What are FX Options

What is an Option?

An option gives you the right, but not the obligation to either buy (Call Option) or sell (Put Option) an asset at a certain price (known as the strike) on a certain date. For this right to buy or sell the underlying asset, you pay a premium upfront to the seller of the option. Whether you choose to use, or exercise, this right, is dependent upon the market conditions at the time the option expires.

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Example

If you have a contract to buy EURUSD on June 1st at the price of 1.2000, you have the right (the option) to buy EURUSD on or before that date.

  • If the value of EURUSD is higher than USD 1.2000 on June 1st, you will profit from buying it because you can then turn around and sell it for more than 1.2000.
  • On the other hand, if EURUSD is less than 1.2000 on June 1st, you wouldn't want to buy the currency at the contract price, since you could instead buy EUR/USD at the market price.

Since an option gives you the right but not the obligation to either buy or sell an asset, you are entitled not to buy EURUSD if the price doesn't suit you.