Asian Option

  

This is an exotic option that is based on the average value of an underlying asset as opposed to the current price (spot price) at the time you buy or sell an asset. The dates of actual valuation (when prices are recorded for averaging purposes) would be laid out in your contract (hint: you should read it).

Generally, Asian options will be less expensive than standard (American or European) options because averaging the prices of an underlying asset takes out the upside of volatility. In other words, you’re missing out on the benefit of a big climb or drop in price because you’re stuck with the average of a whole bunch of prices.

Of course, this is a good thing if you want to avoid potential financial losses due to the one-stop-shop spot price. Asian options are also helpful if you’re worried about volatility, or if there’s a reason the price of an asset could drastically change.

Related or Semi-related Video

Finance: What is a naked option/position...7 Views

00:00

Finance a la shmoop what is a naked option or naked option position? alright

00:09

warning you're going to be disappointed in this video it's not nearly as hot as [Censored man jumps into lake]

00:13

you probably hope naked options are just options that you sell or buy without

00:18

having enough of the underlying security to cover your if the price changes in

00:24

the wrong direction all right well they're an investment

00:26

that stands on their own but with extreme amounts of risk.....You invest [Man discussing investment in a lake]

00:34

$10,000 in coca-cola stock at 40 bucks a share buying 250 shares the stock goes

00:39

up $2 in a year or 5% not a bad score and you've made a whopping five percent on

00:45

your money or about five hundred bucks you bought the stock not the option and

00:50

remember when you own the stock you can own it forever there's no clock ticking [Clock ticking by]

00:53

in the background like there is with an option okay but let's say you had spent

00:57

that same 10 grand worth of naked coca-cola call options on options with a

01:02

strike price of 42.50 expiring in four months well the stock remains at 42.50

01:08

the whole time doesn't budge well guess what you've lost all of your money [Man with empty jean pockets]

01:13

had the stock under $45 however that 10 grand invested in those call options

01:18

which bought you exposure to some 20,000 shares would have made you something

01:22

like 250 a share that's of in-the-money value on those options times 20,000

01:27

shares or 50 grand yeah way more than your boring experience of just owning

01:33

the stock and making a whopping 500 bucks but you'll also risk losing

01:37

everything and this kind of foot's with whole notion of risk and reward being [Man in between reward and risk]

01:42

married in some unholy alliance where they kind of wrestle and yell at each

01:46

other all the time right so you took a lot of risk in buying

01:49

call options with nothing behind them you bought em naked

01:52

you could have made a fortune but you didn't because he played it safe and

01:55

bought the stock well in reality professional investors rarely just buy

01:59

naked options alone because they are so risky and so volatile but every now and [Ball spinning on roulette wheel]

02:05

then somebody bets the ranch on 22 black it comes up they make 36 times their

02:10

money in a week and everyone asked them for the best way to angle their thumb

02:15

when they're trying to flip a head on a quarter and we actually have a whole

02:18

video on that you should watch it it's kind of depressing...

Up Next

Finance: What is a swap, and what is a swaption?
41 Views

A swaption is a type of option that gives you the choice to swap the currency in which payments are made. No word on whether Monopoly money is acce...

Finance: What is Intrinsic Value (of An Option and of an Asset)?
6 Views

The intrinsic value of an option is the share price of a stock minus its strike price - i.e. the "in the money" amount.

Find other enlightening terms in Shmoop Finance Genius Bar(f)