Giving You the Power of Options
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Options Glossary

Early exercise
A feature of American-style options that allows the owner to exercise an option at any time prior to its expiration date.
Equity
In a margin account, this is the difference between the securities owned and the margin loans owed. It is the amount the investor would keep after all positions have been closed and all margin loans paid off.
Equity option
An option on shares of an individual common stock or exchange traded fund.
Equivalent strategy
A strategy which has the same risk-reward profile as another strategy. For example, a long May 60-65 call vertical spread is equivalent to a short May 60-65 put vertical spread. See also Synthetic position
European-style option
An option that can be exercised only during a specified period of time just prior to its expiration. See also American-style option
Ex-date / Ex-dividend date
The day before which an investor must have purchased the stock in order to receive the dividend. On the ex-dividend date, the previous day's closing price is reduced by the amount of the dividend (rounded up to the nearest eighth) because purchasers of the stock on the ex-dividend date will not receive the dividend payment. This date is sometimes referred to simply as the 'ex-date,' and can apply to other situations; for example, splits and distributions. If you purchase a stock on the ex-date for a split or distribution you are not entitled to the split stock or that distribution. However, the opening price for the stock will have been reduced by an appropriate amount, as on the ex-dividend date. Weekly financial publications, such as Barron's, often include a stock's upcoming 'ex-date' as part of their stock tables.
Exchange traded funds (ETFs)
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are index funds or trusts that are listed on an exchange and can be traded in a similar fashion as a single equity. The first ETF came about in 1993 with the AMEX's concept of a tradable basket of stocks -- the Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipt (SPDR). Today, the number of ETFs that trade options continues to grow and diversify. Investors can buy or sell shares in the collective performance of an entire stock portfolio - or a bond portfolio -- as a single security. Exchange traded funds allow some of the more favorable features of stock trading, such as liquidity and ease of equity style features to more traditional index investing.
Exercise
To invoke the rights granted to the owner of an option contract. In the case of a call, the option owner buys the underlying stock. In the case of a put, the option owner sells the underlying stock.
Exercise by exception processing
A procedure used by The Options Clearing Corporation as an operational convenience for it's clearing members. Under these proceedings, a clearing member is deeming to have tendered exercise notices for options that are in-the-money by threshold amounts, unless specifically instructed not to do so. This procedure protects the owner from losing the intrinsic value of the option because of failure to exercise. Unless instructed not to do so, all expiring equity options that are held in customer accounts will be exercised if they are in the money by a specified amount.
Exercise price
The price at which the owner of an option can purchase (call) or sell (put) the underlying stock. Used interchangeably with striking price, strike, or exercise price.
Exercise settlement amount
The difference between the exercise price of the option being exercised and the exercise settlement value of the index on the day the index option is exercised.
Expiration cycle
The expiration dates applicable to the different series of options. Traditionally, there were three cycles:
Cycle Available expiration months
January January / April / July / October
February February / May / August / November
March March / June / September / December
Today, equity options expire on a hybrid cycle which involves a total of four option series: the two nearest-term calendar months and the next two months from the traditional cycle to which that class of options has been assigned. For example, on January 1, a stock in the January cycle will be trading options expiring in these months: January, February, April, and July. After the January expiration, the months outstanding will be February, March, April and July.
Expiration date
The date on which an option and the right to exercise it cease to exist.
Expiration Friday
The last business day prior to the option's expiration date during which purchases and sales of options can be made. For equity options, this is generally the third Friday of the expiration month. Note: If the third Friday of the month is an exchange holiday, the last trading day will be the Thursday immediately preceding the third Friday.
Expiration month
The month during which the expiration date occurs.
Questions? Confused? Have a question?
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