Call Options

Call options give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to purchase an underlying asset. They are available in various strike prices depending on the current market price of the underlying instrument. Expiration dates can vary from one month out to more than a year (LEAPS options). Depending on the mood of the market, you may choose to buy (go long) or sell (go short) a call option.

If you choose to buy or go long a call option, you are purchasing the right to buy the underlying instrument at whatever strike price you choose until the expiration date. The premium of a long call option shows up as a debit in your trading account. The premium amount represents the maximum risk a long call strategy can incur. Profit is made on a long call when the price of the underlying asset rises above the strike price of the call. You can then either exercise the call or offset it by selling a call with the same strike price and expiration date. By exercising a long call, you end up with 100 shares per option of the underlying stock at the call strike price. You can then turn around and sell the underlying asset at the current (higher) price to garner a profit on the difference between two (current price - strike price = profit). If you choose to offset the call option, the maximum profit is unlimited. The call's premium will increase in value depending on how high the underlying instrument rises in price beyond the strike price of the call. As the price of the underlying asset rises, the long call becomes more valuable because it gives you (or the person you sell it to) the right to buy the underlying stock at the lower strike price of the call. That's why you want to go long a call option in a rising or bull market.

If you choose to sell or go short a call option, you are selling the right to buy the underlying instrument at a particular strike price to an option holder. Selling a call option prompts the deposit of a credit in your trading account in the amount of the call's premium-a limited profit. You get to keep this credit if the option expires worthless. Thus, to make money on a short call, the price of the underlying asset must stay below the call's strike price. If the price of the underlying asset rises above the short call strike price, it will be assigned to an option holder who may choose to exercise it. This gives the option holder the right to buy 100 shares (per option) of the underlying stock from the assigned option buyer at the strike price of the short call. This means that the option seller must buy the underlying asset at the current price and sell it at the call's lower strike price to the assigned option holder, thereby incurring a loss on the trade (current price - strike price = loss). The maximum loss is therefore unlimited to the upside, which is why selling "naked" or unprotected call options comes with such a high risk. However, experienced traders who do choose to short call options would be wise to do so in a stable or bear market.

Call options give you the right to buy something at a specific price for a specific time period. However, if the current market price is more than the strike price, the call option is in-the-money (ITM). If the current market price is less than the strike price, the call option is out-of-the-money (OTM). If the current market price is the same as (or close to) the strike price, the call option is at-the-money (ATM).

Example: A newspaper advertises a sale on DVRs for only $129.95. The next day Mark goes down to the electronics store intending to purchase a DVR at the advertised price. Unfortunately, by the time she arrives, the DVR is already out of stock. The manager apologizes and gives him a rain check entitling Marke to buy the same DVR for the advertised price of $129.95 anytime within the next two months. Mark has just received a long call option which gives him the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the DVR at the guaranteed strike price of $129.95 until the expiration date two months away.

Scenario 1: A few weeks later, Mark return's to the store to exercise his rain check. The same DVR is now in stock, priced at $179.95. Mark approaches the store manager who agrees to honor the rain-check and sell her a DVR for the advertised price of $129.95. Marke has just saved $50. His long call option was in-the-money.

Scenario 2: A few weeks later, Mark returns to the store and finds the DVR on sale for $119.95? His rain check is now worthless because he can simply purchase the DVR at the reduced price. In this case, Mark's call option expired worthless because it was out-of-the-money. Just because you own a long call option doesn't mean you are under any obligation to use it.

Scenario 3: Mark's friend Sally phones and mentions that her DVR has just broken. He tells him about his rain-check and agrees to sell it to Sally for $5 (the option premium). The strike price is still $129.95 and the expiration date is 2 months out. However, Sally is taking a risk. The DVR might be priced lower than the $129.95 strike price in which case the rain-check is worthless and Sally loses $5.

Call Option Review

1. Call options give traders the right to buy the underlying stock at the strike price until market close on the 3rd Friday of the expiration month. A call option is in-the-money (ITM) if its strike price is below the current price of the underlying stock. A call option is out-of-the-money (OTM) if its strike price is above the current price of the underlying stock. A call option is at-the-money (ATM) if its strike price is the same as (or close to) the current price of the underlying stock.

2. Buying Calls - If bullish - believe the market will rise - buy (go long) calls. Buyers have rights. A call buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying stock at the strike price until the expiration date. If you buy a call option, your maximum risk is the money paid for the option, the debit. The maximum profit is unlimited depending on the rise in the price of the underlying asset. To offset a long call, you have to sell a call with the same strike price to close out the position. By exercising a long call, you are choosing to purchase 100 shares of the underlying stock at the strike price of the call option.

3. Selling Calls - If bearish - believe the market will fall - sell (go short) calls. Sellers have obligations. A call seller has the obligation to sell 100 shares of the underlying stock at the strike price to the person to whom the option was sold, if that person chooses to exercise the call option. Sellers have obligations. If you sell a call option, your risk is unlimited to the upside. The profit is limited to the credit received from the sale of the call. When selling calls, make sure to choose options with little time left until expiration. Call sellers want the call to expire worthless so that they can keep the whole premium. To offset a short call, you have to buy a call with the same strike price to close out the position.