THE BASICS
Options are special. They are unlike other investments because they were invented (circa 600 BC) as a tool for reducing and managing risk. In other words, one person (the option buyer) pays for the right to transfer a specific risk to the option seller. The seller charges a fee (premium) and agrees to take on that risk in return for the cash.
Think of put options as being similar to an insurance policy whereby an investor can guarantee the value of a specific investment by purchasing a put option. As a reminder the put owner has the right to sell the underlying asset at a specific price (the strike price) at any time before the put option expires, thereby eliminating any further loss when the stock price is below the strike. That is very similar to how an insurance policy works. (If your house burns to the ground, you can sell it to the insurance company for the insured sum.)
When dealing with call options, in return for paying a premium to buy the option, the buyer gains all upside movement (above the strike price).
The seller accepts the risk of losing a large sum if the stock price surges. For example, if you sell the right to buy 100 shares of a given stock at $50 per share to another investor, then you must deliver that stock if and when the call owner elects to exercise his/her rights. If that stock is trading at $70, you must buy stock at $70 and sell it to the call owner at $50. That is a loss of $2,000 (minus whatever sum you collected when selling the option).
THE SPREAD
it is possible to gain protection against losing a large (essentially unlimited) sum when selling options. The way to do that is to trade a spread, rather than just selling calls or puts. The spread is a hedged (risk-reducing) position. Let's see how it works.
In addition to selling the call option, per above, let's assume that you also buy a call option on the same underlying stock, with the same expiration, but with a strike price of $55 per share.
Options are special. They are unlike other investments because they were invented (circa 600 BC) as a tool for reducing and managing risk. In other words, one person (the option buyer) pays for the right to transfer a specific risk to the option seller. The seller charges a fee (premium) and agrees to take on that risk in return for the cash.
Think of put options as being similar to an insurance policy whereby an investor can guarantee the value of a specific investment by purchasing a put option. As a reminder the put owner has the right to sell the underlying asset at a specific price (the strike price) at any time before the put option expires, thereby eliminating any further loss when the stock price is below the strike. That is very similar to how an insurance policy works. (If your house burns to the ground, you can sell it to the insurance company for the insured sum.)
When dealing with call options, in return for paying a premium to buy the option, the buyer gains all upside movement (above the strike price).
The seller accepts the risk of losing a large sum if the stock price surges. For example, if you sell the right to buy 100 shares of a given stock at $50 per share to another investor, then you must deliver that stock if and when the call owner elects to exercise his/her rights. If that stock is trading at $70, you must buy stock at $70 and sell it to the call owner at $50. That is a loss of $2,000 (minus whatever sum you collected when selling the option).
THE SPREAD
it is possible to gain protection against losing a large (essentially unlimited) sum when selling options. The way to do that is to trade a spread, rather than just selling calls or puts. The spread is a hedged (risk-reducing) position. Let's see how it works.
In addition to selling the call option, per above, let's assume that you also buy a call option on the same underlying stock, with the same expiration, but with a strike price of $55 per share.