Sugar Option Price
The futures sugar price, and the sugar option price is not the same thing. Option price valuation
is not as straightforward as futures valuation. Option premium is comprised of intrinsic value and extrinsic value.
An option has intrinsic value if the market is trading above the strike price
of a call option, or below the strike price of a put option. If an option contract has intrinsic value it is called “in
the money.” If an option contract does not have intrinsic value it is called “out of the money.”
For example:
If
sugar is trading at $.13, a $.12 call option is $.01 in the money so the intrinsic value of the option is $1,120.
The extrinsic value of the option is its “time value.” Extrinsic
value takes into account the possibility that an option may go in the money by expiration. The more time that an option has,
the more extrinsic value it has. As an option approaches its expiration date it looses value. This is called time decay. At
expiration, an option has no extrinsic value so if the option is out of the money it expires worthless.
Sugar option prices do not move in tandem with futures prices. A $.01 move
in your favor in the sugar futures markets does not necessarily equal to a $.01 increase in the sugar option value. The amount
that a option value will increase based upon an increase in its futures price is called its delta. Call option deltas
are measures from 0 to 1. As a option goes from “out of the money” to “in the money” its delta increases.
For example:
If
a sugar call option has a delta of .5 and the price of the sugar futures market increases by $.01 the value of the option
will increase by $.005 or $560.
If you are a speculator
with a limited amount of risk capital then sugar options may be the best way for you to invest in the sugar market.
