Should Speculators Use Currency Futures or Options?
POINT/COUNTER-POINT:
Should Speculators Use Currency Futures or Options?
POINT: Speculators should use currency futures because they can avoid a substantial premium. To the extent that they are willing to speculate, they must have confidence in their expectations. If they have sufficient confidence in their expectations, they should bet on their expectations without having to pay a large premium to cover themselves if they are wrong. If they do not have confidence in their expectations, they should not speculate at all.
COUNTER-POINT: Speculators should use currency options to fit the degree of their confidence. For example, if they are very confident that a currency will appreciate substantially, but want to limit their investment, they can buy deep out-of-the-money options. These options have a high exercise price but a low premium, and therefore require a small investment. Alternatively, they can buy options that have a lower exercise price (higher premium), which will likely generate a greater return if the currency appreciates. Speculation involves risk. Speculators must recognize that their expectations may be wrong. While options require a premium, the premium is worthwhile to limit the potential downside risk. Options enable speculators to select the degree of downside risk that they are willing to tolerate.
WHO IS CORRECT? Use InfoTrac or some other search engine to learn more about this issue. Which argument do you support? Offer your own opinion on this issue.
ANSWER: By comparing futures with options, students should recognize the tradeoff that is formed by the two opposing arguments. The choice of options versus futures may depend on the probability distribution of future exchange rate movements. Speculators who are confident that the exchange rate will appreciate, with very little risk of depreciation, may be more willing to buy futures than call options, because they do not need to insure against depreciation. However, speculators
Should Speculators Use Currency Futures or Options?
POINT: Speculators should use currency futures because they can avoid a substantial premium. To the extent that they are willing to speculate, they must have confidence in their expectations. If they have sufficient confidence in their expectations, they should bet on their expectations without having to pay a large premium to cover themselves if they are wrong. If they do not have confidence in their expectations, they should not speculate at all.
COUNTER-POINT: Speculators should use currency options to fit the degree of their confidence. For example, if they are very confident that a currency will appreciate substantially, but want to limit their investment, they can buy deep out-of-the-money options. These options have a high exercise price but a low premium, and therefore require a small investment. Alternatively, they can buy options that have a lower exercise price (higher premium), which will likely generate a greater return if the currency appreciates. Speculation involves risk. Speculators must recognize that their expectations may be wrong. While options require a premium, the premium is worthwhile to limit the potential downside risk. Options enable speculators to select the degree of downside risk that they are willing to tolerate.
WHO IS CORRECT? Use InfoTrac or some other search engine to learn more about this issue. Which argument do you support? Offer your own opinion on this issue.
ANSWER: By comparing futures with options, students should recognize the tradeoff that is formed by the two opposing arguments. The choice of options versus futures may depend on the probability distribution of future exchange rate movements. Speculators who are confident that the exchange rate will appreciate, with very little risk of depreciation, may be more willing to buy futures than call options, because they do not need to insure against depreciation. However, speculators