In futures contracts, the delivery point is the place where the commodity will be delivered; the chosen location will have an effect on the net delivery price/cost. The price of commodities differs by location due to the costs of transporting them from their source to the delivery point. Thus, in order to specify a single price of a commodity for contract purposes, the delivery point is an essential detail. The delivery point is most often set at major transportation hubs for the commodity. These places are popular as a matter of convention. For example, Cushing, Oklahoma is a popular delivery point for oil contracts. Meanwhile, the Henry Hub in Erath, Louisiana is a popular delivery point for natural gas contracts. The change in prices due to the delivery point is readily observable in gasoline prices. If you go on a road trip between cities, you will most often notice gradual changes in the average price of gasoline. Prices are lowest around major oil refining centers. Where gasoline must be delivered over a very long distance, prices will be considerably higher.
The deliverable grade specifies the minimum quality of the commodity that is to be delivered under a contract. Carefully specifying the deliverable grade ensures that both parties to the contract agree on precisely what is to be delivered, allowing the contract to be priced correctly. For any given commodity, there are many different grade and types. For example, oil comes in many different qualities, with much different prices for each grade. If a minimum deliverable grade is poorly specified, the deliverer can profit at the expense of the acquirer by delivering a cheaper, lower quality grade than was anticipated by the contract price. In the futures market, firms often wish to hedge their risk to changing prices by entering contracts to buy certain commodities in advance. For example, suppose an airline wishes to hedge its risk to changes in future jet fuel prices. The airline could enter into a contract to buy a certain quantity of jet fuel, and have it delivered in the future. There are many different types of jet fuel, each with different prices, so such a contract would specify the minimum grade of fuel to be delivered. If a minimum deliverable grade is not specified, the deliverer would invariably deliver the cheapest fuel. In this situation, the airline might have overpaid considerably and it might receive jet fuel unsuitable for its purposes.
An option with all the characteristics of an American vanilla option, with one exception: payment is deferred until the original expiration date. The option can be exercised at any time; however, payment is deferred until the original expiration date of the option. These options are considered long term options, with expiration dates at least one year away.
The latter month or months of an option or futures contract. For example, when considering a three-month option at the time of purchase months two and three could be thought of as deferred. In the second month of ownership, the third month could be considered deferred. The number of deferred months is part of what gives an option its time value, which is the difference between an option’s trading value and its intrinsic value. As the expiration date of an option nears, its time value diminishes. In terms of future contracts, if today is January 1 and the contract will be settled on September 1, September is considered the deferred month.
The latter month(s) of an option or futures contract. For example, when considering a three-month option at the time of purchase, months two and three could be thought of us deferred. In the second month of ownership, the third month could be considered deferred and so on. The number of deferred months is part of what gives an option its time value, which is the difference between an option’s trading value and its intrinsic value. As the expiration date of an option nears, its time value diminishes.
An option with a strike price that is significantly above (for a call option) or below (for a put option) the market price of the underlying asset. To be deemed deep out of the money, an option's strike price should be at least one strike price below/above the market price of the underlying asset's option chain. Watch: Out Of The Money Options For example, if the current price of the underlying stock is $10, a put option with a strike price of $5 would be considered deep out of the money. While a deep of out the money option seems worthless, the derivative still holds some value. All options, both in and out of the money, contain time value. Time value measures the benefit of having an option with time remaining until maturity. So, while a deep out of the money call or put has no intrinsic value, some investors may be willing to pay a small amount for the remaining time value. However, this time value decreases as the option moves closer to its expiry date.
An options trading strategy where the trader initially establishes a delta neutral position. The trader creates this delta neutral position by simultaneously buying and selling options in proportion to the neutral ratio. Using a delta spread, a trader usually expects to make a small profit if the underlying security does not change widely in price. However, larger gains or losses are possible if the underlying security's prices changes significantly in either direction. The most commonly discussed delta spread is a calendar spread. The calendar spread involves constructing a delta neutral position using options with different expiration dates. In the simplest example, a trader will simultaneously sell near-month call options and buy call options with a later expiration in proportion to their neutral ratio. Since the position is delta neutral, the trader should not experience gains or losses from small prices moves in the underlying security. Rather, the trader expects the price to remain unchanged, and as the near month calls lose time value and expire, the trader can sell the call options with longer expiration dates and hopefully net a profit.
A form of a knock-in option whose payoff is determined by the price of the underlying asset sinking to the barrier price level. If the underlying asset does reach the barrier price level, the down-and-in option becomes a vanilla European call or put option. If the underlying asset price does not reach the barrier level, the option expires worthless. Investors may choose a down-and-in option rather than directly purchasing the vanilla option, as option premiums tend to be significantly lower for knock-in options.