The premium is the current market price of an options contract. Like any market price, it’s influenced by supply and demand:
Market demand for an options contract is generally influenced by two components: intrinsic value and time value.
Intrinsic value is the amount of profit the holder would have if the option were exercised right now. For example, an option that gives you the right to buy a stock at $50 when the stock is trading at $60 has $10 of intrinsic value. In general, the more intrinsic value an option has, the higher its premium.
Time value reflects how much time is left until the option expires. More time means more opportunity for the market price to move in a favorable direction. Because of that added opportunity, more time value generally means a higher premium.
Option premiums can be calculated using this formula:
Intrinsic value is also called the “in the money” (ITM) amount of the contract. An option is in the money when exercising it would produce a positive return for the holder.
You can summarize how intrinsic value changes for calls and puts like this:
Calls:
Go in the money (gain intrinsic value) when the market rises
Go out the money (lose intrinsic value) when the market falls
Puts:
Go in the money (gain intrinsic value) when the market falls
Go out the money (lose intrinsic value) when the market rises
To represent this visually:
| Market | Calls | Puts |
|---|---|---|
| ITM | OTM | |
| — | ATM | ATM |
| OTM | ITM |
If a contract is in the money and has intrinsic value, you can generally expect the holder to consider exercising it at some point. If a contract is out of the money and has no intrinsic value, it will generally expire worthless. A contract is at the money when the strike price and the market price are the same.
Market prices change every day, so an option can move in and out of the money many times before expiration. A lot can change in the nine months* that options exist, which is why time value is an important part of a contract’s premium.
*Standard options maintain expirations of up to nine months from issuance. However, LEAPS options maintain expirations of up to 3 years from issuance.
Calculating intrinsic value is straightforward once you know what to compare. You need:
Let’s look at a few examples:
1 ABC Jan 50 call when the market price is $55
This option has $5 of intrinsic value (it’s “in the money” by $5). Now try a few on your own.
1 ABC Jan 50 call when the market price is $70. How much intrinsic value does the option have?
$20 of intrinsic value (“in the money” by $20)
1 ABC Jan 50 call when the market price is $40. How much intrinsic value does the option have?
No intrinsic value (“out the money” by $10)
1 ABC Jan 50 call when the market price is $50. How much intrinsic value does the option have?
No intrinsic value (“at the money”)
A call’s intrinsic value depends on ABC’s market price relative to the $50 strike price:
Some test takers remember this as “call up.”
Notice that we haven’t used the premium to determine intrinsic value. Also, being “in the money” or “out of the money” doesn’t automatically mean you have a profit or loss overall. Intrinsic value is only one part of the picture; the overall gain or loss also depends on the option’s premium.
Now let’s look at puts using similar numbers.
1 ABC Jan 50 put when the market price is $55
This option has no intrinsic value and is “out of the money” by $5. Try a few more:
1 ABC Jan 50 put when the market price is $70. How much intrinsic value does the option have?
No intrinsic value (“out of the money” by $20)
1 ABC Jan 50 put when the market price is $40. How much intrinsic value does the option have?
$10 intrinsic value (“in the money” by $10)
1 ABC Jan 50 put when the market price is $50. How much intrinsic value does the option have?
No intrinsic value (“at the money”)
A put’s intrinsic value depends on ABC’s market price relative to the $50 strike price:
Some test takers remember this as “put down.” As you can see, puts move opposite of calls.
Intrinsic value is one part of the premium; time value is the other. The more time an option has until expiration, the more opportunity the stock price has to move above or below key levels.
Assume you can choose between buying an option that expires in one week versus one that expires in nine months. If both cost the same, the nine-month option is more attractive because it gives the market more time to move in your favor and potentially create intrinsic value.
That’s not how pricing usually works. A nine-month option is typically worth more than a one-week option (assuming the same option type and strike price). From the writer’s perspective, a longer-lived option creates more risk, so writers demand higher premiums. Bottom line: the longer the time until expiration, the more expensive the option tends to be.
Time value can’t be calculated directly without more advanced models, but you can find it with simple algebra using the premium formula:
Let’s look at some examples.
1 ABC Mar 35 call @ $5 when ABC’s market price is $36. What is the intrinsic value and time value?
Can you figure it out?
The option has $1 of intrinsic value (“call up”). To find the time value:
In summary:
If you purchase this call for $500 ($5 x 100 shares), $100 ($1 x 100 shares) pays for the immediate benefit provided by intrinsic value. The remaining $400 ($4 x 100 shares) pays for time, which gives the market a chance to rise further.
Let’s try another:
1 ABC Dec 70 call @ $3 when the market price is $68. What is the intrinsic value and time value?
The option has no intrinsic value (“out of the money”). To find the time value:
In summary:
When an option has no intrinsic value, the premium is entirely time value. If you purchase this option, you’re not paying for an immediate exercise benefit. The $300 premium ($3 x 100 shares) pays only for time, which gives the market a chance to rise above $70.
How about this one?
1 ABC Apr 95 put @ $9 when the market price is $92. What is the intrinsic value and time value?
The option has $3 of intrinsic value (“put down”). To find the time value:
In summary:
If you purchase this put for $900 ($9 x 100 shares), $300 ($3 x 100 shares) pays for the immediate benefit provided by intrinsic value. The remaining $600 ($6 x 100 shares) pays for time, which gives the market a chance to fall further.
Last one.
1 ABC Aug 20 put @ $4 when the market price is $21. What is the intrinsic value and time value?
The option has $0 of intrinsic value (“out of the money”). To find the time value:
In summary:
Again, when an option has no intrinsic value, the premium is entirely time value. If you purchase this put, you’re not paying for an immediate exercise benefit. The $400 premium ($4 x 100 shares) pays only for time, which gives the market a chance to fall below $20.
When an option is “in the money,” holders may consider exercising their contracts. Exercising usually involves a phone call or an online request. However, not every option can be exercised at any time. Options can have two different exercise styles: American and European.
American style options allow exercise to occur at any time. Equity (stock) options are American-style.
European style options only allow exercise at expiration. Index options, which derive their value from fluctuating index values, are almost always European-style. This style was introduced to reduce the anxiety of option writers. Even if an option goes in the money, the writer knows they won’t face exercise until expiration.
American and European-style options only describe when exercise is allowed. Both types can be traded at any time up to expiration. So, if you want to exit a European-style option, you don’t have to wait until expiration - you can complete a closing transaction instead.
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