Gold options are popular financial instruments that help various kinds of traders to hedge against price fluctuations in gold and also speculate on its prices to earn a profit.
Like all other options, gold options also provide a right and not an obligation to a trader to exercise the option on or before its expiry date. Unlike a futures contract, which makes it necessary for a trader to exercise it, an options contract provides the flexibility to choose whether a trader would like to exercise an option or not. This is the main difference between an option and a futures contract.
That said, there are a lot of other aspects to an options contract. So, if you are keen to trade options, read this blog, as it takes a deep dive into this topic.
What is a Gold Option?
A gold option is a derivative contract that provides you the “right” to purchase or sell gold at a specific price before a certain date. The most important thing about an option is that it gives its holder a “right” and not an “obligation.” Hence, if the holder of an option does not want to exercise it, he can choose to do so.
If you buy a call option on gold, you have the option to buy gold at a certain price. However, if you have a put option, you have the option to sell gold at a specific price. To purchase an option, you have to pay a “premium.”
Understanding Gold Options
To understand gold options thoroughly, we need to learn the following concepts very well:
Strike Price: This is the price at which you can buy an underlying asset if you have a call option or sell it if you have a put option.
Premium: Premium is the fee or the cost of buying an option. It is a sunk cost, which means it cannot be recovered. It is a function of many factors, such as an option’s strike price, expiration date, and gold’s current price.
Expiration Date: If you have an option, you have to exercise it on or before this date. It is called the expiration date because an option does not have any value after it.
Types of Gold Options
There are two main types of gold options, which are described below:
1. Call Options: If you want a right to buy gold at a specific price on or before an expiration date, you should buy a call option. You will purchase this option if you expect the price of gold to rise. If the gold’s price increases beyond the strike price of your option, you will be able to profit from it.
2. Put Options: In case you want a right to sell gold at a certain price on or before a specific date, you should purchase a put option. If the price of gold falls below the strike price of your option, you will be able to gain from it.
Benefits
Gold options offer many benefits to investors, which are explained in detail below:
1. Leverage: Suppose you buy a physical quantity of gold, you will have to pay the entire price upfront. However, a call option allows you to pay only a small premium to take a much larger position. Hence, gold options help you take the benefit of leverage.
2. Capitalize on price volatility: If you can predict the price of gold well, you can earn profits using gold options. However, if you make a mistake in predicting the price of gold, you can make huge losses as well.
3. Cost Effectiveness: Purchasing a gold option does not require you to have a storage space to keep gold because you do not take the physical delivery of gold in most cases. Hence, gold options are cost effective.
4. Risk Management: When you buy a gold option, you can lock-in the price at which you will purchase or sell gold in the future. Besides, you have the right (not the obligation) to exercise the option. Hence, it is a great strategy for managing risk.
Gold Options vs. Gold Future Contracts
While gold futures and gold options are two kinds of derivative contracts, they are essentially quite different from each other, as explained below:
Obligation: A gold option provides you with a right but not an obligation to buy or sell gold. However, a gold futures contract makes it obligatory for you to buy or sell gold at a predetermined price on a future date.
Capital requirement: Typically, gold futures need a higher capital (in the form of a margin) than gold options. Hence, gold options are more accessible than gold futures for retail traders.
Risk: Gold futures are riskier than gold options. In an option, the maximum loss you will incur is the premium you pay. However, in a futures contract, the maximum loss can be much higher than the initial margin you deposit with your broker.
Gold Options’ Lot Size & Other Contract Specifications
If you are about to trade gold options, you need to know that gold options trade in specific lot sizes in India, as they are standardised by the commodity exchanges. The lot size means the quantity of gold that is covered by a gold option.
For example, on the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), the size of the standard gold option is 1 kilogram. As the gold option’s lot size is standardised, it helps maintain liquidity and consistency in the market, which facilitates trade. Besides, various gold options are available with different expiration dates and strike prices.
How Can I Buy Options on Gold?
You need to follow the following steps to start trading gold options in India:
Open a Trading Account: First, open a commodity trading account with a broker registered with a commodity exchange like the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX). Gold options are primarily available on MCX in India.
Deposit Margin: If you are buying a gold option, you only need to pay the premium upfront—no margin is required. However, if you are an option seller (writer), you must maintain a margin with the broker to cover potential losses.
Select the Option: Now, you have to choose the right option based on your requirements. To do so, you should consider factors like strike price expiry date, and option premium.
Place an Order: Having selected an option, you have to place an order to buy it. Be extremely sure of all the option details at this stage to avoid any mistakes.
Monitor Your Investment: Having purchased an option, you must track your investment. Keep an eye on gold prices and the value of your option. If you think it makes sense, you can exercise the option. You can also let it expire if it is not profitable.
What are the Pros and Cons of Gold Options?
Before starting to trade gold options, you must understand their benefits and limitations to become a successful trader.
Pros:
Limited Risk: A gold option exposes you to limited risk. Even if the price of gold does not move in the direction you desire, your maximum loss will be limited to the premium you have paid.
Leverage: By paying a premium, which is typically a small percentage of an option’s value, you will be able to take a large position. Hence, you can get the benefits of leverage by trading gold options.
Flexibility: Whether the market is rising or falling, you can earn a profit by using gold options. However, to do that, you need to understand what moves the market and prices really well.
Cons:
Time Decay: As the expiry date of an option gets closer, its value decreases. This is called “time decay,” which is a disadvantage of option contracts.
Complexity: To be a successful gold option trader, you need to have a deep understanding of the gold market and also of option fundamentals. Hence, gold options trading can be quite complex for beginners.
Limited Time Frame: There is always a time constraint with options, as you need to exercise them on or before an expiration date. So, you should always keep this aspect in mind while trading gold options.
Conclusion
There are many benefits of trading gold options. The most notable is that such contracts can help you protect yourself against price fluctuations in gold. However, those who want to trade gold options only for speculative reasons may have a difficult time, if prices do not move in the right direction.
Therefore, it is always advisable to understand the gold market and the fundamentals of options before trading gold options. Otherwise, you may end up incurring huge losses.
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