Skip to content

Call value plotted against spot, futures and expiry price

Question

Draw three graphs for a European call on a non-dividend stock: (i) its payoff at expiry as a function of the terminal stock price; (ii) its value before expiry as a function of the futures price on the stock; (iii) its value before expiry as a function of the spot price. How are the three curves related?

Short answer

(i) is the hockey stick max⁡(ST−K,0)\max(S_T-K,0); (ii) and (iii) are smooth convex curves. Against spot, the pre-expiry value lies above max⁡(S−Ke−rT,0)\max(S - Ke^{-rT},0) and hence above intrinsic value, approaching S−Ke−rTS - Ke^{-rT} for deep in-the-money calls. Since F=SerTF = Se^{rT}, graph (ii) is the same curve on a rescaled axis: C=e−rT[FN(d1)−KN(d2)]C = e^{-rT}[F N(d_1) - K N(d_2)], which approaches e−rT(F−K)e^{-rT}(F-K) and so dips below the futures intrinsic value F−KF-K when deep in the money.

Adapted from Crack, Heard on the Street, Q2.17, p.26; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

See the hint and the full worked solution in the question bank (free account).

Open the worked solution

Lessons behind this question

Start with a free lesson: Options is part of a free topic. Create a free account, no card needed, to read it in full with worked solutions.

Read it free