Derivatives
1. THE ROLE OF DERIVATIVES
Underlying asset
Two basic types: options and forwards. Both types are contracts between two parties: a buyer and a seller.
• The buyer in an option contract has the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specified quantity of the underlying asset in the future at a price agreed upon today. The seller of the option is obliged to complete the transaction if called upon to do so. An option that gives its owner the right to buy the underlying asset is a call option; one that gives the right to sell the underlying asset is a put option.
• With forward contracts both parties oblige themselves to trade the underlying asset in the future at a price agreed upon today. Neither party has given the other any right; they are both obliged to participate in the future trade.
FEATURES COMMON TO ALL DERIVATIVES
• They are contractual agreements between two parties (often called counterparties): a buyer and a seller. The agreements spell out the rights (if any) and the obligations of each party.
• They have a price upon which the buyer and seller must agree; buyers try to buy them for as little as possible, whereas sellers try to sell them for as much as possible.
• They have an expiration date. Both parties must fulfill their obligations or exercise their rights under the contract on or before the expiration date. After that date, the contract is automatically terminated.
When a derivative contract is drawn up, it includes a price, or formula for determining the price, of an asset to be bought and sold in the future, either on or before the expiration date.
• With forwards, no up-front payment is required. Sometimes one or both parties make a performance bond or good-faith deposit, which gives the party on the other side of the transaction a higher level of assurance that the terms of the forward will be honoured.
• With options, the buyer makes a payment to the seller when the contract is drawn up. This payment, known as a premium, gives the buyer the right to buy or sell the underlying asset at a preset price on or before the expiration date.
DERIVATIVE MARKETS
• OTC derivatives : contracts can be custom designed to meet specific needs
EXCHANGE-TRADED DERIVATIVES
Derivative exchanges evolved in response to OTC issues, including concerns around standardization, liquidity, and default risk.
The Montréal Exchange (or Bourse de Montréal) lists options on stocks, indexes, and U.S. currency, as well as exchange-traded forwards (futures) on bonds, bankers’ acceptances, and indexes.
DEFAULT RISK
Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation (CDCC)
Exchange-Traded
• Traded on an exchange
• Standardized contract
• Transparent (public)
• Easy termination prior to contract expiry
• Clearinghouse acts as third-party guarantor ensuring contract’s performance to both trading parties
• Performance bond required, depending on the type of derivative
• Gains and losses accrue on a day-to-day basis (marking to market)
• Heavily regulated
• Delivery rarely takes place
• Commission visible
• Used by retail investors, corporations and institutional investors
Over-the-Counter
• Traded largely through computer and/or phone lines
• Terms of the contract agreed to between buyer and seller
• Private • Early termination more difficult
• No third-party guarantor
• Performance bond not required in most cases
• Gains and losses generally settled at the end of the contract, rather than marking to market
• Much less regulated
• Delivery or final cash settlement usually occurring
• Fee usually built into price
• Used by corporations and financial institutions
2. TYPES OF UNDERLYING ASSETS
Commodity futures and options are commonly used by producers, merchandisers, and processors of commodities to protect themselves against fluctuating commodity prices.
Financial derivatives
-Equity is the underlying asset of a large category of financial derivatives.
-Exchange-traded interest rate derivatives
-currency derivatives
3. THE USERS OF DERIVATIVES
• Individual investors
• Institutional investors
• Businesses and corporations
• Derivative dealers
INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS
exchange-traded derivatives only
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
• Market entry and exit
• Arbitrage
• Yield enhancement
4. OPTIONS
Call Option
Holder (Long Position)
• PAYS premium to the writer
• Has the RIGHT to BUY the underlying asset at the predetermined price
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to RISE
Put Option
Holder (Long Position)
• PAYS premium to the writer
• Has the RIGHT to SELL the underlying asset at the predetermined price
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to FALL
Call Option
Writer (Short Position)
• RECEIVES premium from the buyer
• Has the OBLIGATION to SELL the underlying asset at the predetermined price, if called upon to do so
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to REMAIN THE SAME OR FALL
Put Option
Writer (Short Position)
• RECEIVES premium from the buyer
• Has the OBLIGATION to BUY the underlying asset at the predetermined price, if called upon to do so
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to REMAIN THE SAME OR RISE
OPTIONS TERMINOLOGY
• Strike price
• Option premium
• Expiration date
• Trading unit
• Americanstyle and Europeanstyle options
• Long-Term Equity AnticiPation Securities
• Opening transaction
• In-the-money
• Out-of-themoney and Atthe-money
• Intrinsic value
• Time value
BUYING CALL OPTIONS
Investors buy call options with either of two investment strategies in mind: to speculate in the hope of earning a profit or to manage risk.
WRITING CALL OPTIONS
Investors write call options primarily for the income they provide in the form of the premium.
BUYING PUT OPTIONS
A popular reason for buying put options is to profit from an expected decline in the price of the stock.
WRITING PUT OPTIONS
Investors write put options primarily for the income they provide in the form of the premium.
5. FORWARDS AND FUTURES
• Financial futures are contracts with a financial asset as the underlying asset. Common underlying assets include: Stocks Bonds Currencies Interest rates Stock Indexes
• Commodity futures are contracts with a physical asset as the underlying asset. Common underlying assets include: Precious and base metals Crude oil and natural gas Grains and oilseeds Meats and dairy Lumber
CASH-SETTLED FUTURES
Many financial futures are based on underlying assets that are difficult or even impossible to deliver. For these types of futures, delivery involves an exchange of cash from one party to the other.
MARGIN REQUIREMENTS AND MARKING TO MARKET
The Montréal Exchange lists financial futures.
BUYING FUTURES TO SPECULATE
BUYING FUTURES TO MANAGE RISK
6. RIGHTS AND WARRANTS
RIGHTS
A right is a privilege granted to an existing shareholder to acquire additional shares directly from the issuing company. There is no cost for shareholders to acquire these rights.
• subscription price or offering price
• record date
• ex-rights
• cum rights
Intrinsic Value of Rights
(S-X)/n
S = The market price of the stock X = The exercise or subscription price of the rights n = The number of rights needed to buy one share
WARRANTS
A warrant is a security that gives its holder the right to buy shares in a company from the issuer at a set price for a set period of time. In this sense, warrants are similar to call options. The primary difference between the two is that warrants are issued by the company itself, whereas call options are issued (i.e., written) by other investors.
Sweetener
1. THE ROLE OF DERIVATIVES
Underlying asset
Two basic types: options and forwards. Both types are contracts between two parties: a buyer and a seller.
• The buyer in an option contract has the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specified quantity of the underlying asset in the future at a price agreed upon today. The seller of the option is obliged to complete the transaction if called upon to do so. An option that gives its owner the right to buy the underlying asset is a call option; one that gives the right to sell the underlying asset is a put option.
• With forward contracts both parties oblige themselves to trade the underlying asset in the future at a price agreed upon today. Neither party has given the other any right; they are both obliged to participate in the future trade.
FEATURES COMMON TO ALL DERIVATIVES
• They are contractual agreements between two parties (often called counterparties): a buyer and a seller. The agreements spell out the rights (if any) and the obligations of each party.
• They have a price upon which the buyer and seller must agree; buyers try to buy them for as little as possible, whereas sellers try to sell them for as much as possible.
• They have an expiration date. Both parties must fulfill their obligations or exercise their rights under the contract on or before the expiration date. After that date, the contract is automatically terminated.
When a derivative contract is drawn up, it includes a price, or formula for determining the price, of an asset to be bought and sold in the future, either on or before the expiration date.
• With forwards, no up-front payment is required. Sometimes one or both parties make a performance bond or good-faith deposit, which gives the party on the other side of the transaction a higher level of assurance that the terms of the forward will be honoured.
• With options, the buyer makes a payment to the seller when the contract is drawn up. This payment, known as a premium, gives the buyer the right to buy or sell the underlying asset at a preset price on or before the expiration date.
DERIVATIVE MARKETS
• OTC derivatives : contracts can be custom designed to meet specific needs
EXCHANGE-TRADED DERIVATIVES
Derivative exchanges evolved in response to OTC issues, including concerns around standardization, liquidity, and default risk.
The Montréal Exchange (or Bourse de Montréal) lists options on stocks, indexes, and U.S. currency, as well as exchange-traded forwards (futures) on bonds, bankers’ acceptances, and indexes.
DEFAULT RISK
Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation (CDCC)
Exchange-Traded
• Traded on an exchange
• Standardized contract
• Transparent (public)
• Easy termination prior to contract expiry
• Clearinghouse acts as third-party guarantor ensuring contract’s performance to both trading parties
• Performance bond required, depending on the type of derivative
• Gains and losses accrue on a day-to-day basis (marking to market)
• Heavily regulated
• Delivery rarely takes place
• Commission visible
• Used by retail investors, corporations and institutional investors
Over-the-Counter
• Traded largely through computer and/or phone lines
• Terms of the contract agreed to between buyer and seller
• Private • Early termination more difficult
• No third-party guarantor
• Performance bond not required in most cases
• Gains and losses generally settled at the end of the contract, rather than marking to market
• Much less regulated
• Delivery or final cash settlement usually occurring
• Fee usually built into price
• Used by corporations and financial institutions
2. TYPES OF UNDERLYING ASSETS
Commodity futures and options are commonly used by producers, merchandisers, and processors of commodities to protect themselves against fluctuating commodity prices.
Financial derivatives
-Equity is the underlying asset of a large category of financial derivatives.
-Exchange-traded interest rate derivatives
-currency derivatives
3. THE USERS OF DERIVATIVES
• Individual investors
• Institutional investors
• Businesses and corporations
• Derivative dealers
INDIVIDUAL INVESTORS
exchange-traded derivatives only
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
• Market entry and exit
• Arbitrage
• Yield enhancement
4. OPTIONS
Call Option
Holder (Long Position)
• PAYS premium to the writer
• Has the RIGHT to BUY the underlying asset at the predetermined price
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to RISE
Put Option
Holder (Long Position)
• PAYS premium to the writer
• Has the RIGHT to SELL the underlying asset at the predetermined price
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to FALL
Call Option
Writer (Short Position)
• RECEIVES premium from the buyer
• Has the OBLIGATION to SELL the underlying asset at the predetermined price, if called upon to do so
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to REMAIN THE SAME OR FALL
Put Option
Writer (Short Position)
• RECEIVES premium from the buyer
• Has the OBLIGATION to BUY the underlying asset at the predetermined price, if called upon to do so
• Expects the price of the underlying asset to REMAIN THE SAME OR RISE
OPTIONS TERMINOLOGY
• Strike price
• Option premium
• Expiration date
• Trading unit
• Americanstyle and Europeanstyle options
• Long-Term Equity AnticiPation Securities
• Opening transaction
• In-the-money
• Out-of-themoney and Atthe-money
• Intrinsic value
• Time value
BUYING CALL OPTIONS
Investors buy call options with either of two investment strategies in mind: to speculate in the hope of earning a profit or to manage risk.
WRITING CALL OPTIONS
Investors write call options primarily for the income they provide in the form of the premium.
BUYING PUT OPTIONS
A popular reason for buying put options is to profit from an expected decline in the price of the stock.
WRITING PUT OPTIONS
Investors write put options primarily for the income they provide in the form of the premium.
5. FORWARDS AND FUTURES
• Financial futures are contracts with a financial asset as the underlying asset. Common underlying assets include: Stocks Bonds Currencies Interest rates Stock Indexes
• Commodity futures are contracts with a physical asset as the underlying asset. Common underlying assets include: Precious and base metals Crude oil and natural gas Grains and oilseeds Meats and dairy Lumber
CASH-SETTLED FUTURES
Many financial futures are based on underlying assets that are difficult or even impossible to deliver. For these types of futures, delivery involves an exchange of cash from one party to the other.
MARGIN REQUIREMENTS AND MARKING TO MARKET
The Montréal Exchange lists financial futures.
BUYING FUTURES TO SPECULATE
BUYING FUTURES TO MANAGE RISK
6. RIGHTS AND WARRANTS
RIGHTS
A right is a privilege granted to an existing shareholder to acquire additional shares directly from the issuing company. There is no cost for shareholders to acquire these rights.
• subscription price or offering price
• record date
• ex-rights
• cum rights
Intrinsic Value of Rights
(S-X)/n
S = The market price of the stock X = The exercise or subscription price of the rights n = The number of rights needed to buy one share
WARRANTS
A warrant is a security that gives its holder the right to buy shares in a company from the issuer at a set price for a set period of time. In this sense, warrants are similar to call options. The primary difference between the two is that warrants are issued by the company itself, whereas call options are issued (i.e., written) by other investors.
Sweetener