Question

g Assume you just purchased 100 shares of Apple stocks at $300. You are worrying that the competition from other tablet PC and smart phone producers will have a negative impact on Apple stock prices in 1 month. Generally speaking, you are still quite bullish on Apple stock. In order to hedge against this downside risk, you establish a protective put position by buying a put option contract with around 1-month maturity on Apple stock. However, the premium of the put option with strike price at $300 is $12, which is quite expensive. If you feel purchasing the put option with strike price at $300 and $12 premium is too expensive, what else can we do to reduce the cost of protective put position

Answer 1

Buy at a lower strike put option or sell at a higher call option

Step-by-step explanation:

100 shares of apple stock bought at $300

premium of put option ( cost ) = $12

Put option = $300

What can be done to reduce the cost of protective put position

To reduce the cost we can either buy at a lower strike put option or sell at a higher call option

Buying at a lower strike put option price ( < $300 )

This way premium will be reduced but this will not hedge against small fall in price

Sell at a higher call option

This way the premium charged will be reduced but if the price rises above the entry price on expiration then the gains made above the price will be foregone .