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What Is Implied Volatility In Options And Its Formula

derivatives tradingfuture and optionsfutures and options trading
02 May 20236 mins readBy MOFSL

Implied Volatility Options

Implied Volatility (IV) uses an option price to compute and determine what the current market is talking about, the underlying stock's future volatility. One of the six main criteria utilised in option pricing models is implied volatility. However, IV cannot be computed until the additional five elements are revealed.

Finally, implied volatility is critical since it serves as a substitute measure for the option's true value. As a result, when implied volatility is higher, so is the option premium. If there is volatility, trading volume is risky. Because at-the-money option contracts have the highest trading volume, they are largely used to calculate Implied Volatility. Once the price of ATM options is determined, an options pricing model can be utilised to calculate IV. Implied volatility is commonly expressed as a percentage of standard deviations over time.

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Why Is Implied Volatility Important As A Trading Tool?

  • Implied volatility is critical for all investors because it provides practical insight into what the market thinks about a price movement in stocks, whether small or large.
  • However, implied volatility does not forecast the direction of market moves.
  • Any trader can utilise Implied Volatility to calculate a predefined range throughout the life of an option.
  • It emphasises the projected ups and downs for the option's underlying stock and offers appropriate exit and entry points for all traders.
  • There is a distinction between implied volatility and historical volatility. However, historical volatility, as the name implies, provides insight into stock potential changes based simply on recent movements.
  • While HV is useful, many traders prefer IV because it gives information on all market expectations as well as previous market movements.
  • Finally, IV will assess whether the gain is worth the investment or whether the market agrees with a trader's viewpoint and will assist him in determining the risk of this transaction.

Implied Volatility Formula

In 1973, three economists— Myron Scholes, Fischer Black and Robert Merton—created the Black-Scholes model, commonly known as the Black-Scholes-Merton model. It is a mathematical model that forecasts the price movement of financial products such as futures, stocks or options contracts over time.

The Black-Scholes formula has grown in popularity since its debut and has been credited with the rapid expansion of options trading. In global financial markets, investors commonly use the method to compute the theoretical price of European options (a type of financial asset). These options can only be exercised when they expire.

Since implied volatility is not directly observable, it must be solved through the Black-Scholes model's five other inputs, which are:

  • The underlying stock price.
  • The risk-free interest rate.
  • The market price of the option.
  • The time to expire.
  • The strike price.

The implied volatility is determined by getting the option's market price and inputting it into the Black-Scholes algorithm. However, there are other methods for determining implied volatility. One straightforward method is to conduct an iterative search, to determine the value of IV.

The Black-Scholes formula has been shown to produce prices that are fairly close to market pricing. And, the method serves as a solid foundation for computing other inputs like implied volatility. While this makes the formula very useful for traders, it does necessitate sophisticated mathematics. Fortunately, it eliminates the need for investors and traders to perform these computations. They can simply enter the necessary information into a financial calculator.

Wrapping Up

Several factors influence implied volatility, but the most important is an emotional component. IV is the short-term sentiment about a specific stock that drives option prices. It can be observed that when stock prices climb, option prices rise exponentially as well, which is a clear result of the implied volatility of a given stock.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Is high implied volatility a good thing or a negative thing?

When implied volatility rises, the price of options rises gradually, providing all other factors remain constant. As a result, when a transaction is placed and implied volatility rises, it is the best option for the buyer and the worst one for all sellers.

Q. What Advantages Does Implied Volatility Have?

The benefits of implied volatility include:

  • Establishes an effective trading technique.
  • It is beneficial to set multiple option pricing.
  • Measures uncertainty and market sentiment clearly.

Q. What are the disadvantages of implied volatility?

The disadvantages of implied volatility are as follows:

  • It has an effect on implied volatility when unforeseeable events like natural calamities occur.
  • It is not exclusively dependent on prices and is not based on market fundamentals.
  • Predicts movement but not the direction
Disclaimer: The stocks, companies, or financial instruments mentioned in this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment recommendations. It is advised to consult with your financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Investment in securities markets are subject to market risks, read all the related documents carefully before investing. Investors are strongly encouraged to carefully read the risk disclosure documents prior to participating in market-related investments or trading activities. Due to the volatile nature of financial markets, no guarantees can be made regarding investment returns. Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd. does not offer any assured returns on market-linked securities. Please note that past performance of stocks or indices is not indicative of future results.
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