher strike calls and sell1 lower strike call. This strategy offers limited risk and unlimited profit potential.
Term
Ratio Put Spread
Definition
A bullish or stable strategy ion which a trader buys 1 higher strike put and sells two lower strike puts. This strategy offers limited risk and unlimited profit potential.
Term
Relative Strength
Definition
A stock's price movement over the past year as compared to a market index.
Term
Relative Strength Index (RSI)
Definition
An indicator used to identify price tops and bottoms.
Term
Reversal Stop
Definition
A stop that, when hit, is a signal to reverse the current trading position, i.e., from long to short. Also known as stop and reverse.
Term
Reward-Risk Ratio
Definition
The mathematical relationship between the maximum potential risk and maximum potential reward of a trade.
Term
Risk Profile
Definition
A graphic determination of risk on a trade. This would include the profit and loss of a trade at any given point for any given time frame.
Term
Rolling
Definition
A trading action in which the trader simultaneously closes an open option position and creates a new option position at a different strike price, different expiration, or both. Variations of this include rolling up, rolling down, rolling out and diagonal rolling.
Term
Round-turn
Definition
Procedure by which a long or short position is offset by an opposite transaction.
Term
Seasonal Market
Definition
A market with a consistent but short-lived rise or drop in market activity due to predictable changes in climate or calendar.
Term
Seller
Definition
If you sell an option, whether opening a new position or closing an existing position, you're a seller.
Term
Selling Short
Definition
The practice of borrowing a stock, future or option from a broker and selling it because the investor forecasts that the price of a stock is going down.
Term
Series (Options)
Definition
All option contracts of the same class that also have the same unit of trade, expiration date, and exercise price.
Term
Short
Definition
The selling of a security, contract or commodity not owned by the seller..
Term
Short
Definition
When you have written an option. You may have a short position, or be short.
Term
Short Selling
Definition
The sale of shares or futures that a seller does not currently own. The seller borrows them (usually from a broker) and sells them with the intent to replace what s/he has sold through later repurchase in the market at a lower price.
Term
Small-cap Stocks
Definition
Up-and-comer companies that offer big rewards and higher risks. They tend to cost less than mid-caps and have lower liquidity. However, small amounts of media coverage can prompt big gains.
Term
Spike
Definition
A sharp price rise in one or two days indicating the time for an immediate sale.
Term
Spread
Definition
The difference between the bid and the ask prices of a security. Also may refer to an options strategy that calls for you to hold two or more simultaneous positions.
Term
Stop order
Definition
A type of contingency order, often erroneously known as a 'stop-loss' order, placed with a broker that becomes a market order when the stock trades, or is bid or offered, at or through a specified price. See also Stop-limit order
Term
Stop-limit order
Definition
A type of contingency order placed with a broker that becomes a limit order when the stock trades, or is bid or offered, at or through a specific price.
Term
Stops
Definition
Buy stops are orders that are placed at a specified price over the current price of the market. Sell stops are orders that are placed with a specified price below the current price.
Term
Straddle
Definition
A position consisting of a long (short) call and a long (short) put, where both options have the same strike price and expiration date.
Term
Strangle
Definition
A position consisting of a long (short) call and a long (short) put where both options have the same underlying, the same expiration date, but different strike prices. Most strangles involve OTM options.
Term
Strike Price (Exercise Price)
Definition
A price at which the stock or commodity underlying a call or put option can be purchased (call) or sold (put) over the specified period.
Term
Support
Definition
A historical price level at which falling prices have stopped falling and either moved sideways or reversed direction.
Term
Swings
Definition
The measurement of price movement between extreme highs and lows.
Term
Synthetic Long Call
Definition
A long put and a long stock or future.
Term
Synthetic Long Put
Definition
A long call and a short stock or future.
Term
Synthetic Long Stock
Definition
A short put and a long call.
Term
Synthetic Short Call
Definition
A short put and a short stock or future.
Term
Synthetic Short Put
Definition
A short call and a long stock or future.
Term
Synthetic Short Stock
Definition
A short call and a long put.
Term
Synthetic Straddle
Definition
Futures and options combined to create a delta neutral trade.
Term
Synthetic Underlying
Definition
A long (short) call together with a short (long) put. Both options have the same underlying, the same strike price and the same expiration date.
Term
Technical Analysis
Definition
A method of evaluating securities and commodities by analyzing statistics generated by market activity, such as past prices, volume, momentum and stochastics.
Term
Terms
Definition
The characteristics of your option, including strike price, exercise style and expiration date.
Term
Theoretical value
Definition
An option value generated by a mathematical option's pricing model to determine what an option is really worth.
Term
Theta
Definition
The Greek measurement of the time decay of an option.
Term
Tick
Definition
A minimum upward or downward movement in the price of a security. For example, bonds trade in 32nds, while most stocks trade in eighths.
Term
Time Decay
Definition
The amount of time premium movement within a certain time frame on an option due to the passage of time in relation to the expiration of the option itself.
Term
Time Premium
Definition
The additional value of an option due to the volatility of the market and the time remaining until expiration.
Term
Time Value (Extrinsic Value)
Definition
The amount that the current market price of a right, warrant or option exceeds its intrinsic value.
Term
Treasury Bill (T-Bill)
Definition
These are short-term government securities with maturities of no more than one year.
Term
Treasury Bond (T-Bond)
Definition
A fixed-interest U.S. government debt security with a maturity of 10 years or more..
Term
Treasury Note (T- Note)
Definition
A fixed-interest U.S. government debt security with a maturity of between one and ten years.
Term
Triple Witching Day
Definition
The third Friday in March, June, September and December when U.S. options, index options and futures contracts all expire simultaneously often resulting in massive trades.
Term
Type
Definition
The classification of an option contract as either a put or a call.
Term
Uncovered Option
Definition
A short option position, also called a "naked" option, in which the writer does not own shares of underlying stock. This is a much riskier strategy than a covered option.
Term
Underlying Instrument
Definition
A trading instrument subject to purchase upon exercise.
Term
Undervalued
Definition
A security selling below the value the market value analysts believe it is worth.
Term
Upside
Definition
The potential for prices to move up.
Term
Upside break-even
Definition
The upper price at which a trade breaks-even.
Term
Variable Delta
Definition
A delta that can change due to the change of an underlying asset or a change in time expiration of an option.
Term
Vega
Definition
The amount by which the price of an option changes when the volatility changes. Also referred to as volatility.
Term
Vertical spread
Definition
Most commonly used to describe the purchase of one option and writing of another where both are of the same type and of same expiration month, but have different strike prices. Example: buying 1 XYZ May 60 call and writing 1 XYZ May 65 call. See also Bull (or bullish) spread and Bear (or bearish) spread
Term
Volatility
Definition
A measure of the amount by which an underlying is expected to fluctuate in a given period of time. Volatility is a primary determinant in the valuation of options premiums and time value. There are two basic kinds of volatility, implied and historical (statistical). Implied volatility is calculated by using an option pricing model (Black-Scholes for stocks and indices and Black for futures). Historical volatility is calculated by using the standard deviation of underlying asset price changes from clos e to close trading going back 21 to 23 days.
Term
Whipsaw
Definition
Losing money on both sides of a price swing.
Term
Wide Opening
Definition
Refers to an unusually large spread between the bid and asked prices.
Term
Witching Day
Definition
A day on which two or more classes of options and futures expire.
Term
Writer
Definition
An individual who sells an option. If you sell an option to open a position, you're a writer.
Term
Yield
Definition
The rate of return on an investment.
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