Cash Settlement
There are some options settle for cash rather than shares.
Indexes like the S&P 500 Index (.SPX) and the S&P 100 Index (.OEX) are examples of cash settled options.
This is a large equity trade consisting of 100,000 or more shares.
Parity is basically a set of rules of equality that exist in the options market. For example, long stock and long puts is the as owning long calls. Parity generally holds, but (all else being equal) puts will often trade at lower prices than calls due to the impact of dividends and interest rates.
If a physical delivery put option is exercised, the assigned writer must purchase the required number of shares at the specified exercise price regardless of their current market price. If a cash-settled option is exercised, the assigned writer must pay the cash settlement amount.
When the price of the underlying stock is equal to the strike price of the option, the contract is At The Money. In the image below you can see that the current price of APPL is 139 and the red rectangles are highlighting the fact that the JUL 15th 139.00 Calls & Puts are currently…
This is an options contract, put or call, that can be exercised at any time prior to expiration. Stock, exchange-traded funds, and some index options also settle American-style. The alternative is the European Style Option which can only be exercised at expiration.
Are Call Sweeps Bullish? The short answer is not always. I have been tracking and trading Unusual Options Activity for many years and I have seen both Bullish & Bearish sweeps on the Call side. What this means is that you can have a sweep order to sell Calls which is essentially taking a bearish…