Learn About options

An option is a contract between two parties giving the taker (buyer) the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a parcel of shares at a predetermined price possibly on, or before a predetermined date. To acquire this right the taker pays a premium to the writer (seller) of the contract.
There are two types of options:

• Call Options
• Put Options

Call options
Call options give the taker the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying shares at a predetermined price, on or before a predetermined date.
Illustration 1:
Raj purchases 1 Satyam Computer (SATCOM) AUG 150 Call --Premium 8
This contract allows Raj to buy 100 shares of SATCOM at Rs 150 per share at any time between the current date and the end of next August. For this privilege, Raj pays a fee of Rs 800 (Rs eight a share for 100 shares).
The buyer of a call has purchased the right to buy and for that he pays a premium.
Now let us see how one can profit from buying an option.
Sam purchases a December call option at Rs 40 for a premium of Rs 15. That is he has purchased the right to buy that share for Rs 40 in December. If the stock rises above Rs 55 (40+15) he will break even and he will start making a profit. Suppose the stock does not rise and instead falls he will choose not to exercise the option and forego the premium of Rs 15 and thus limiting his loss to Rs 15.

Let us take another example of a call option on the Nifty to understand the concept better.
Nifty is at 1310. The following are Nifty options traded at following quotes.

Option contract	Strike price	Call premium
Dec Nifty	1325	Rs 6,000
	1345	Rs 2,000
Jan Nifty	1325	Rs 4,500
	1345	Rs 5000

A trader is of the view that the index will go up to 1400 in Jan 2002 but does not want to take the risk of prices going down. Therefore, he buys 10 options of Jan contracts at 1345. He pays a premium for buying calls (the right to buy the contract) for 500*10= Rs 5,000/-.
In Jan 2002 the Nifty index goes up to 1365. He sells the options or exercises the option and takes the difference in spot index price which is (1365-1345) * 200 (market lot) = 4000 per contract. Total profit = 40,000/- (4,000*10).
He had paid Rs 5,000/- premium for buying the call option. So he earns by buying call option is Rs 35,000/- (40,000-5000).
If the index falls below 1345 the trader will not exercise his right and will opt to forego his premium of Rs 5,000. So, in the event the index falls further his loss is limited to the premium he paid upfront, but the profit potential is unlimited.

Call Options-Long & Short Positions

When you expect prices to rise, then you take a long position by buying calls. You are bullish.
When you expect prices to fall, then you take a short position by selling calls. You are bearish