Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Delta

 
Dictionary: Del·ta   (dĕl') pronunciation


An area of the south-central United States extending on either side of the Mississippi River from Memphis, Tennessee, to Vicksburg, Mississippi. An important cotton-producing region, it is noted for its folk culture, especially as the home of the earliest blues music.

 

Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics

The ratio comparing the change in the price of the underlying asset to the corresponding change in the price of a derivative. Sometimes referred to as the "hedge ratio".

Investopedia Says:
For example, with respect to call options, a delta of 0.7 means that for every $1 the underlying stock increases, the call option will increase by $0.70.

Put option deltas, on the other hand, will be negative, because as the underlying security increases, the value of the option will decrease. So a put option with a delta of -0.7 will decrease by $0.70 for every $1 the underlying increases in price.

As an in-the-money call option nears expiration, it will approach a delta of 1.00, and as an in-the-money put option nears expiration, it will approach a delta of -1.00.

Related Links:
Find the middle ground between conservative and high-risk options strategies. Gamma-Delta Neutral Option Spreads
Understanding price influences on options positions requires learning delta, theta, vega and gamma. Getting To Know The "Greeks"
Learn about this hedge ratio, which tells us how many contracts are needed to hedge a position in the underlying. Going Beyond Simple Delta: Understanding Position Delta
Learn how to gain from a decline in implied volatility with any movement of the underlying. Capturing Profits with Position-Delta Neutral Trading
An introduction to the world of options, covering everything from primary concepts to how options work and why you might use them. Options Basics Tutorial
If you want to use leverage to your advantage, you must know how many contracts to buy. Reducing Risk With Options
Learn why option spreads offer trading opportunities with limited risk and greater versatility. Option Spread Strategies
Try this approach to covered calls to increase your potential for profit in any market. An Alternative Covered Call: Adding A Leg


Technical Analysis term used in measuring the interaction between the price of an option premium and the price of the underlying security or futures contract. An option that changes in premium by $1 for every $2 in the price of the underlying security has a delta of 0.05. An At the Money option has a delta value near 0.05. The delta rises toward 1.0 for In the Money options and approaches zero for options that are Out of the Money. Compare with gamma, which is the sensitivity of an option's delta to small changes in the price of the underlying instrument.

Shopping: Delta
Top
 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Investment Dictionary. Copyright ©2000, Investopedia.com - Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Banking Dictionary. Dictionary of Banking Terms. Copyright © 2006 by Barron's Educational Series, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more