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Option on a forward price

Question

Suppose the asset underlying a European call is not the share itself but the forward price for buying that share. How would you value such an option?

Short answer

Use Black's formula: C=e−rT[F0N(d1)−KN(d2)]C=e^{-rT}[F_0N(d_1)-KN(d_2)], d1,2=ln⁡(F0/K)±12σ2TσTd_{1,2}=\tfrac{\ln(F_0/K)\pm\frac12\sigma^2T}{\sigma\sqrt T}. A forward costs nothing to enter, so under the risk-neutral measure it is a driftless lognormal martingale with the stock's volatility (for deterministic rates). Pricing is Black-Scholes with the forward in place of the spot and zero carry.

Adapted from Joshi, Denson & Downes, Quant Job Interview Questions and Answers, Q2.30, p.19; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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