Explore Your Options  |  MAR 2003

Explore Your Options by Tom Gentile

Explore Your Options by Tom Gentile OPTIONS SYMBOLS What do the various letters signify in an options symbol? — Name Withheld The letters in an option symbol designate the underlying instrument, whether it is a put or call, the expiration date, and the strike of the contract. MSQAJ is a typical symbol. It would be broken down like this: MSQ (Microsoft Corp.), A (January call), J (50 strike). Every option symbol has a root symbol one to three letters long for the underlying issue. Generally, the root symbol is the same as the stock symbol, unless the stock symbol is four or more letters. In the case of Texas Instruments (TXN), for example, the root symbol is simply TXN.

by Tom Gentile