Tagged Questions

4
votes
3answers
107 views

How to calculate the implied volatility using the binomial options pricing model

I want to calculate IV for american options with dividends. So far I have found algorithms to calculate the option price given a volatility. Please can you point me to paper or implementation (R, ...
2
votes
2answers
193 views

Why FX Vanilla Options are quoted in volatility

I've been curious why vanilla options are quoted (and traded) in terms of volatility. Considering that every financial institution has its own options pricing model, volatility as an input would cause ...
2
votes
1answer
168 views

How to calculate implied volatility and greeks in Bull Put Spread option strategy?

Ok, obviously I am buying lower strike put and selling higher strike put. What is the recommended volatility and greeks to consider in my trade? Volatility: Average volatility between both legs? ...
5
votes
2answers
543 views

VIX = Vega of S&P500 options?

ok, so let assume I can predict the daily change in the VIX itself (in points) every day. what would be the best way to play this with OPTIONS? well, obviously VIX options, but if I can look at the ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views

Brent Crude Data

I am trying to locate historical volatility data (5+ years) for Brent Crude? Does anyone know where I might be able to source such data?
3
votes
1answer
392 views

Science behind options pricing into Earnings event

I am wondering about studies regarding the uncanny options pricing into public company's earnings reports. The phenomenon being that the price of a straddle before earnings costs near exactly the ...
5
votes
3answers
773 views

What really drives option implied volatility?

A common and oft repeated belief regarding options volatility is that implied volatility increases due to people bidding up a contract, usually related to anticipation of the outcome of an expected ...
1
vote
1answer
181 views

Calculate historical (ATM) option prices with public data

I just saw the question How to calculate the most realistic historical option prices with additional publicly available parameters and I am interested in the step before that. How can I calculate ...
4
votes
1answer
352 views

Can American options with no dividends and zero risk-free rate be treated as European?

Let's say you've got American options on a future of a stock index. There are no dividends, and no risk-free rate either (assume $r=0$). Can these options then be treated as European from the ...
5
votes
2answers
598 views

Constructing an approximation of the S&P 500 volatility smile with publicly available data

Besides of the VIX there is another vol datum publicly available for the S&P 500: the SKEW. Do you know a procedure with which one can extrapolate other implied vols of the S&P 500 smile with ...
6
votes
1answer
245 views

How sensitive are vertical spreads to changes in implied volatility?

How sensitive are vertical spreads to changes in volatility / implied volatility in the money, at the money, and out of the money? I'm thinking for 1 point spreads this would be very small / neutral ...
7
votes
2answers
740 views

What does the VIX formula measure and how does it work?

I have read the CBOE's white paper on the VIX and a lot of other things, but I need to honestly say, I don't really get it, or I am missing something important. In semi-layman's terms, is the VIX ...
15
votes
5answers
2k views

Skew arbitrage: How can you realize the skewness of the underlying?

It's not clear to me how to realize skewness. In other words, how do you implement skew arbitrage? There seems to be no well-known recipe like in volatility arbitrage. Volatility arbitrage (or ...
8
votes
2answers
636 views

How does volatility affect the price of binary options?

In theory, how should volatility affect the price of a binary option? A typical out the money option has more extrinsic value and therefore volatility plays a much more noticeable factor. Now let's ...
7
votes
1answer
680 views

How should I estimate the implied volatility skew term when calculating the skew-adjusted delta?

I'm trying to come up with the implied volatility skew adjusted delta for SPY options. I'm working with the following formula: Skew Adjusted Delta = Black Scholes Delta + Vega * Vol Skew Slope. I ...
3
votes
0answers
167 views

What is the longest number of consecutive days that options implied volatility has stayed “extremely high” for any particular underlying?

Curious as to whether or not there is any sort of all time record. Any index, future, or stock will do. Volatility must be well above the average 1 year volatility for all periods.
4
votes
2answers
554 views

How to derive appropriate volatility for a binary option (with strike/term) from market data?

I am valuing a binary FX option (european) with a defined strike and term (2Y). I'm using a closed form solution based on Black-Scholes framework. How can I derive the appropriate volatility to use ...
9
votes
1answer
264 views

Appropriate measure of Volatility for economic returns from an asset?

I am doing research on uncertainty analysis and risk assessment for oil field development. For doing economic forecast and valuation I use Real Options theory, which is almost similar to theory used ...
6
votes
1answer
335 views

What is the best method to compute project volatility in Real Option Valuation?

There are few methods like Copeland-Antikarov, Herath-Park, Cobb-Charnes etc. to compute project volatility, however these methods compute upward biased volatility. What is the best method I could ...