Interpreting the two normal terms in Black-Scholes
Question
In the Black-Scholes call price , what precisely do and represent?
Short answer
is the risk-neutral probability the call finishes in the money; is that probability under the stock-as-numeraire measure, and also the delta. So is the present value of paying the strike when you exercise, and is the present value of receiving the stock when you exercise. is not the real-world exercise probability.
Adapted from Crack, Heard on the Street, Q2.9, p.24; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.
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Open the worked solutionLessons behind this question
- The Black-Scholes PDE, Formula and Implied Volatility
- The Normal Distribution
- The One-Period Binomial Model: Replication, Delta Hedging, and Risk-Neutral Pricing
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