American Options: A Detailed Look
American Options: A Detailed Look use options in their trading strategies often come across the terms American and European. The two types of options have distinct characteristics that set them apart from each other. Understanding these distinctions can help traders make the right decisions in their trading. The American option is more flexible in terms of its exercise rights than its European counterpart. It enables holders to exercise their options before or even during the expiration date.
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However, there is a cost to this flexibility. This cost is known as the premium. It is higher for American options than for their European counterparts. It means that American options are more expensive and can limit the leverage that a trader is able to apply.
The American option has the ability to be exercised at any point before the expiration date. It is important for investors to understand this feature because it can have a significant impact on the value of an option.
There are a few factors that can influence the decision to exercise an American option early. One of them is the market condition and how the underlying asset is performing. Another factor is the Implied Volatility (IV) of the underlying asset. The higher the IV, the more likely it is that traders will exercise their American options earlier than the expiration date.
Another reason for exercising an American option before the expiration date is that it may enable a trader to receive dividend payments. This is because stockholders are eligible to receive the dividend payments if they own shares before the ex-dividend date. This can be an attractive proposition for those who want to optimize their profits.