Question

True or False?

Short Call Option provides the option (not the obligation) to sell the underlying asset for the strike price at maturity.”

Explain your answer with example(s).

True or False?

Long Put Option provides the option (not the obligation) to sell the underlying asset for the strike price at maturity.”
Explain your answer with example(s).

Answer 1

1.

FALSE

Short Call Option provides the option (not the obligation) to sell the underlying asset for the strike price at maturity.

Short call option provides the writer with the obligatio to buy call option before maturity

EXAMPLE-Say Liquid Trading Co. decides to sell calls on shares of Humbucker Holdings to Paper Trading Co. The stock is trading near $100 a share and is in a strong uptrend. However, the Liquid group believes Humbucker is overvalued, and based on a combination of fundamental and technical reasons, they believe it eventually will fall to $50 a share. Liquid agrees to sell 100 calls at $110 a share. This gives Paper the right to purchase Humbucker shares at that specific price.

Selling the call option allows Liquid to collect a premium upfront; that is, Paper pays liquid $11,000 (100 x $110). If the stock heads lower over time, as the Liquid gang thinks it will, Liquid profits on the difference between what they received and the price of the stock. Say Humbucker stock does drop to $50. Then Liquid reaps a profit of $6,000 ($11,000 - $5,000).

Things can go awry, however, if Humbucker shares continue to climb, creating limitless risk for Liquid. For example, say the shares continue their uptrend and go to $200 within a few months. If Liquid executes a naked call, Paper can execute the option and purchase stock worth $20,000 for $11,000, resulting in a $9,000 trading loss for Liquid.

If the stock were to rise to $350 before the option expires, Paper could purchase stock worth $35,000 for the same $11,000, resulting in a $24,000 loss for Liquid.

2.

TRUE

Long Put Option provides the option (not the obligation) to sell the underlying asset for the strike price at maturity.

EXAMPLE

Say Liquid Trading Co. still believes Humbucker stock is headed for a fall, but it opts to buy 100 $110 Humbucker puts instead. To do so, the Liquid group must put up the $11,000 ($110 x 100) in cash for the option. Liquid now has the right to force Paper, who is on the other side of the deal, to buy the stock at this price – even if Humbucker shares drop to Liquid's projected $50 a share. If they do, Liquid has made a tidy profit – $6,000.

In a way, it's achieving the same goal, just through the opposite route. Of course, the long put does require that Liquid shell out funds upfront. The advantage is that unlike the short call, the most Liquid can lose is $11,000, or the total price of the option.