Key Points
- If your Position Delta is positive, and the underlying security moves higher, the value of your position should move higher.
- If your Position Delta is negative, and the underlying security moves lower, the value of your position should also move lower.
Many traders hold long or short positions in individual equities and simultaneously trade options "around" those positions. In fact, one of the more common strategies I see is clients who hold an equity position with a short (covered) call and short put option on the same underlying, creating an options "package." I trade in a similar way and find it fascinating. It's interesting to watch the impact of an earnings report or how one day of time decay impacts the total Position Delta. But, some clients who trade this way find it difficult to evaluate the risk of their positions. Let trading tools help you.
Let's start with the basics
First of all, what exactly is Delta? Delta is a measure of how much an option's price is expected to change with a corresponding $1.00 change in the price of the underlying stock, index or ETF. The Delta of a long call option ranges from 0.00 to +1.00, while a long put option has a Delta ranging from -1.00 to 0.00. For example, an at-the-money call option will usually have a Delta of approximately 0.50 which means that you can expect the value of the call option to initially increase or decrease by approximately $0.50 with a corresponding $1.00 move, higher or lower, in the underlying security.
Each share of a long equity has a Delta, of +1.00, while each share of short stock has a Delta of -1.00. For example, if you are long 100 shares of XYZ, your Position Delta is 100. This means if the price of XYZ goes up or down by $1.00, the value of your XYZ position will increase or decrease by $100.
Remember:
100 long shares of XYZ = Position Delta of 100
100 short shares of XYZ = Position Delta of -100
This seems pretty simple, right? OK, let's take it up a notch and walk through an example.
When you have multiple positions in the same underlying equity (either with multiple options or a combination of stock and options), the position Delta is obtained by adding up the (positive or negative) Deltas from the individual legs.
If you continue to hold 100 long shares of XYZ and two weeks prior to the next earnings report you decide to sell 1 covered call with a Delta of 0.25, can you guess what will happen to your total Position Delta? It will be reduced by the Delta of the covered call (since you are selling the call). The Position Delta of the short options contract is -25 (-.25 x 100 multiplier), so now your Position Delta is 75.
Long 100 shares of XYZ 100 Delta
Short 1 XYZ call contract - 25 Delta
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Total package: 75 Delta
A Position Delta of 75 means that theoretically, the value of your XYZ position will change by $75 for every $1 move up or down in the underlying security.
Let's take this one step further and then review a few examples of how you can use this information to help manage risk or even generate income.
Keeping with the example above, your total position in XYZ now is 100 shares of long stock and one short call with a total Position Delta of 75. Let's say just prior to earnings, XYZ moved lower almost to a point where you'd consider buying more shares. Instead of buying more shares, you decide to sell one put contract that is slightly out-of-the-money and has a Delta of 0.40. Since you are selling the put option, the Delta is positive.
Keep in mind, the Delta of the stock position will never change (100), but the Delta of the covered call will change based on the price of the underlying stock and the passing of time. Let's assume that due to the drop in the price of XYZ and the passage of time that the Delta of your short call is now 0.20. Now let's look at your total theoretical position:
Long 100 shares of XYZ 100 Delta
Short 1 XYZ call contract - 20 Delta
Short 1 XYZ put contract 40 Delta
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Total package: 120 Delta
Your Position Delta is now 120, meaning the value of the combined position will initially change by $120 with a corresponding one point move in the underlying. Be aware, options prices can move quickly based on price action and volatility, and when they do, their Deltas will also change. Also, since you're selling a put option, if the stock closes below the strike price (at expiration), you may be forced to buy the stock at that price.
The above example demonstrates how you can generate income by selling a call and put, while also helping you stay informed about the theoretical size of the position (including options), or Position Delta.
That great's, but you may be asking, "Where can I find the Position Delta?" Simple, just add this column to your Positions tab in StreetSmart Edge and group your positions by the underlying equity.
