Financial Tables: Options Table

Finally, let's take a look at the Options table:

Column 1: Strike Price. This is the stated price per share for which underlying stock may be purchased (for a call) or sold (for a put) by the option holder upon exercise of the option contract. When you exercise a call option, this is the value for which you purchase the shares. Option strike prices typically move in increments of $2.50 or $5. In the example above, the strike price moves in $2 increments.

Column 2: Expiry Date. This shows the end of the life of an options contract. Options expire on the third Friday of the expiry month.

Column 3: Call or Put. This column refers to whether the option is a call or a put. A call is the option to purchase, whereas a put is the option to sell.

Column 4: Volume. This indicates the total number of options contracts traded for the day. The total volume of all contracts is listed at the bottom of each table.

Column 5: Bid. The price someone is willing to pay for the options contract. To get the cost of one contract you need to multiply the price by 100.

Column 6: Ask. The price for which someone is willing to sell an options contract. To get the cost of one contract you need to multiply the price by 100.

Column 7: Open Interest. Open interest is the number of options contracts that are open. These are contracts that have not expired or have not been exercised.