European options dont have to settle into cash. A 100 lot in options is not that big a deal and if you offered them a dime or 15 cents below parity they'd be scooped up. Thats only if its a very illiquid book. In any book thats listed on 3 or 4 exchanges then a 100 lot is tiny and the market will buy 1000's at a dime under parity all day long. If you were actually in this situation you wouldn't want to bother with anything but selling them.
This is called EXERCISING. You dont have to have the money to purchase. The broker does it for you, purchasing shares at the strike price/selling at market price simultaneously. And give back to you the amount-in-the-money. My broker, optionsxpress, only charges $14 or $15 flat; regardless of the # of options.
Sort of looks like insider trading. Newbie question on options with some serious math errors. No mention of stock in mind. Buying $5000 worth of $100 calls at $0.50. Those calls would be a few strikes OTM, perhaps on a $80.00 stock. Holding on during the ride to $150, few people would hold on for the entire ride up. Must be anticipating a fast ride up. Could this be a buyout or biotech FDA approval coming up?
ok ill be very honest as you all know, LDK was $76 in early october, then their CPA came out with accounting fraud and inventory allegations. Their stock trades at mid $30's today, SOLELY on the accusation. The word from insiders, is that this guy was a disgruntled employee, and he had only worked there 6-7 months and didn't know the full picture (CFO says all is OK). read this for full picture http://seekingalpha.com/article/513...-despite-potentially-debilitating-allegations anyways, SINCE the accusations, LDK has scored over 600 Million in contracts, AND raised guidance for earnings 25% coming up. This alone would shoot the stock to $90 or so, if there wasn't the accounting fraud issue. LDK *audit report* will be released within a few days, confirming or denying these charges. The price is already priced into the stock that the charges are correct. I am confident (and taking a gamble) that it will be 100% clear, and if so the stock *may* return to its previous level of $76, + new contracts and guidance since that time of perhaps a place of $90. Heres where my options come in I am loading up on Nov 60-80's and DEC 70-90's If I am correct, I stand to make a killing on this. If anyone wants to gamble a bit, the downsides is not that much, you could cash out and break even or take a small loss worst case. As far as replies, I like what i have seen here. If it does work out, I could sell at a slight discount on expiry day ... I'd like to hold on as long as possible because LDK will appreciate everyday. As far as exercising (I have never exercised before), I though this gave you the right to buy the stock? So you need to buy actual shares ... let me reread this thread and I probably will contact my broker too, to get a 'written' answer. But, ya! anyone care to take a risk with me, feel free
Forget exercising them... There is no good reason other then a dividend or a special M & A event to early exercise those options. All you need to do is buy them and then sell them when you want. You dont have to worry at all about anything but praying the stock goes higher. LDK is listed on 5 exchanges and there is more liquidity in it then you could ever need. LDK .. the story is pretty well known and the options trade at a very high volatility so you're paying top dollar.
cool, as an off topic question, I am relatively new to options, is it profitable for any big fish to just cruise around on expiry day, and pick up options at slight discounts, to exercise them and make quick 5-10% profits? option fishing at it may be .. I was looking and came up with another way to screw any options players on margin as well ... options and margins dont mix as I have learned the hard way recently
Well you cannot buy options on margin. And why would you be able to buy options at a discount. What you are saying is that the market makers are clueless and you can walk in and buy these mispriced options and simply exercise them for 5- 10% in profits. I cannot imagine a MM would give away 5 - 10% every third Friday of the month or that if this severe mispricing did exist, that we all would not simply do the same thing and arb away the mispricing if it did exist. Many beginner fail to realize that intelligent people with sophisticated technology are making markets and a retail trader is not going to be able to walk in and simply grab risk-free profits.