The Greeks are mathematical measures used in options trading to assess and quantify different factors that impact the price and behavior of options.
📌 VEGA:
Vega measures how much an option's price will change in response to a 1% change in implied volatility. Implied volatility reflects the market's expectation of the future movement of the underlying security. When implied volatility is high, options tend to be more expensive, while low implied volatility makes options cheaper. Vega has a greater impact on options with longer expiration dates. As an option approaches expiration, Vega decreases, while it increases as the underlying security moves closer to the strike price. Vega is highest when the option is at-the-money and decreases as it goes out-of-the-money or in-the-money.
📌 GAMMA:
Gamma represents the rate of change between an option's Delta and the price of the underlying asset. Higher Gamma values indicate that even small price changes in the underlying stock or fund can cause significant changes in the option's Delta. At-the-money options have the highest Gamma because their Deltas are most sensitive to underlying price movements. For example, if XYZ is priced at $100.00 and a XYZ $100.00 call option is considered at-the-money, any price movement in either direction will push the option into either in-the-money or out-of-the-money territory. This high sensitivity to stock movement is reflected in the option's Gamma, making Gamma higher for at-the-money options.
📌 THETA:
Theta represents the theoretical daily decay of an option's price, assuming all other factors remain constant. Options gradually lose value over time due to time value decay. The decay is more significant as the expiration date approaches, particularly for near-the-money options. Theta does not behave linearly; instead, it accelerates as expiration nears. A higher Theta indicates that the option's value will decay more rapidly over time. Short-dated options, especially near-the-money ones, tend to have higher Theta because there is greater urgency for the underlying asset to move favorably before expiration. Theta is negative for long positions (options purchased) and positive for short positions (options sold), regardless of whether it's a call or a put.
📌 RHO:
Rho measures an option's sensitivity to changes in the risk-free interest rate. It represents the amount of money the option will gain or lose with a 1% change in interest rates. Changes in interest rates can affect an option's value because they impact the cost of carrying the position over time. This effect is more significant for longer-term options compared to near-term options. Higher stock prices and longer time until expiration generally lead to greater sensitivity to interest rate changes, resulting in higher absolute Rho values. Rho is positive for long calls (the right to buy) and increases with the stock price. It is negative for long puts (the right to sell) and approaches zero as the stock price increases. Rho is positive for short puts (the obligation to buy) and negative for short calls (the obligation to sell).
📌 DELTA:
Delta is a measure that estimates how much an option's value may change with a $1 increase or decrease in the price of the underlying security. Delta values range from -1 to +1, with 0 indicating minimal movement of the option premium relative to changes in the underlying stock price. Delta is positive for long stocks, long calls, and short puts, which are considered bullish strategies. Conversely, Delta is negative for short stocks, short calls, and long puts, which are bearish strategies. A Delta of +1 is assigned to long stock shares, while a Delta of -1 is assigned to short stock shares. An option's Delta can range from -1 to +1, and the closer it is to +1 or -1, the more sensitive the option premium is to changes in the underlying security.
📌 VEGA:
Vega measures how much an option's price will change in response to a 1% change in implied volatility. Implied volatility reflects the market's expectation of the future movement of the underlying security. When implied volatility is high, options tend to be more expensive, while low implied volatility makes options cheaper. Vega has a greater impact on options with longer expiration dates. As an option approaches expiration, Vega decreases, while it increases as the underlying security moves closer to the strike price. Vega is highest when the option is at-the-money and decreases as it goes out-of-the-money or in-the-money.
📌 GAMMA:
Gamma represents the rate of change between an option's Delta and the price of the underlying asset. Higher Gamma values indicate that even small price changes in the underlying stock or fund can cause significant changes in the option's Delta. At-the-money options have the highest Gamma because their Deltas are most sensitive to underlying price movements. For example, if XYZ is priced at $100.00 and a XYZ $100.00 call option is considered at-the-money, any price movement in either direction will push the option into either in-the-money or out-of-the-money territory. This high sensitivity to stock movement is reflected in the option's Gamma, making Gamma higher for at-the-money options.
📌 THETA:
Theta represents the theoretical daily decay of an option's price, assuming all other factors remain constant. Options gradually lose value over time due to time value decay. The decay is more significant as the expiration date approaches, particularly for near-the-money options. Theta does not behave linearly; instead, it accelerates as expiration nears. A higher Theta indicates that the option's value will decay more rapidly over time. Short-dated options, especially near-the-money ones, tend to have higher Theta because there is greater urgency for the underlying asset to move favorably before expiration. Theta is negative for long positions (options purchased) and positive for short positions (options sold), regardless of whether it's a call or a put.
📌 RHO:
Rho measures an option's sensitivity to changes in the risk-free interest rate. It represents the amount of money the option will gain or lose with a 1% change in interest rates. Changes in interest rates can affect an option's value because they impact the cost of carrying the position over time. This effect is more significant for longer-term options compared to near-term options. Higher stock prices and longer time until expiration generally lead to greater sensitivity to interest rate changes, resulting in higher absolute Rho values. Rho is positive for long calls (the right to buy) and increases with the stock price. It is negative for long puts (the right to sell) and approaches zero as the stock price increases. Rho is positive for short puts (the obligation to buy) and negative for short calls (the obligation to sell).
📌 DELTA:
Delta is a measure that estimates how much an option's value may change with a $1 increase or decrease in the price of the underlying security. Delta values range from -1 to +1, with 0 indicating minimal movement of the option premium relative to changes in the underlying stock price. Delta is positive for long stocks, long calls, and short puts, which are considered bullish strategies. Conversely, Delta is negative for short stocks, short calls, and long puts, which are bearish strategies. A Delta of +1 is assigned to long stock shares, while a Delta of -1 is assigned to short stock shares. An option's Delta can range from -1 to +1, and the closer it is to +1 or -1, the more sensitive the option premium is to changes in the underlying security.