Glossary

Arbitrage

An arbitrage is a trading strategy that involves buying and selling similar assets in different markets to take advantage of the price difference. It involves buying an asset in one market at a lower price and simultaneously selling it in another market at a higher price.

At The Money Options (ATM)

At the money, the strike price of the underlying stock is equal to or very close to the option’s strike price. At the money option, contracts have no intrinsic value but only time value. At the money, the option can quickly move into profit or loss with small price changes.

Backwardation

Backwardation is a market condition where the spot price of the underlying asset is higher than its futures price. It typically occurs when there is greater demand for the asset in the present compared to contracts expiring in the future.

Bear Call Spread

A Bear Call Spread, also known as a Short Call Spread or Call Credit Spread, is an options strategy that profits when the underlying asset's price declines or remains below the short call's strike price.

Bid-Ask Spread

The bid-ask spread is the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept (ask) for a security.

Bull Calendar Spread

A bull calendar spread is an options trading strategy that involves buying and selling call options with the same strike price but different expiration dates, where the longer-dated option is purchased, and the shorter-dated option is sold.

Call Option

A call option is a financial contract that gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy an underlying asset such as a stock or index at a fixed price before a specified expiry date. Traders usually buy call options when they expect the price of the asset to rise.

Capital Preservation

Capital preservation is a conservative investment strategy that prioritises protecting the principal amount of investment, even at the cost of lower returns. Capital preservation is more suitable for risk-averse investors.

Contango

Contango is a market condition where the futures price of a commodity is higher than its current spot price. It often happens when traders expect the price of the commodity to rise in the future after factoring in costs like storage, insurance, and interest.

Cost of Carry

Cost of carry is the extra money you pay to keep an investment instead of selling it immediately. This includes expenses like financing costs, storage costs in holding the asset, and interest on loans used to invest.

Counterparty Risk

Counterparty risk is the risk that the other person or party in a financial deal might not keep their promise, like not paying or not delivering what they agreed to.

Currency Swap

A Currency swap is a financial agreement between two parties to exchange interest payments and principal amounts in different currencies over a set period of time.

Daily Margin Statement

A Daily Margin Statement is a report issued by brokers to traders detailing margin requirements, available balance, utilised margin, and any shortfalls in their trading account for a given trading day. It helps traders track their margin status and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements.

Delta Neutral

Delta neutral is a portfolio or trading strategy where the overall delta of the position is zero, meaning the portfolio's value does not change with small movements in the underlying asset's price.

Delta in Option

Delta is an option Greek that helps traders understand how much the price of an option is likely to change when the underlying stock price moves at specific points.

Exposure Margin

Exposure margin is a type of margin that brokers charge to help protect against market fluctuations and potential losses in futures and options (F&O) trading. It is often referred to as an additional margin.

Extrinsic Value

Extrinsic value is the portion of the option price that exceeds its intrinsic value and is attributed to external factors like time and volatility. Extrinsic value affects the cost of the option.

Fibonacci Retracement

Fibonacci retracement is a widely used technical analysis tool that traders use to identify potential support and resistance levels. Based on the famous Fibonacci sequence, this tool helps forecast the likely levels where a stock might reverse its trend.

Financial Leverage

Financial leverage refers to the strategic use of borrowed capital (debt) to finance investments or business operations with the goal of increasing the potential return on equity.

Forward Contract

A forward contract is a customised agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price on a future date. Forward contracts can mutually decide prices, quantities, and delivery dates, and they are traded over the counter (OTC).