Frankfurt School - Trading & Sales
Live pricing and Greeks for multiple strikes - similar to trading terminal views
What is Implied Volatility?
Implied volatility measures the market's expectation of how much an asset will move over a given period.
It is the level of volatility σ that, when inserted into the Black-Scholes-Merton formula, matches the value of a traded option.
Uses of Implied Volatility:
• Gauge general market uncertainty about future returns
• Higher uncertainty ⇒ higher option prices ⇒ higher implied volatility
• Forward-looking measure (augments historical volatility)
• Compare relative pricing of options with different strikes/maturities
Implied Volatility Surface:
The 3D surface below shows how implied volatility varies across different strike prices and spot prices,
helping traders identify relatively expensive or cheap options.
Buy 1 lower strike, Sell 2 middle strikes, Buy 1 upper strike
Portfolio: Long 1 call option, Short Δ shares of stock
Goal: Maintain $\Pi = V - \Delta S \approx 0$ through continuous rebalancing