AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
Self-Study Guide to
Hedging with Grain and
Oilseed Futures and Options
In a world of increasing volatility, CME Group is where the world comes to manage risk across
all major asset classes – interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural
commodities, metals, and alternative investments like weather and real estate. Built on the
heritage of CME, CBOT and NYMEX, CME Group is the world’s largest and most diverse derivatives
exchange encompassing the widest range of benchmark products available. CME Group brings
buyers and sellers together on the CME Globex electronic trading platform. We provide you with
the tools you need to meet your business objectives and achieve your financial goals. CME Clearing
matches and settles all trades and provides significant financial resources, which enhance the
creditworthiness of every transaction that takes place in our markets.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
MORE AGRICULTURAL FUTURES AND OPTIONS. GREATER OPPORTUNITY.
CME Group offers the widest range of agricultural derivatives of any exchange, with trading
available on a variety of grains, oilseeds, livestock, dairy, lumber and other products. Representing
the staples of everyday life, these products offer you liquidity, transparent pricing and extraordinary
opportunities in a regulated centralized marketplace with equal access for all participants.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
IN THIS GUIDE
INTRODUCTION 3
CHAPTER 1: THE MARKETS 4
The Futures Contract 5
Exchange Functions 5
Market Participants 6
Financial Integrity of Markets 6
CHAPTER 2: HEDGING WITH FUTURES AND BASIS 9
The Short Hedge 9
The Long Hedge 10
Basis: The Link Between Cash and Futures Prices 11
Basis and the Short Hedger 11
Basis and the Long Hedger 12
Importance of Historical Basis 14
CHAPTER 3: FUTURES HEDGING STRATEGIES
FOR BUYING AND SELLING COMMODITIES 17
Buying Futures for Protection Against Rising Prices 17
Selling Futures for Protection Against Falling Prices 20
CHAPTER 4: THE BASICS OF AG OPTIONS 24
What Is an Option? 24
How Are Options Traded? 25
Option Pricing 27
Intrinsic Value 27
Time Value 30
Option Pricing Models 33
What Can Happen to an Option Position 33
CHAPTER 5: OPTION HEDGING STRATEGIES
FOR BUYERS OF COMMODITIES 37
Introduction to Risk Management Strategies 37
Why Buy or Sell Options? 38
Which Option to Buy or Sell 38
The Buyer of Commodities 40
Strategy #1: Buying Futures 40
Strategy #2: Buying Call Options 41
Strategy #3: Selling Put Options 43
Strategy #4: Buy a Call and Sell a Put 44
Comparing Commodity Purchasing Strategies 47
CHAPTER 6: OPTION HEDGING STRATEGIES
FOR SELLERS OF COMMODITIES 49
The Seller of Commodities 49
Strategy #1: Selling Futures 49
Strategy #2: Buying Put Options 50
Strategy #3: Selling Call Options 53
Strategy #4: Buy a Put and Sell a Call 54
Comparing Commodity Selling Strategies 56
Other Strategies for Selling Commodities 57
Strategy #5: Sell Cash Crop and Buy Calls 58
Strategy Summary 60
Other Option Alternatives 61
CONCLUSION: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS 62
Additional Risks of Grain Hedger 62
Transaction Costs 62
Tax Treatment 62
Finding a Broker 62
Summary 62
CME GROUP AGRICULTRAL PRODUCTS 63
GLOSSARY 64
ANSWER GUIDE 66
cmegroup.com/agriculture
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
INTRODUCTION
If you’re new to futures and options on futures, the first four
chapters will give you a solid foundation. Chapters 5 and 6
include futures and options hedging strategies, both from
a buying and selling hedger’s perspective.
We hope you enjoy this booklet and that it answers many
of your questions. In addition to reading on your own, your
broker should be a primary source of information. The kind
of assistance you may get from your broker ranges from access
to research reports, analysis and market recommendations, to
assistance in fine-tuning and executing your trading strategies.
A principal objective of this guide is to better enable you to use
such assistance effectively.
Futures and options on agricultural commodities have been
seeing phenomenal growth in trading volume in recent years,
due to increased global demand and the expanded availability of
electronic trading for these products. It is now more important
than ever to understand how to incorporate these tools into the
management of risk.
This booklet is designed to help participants in the grain and
oilseed markets learn how to integrate futures and options into
effective hedging strategies. As a self-study guide, it also includes
a quiz at the end of each chapter to allow you to test your grasp
of the material.
3
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Before you can begin to understand options on futures, you must
know something about futures markets. This is because futures
contracts are the underlying instruments on which the options are
traded. And, as a result, option prices – referred to as premiums –
are affected by futures prices and other market factors.
In addition, the more you know about the markets, the better
equipped you will be, based on current market conditions
and your specific objectives, to decide whether to use
futures contracts, options on futures contracts, or other risk
management and pricing alternatives.
CME Group itself does not in any way participate in the process
of price discovery. It is neither a buyer nor a seller of futures
contracts, so it doesn’t have a role or interest in whether prices
are high or low at any particular time. The role of the exchange
is simply to provide a central marketplace for buyers and sellers.
It is in this marketplace where supply and demand variables
from around the world come together to discover price.
CME Group combines the histories of two groundbreaking
marketplaces for trading futures and options, the Chicago Board
of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
Formed in 1848, the Chicago Board of Trade was the first
marketplace to sell a forward contract. The first 3,000 bushels
of forward-traded corn in 1851 would spark the development
of standardized commodity futures contracts in 1865 by the
CBOT. The CBOT also began that year to require performance
bonds or "margin" to be posted by buyers and sellers in its grain
markets, a move that eventually led to the conceptualization and
development of the futures clearing house in 1925.
Initially, CBOT’s products focused on the primary grains of that
era; corn, wheat and oats and eventually launching soybean
futures in 1936 and the soybean meal and oil in the 1950s. But
the scope of CBOT’s product expanded in 1969 when they
launched their first non-agricultural product: a silver futures
contract. CBOT’s foray into new futures fields continued in 1975,
when they launched the first interest rate futures, offering a
contract on the Government National Mortgage Association.
Just a few blocks away, another exchange was formed and grew
into a formidable rival to the CBOT – the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange. Originally dubbed the Chicago Butter and Egg Board
when it opened in 1898, the newer exchange adopted the CME
name in 1919.
To hold its own against its sizeable competitor, CME began
breaking ground with cutting-edge products and services. The
same year that CME took its official name, the CME Clearing
house was established, guaranteeing every trade performed on
CME’s floor. In 1961, CME launched the first futures contract on
frozen, stored meat with frozen pork bellies.
In 1972, CME launched the first financial futures, offering
contracts on seven foreign currencies. In the 1980s, CME
launched not only the first cash-settled futures contract with
Eurodollar futures, but also launched the first successful stock
index futures contract, the S&P 500 index, which continues to be
a benchmark for the stock market today.
CHAPTER 1 THE MARKETS
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
5
Two very important innovations for the futures industry occurred
during 1980s and 1990s – Commodity options and electronic
trading. CME’s conceptualization and initiation of electronic
trading occurred with the development of the CME Globex
electronic trading platform. The first electronic trade on CME
Globex in 1992 marked the still-ongoing transition from floor
based trading to trading electronically.
Then, in 2002, CME became the first exchange to go public, its
stock listed on the New York Stock Exchange. CBOT followed suit
in 2005.
While the two companies had flirted with the idea of merging
in earlier years, 2007 marked the year of a monumental merger
between the two derivatives powerhouses. The two companies
united under the name CME Group on July 9.
In 2012 CME Group introduced Black Sea Wheat futures and
acquired the Kansas City Board of Trade. This addition of Black
Sea Wheat and KC Hard Red Winter (HRW) Wheat products
allows us to address the world's most critical wheat trading needs
in one efficient marketplace.
Currently, CME Group is the world’s leading and most diverse
derivatives exchange, offering futures and options on the widest
range of benchmark products available on any exchange. With
a collective history of innovation, including the birth of futures
trading, CME Group is responsible for key developments that
have built today’s futures industry.
The Futures Contract
A futures contract is a commitment to make or take delivery of
a specific quantity and quality of a given commodity at a specific
delivery location and time in the future. All terms of the contract
are standardized except for the price, which is discovered via
the supply (offers) and the demand (bids). This price discovery
process occurs through an exchange’s electronic trading system.
All contracts are ultimately settled either through liquidation by
an offsetting transaction (a purchase after an initial sale or a sale
after an initial purchase) or by delivery of the actual physical
commodity. An offsetting transaction is the more frequently
used method to settle a futures contract. Delivery usually occurs
in less than 2 percent of all agricultural contracts traded.
Exchange Functions
The main economic functions of a futures exchange are
price risk management and price discovery. An exchange
accomplishes these functions by providing a facility and trading
platforms that bring buyers and sellers together. An exchange
also establishes and enforces rules to ensure that trading takes
place in an open and competitive environment. For this reason,
all bids and offers must be made either via the exchange’s
electronic order-entry trading system, such as CME Globex.
As a customer, you have the right to choose which trading
platform you want your trades placed on. You can make electronic
trades directly through your broker or with pre-approval from
your broker. Technically, all trades are ultimately made by a
member of the exchange. If you are not a member, you will work
through a commodity broker, who may be an exchange member
or, if not, will in turn work with an exchange member.
Can a futures price be considered a price prediction? In one
sense, yes, because the futures price at any given time reflects
the price expectations of both buyers and sellers for a time of
delivery in the future. This is how futures prices help to establish
a balance between production and consumption. But in another
sense, no, because a futures price is a price prediction subject
to continuous change. Futures prices adjust to reflect additional
information about supply and demand as it becomes available.
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Market Participants
Futures market participants fall into two general categories:
hedgers and speculators. Futures markets exist primarily for
hedging, which is defined as the management of price risks
inherent in the purchase or sale of commodities.
The word hedge means protection. The dictionary states
that to hedge is “to try to avoid or lessen a loss by making
counterbalancing investments ...” In the context of futures trading,
that is precisely what a hedge is: a counterbalancing transaction
involving a position in the futures market that is opposite one’s
current position in the cash market. Since the cash market price
and futures market price of a commodity tend to move up and
down together, any loss or gain in the cash market will be roughly
offset or counterbalanced in the futures market.
Hedgers include:
• Farmers, livestock producers – who need protection against
declining prices for crops or livestock, or against rising prices
of purchased inputs such as feed
• Merchandisers, elevators – who need protection against lower
prices between the time they purchase or contract to
purchase grain from farmers and the time it is sold
• Food processors, feed manufacturers – who need protection
against increasing raw material costs or against decreasing
inventory values
• Exporters – who need protection against higher prices for
grain contracted for future delivery but not yet purchased
• Importers – who want to take advantage of lower prices for
grain contracted for future delivery but not yet received
Since the number of individuals and firms seeking protection
against declining prices at any given time is rarely the same
as the number seeking protection against rising prices, other
market participants are needed. These participants are known
as speculators.
Speculators facilitate hedging by providing market liquidity – the
ability to enter and exit the market quickly, easily and efficiently.
They are attracted by the opportunity to realize a profit if they
prove to be correct in anticipating the direction and timing of
price changes.
These speculators may be part of the general public or they
may be professional traders including members of an exchange
trading on the electronic platform. Some exchange members are
noted for their willingness to buy and sell on even the smallest
of price changes. Because of this, a seller or buyer can enter and
exit a market position at an efficient price.
Financial Integrity of Markets
Performance bond, or margin, in the futures industry, is money
that you as a buyer or seller of futures contracts must deposit with
your broker and that brokers in turn must deposit with a clearing
house. If you trade CME Group products, your trades will clear
through CME Clearing. These funds are used to ensure contract
performance, much like a performance bond. This differs from
the securities industry, where margin is simply a down payment
required to purchase stocks and bonds. As a result of the margin
process, buyers and sellers of CME Group's products do not have
to worry about contract performance.
The amount of performance bond/margin a customer must
maintain with their brokerage firm is set by the firm itself,
subject to certain minimum levels established by the exchange
where the contract is traded. If a change in the futures price
results in a loss on an open futures position from one day to
the next, funds will be withdrawn from the customer’s margin
account to cover the loss. If a customer must deposit additional
money in the account to comply with the performance bond/
margin requirements it is known as receiving a margin call.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
7
QUIZ 1
1. Futures contracts are:
(a) the same as forward contracts
(b) standardized contracts to make or take delivery of
commodity at a predetermined place and time
(c) contracts with standardized price terms
(d) all of the above
2. Futures prices are discovered by:
(a) bids and offers
(b) officers and directors of the exchange
(c) written and sealed bids
(d) CME Clearing
(e) both (b) and (d)
3. The primary function of CME Clearing is to:
(a) prevent speculation in futures contracts
(b) ensure the financial integrity of the contracts traded
(c) clear every trade made at the CME Group
(d) both (b) and (c)
4. Gains and losses on futures positions are settled:
(a) by signing promissory notes
(b) each day after the close of trading
(c) within five business days
(d) directly between the buyer and seller
(e) none of the above
On the other hand, if a price change results in a gain on an
open futures position, the amount of gain will be credited to the
customer’s margin account. Customers may make withdrawals
from their account at any time, provided the withdrawals do
not reduce the account balance below the required minimum.
Once an open position has been closed by an offsetting trade,
any money in the margin account not needed to cover losses
or provide performance bond for other open positions may be
withdrawn by the customer.
Just as every trade is ultimately executed by or through an
exchange member, every trade is also cleared by or through a
clearing member firm.
In the clearing operation, the connection between the original
buyer and seller is severed. CME Clearing assumes the opposite
side of each open position and thereby provides the financial
integrity of every futures and options contract traded at
CME Group.
This assurance is accomplished through the mechanism of daily
cash settlements. Each day, CME Clearing determines the gain
or loss on each trade. It then calculates total gains or losses on
all trades cleared by each clearing member firm. If a firm has
incurred a net loss for the day, their account is debited and the
firm may be required to deposit additional margin with the
clearing house. Conversely, if the firm has a net gain for the day,
the firm receives a credit to its account. The firm then credits or
debits each individual customer account.
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8. You may receive a margin call if:
(a) you have a long (buy) futures position and
prices increase
(b) you have a long (buy) futures position and
prices decrease
(c) you have a short (sell) futures position and
prices increase
(d) you have a short (sell) futures position and
prices decrease
(e) both (a) and (d)
(f) both (b) and (c)
9. Margin requirements for customers are established by:
(a) the Federal Reserve Board
(b) the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
(c) the brokerage firms, subject to exchange minimums
(d) the Clearing Service Provider
(e) private agreement between buyer and seller
10. Futures trading gains credited to a customer’s margin
account can be withdrawn by the customer:
(a) as soon as the funds are credited
(b) only after the futures position is liquidated
(c) only after the account is closed
(d) at the end of the month
(e) at the end of the year
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
5. Speculators:
(a) assume market price risk while looking for profit
opportunities
(b) add to market liquidity
(c) aid in the process of price discovery
(d) facilitate hedging
(e) all of the above
6. Hedging involves:
(a) taking a futures position opposite to one’s current
cash market position
(b) taking a futures position identical to one’s current
cash market position
(c) holding only a futures market position
(d) holding only a cash market position
(e) none of the above
7. Margins in futures trading:
(a) serve the same purpose as margins for common stock
(b) are greater than the value of the futures contract
(c) serve as a down payment
(d) serve as a performance bond
(e) are required only for long positions
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
9
With futures, a person can sell first and buy later or buy first
and sell later. Regardless of the order in which the transactions
occur, buying at a lower price and selling at a higher price will
result in a gain on the futures position.
Selling now with the intention of buying back at a later date
gives you a short futures market position. A price decrease will
result in a futures gain, because you will have sold at a higher
price and bought at a lower price.
For example, let’s assume cash and futures prices are identical at
$12.00 per bushel. What happens if prices decline by $1.00 per
bushel? Although the value of your long cash market position
decreases by $1.00 per bushel, the value of your short futures
market position increases by $1.00 per bushel. Because the gain
on your futures position is equal to the loss on the cash position,
your net selling price is still $12.00 per bushel.
Cash market Futures market
May cash Soybeans are
$12.00/bu
sell Nov Soybean
futures at $12.00/bu
Oct sell cash Soybeans
at $11.00/bu
buy Nov Soybean
futures at $11.00/bu
change $1.00/bu loss $1.00/bu gain
Note: When hedging, you use the futures contract month closest to the time, but not
before you plan to purchase or sell the physical commodity.
*Does not include transaction fees.
Hedging is based on the principle that cash market prices and
futures market prices tend to move up and down together. This
movement is not necessarily identical, but it usually is close
enough that it is possible to lessen the risk of a loss in the cash
market by taking an opposite position in the futures market.
Taking opposite positions allows losses in one market to be
offset by gains in the other. In this manner, the hedger is able to
establish a price level for a cash market transaction that may not
actually take place for several months.
The Short Hedge
To give you a better idea of how hedging works, let’s suppose it
is May and you are a soybean farmer with a crop in the field; or
perhaps an elevator operator with soybeans you have purchased
but not yet sold. In market terminology, you have a long cash
market position. The current cash market price for soybeans to
be delivered in October is $12.00 per bushel. If the price goes up
between now and October, when you plan to sell, you will gain.
On the other hand, if the price goes down during that time, you
will have a loss.
To protect yourself against a possible price decline during the
coming months, you can hedge by selling a corresponding
number of bushels in the futures market now and buying them
back later when it is time to sell your crops in the cash market.
If the cash price declines by harvest, any loss incurred will
be offset by a gain from the hedge in the futures market. This
particular type of hedge is known as a short hedge because of the
initial short futures position.
CHAPTER 2
HEDGING WITH FUTURES AND BASIS
sell cash Soybeans at
gain on futures position
net selling price
$11.00/bu
+ $1.00/bu
$12.00/bu
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For example, assume it is July and you are planning to buy corn
in November. The cash market price in July for corn delivered
in November is $6.50 per bushel, but you are concerned that by
the time you make the purchase, the price may be much higher.
To protect yourself against a possible price increase, you buy Dec
Corn futures at $6.50 per bushel. What would be the outcome if
corn prices increase 50 cents per bushel by November?
Cash market Futures market
Jul cash Corn
is $6.50/bu
buy Dec Corn
futures at $6.50/bu
Nov buy cash Corn
at $7.00/bu
sell Dec Corn
futures at $7.00/bu
change $.50/bu loss $.50/bu gain
In this example, the higher cost of corn in the cash market was
offset by a gain in the futures market.
Conversely, if corn prices decreased by 50 cents per bushel by
November, the lower cost of corn in the cash market would be
offset by a loss in the futures market. The net purchase price
would still be $6.50 per bushel.
Cash market Futures market
Jul cash Corn
is $6.50/bu
buy Dec Corn
futures at $6.50/bu
Nov buy cash Corn
at $6.00/bu
sell Dec Corn
futures at $6.00/bu
change $.50/bu gain $.50/bu loss
What if soybean prices had instead risen by $1.00 per bushel?
Once again, the net selling price would have been $12.00 per
bushel, as a $1.00 per bushel loss on the short futures position
would be offset by a $1.00 per bushel gain on the long cash
position.
Notice in both cases the gains and losses on the two market
positions cancel each other out. That is, when there is a gain on
one market position, there is a comparable loss on the other.
This explains why hedging is often said to “lock in” a price level.
Cash market Futures market
May cash Soybeans are
$12.00/bu
sell Nov Soybean
futures at $12.00/bu
Oct sell cash Soybeans
at $13.00/bu
buy Nov Soybean
futures at $13.00/bu
change $1.00/bu gain $1.00/bu loss
In both instances, the hedge accomplished what it set out to
achieve: It established a selling price of $12.00 per bushel for
soybeans to be delivered in October. With a short hedge, you
give up the opportunity to benefit from a price increase to obtain
protection against a price decrease.
The Long Hedge
On the other hand, livestock feeders, grain importers, food
processors and other buyers of agricultural products often need
protection against rising prices and would instead use a long
hedge involving an initial long futures position.
sell cash Soybeans at
loss on futures position
net selling price
$13.00/bu
+ $1.00/bu
$12.00/bu
buy cash Corn at
gain on futures position
net purchase price
buy cash Corn at
loss on futures position
net purchase price
$7.00/bu
+ $.50/bu
$6.50/bu
$6.00/bu
+ $.50/bu
$6.50/bu
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
11
basis becomes, the stronger it is. In contrast, the more negative
(or less positive) the basis becomes, the weaker it is.
For example, a basis change from 50 cents under (a cash price 50
cents less than the futures price) to a basis of 40 cents under (a cash
price 40 cents less than the futures price) indicates a strengthening
basis, even though the basis is still negative. On the other hand, a
basis change from 20 cents over (a cash price 20 cents more than
the futures price) to a basis of 15 cents over (a cash price 15 cents
more than the futures price) indicates a weakening basis, despite
the fact that the basis is still positive. (Note: Within the grain
industry a basis of 15 cents over or 15 cents under a given futures
contract is usually referred to as “15 over” or “15 under.” The word
“cents” is dropped.) Basis is simply quoting the relationship of the
local cash price to the futures price.
Basis and the Short Hedger
Basis is important to the hedger because it affects the final
outcome of a hedge. For example, suppose it is March and you
plan to sell wheat to your local elevator in mid-June. The July
Wheat futures price is $6.50 per bushel, and the cash price
in your area in mid-June is normally about 35 under the July
futures price. Note that in this example, and other examples in
this brochure, you would use either Chicago Soft Red Winter
(SRW) Wheat futures or KC HRW Wheat futures, depending
upon the type of wheat you are hedging.
Cash market Futures
market
Basis
Mar expected cash
Wheat price is
$6.15/bu
sell Jul Wheat
futures at
$6.50/bu
–.35
Jun sell cash Wheat
at $5.65/bu
buy Jul Wheat
futures at
$6.00/bu
–.35
change $.50/bu loss $.50/bu gain 0
sell cash Wheat at
gain on futures position
net selling price
$5.65/bu
+ $.50/bu
$6.15/bu
Remember, whether you have a short hedge or a long hedge, any
losses on your futures position may result in a margin call from
your broker, requiring you to deposit additional funds to your
performance bond account. As previously discussed, adequate
funds must be maintained in the account to cover day-to-day
losses. However, keep in mind that if you are incurring losses
on your futures market position, then it is likely that you are
incurring gains on your cash market position.
Basis: The Link Between Cash
and Futures Prices
All of the examples just presented assumed identical cash and
futures prices. But, if you are in a business that involves buying or
selling grain or oilseeds, you know the cash price in your area or
what your supplier quotes for a given commodity usually differs
from the price quoted in the futures market. Basically, the local
cash price for a commodity is the futures price adjusted for such
variables as freight, handling, storage and quality, as well as the
local supply and demand factors. The price difference between the
cash and futures prices may be slight or it may be substantial, and
the two prices may not always vary by the same amount.
This price difference (cash price – futures price) is known as the basis.
A primary consideration in evaluating the basis is its potential to
strengthen or weaken. The more positive (or less negative) the
Strengthen
(less negative
or more positive)
Weaken
(less positive
or more negative)
Cash prices incr
ease
re
lative to future prices
Cash prices decrease
relative to future prices
10
0
-10
-20
20
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The approximate price you can establish by hedging is $6.15
per bushel ($6.50 – $.35) provided the basis is 35 under. The
previous table shows the results if the futures price declines to
$6.00 by June and the basis is 35 under.
Suppose, instead, the basis in mid-June had turned out to be
40 under rather than the expected 35 under. Then the net selling
price would be $6.10, rather than $6.15.
Cash market Futures market Basis
Mar expected cash
Wheat price is
$6.15/bu
sell Jul Wheat
futures at $6.50/bu
–.35
Jun sell cash Wheat
at $5.60/bu
buy Jul Wheat
futures at $6.00/bu
–.40
change $.55/bu loss $.50/bu gain .05 loss
sell cash Wheat at
gain on futures position
$5.60/bu
+ $.50/bu
net selling price $6.10/bu
This example illustrates how a weaker-than-expected basis
reduces your net selling price. And, as you might expect, your
net selling price increases with a stronger-than-expected basis.
Look at the following example.
As explained earlier, a short hedger benefits from a
strengthening basis. This information is important to consider
when hedging. That is, as a short hedger, if you like the current
futures price and expect the basis to strengthen, you should
consider hedging a portion of your crop or inventory as shown
in the next table. On the other hand, if you expect the basis
to weaken and would benefit from today’s prices, you might
consider selling your commodity now.
Cash market Futures market Basis
Mar expected cash
Wheat price is
$6.15/bu
sell Jul Wheat
futures at $6.50/bu
–.35
Jun sell cash Wheat
at $5.75/bu
buy Jul Wheat
futures at $6.00/bu
–.25
change $.40/bu loss $.50/bu gain .10 gain
sell cash Wheat at
gain on futures position
net selling price
$5.75/bu
+ $.50/bu
$6.25/bu
Basis and the Long Hedger
How does basis affect the performance of a long hedge? Let’s
look first at a livestock feeder who in October is planning to buy
soybean meal in April. May Soybean Meal futures are $350 per ton
and the local basis in April is typically $20 over the May futures
price, for an expected purchase price of $370 per ton ($350 +
$20). If the futures price increases to $380 by April and the basis
is $20 over, the net purchase price remains at $370 per ton.
Cash market Futures market Basis
Oct expected cash
Soybean Meal
price is $370/ton
buy May Soybean
Meal futures at
$350/ton
+$20
Apr buy cash
Soybean Meal at
$400/ton
sell May Soybean
Meal futures at
$380/ton
+$20
change $30/ton loss $30/ton gain 0
buy cash Soybean Meal at
gain on futures position
net purchase price
$400/ton
– $30/ton
$370/ton
What if the basis strengthens – in this case, more positive – and
instead of the expected $20 per ton over, it is actually $40 per ton
over in April? Then the net purchase price increases by $20 to $390.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
13
Cash market Futures market Basis
Oct expected cash
Soybean Meal
price is $370/ton
buy May Soybean
Meal futures at
$350/ton
+$20
Apr buy cash
Soybean Meal at
$390/ton
sell May Soybean
Meal futures at
$380/ton
+$10
change $20/ton loss $30/ton gain $10 gain
buy cash Soybean Meal at
gain on futures position
net purchase price
$390/ton
– $30/ton
$360/ton
Hedging with futures offers you the opportunity to establish
an approximate price months in advance of the actual sale
or purchase and protects the hedger from unfavorable price
changes. This is possible because cash and futures prices tend to
move in the same direction and by similar amounts, so losses in
one market can be offset with gains in the other. Although the
futures hedger is unable to benefit from favorable price changes,
you are protected from unfavorable market moves.
Basis risk is considerably less than price risk, but basis behavior
can have a significant impact on the performance of a hedge. A
stronger-than-expected basis will benefit a short hedger, while
a weaker-than-expected basis works to the advantage of a long
hedger.
Cash market Stronger Weaker
Short Hedge Favorable Unfavorable
Long Hedge Unfavorable Favorable
Cash market Futures market Basis
Oct expected cash
Soybean Meal
price is $370/ton
buy May Soybean
Meal futures at
$350/ton
+$20
Apr buy cash
Soybean Meal at
$440/ton
sell May Soybean
Meal futures at
$400/ton
+$40
change $70/ton loss $50/ton gain $20 loss
buy cash Soybean Meal at
gain on futures position
net purchase price
$440/ton
– $50/ton
$390/ton
Conversely, if the basis weakens, moving from $20 over to $10
over, the net purchase price drops to $360 per ton ($350 + $10).
Notice how long hedgers benefit from a weakening basis – just
the opposite of a short hedger. What is important to consider
when hedging is basis history and market expectations. As a
long hedger, if you like the current futures price and expect the
basis to weaken, you should consider hedging a portion of your
commodity purchase. On the other hand, if you expect the basis
to strengthen and like today’s prices, you might consider buying
or pricing your commodity now.
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Importance of Historical Basis
By hedging with futures, buyers and sellers are eliminating
futures price level risk and assuming basis level risk. Although
it is true that basis risk is relatively less than the risk associated
with either cash market prices or futures market prices, it is
still a market risk. Buyers and sellers of commodities can do
something to manage their basis risk. Since agricultural basis
tends to follow historical and seasonal patterns, it makes sense
to keep good historical basis records.
The table below is a sample of a basis record. Although there
are numerous formats available, the content should include:
date, cash market price, futures market price (specify contract
month), basis and market factors for that date. This information
can be put into a chart format as well.
Basis Table Notes:
1) The most common type of basis record will track the current
cash market price to the nearby futures contract month price.
It is a good practice to switch the nearby contract month to
the next futures contract month prior to entering the delivery
month. For example, beginning with the second from last
business day in November, switch tracking from Dec Corn
futures to the Mar Corn futures (the next contract month in
the Corn futures cycle).
2) It is common to track basis either daily or weekly. If you
choose to keep track of basis on a weekly schedule, be
consistent with the day of the week you follow. Also, you
may want to avoid tracking prices and basis only on Mondays
or Fridays.
3) Basis tables will help you compare the current basis with the
expected basis at the time of your purchases or sales. In other
words, it will help determine if a supplier’s current offer or an
elevator’s current bid is stronger or weaker than expected at
the time of the purchase or sale.
4) Putting basis information from multiple years on a chart will
highlight the seasonal and historical patterns. It will also
show the historical basis range (strongest and weakest levels)
for any given time period, as well as the average.
Date Cash price Futures price/month Basis Market factors
10/02 $6.60 $6.77 Dec. – $.17 (Z*) Extended local dry spell in forecast
10/03 $6.70 $6.95 Dec. – $.25 (Z) Report of stronger than expected exports
*Z is the ticker symbol for December futures
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
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QUIZ 2
1. The premise that makes hedging possible is cash and
futures prices:
(a) move in opposite directions
(b) move upward and downward by identical amounts
(c) generally change in the same direction by similar
amounts
(d) are regulated by the exchange
2. To hedge against an increase in prices, you would:
(a) purchase futures contracts
(b) sell futures contracts
3. A farmer’s crop is still in the field. His cash market
position is:
(a) long
(b) short
(c) neither, since the crop hasn’t been harvested
(d) neutral, because he has no position in the futures
market
4. The term basis is:
(a) the difference between cash market prices in different
locations
(b) the difference between prices for different delivery
months
(c) the difference between the local cash price and a
futures price
(d) relevant only to speculation
5. If you estimate the basis will be 15 over December
futures at the time you purchase corn, the approximate
buying price you can lock in by selling a December
futures contract at $5.50 is:
(a) $5.65
(b) $5.60
(c) $5.35
(d) none of the above
6. If you estimate the local cash price will be 15 under the
March futures price at the time you deliver your corn,
the approximate net selling price you can lock in by
selling a March futures contract at $5.50 is:
(a) $5.65
(b) $5.60
(c) $5.35
(d) none of the above
7. Assuming your local cash price is generally quoted
under the CME Group futures price, an increase in
transportation costs in your area would be expected to
have what effect on the basis:
(a) weaken the basis
(b) strengthen the basis
(c) no effect on the basis
8. If you have a long cash market position and do not
hedge it, you are:
(a) a speculator
(b) in a position to profit from an increase in price
(c) subject to a loss if prices decline
(d) all of the above
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9. Assume your supplier’s cash market price is generally
quoted over the CME Group’s futures price. If you hedge
by purchasing a futures contract, a good time to purchase
the physical product and lift the hedge would be:
(a) once you have hedged, it makes no difference
(b) when the basis is relatively weak
(c) when the basis is relatively strong
(d) whenever the cash market price is highest
10. Basis risk involves:
(a) the fact that basis cannot be predicted exactly
(b) the absolute level of futures prices
(c) the inherent volatility of futures prices
11. Suppose you’re a snack food manufacturer wanting to
establish a purchase price for soybean oil you will need
by late February. Currently, Mar Soybean Oil futures
are trading at 55 cents per pound and the local basis
for February delivery is 5 cents over Mar Soybean Oil
futures. From your basis records, the basis is typically
2 cents over Mar Soybean Oil futures for February
delivery. Under this situation, it would make “sense” to:
(a) hedge yourself in the futures market to take advantage
of today’s prices and wait until the basis weakens to
purchase soybean oil in the cash market
(b) purchase the soybean oil in the cash market and not
hedge yourself
(c) do nothing
12. Assume you’re a flour miller and decide to hedge your
upcoming wheat purchase. At the time, CME Group
Dec Wheat futures are trading at $6.50 a bushel and
the expected local basis for delivery mid-November
is 12 cents over December futures. If you hedge your
position, what is your expected purchase price if the
basis is 12 cents over?
(a) $6.50
(b) $6.62
(c) $6.40
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
17
Buying Futures for Protection Against
Rising Prices
Assume you are a feed manufacturer and purchase corn on
a regular basis. It is December and you are in the process of
planning your corn purchases for the month of April – wanting
to take delivery of the corn during mid-April. Several suppliers
in the area are offering long-term purchase agreements, with the
best quote among them of 5 cents over May futures. CME Group
May futures are currently trading at $5.75 per bushel, equating
to a cash forward offer of $5.80 per bushel.
If you take the long-term purchase agreement, you will lock in
the futures price of $5.75 per bushel and a basis of 5 cents over,
or a flat price of $5.80 per bushel. Or, you could establish a
futures hedge, locking in a futures price of $5.75 per bushel but
leaving the basis open.
In reviewing your records and historical prices, you discover the
spot price of corn in your area during mid-April averages 5 cents
under the May futures price. And, based on current market
conditions and what you anticipate happening between now and
April, you believe the mid-April basis will be close to 5 cents under.
Action
Since you like the current futures price but anticipate the basis
weakening, you decide to hedge your purchase using futures
rather than entering into a long-term purchase agreement. You
purchase the number of corn contracts equal to the amount
of corn you want to hedge. For example, if you want to hedge
15,000 bushels of corn, you buy (go “long”) three Corn futures
contracts because each contract equals 5,000 bushels.
By hedging with May Corn futures, you lock in a purchase price
level of $5.75 but the basis level is not locked in at this time. If the
basis weakens by April, you will benefit from any basis improvement.
Of course, you realize the basis could surprise you and strengthen,
but, based on your records and market expectations, you feel it is in
your best interest to hedge your purchases.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how futures contracts
are used to manage price risks and how basis affects your buying
and selling decisions, it is time to try your hand at a few strategies.
Upon completing this chapter, you should be able to:
• Recognize those situations when you will benefit most from
hedging
• Calculate the dollars and cents outcome of a given strategy,
depending on market conditions
• Understand the risks involved with your marketing decisions
The strategies covered in this chapter include:
• Buying futures for protection against rising commodity prices
• Selling futures for protection against falling commodity prices
To review some of the points from the preceding chapter,
hedging is used to manage your price risks. If you are a buyer
of commodities and want to hedge your position, you would
initially buy futures contracts for protection against rising
prices. At a date closer to the time you plan to actually purchase
the physical commodity, you would offset your futures position
by selling back the futures contracts you initially bought. This
type of hedge is referred to as a long hedge. Long hedgers benefit
from a weakening basis.
On the other hand, if you sell commodities and need protection
against falling prices, you would initially sell futures contracts.
At a date closer to the time you price the physical commodity,
you would buy back the futures contracts you initially sold. This
is referred to as a short hedge. Short hedgers benefit from a
strengthening basis.
The following strategies are examples of how those in
agribusiness use futures contracts to manage price risks. Also,
note how basis information is used in making hedging decisions
and how changes in the basis affect the final outcome.
CHAPTER 3
FUTURES HEDGING STRATEGIES
FOR BUYING AND SELLING COMMODITIES
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Assume by mid-April the May futures price is $5.45 per bushel
and the best quote offered by an area supplier is also $5.45 per
bushel. You purchase corn from the supplier and simultaneously
offset your futures position by selling back the futures contracts
you initially bought.
Even though you were able to purchase cash corn at a lower
price, you lost 30 cents on your futures position. This equates to
a net purchase price for corn of $5.75. The purchase price is still
5 cents lower than what you would have paid for corn through a
long-term purchase agreement. Again, this difference reflects a
weakening of the basis from 5 cents over to even (no basis).
In hindsight, you would have been better off neither taking the
long-term purchase agreement nor hedging because prices fell.
But your job is to purchase corn, add value to it, and sell the
final product at a profit. If you don’t do anything to manage price
risk, the result could be disastrous to your firm’s bottom line.
Back in December, you evaluated the price of corn, basis records
and your firm’s expected profits based upon that information.
You determined by hedging and locking in the price for corn
your firm could earn a profit. You also believed the basis would
weaken, so you hedged to try and take advantage of a weakening
basis. Therefore, you accomplished what you intended. The
price of corn could have increased just as easily.
Cash market Futures market Basis
Dec long-term offer
at $5.80/bu
buy May Corn
futures at $5.75/bu
+.05
Apr buy cash Corn
at $5.45/bu
sell May Corn
futures at $5.45/bu
.00
change $.35/bu gain $.30/bu loss .05 gain
buy cash Corn at
loss on futures position
net purchase price
$5.45/bu
+ $.30/bu
$5.75/bu
Prices Increase Scenario
If the price increases and the basis at 5 cents over, you will
purchase corn at $5.80 per bushel (futures price of $5.75 +
the basis of $.05 over). But if the price increases and the basis
weakens, the purchase price is reduced accordingly.
Assume by mid-April, when you need to purchase the physical
corn, the May futures price has increased to $6.25 and the best
offer for physical corn in your area is $6.20 per bushel (futures
price – the basis of $.05 under).
Cash market Futures market Basis
Dec long-term offer
at $5.80/bu
buy May Corn
futures at $5.75/bu
+.05
Apr buy cash Corn at
$6.20/bu
sell May Corn
futures at $6.25/bu
–.05
change $.40/bu loss $.50/bu gain .10 gain
buy cash Corn at
gain on futures position
net purchase price
$6.20/bu
– $.50/bu
$5.70/bu
With the futures price at $6.25, the May Corn futures contract
is sold back for a net gain of 50 cents per bushel ($6.25 – $5.75).
That amount is deducted from the current local cash price of
corn, $6.20 per bushel, which equals a net purchase price of
$5.70. Notice the price is 50 cents lower than the current cash
price and 10 cents lower than what you would have paid for corn
through a long-term purchase agreement. The lower price is a
result of a weakening of the basis by 10 cents, moving from
5 cents over to 5 cents under May futures.
Prices Decrease Scenario
If prices decrease and the basis remains unchanged, you will still
pay $5.80 per bushel for corn. Hedging with futures provides
protection against rising prices, but it does not allow you to take
advantage of lower prices. In making the decision to hedge, one
is willing to give up the chance to take advantage of lower prices
in return for price protection. On the other hand, the purchase
price will be lower if the basis weakens.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
19
Prices Increase/Basis Strengthens Scenario
If the price rises and the basis strengthens, you will be protected
from the price increase by hedging but the strengthening basis
will increase the final net purchase price relative to the long-
term purchase agreement.
Assume in mid-April your supplier is offering corn at $6.10
per bushel and the May futures contract is trading at $6.03 per
bushel. You purchase the physical corn and offset your futures
position by selling back your futures contracts at $6.03. This
provides you with a futures gain of 28 cents per bushel, which
lowers the net purchase price. However, the gain does not make
up entirely for the higher price of corn. The 2-cent difference
between the long-term purchase agreement and the net
purchase price reflects the strengthening basis.
Cash market Futures market Basis
Dec long-term offer
at $5.80/bu
buy May Corn
futures at $5.75/bu
+.05
Apr buy cash Corn
at $6.10/bu
sell May Corn
futures at $6.03/bu
+.07
change $.30/bu loss $.28/bu gain .02 loss
buy cash Corn at
gain on futures position
net purchase price
$6.10/bu
– $.28/bu
$5.82/bu
As we’ve seen in the preceding examples, the final outcome
of a futures hedge depends on what happens to basis between
the time a hedge is initiated and offset. In those scenarios, you
benefited from a weakening basis.
In regard to other marketing alternatives, you may be asking
yourself how does futures hedging compare? Suppose you had
entered a long-term purchase agreement instead of hedging? Or
maybe you did nothing at all – what happens then?
The table below compares your alternatives illustrating the potential
net purchase price under several possible futures prices and basis
scenarios. You initially bought May Corn futures at $5.75.
You can not predict the future but you can manage it. By
evaluating your market expectations for the months ahead and
reviewing past records, you will be in a better position to take
action and not let a buying opportunity pass you by.
Alternative 1 shows what your purchase price would be if
you did nothing at all. While you would benefit from a price
decrease, you are at risk if prices increase and you are unable to
manage your bottom line.
If May futures
price in April is:
April basis Alternative 1
Do nothing
(spot cash price)
Alternative 2
Hedge with
futures at $5.75
Alternative 3
Long-term purchase
agreement at $5.80
$5.65 +.05 $5.70 $5.80 $5.80
$5.75 +.05 $5.80 $5.80 $5.80
$5.85 +.05 $5.90 $5.80 $5.80
$5.65 –.05 $5.50 $5.70 $5.80
$5.75 –.05 $5.70 $5.70 $5.80
$5.85 –.05 $5.80 $5.70 $5.80
$5.65 +.10 $5.75 $5.85 $5.80
$5.75 +.10 $5.85 $5.85 $5.80
$5.85 +.10 $5.95 $5.85 $5.80
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Alternative 2 shows what your purchase price would be if you
established a long hedge in December, offsetting the futures
position when you purchase physical corn in April. As you can
see, a changing basis affects the net purchase price but not as
much as a significant price change.
Alternative 3 shows what your purchase price would be if you
entered a long-term purchase agreement in December. Basically,
nothing affected your final purchase price but you could not take
advantage of a weakening basis or lower prices.
cost of production is $5.10 per bushel. Therefore, you could lock
in a profit of 35 cents per bushel through this forward contract.
Before entering into the contract, you review historical prices
and basis records and discover the local basis during mid-
November is usually about 15 cents under December futures.
Action
Because the basis in the forward contract is historically weak,
you decide to hedge using futures. You sell the number of corn
contracts equal to the amount of corn you want to hedge. For
example, if you want to hedge 20,000 bushels of corn, you sell
(go “short”) four Corn futures contracts because each futures
contract equals 5,000 bushels. By selling Dec Corn futures, you
lock in a selling price of $5.45 if the basis remains unchanged
(futures price of $5.70 – the basis of $.25). If the basis
strengthens, you will benefit from any basis appreciation. But
remember, there is a chance the basis could actually weaken.
So, although you maintain the basis risk, basis is generally much
more stable and predictable than either the cash market or
futures market prices.
Prices Decrease Scenario
If the price declines and the basis remains unchanged, you are
protected from the price decline and will receive $5.45 per
bushel for your crop (futures price of $5.70 – the basis of $.25).
If the price drops and the basis strengthens, you will receive a
higher than expected price for your corn. By November, the best
spot bid in your area for corn is $5.05 per bushel. Fortunately,
you were hedged in the futures market and the current
December futures price is $5.20. When you offset the futures
position by buying back the same type and amount of futures
contracts as you initially sold, you realize a gain of 50 cents
per bushel ($5.70 – $5.20). Your gain in the futures market
increases your net sales price. As you can see from the following
table, the net sales price is actually 10 cents greater than the
forward contract bid quoted in May. This price difference
reflects the change in basis, which strengthened by 10 cents
between May and November.
1. Suppose, as in the previous scenario, you purchase a
May Corn futures contract at $5.75 per bushel and the
basis is 5 cents under when you actually buy corn from
your supplier in April. What would be the net purchase
price in April if the May Corn futures price is:
May futures price Net purchase price
$5.58 $____________________per bu
$5.84 $____________________per bu
$5.92 $____________________per bu
2. What would your net purchase price be if May Corn
futures is $5.80 and the basis is 7 cents over when you
offset your futures position in April?
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
QUIZ 3
Selling Futures for Protection Against
Falling Prices
Assume you are a corn producer. It is May 15 and you just finished
planting your crop. The weather has been unseasonably dry, driving
prices up significantly. However, you feel the weather pattern is
temporary and are concerned corn prices will decline before harvest.
Currently, Dec Corn futures are trading at $5.70 per bushel
and the best bid on a forward contract is $5.45 per bushel, or
25 cents under the December futures contract. Your estimated
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
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Cash market Futures market Basis
May cash forward
(Nov) bid
at $5.45/bu
sell Dec Corn
futures at $5.70/bu
–.25
Nov sell cash Corn
at $5.70/bu
buy Dec Corn
futures at $5.90/bu
–.20
change $.25/bu gain $.20/bu loss .10 gain
sell cash Corn at
loss on futures position
net selling price
$5.70/bu
¬ $.20/bu
$5.50/bu
If you could have predicted the future in May, more than likely
you would have waited and sold your corn in November for
$5.70 per bushel rather than hedging. But predicting the future
is beyond your control. In May, you liked the price level and
knew the basis was historically weak. Knowing your production
cost was $5.10 per bushel, a selling price of $5.45 provided you a
respectable profit margin.
In both of these examples, the basis strengthened between the
time the hedge was initiated and offset, which worked to your
advantage. But how would your net selling price be affected if
the basis weakened?
Prices Decrease/Basis Weakens Scenario
If the price falls and the basis weakens, you will be protected
from the price decrease by hedging but the weakening basis will
slightly decrease the final net sales price.
Assume by mid-November, the December futures price is $5.37
and the local basis is 27 cents under. After offsetting your futures
position and simultaneously selling your corn, the net sales price
equals $5.43 per bushel. You will notice the net sales price is
2 cents lower than the forward contract bid in May, reflecting
the weaker basis.
Cash market Futures market Basis
May cash forward
(Nov) bid
at $5.45/bu
sell Dec Corn
futures at $5.70/bu
–.25
Nov sell cash Corn
at $5.05/bu
buy Dec Corn
futures at $5.20/bu
–.15
change $.40/bu loss $.50/bu gain .10 gain
sell cash Corn at
gain on futures position
net selling price
$5.05/bu
+ $.50/bu
$5.55/bu
Prices Increase Scenario
If the price increases and the basis remains unchanged, you will
still receive $5.45 per bushel for your crop. That is the futures
price ($5.70) less the basis (25 cents under). With futures
hedging, you lock in a selling price and cannot take advantage
of a price increase. The only variable that ultimately affects your
selling price is basis. As shown in the following example, you
will receive a higher than expected price for your corn if the
basis strengthens.
Suppose by mid-November the futures price increased to $5.90
per bushel and the local price for corn is $5.70 per bushel.
Under this scenario, you will receive $5.50 per bushel – 5 cents
more than the May forward contract bid. In reviewing the
table below, you will see the relatively higher price reflects a
strengthening basis and is not the result of a price level increase.
Once you establish a hedge, the futures price level is locked in.
The only variable is basis.
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Cash market Futures market Basis
May cash forward
(Nov) bid
at $5.45/bu
sell Dec Corn
futures at $5.70/bu
–.25
Nov sell cash Corn
at $5.10/bu
buy Dec Corn
futures at $5.37/bu
–.27
change $.35/bu loss $.33/bu gain .02 gain
sell cash Corn at
gain on futures position
net selling price
$5.10/bu
+ $.33/bu
$5.43/bu
As we’ve seen in the preceding examples, the final outcome of
a futures hedge depends on what happens to the basis between
the time a hedge is initiated and offset. In these scenarios, you
benefited from a strengthening basis and received a lower selling
price from a weakening basis.
In regard to other marketing alternatives, you may be asking
yourself how does futures hedging compare? Suppose you had
entered a forward contract instead of hedging? Or maybe you
did nothing – what happens then?
The following table compares your alternatives and illustrates
the potential net return under several different price levels and
changes to the basis.
You can calculate your net sales price under different futures
prices and changes to the basis. Of course, hindsight is always
20/20 but historical records will help you take action and not let
a selling opportunity pass you up.
Alternative 1 shows what your net sales price would be if you did
nothing at all. While you would benefit from a price increase,
you are at risk if the price of corn decreases and at the mercy of
the market.
Alternative 2 shows what your net return would be if you
established a short hedge at $5.70 in May, offsetting the futures
position when you sell your corn in November. As you can see, a
changing basis is the only thing that affects the net sales price.
Alternative 3 shows what your net return would be if you cash
forward contracted in May. Basically, nothing affected your final
sales price, but you could not take advantage of a strengthening
basis or higher prices.
If Dec futures
price in Nov. is:
Mid-Nov.
basis
Alternative 1
Do nothing
(spot cash price)
Alternative 2
Hedge with
futures at $5.70
Alternative 3
Cash forward
contract at $5.45
$5.60 –.25 $5.35 $5.45 $5.45
$5.70 –.25 $5.45 $5.45 $5.45
$5.80 –.25 $5.55 $5.45 $5.45
$5.60 –.15 $5.45 $5.55 $5.45
$5.70 –.15 $5.55 $5.55 $5.45
$5.80 –.15 $5.65 $5.55 $5.45
$5.60 –.35 $5.25 $5.35 $5.45
$5.70 –.35 $5.35 $5.35 $5.45
$5.80 –.35 $5.45 $5.35 $5.45
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
23
QUIZ 4
1. Let’s assume you’re a soybean producer. In July, you
decide to hedge the sale of a portion of your expected
bean crop for delivery in the fall. Currently, November
futures are trading at $12.55 per bushel, and the quoted
basis for harvest delivery today is 25 cents under Nov
Soybean futures. According to your historical basis
records, the local basis for harvest is normally 20 cents
under the Nov Soybean futures contract. Fill out the
blanks below:
Cash Futures Basis
forward market market
Jul
____________ ____________ ____________
What price will you receive for your harvest sale if the
actual basis is as you expected?
Sold Nov Expected Expected
futures in July at: basis selling price
____________ ____________ ____________
2. By October, the local elevator price for soybeans has
declined to $11.90 per bushel. You sell your soybeans
for that cash price, and you buy a futures contract at
$12.10 per bushel to off set your hedge. Bring down the
information from the previous table and complete the
remainder of the table below.
Cash Futures market Basis
forward market
Jul
____________ ____________ ____________
Oct
____________ ____________ ____________
Result: ____________ gain/loss ____________ change
cash sale price ____________
gain/loss on
futures position ____________
net sales price ____________
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
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Hedging with futures is a valuable risk management tool if used
at the right time. Hedging allows you to lock in a certain price
level and protects you against adverse price moves. In other
words, you are committed to a specific buying or selling price
and are willing to give up any additional market benefit if prices
move in your favor because you want price protection.
Remember, hedging involves holding opposite positions in
the cash and futures markets. So, as the value of one position
rises, the value of the other position falls. If the value of the
hedger’s cash market position increases, the value of the hedger’s
futures market position decreases and the hedger may receive a
performance bond/margin call.
When buying an option, a hedger is protected against an
unfavorable price change but, at the same time, can take
advantage of a favorable price change. In addition, buying an
option does not require performance bond/margin, so there isn’t
any risk of receiving a performance bond/margin call.
These features allow sellers of ag commodities to establish
floor (minimum) selling prices for protection against falling
markets without giving up the opportunity to profit from rising
markets. Likewise, options allow buyers of ag products to set
ceiling (maximum) buying prices and protect themselves from
price increases. At the same time, they retain the ability to take
advantage of price decreases. The cost of these benefits is the
option premium. The option buyer pays the premium.
Rather than buying an option to protect yourself from an
unfavorable price change, sometimes you may find it attractive
to sell an option. Although selling an option provides only
limited protection against unfavorable market moves and
requires you to post performance bond/margin, it provides
additional income if prices remain stable or move in a favorable
direction. The option seller collects the premium.
What Is an Option?
An option is simply the right, but not the obligation, to buy or
sell something at a specific predetermined price (strike price) at
any time within a specified time period. A commodity option,
also known as an option on a futures contract, contains the right
to buy or sell a specific futures contract.
There are two distinct types of options: call options and put
options. Call options contain the right to buy the underlying
futures contract and put options contain the right to sell the
underlying futures contract. Note: Call and put options are not
the opposite of each other, nor are they offsetting positions.
Call and put options are completely separate and different
contracts. Every call option has a buyer and seller and every put
option has a buyer and seller. Buyers of calls or puts are buying
(holding) the rights contained in the specific option. Sellers of
calls or put options are selling (granting) the rights contained in
the specific option.
Option buyers pay a price for the rights contained in the option.
The option price is known as premium*. An option buyer
has limited loss potential (premium paid) and unlimited gain
potential. The premium is paid initially when the option is
bought. Since the option buyer has rights, but not obligations,
the option buyer does not have performance bond/margin
requirements. Option buyers can exercise (use) their rights at
any time prior to the option expiration.
Option sellers collect the premium for their obligations to fulfill
the rights. An option seller has limited gain potential (premium
received) and unlimited loss potential, due to the obligations
of the position. Since the option seller has obligations to the
marketplace, option sellers have performance bond/margin
requirements to ensure contract performance.
CHAPTER 4 THE BASICS OF AG OPTIONS
* More details on premium will be covered later in this chapter.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
25
Option sellers are obligated to fulfill the rights contained in
an option if and when the option buyer chooses to exercise
the rights. Since there can be many option buyers and sellers
of identical options, there is a random selection of the option
sellers to determine which option seller will be exercised on.
Although option sellers cannot initiate the exercise process,
they can offset their short option position by buying an identical
option at any time prior to the close of the last trading day.
Exercise Position Table
Call option Put option
Option buyer Pays premium;
right to buy
Pays premium;
right to sell
Option seller Collects premium;
obligation to sell
Collects premium;
obligation to buy
Underlying Commodity
Traditional commodity options are called standard options.
Standard options have the same contract month name as the
underlying futures contract. Exercising a standard option will
result in a futures position in the same contract month as the
option at the specified strike price.
Exercising a $12.00 Nov Soybean call option will result in the:
call option buyer receiving a long (buy) position in Nov Soybean
futures at $12.00; the call option seller receiving a short (sell)
position in Nov Soybean futures at $12.00.
Exercising a $6.50 Jun Corn put option will result in the put
option buyer receiving a short (sell) position in Jul Corn futures
at $6.50; the put option seller being assigned to a long (buy)
position in Jul Corn futures at $6.50.
When Do Option Rights Expire?
The last trading day and the expiration of standard and serial
options occur in the month prior to their contract month
name (e.g., Mar Oat options expire in February and Oct Wheat
serial options expire in September). The last trading day and
expiration of a weekly option is a given Friday that is not also the
last trading day in a standard or serial option.
The last trading day is the last day that an option can be bought
or sold. The last trading day of an option is the Friday preceding
the first position day of the contract month. Therefore, a general
rule of thumb is the option’s last trading day will usually be the third
or fourth Friday in the month prior to the option contract month.
Option expiration occurs at 7:00 p.m. on the last trading day.
How Are Options Traded?
CME Group option contracts are traded in much the same
manner as their underlying futures contracts. All buying and
selling occurs through competitive bids and offers made via
the CME Globex electronic trading platform. There are several
important facts to remember when trading options:
• At any given time, there is simultaneous trading in a number
of different call and put options – different in terms of
commodities, contract months and strike prices.
• Strike prices are listed in predetermined intervals (multiples)
for each commodity. Since strike price intervals may change
in response to market conditions, CME Group/CBOT Rules
and Regulations should be checked for current contract
information.
• When an option is first listed, strike prices include an at- or
near-the-money option, and strikes above and strikes
below the at-the-money strike. This applies to both puts and
calls. As market conditions change additional strike prices are
listed, offering you a variety of strikes to choose from.
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Option Pricing
At this point in your study of options, you may be asking yourself
some very important questions: How are option premiums
arrived at on a day-to-day basis? Will you have to pay 10 cents for
a particular option? Or will it cost 30 cents? And if you bought
an option and want to sell it prior to expiration, how much will
you be able to get for it?
The short answer to these questions is that premium is
determined by basic supply and demand fundamentals. In an
open-auction market, buyers want to pay the lowest possible
price for an option and sellers want to earn the highest possible
premium. There are some basic variables that ultimately affect
the price of an option as they relate to supply and demand, and
they will be covered in the next section.
CORN, WHEAT, CHICAGO SRW/KC HRW OATS
Standard months Serial months
March January
May February
July April
September June
December August
October
November
RICE
Standard months Serial months
January February
March April
May June
July August
September October
November December
SOYBEAN OIL AND MEAL
Standard months Serial months
January February
March April
May June
July November
August
September
October
December
SOYBEANS
Standard months Serial months
January February
March April
May June
July October
August December
September
November
• An important difference between futures and options is
trading in futures contracts is based on prices, while trading
in options is based on premiums. To illustrate, someone
wanting to buy a Dec Corn futures contract might
bid $6.50 per bushel. But a person wanting to buy an option
on Dec Corn futures might bid 25 cents for a $6.60 call
option or 40 cents for a $6.40 call option. These bids –
25 cents and 40 cents – are the premiums that a call option
buyer pays a call option seller for the right to buy a Dec
Corn futures contract at $6.60 and $6.40, respectively.
• The premium is the only element of the option contract
negotiated through the trading process; all other contract
terms are standardized.
• For an option buyer, the premium represents the maximum
cost or amount that can be lost, since the option buyer is
limited only to the initial investment. In contrast, the
premium represents the maximum gain for an option seller.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
27
Intrinsic Value
It can be said that option premiums consist of two components:
1. Intrinsic value
2. Time value
An option’s premium at any given time is the total of its
intrinsic value and its time value. The total premium is the only
number you will see or hear quoted. However, it is important to
understand the factors that affect time value and intrinsic value,
as well as their relative impact on the total premium.
Intrinsic value + Time value = Premium
Intrinsic Value – This is the amount of money that could
be currently realized by exercising an option with a given
strike price. An option’s intrinsic value is determined by the
relationship of the option strike price to the underlying futures
price. An option has intrinsic value if it is currently profitable to
exercise the option.
A call option has intrinsic value if its strike price is below the
futures price. For example, if a Soybean call option has a strike
price of $12.00 and the underlying futures price is $12.50, the
call option will have an intrinsic value of 50 cents. A put option
has intrinsic value if its strike price is above the futures price.
For example, if a Corn put option has a strike price of $5.60 and
the underlying futures price is $5.30, the put option will have an
intrinsic value of 30 cents.
Determining Intrinsic Value
Calls: Strike price < Underlying futures price
Puts: Strike price > Underlying futures price
Option Classification
At any point in the life of an option, puts and calls are classified
based on their intrinsic value. The same option can be classified
differently throughout the life of the option.
In-the-Money – In trading jargon, an option, whether a call
or a put, that has intrinsic value (i.e., currently worthwhile
to exercise) is said to be in-the-money by the amount of its
intrinsic value. At expiration, the value of a given option will
be whatever amount, if any, that the option is in-the-money. A
call option is in-the-money when the strike price is below the
underlying futures price. A put option is in-the-money when the
strike price is greater than the underlying futures price.
Out-of-the-Money – A call option is said to be out-of-the-money
if the option strike price is currently above the underlying
futures price. A put option is out-of-the-money if the strike price
is below the underlying futures price. Out-of-the-money options
have no intrinsic value.
At-the-Money – If a call or put option strike price and the
underlying futures price are the same, or approximately the
same, the option is at-the-money. At-the-money options have
no intrinsic value.
Determining Option Classifications
INTHEMONEY
Call option: Futures price > Strike price
Put option: Futures price < Strike price
OUTOFTHEMONEY
Call option: Futures price < Strike price
Put option: Futures price > Strike price
ATTHEMONEY
Call option: Futures price = Strike price
Put option: Futures price = Strike price
To repeat, an option’s value at expiration will be equal to its
intrinsic value – the amount by which it is in-the-money. This is
true for both puts and calls.
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Calculating an Option’s Intrinsic Value
Mathematically speaking, it is relatively easy to calculate an
option’s intrinsic value at any point in the life of an option. The
math function is basic subtraction. The two factors involved
in the calculation are the option’s strike price and the current
underlying futures price.
For call options, intrinsic value is calculated by subtracting the
call strike price from the underlying futures price.
• If the difference is a positive number (i.e., the call strike price
is less than the underlying futures price), there is intrinsic value.
• Example: 52 Dec Soybean Oil call when Dec Soybean Oil
futures is trading at 53 cents ($.53 – $.52 strike price =
$.01 of intrinsic value).
• If the difference is 0 (i.e., call strike price is equal to the
underlying futures price), then that call option has no
intrinsic value.
• Example: 52 Dec Soybean Oil call when Dec Soybean Oil
futures is trading at 52 cents ($.52 – $.52 strike price = 0
intrinsic value).
• If the difference is a negative number (i.e., call strike price is
greater than the underlying futures price), then the call
option currently has no intrinsic value.
• Example: 52 Dec Soybean Oil call when Dec Soybean
Oil futures is trading at 50 cents ($.50 – $.52 strike
price = 0 intrinsic value).
Note: Intrinsic value can only be a positive number (i.e., an
option can’t have negative intrinsic value). Therefore, you can
say the call option in this example is out-of-the-money by
2 cents, but you shouldn’t say that it has a negative 2 cents
intrinsic value.
For put options, intrinsic value is calculated by subtracting the
underlying futures price from the put strike price.
• If the difference is a positive number (i.e., the put strike price
is greater than the underlying futures price), there is intrinsic
value.
• Example: $6.50 Mar Wheat put when Mar Wheat
futures is trading at $6.20 ($6.50 strike price – $6.20)
= $.30 of intrinsic value).
• If the difference is 0 (i.e., put strike price is equal to the
underlying futures price), then that put option has no
intrinsic value.
• Example: $6.50 Mar Wheat put when Mar Wheat futures
is trading at $6.50 ($6.50 strike price – $6.50 = 0
intrinsic value).
• If the difference is a negative number (i.e., put strike price
is less than the underlying futures price), then the put option
currently has no intrinsic value.
• Example: $6.50 Mar Wheat put when Mar Wheat
futures is trading at $6.75. ($6.50 strike price – $6.75
= 0 intrinsic value) Note: Intrinsic value can only be a
positive number (i.e., an option can’t have negative
intrinsic value). Therefore, you can say the put option in
this example is out-of-the-money by 25 cents but you
shouldn’t say that it has a negative 25 cents intrinsic value.
At the expiration of a call or put option, the option’s premium
consists entirely of intrinsic value – the amount that it is in-the-
money.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
29
Time Value
If an option doesn’t have intrinsic value (either it’s at-the-money
or out-of-the-money), that option’s premium would be all time
value. Time value is the difference between the total premium
and the intrinsic value.
Total premium
– Intrinsic value
Time value
Although the mathematics of calculating time value is relatively
easy when you know the total premium and the intrinsic value, it
is not quite as easy to understand the factors that affect time value.
Time value, sometimes called extrinsic value, reflects the
amount of money buyers are willing to pay in expectation that
an option will be worth exercising at or before expiration.
Here’s a quick quiz to check your understanding of what the
intrinsic value will be for a given option. If you have fewer
than six correct answers, it would be a good idea to review
the preceding discussion.
1. A Nov Soybean call has a strike price of $11.50.
The underlying November futures price is $12.00.
The intrinsic value is _________.
2. A Jul Corn call has a strike price of $5.50.
The underlying July futures price is $5.50.
The intrinsic value is _________.
3. A Sep Wheat call has a strike price of $6.00.
The underlying September futures price is $6.50.
The intrinsic value is _________.
4. A Mar Soybean call has a strike price of $13.50.
The underlying March futures price is $12.89.
The intrinsic value is _________.
5. An Aug Soybean meal put has a strike price of $320.
The underlying August futures price is $340.
The intrinsic value is _________.
6. A Dec Wheat put has a strike price of $6.60.
The underlying December futures price is $6.20.
The intrinsic value is _________.
7. A May Corn put has a strike price of $5.80.
The underlying May futures price is $5.55.
The intrinsic value is _________.
8. A Sep Soybean put has a strike price of $12.20.
The underlying September futures price is $12.77.
The intrinsic value is _________.
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
QUIZ 5
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One of the factors that affects time value reflects the amount of
time remaining until the option expires. For example, let’s say
that on a particular day in mid-May the Nov Soybean futures
price is quoted at $12.30. Calls with a strike price of $12.50 on
Nov Soybean futures are trading at a price of 12 cents per bushel.
The option is out of the money and therefore, has no intrinsic
value. Even so, the call option has a premium of 12 cents (i.e.,
the option’s time value or its extrinsic value) and a buyer may be
willing to pay 12 cents for the option.
Why? Because the option still has five months to go before it
expires in October, and, during that time, you hope that the
underlying futures price will rise above the $12.50 strike price.
If it were to climb above $12.62 (strike price of $12.50 + $.12
premium), the holder of the option would realize a profit.
At this point in the discussion, it should be apparent why at
expiration an option’s premium will consist only of intrinsic value.
Such an option would no longer have time value – for the simple
reason that there is no longer time remaining.
Let’s go back to the out-of-the-money call, which, five months
prior to expiration, commanded a premium of 12 cents per
bushel. The next question is why 12 cents? Why not 10 cents?
Or 30 cents? In other words, what are the factors that influence
an option’s time value? While interest rates and the relationship
between the underlying futures price and the option strike price
affect time value, the two primary factors affecting time value are:
1. The length of time remaining until expiration.
2. The volatility of the underlying futures price.
Length of Time Remaining Until Expiration
All else remaining equal, the more time an option has until
expiration, the higher its premium. Time value is usually
expressed in the number of days until expiration. This is because
it has more time to increase in value (to employ an analogy, it’s
safer to say it will rain within the next five days than to say it will
rain within the next two days). Again, assuming all else remains
Time Value
Months to Expiration
98765432
10
the same, an option’s time value will decline (erode) as the
option approaches expiration. This is why options are sometimes
described as “decaying assets.” As the previous chart shows, an
option at expiration will have zero time value (its only value, if
any, will be its intrinsic value).
Also note that the rate of decay increases as you approach
expiration. In other words, as the option approaches expiration,
the option buyer loses a larger amount of time value each day.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
31
Therefore, hedgers, who buy options, may want to consider
offsetting their long option position prior to the heavy time value
decay and replace it with another risk management position in
the cash, futures or option market.
Volatility of the Underlying Futures Price
All else remaining the same, option premiums are generally
higher during periods when the underlying futures prices are
volatile. There is more price risk involved with market volatility
and therefore a greater need for price protection. The cost of
the price insurance associated with options is greater, and thus
the premiums will be higher. Given that an option may increase
in value when futures prices are more volatile, buyers will be
willing to pay more for the option. And, because an option is
more likely to become worthwhile to exercise when prices are
volatile, sellers require higher premiums.
Thus, an option with 90 days to expiration might command
a higher premium in a volatile market than an option with
120 days to expiration in a stable market.
Other Factors Affecting Time Value
Option premiums also are influenced by the relationship
between the underlying futures price and the option strike
price. All else being equal (such as volatility and length of time
to expiration), an at-the-money option will have more time
value than an out-of-the-money option. For example, assume
a Soybean Oil futures price is 54 cents per pound. A call with
a 54-cent strike price (an at-the-money call) will command a
higher premium than an otherwise identical call with a 56-cent
strike price. Buyers, for instance, might be willing to pay 2 cents
for the at-the-money call, but only 1.5 cents for the out-of-the-
money call. The reason is that the at-the-money call stands a
much better chance of eventually moving in-the-money.
An at-the-money option is also likely to have more time value
than an option that is substantially in-the-money (referred to as
a deep in-the-money option). One of the attractions of trading
options is “leverage” – the ability to control relatively large
resources with a relatively small investment. An option will not
trade for less than its intrinsic value, so when an option is in-
the-money, buyers generally will have to pay over and above its
intrinsic value for the option rights. A deep in-the-money option
requires a greater investment and compromises the leverage
associated with the option. Therefore, the time value of the
option erodes as the option becomes deeper in-the-money.
Generally, for a given time to expiration, the greater an option’s
intrinsic value, the less time value it is likely to have. At some
point, a deep in-the-money option may have no time value –
even though there is still time remaining until expiration.
Another factor influencing time value is interest rates. Although
the effect is minimal, it is important to realize that as interest
rates increase, time value decreases. The opposite is also true –
as interest rates decrease, time value increases.
Option Pricing Summary
In the final analysis, the three most important things you need
to know about option premium determination are:
1. Premiums are determined by supply and demand, through
competition between option buyers and sellers.
2. At expiration, an option will have only intrinsic value (the
amount that can be realized by exercising the option). If
an option has no intrinsic value at expiration, it will expire
worthless. At expiration, an option has zero time value.
3. Prior to expiration, an option’s premium will consist of its
intrinsic value (if any) plus its time value (if any). If an option
has no intrinsic value, its premium prior to expiration will be
entirely time value.
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Here’s a quick quiz to check your understanding of time
value. If you have fewer than six correct, it would be a good
idea to review the previous discussion on time value.
1. A $5.70 Dec Corn call is selling for a premium of 35
cents. At the time, Dec Corn futures are
trading at $6.00.
The time value is_________________.
2. A $12.80 Nov Soybean put is selling for a premium of 3
cents. Nov Soybean futures are trading at $12.77.
The time value is_________________.
3. A Wheat call has a strike price of $6.70.
At expiration, the underlying futures price is $6.80.
The time value is_________________.
4. Jul Corn futures are trading at $6.00. A $5.50 July
corn call is trading at a premium of 60 cents.
The time value is_________________.
5. Sep Soybean futures are trading at $12.20. A $12.50 Sep
Soybean put is trading at a premium of 38 cents.
The time value is_________________.
6. The time value of an option is typically greatest when an
option is _________-the-money.
7. All else being equal, an option with 60 days
remaining until expiration has more or less time
value than an option with 30 days remaining until
expiration?________________.
8. If market volatility increases, the time value portion of
the option generally_____________.
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
QUIZ 6
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
33
Option Pricing Models
As you become more familiar with option trading, you will
discover there are computerized option pricing models that take
into consideration the pricing factors we have discussed here
and calculate “theoretical” option premiums. These theoretical
option values may or may not match what an option actually
trades for. So, regardless of what a computer pricing model
may say, the final price of an option is discovered through the
exchange’s trading platforms.
These computer programs also determine how much risk a
particular option position carries. This information is used by
professional option traders to limit their risk exposure. Some
of the different option variables used to measure risk are delta,
gamma, theta and vega.
Delta – The option variable you may hear discussed most often
is delta and is used to measure the risk associated with a futures
position. Delta measures how much an option premium changes
given a unit change in the underlying futures price.
Gamma – This variable measures how fast an option’s delta
changes as the underlying futures price changes. Gamma can
be used as a gauge to measure the risk associated with an option
position much the same way as delta is used to indicate the risk
associated with a futures position.
Theta – The option pricing variable, theta, measures the rate at
which an option’s time value decreases over time. Professional
option traders use theta when selling options to gauge profit
potential or when buying options to measure their exposure to
time decay.
Vega – The option variable that measures market volatility, or
the riskiness of the market.
As a novice to options trading, it is good to be aware of these
terms, but more than likely you won’t use them. Typically, these
pricing variables are used by professional option traders and
commercial firms.
What Can Happen to an Option Position
Earlier in the chapter, we went over several examples in which
the intrinsic value of the option was determined based on
whether or not an option was exercised. Hopefully, this gave you
a better understanding of how to determine the intrinsic value
of an option. But, in reality, there are three different ways of
exiting an option position:
• Offset
• Exercise
• Expiration
The most common method of exit is by offset.
Offsetting Options
Options that have value are usually offset before expiration. This
is accomplished by purchasing a put or call identical to the put
or call you originally sold or by selling a put or call identical to
the one you originally bought.
For example, assume you need protection against rising wheat
prices. At the time, Jul Wheat futures are trading at $6.75 a
bushel and the $6.70 Jul Wheat call is trading for 12 cents a
bushel ($.05 intrinsic value + $.07 time value). You purchase
the Jul Wheat call. Later, July wheat moves to $7.00 and the
$6.70 Jul Wheat call option is trading for a premium of 33 cents
a bushel ($.30 intrinsic value + $.03 time value). You exit the
option position by selling back the $6.70 call for its current
premium of 33 cents.
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The difference between the option purchase price and sale price
is 21 cents a bushel ($.33 premium received when sold – $.12
premium paid when bought), which can be used to reduce the
cost of wheat you are planning to buy.
Offsetting an option before expiration is the only way you’ll
recover any remaining time value. Offsetting also prevents the
risk of being assigned a futures position (exercised against) if
you originally sold an option.
Your net profit or loss, after a commission is deducted, is the
difference between the premium paid to buy (or received to sell)
the option and the premium you receive (or pay) when you offset
the option. Market participants face the risk there may not be an
active market at the time they choose to offset, especially if the
option is deep out-of-the-money or the expiration date is near.
Exercising Options
Only the option buyer can exercise an option and can do so at
any time during the life of the option, regardless of whether it
is a put or a call. When an option position is exercised, both the
buyer and the seller of the option are assigned a futures position.
Here is how it works. The option buyer first notifies their broker
that they want to exercise an option. The broker then submits an
exercise notice to the clearing house. An exercise notice must be
submitted to the clearing house by 6:00 p.m. CT on any business
day so that the exercise process can be carried out that night.
Once the clearing house receives an exercise notice, it creates
a new futures position at the strike price for the option buyer.
At the same time, it assigns an opposite futures position at the
strike price to a randomly selected clearing member who sold
the same option. See the chart below. The entire procedure is
completed before trading opens the following business day.
Futures Positions After Option Exercise
Call option Put option
Buyer assumes Long futures
position
Short futures
position
Seller assumes Short futures
position
Long futures
position
The option buyer would exercise only if an option is in-the-money.
Otherwise, the option buyer would experience a market loss. For
example, suppose you are holding a $6.50 Corn put option and
the Corn futures market reaches $7.00. By exercising your $6.50
Corn put option you would be assigned a short futures position
at $6.50. To offset the position you would end up buying Corn
futures at $7.00, thus experiencing a 50-cent loss
($6.50 – $7.00 = –$.50).
Because option buyers exercise options when an option is
in-the-money, the opposite futures position acquired by the
option seller upon exercise will have a built-in loss. But this does
not necessarily mean the option seller will incur a net loss. The
premium the seller received for writing the option may be greater
than the loss in the futures position acquired through exercise.
For example, assume an option seller receives a premium of
25 cents a bushel for writing a Soybean call option with a strike
price of $11.50. When the underlying futures price climbs to
$11.65, the call is exercised. The call seller will thus acquire a
short futures position at the strike price of $11.50. Since the
current futures price is $11.65, there will be a 15-cent per bushel
loss in the futures position. But, because that’s less than the
25 cents received for writing the option, the option seller still
has a 10-cent per bushel net profit. This profit can be locked in
by liquidating the short futures position through the purchase of
an offsetting futures contract.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
35
On the other hand, suppose the futures price at the time the
option was exercised had been $11.85 per bushel. In this case,
the 35-cent loss on the short futures position acquired through
exercise would exceed the 25-cent premium received for writing
the call. The option seller would have a 10-cent per bushel net
loss. And, had the futures price been higher, the net loss would
have been greater.
The only alternative an option seller has to avoid exercise is to
offset their short option position by buying an identical option
prior to being assigned an exercise notice by the clearing house.
Once the notice of exercise has been assigned, the alternative of
purchasing an offsetting option is no longer available. The only
alternative at this point will be to liquidate the futures position
acquired through exercise by offsetting the assigned futures
contract.
If, for some reason, you are holding an in-the-money option
at expiration, the clearing house will automatically exercise
the option unless you give notice to the clearing house before
expiration.
Letting an Option Expire
The only other choice you have to exit an option position is to let
the option expire – simply do nothing, anticipating the option
will have no value at expiration (expire worthless). In fact, the
right to hold the option up until the final day for exercising is
one of the features that makes options attractive to many. So,
if the change in price you’ve anticipated doesn’t occur, or if the
price initially moves in the opposite direction, you have the
assurance that the most an option buyer can lose is the premium
paid for the option. On the other hand, option sellers have the
advantage of keeping the entire premium they earned provided
the option doesn’t move in-the-money by expiration.
Note: As an option trader, especially as an option buyer, you
should not lose track of your option value, even if it is out-of-the-
money (without intrinsic value) because you still may be able to
recover any remaining time value through offset.
Even hedgers who use options for price protection may offset
their long option position sooner than originally expected. The
time value recovered through offset lowers the expected cost of
risk management. In this situation, the hedger will usually take
another position in the cash, futures or option markets to ensure
they still have price protection for the time period they want.
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1. The buyer of an option can:
(a) sell the option
(b) exercise the option
(c) allow the option to expire
(d) all of the above
2. Upon exercise, the seller of a call:
(a) acquires a long futures position
(b) acquires a short futures position
(c) acquires a put
(d) must pay the option premium
3. Funds must be deposited to a margin account by:
(a) the option seller
(b) the option buyer
(c) both the option buyer and the seller
(d) neither the option buyer nor the seller
4. Premiums for options are:
(a) specified in the option agreement
(b) arrived at through competition between buyers and
sellers
(c) determined at the time an option is offset
5. The components of option premiums are:
(a) intrinsic value, if any
(b) time value, if any
(c) the sum of (a) and (b)
(d) the strike price and brokerage commission
6. What two factors have the greatest influence on an
option’s premium?
(a) the length of time remaining until expiration and
volatility
(b) time and interest rates
(c) interest rates and volatility
7. Assume you pay a premium of 27 cents per bushel for a
Soybean call with a strike price of $12.00. At the time, the
futures price is $12.25. What is the option’s time value?
(a) 2 cents/bu
(b) 25 cents/bu
(c) 27 cents/bu
8. Assume the same facts as in question 7 except at
expiration the futures price is $11.50. What is the
option’s intrinsic value?
(a) 50 cents/bu
(b) 20 cents/bu
(c) 0
9. If you pay a premium of 10 cents per bushel for a Corn
put option with a strike price of $6.60, what’s the most
you can lose?
(a) 10 cents/bu
(b) $6.60/bu
(c) your potential loss is unlimited
10. If you sell (write) a call option and receive a premium of
30 cents per bushel, what’s the most you can lose?
(a) 30 cents/bu
(b) the initial margin deposit
(c) your potential loss is unlimited
11. Assume you pay a premium of 30 cents per bushel for a
wheat call with a strike price of $6.00 and the futures
price at expiration is $6.50. How much is the option in
the money?
(a) 30 cents/bu
(b) 50 cents/bu
(c) 20 cents/bu
(d) 80 cents/bu
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
QUIZ 7
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
37
CHAPTER 5 OPTION HEDGING STRATEGIES
FOR BUYING COMMODITIES
Introduction to Risk Management Strategies
The primary purpose of Chapters 5 and 6 is to familiarize you
with the many different ways in which options on agricultural
futures can be used to achieve specific objectives. Upon
completion of this section of the guide, you should be able to:
• Recognize situations in which options can be utilized
• Determine the most appropriate option strategy to
accomplish a particular goal
• Calculate the dollars and cents outcome of any given strategy
• Compare options with alternative methods of pricing and risk
management such as futures hedging and forward contracting
• Explain the risks that may be involved in any particular
strategy
The strategies that are covered in Chapters 5 and 6 include:
Strategies for Commodity Buyers (Chapter 5)
1. Buy futures for protection against rising prices
2. Buy calls for protection against rising prices and
opportunity if prices decline
3. Sell puts to lower your purchase price in a stable market
4. Buy a call and sell a put to establish a purchase price range
5. Cash purchase without risk management
Strategies for Commodity Sellers (Chapter 6)
1. Sell futures for protection against falling prices
2. Buy puts for protection against falling prices and
opportunity if prices rally
3. Sell calls to increase your selling price in a stable market
4. Buy a put and sell a call to establish a selling price range
5. Cash sale without risk management
If you could describe options in one word, the word would be
versatile. The better you understand options, the more versatile
they become. You start to recognize opportunities for using
options that otherwise may not have occurred to you. And, of
course, the better you understand options, the more skillful you
become in using them.
The key to using options successfully is your ability to match an
appropriate strategy to a particular objective at a given time –
like choosing the right “tool” to do a given job. Naturally, no
individual is likely to use all possible option strategies for the
simple reason that no individual is likely to have a need for every
possible strategy. However, the pages that follow will suggest
several situations in which the knowledge you have acquired
about options will give you a significant advantage over those
who are not familiar with the many benefits they offer.
As we indicated, the attractiveness of options lies in their
versatility:
• They can be used for protection against declining prices or
against rising prices
• They can be used to achieve short-term objectives or long-
term objectives
• They can be used conservatively or aggressively
The strategy discussions in this section are intended to serve
a dual purpose. The first is to demonstrate the versatility of
options and help you achieve a higher level of familiarity with
the mechanics of option trading. The second is to provide a
“reference guide” to option strategies so that, as opportunities
become available for using options, you can readily refer to the
specific strategy or strategies that may be appropriate.
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A suggestion: Rather than attempt, at the outset, to become a
“master of every strategy,” glance initially at the first paragraph
of each strategy discussion, which describes the situation and
objective for using the strategy. Then focus your attention on
those strategies that seem most pertinent to your business and
that correspond most closely to your objectives. You may want
to come back to the others later to increase your knowledge of
the many ways in which options can be used. You will note that
every strategy discussion and illustration is followed by a brief
quiz relating specifically to that strategy. This can serve as a
useful test of your understanding.
Why Buy or Sell Options?
There are so many things you can do with options that the
reasons for buying or selling them are as diversified as the
marketplace itself.
In the case of purchasing options, hedgers typically buy them
to achieve price protection. If you are worried prices will rise
before you have a chance to purchase the physical commodity,
you would buy a call option. Call options allow you to establish a
ceiling price for a commodity you are planning to purchase. On
the other hand, if you are worried prices will fall before you have
a chance to sell your physical product or crop, you would buy a
put option. Puts allow you to establish a minimum (floor) selling
price.
In both cases, you’re not locked in at the ceiling or floor price as
you are with futures or forward contracting. If the market moves
in a favorable direction after purchasing an option, you can
abandon the option and take advantage of current prices. That
is different than a futures hedge, which locks in a specific price.
However, the cost of the option is deducted from (or added to)
the final sale (or purchase) price.
Selling options is a little different. The reason people sell options
can be stated in just a few words: to earn the option premium.
This applies to both the writing of calls and of puts. Whether
to write a call or a put depends largely on one’s cash market
position or price outlook.
Generally, call options are written by those who do not expect
a substantial price increase. They may even be bearish in their
price expectations. In any case, they hope the underlying futures
price will not rise to a level that will cause the option to be
exercised. If an option expires without being exercised, the
option seller earns the full option premium.
Puts, on the other hand, are generally sold by those who do not
expect a substantial decrease in price. They may even have a
bullish outlook. They hope the underlying futures price will not
fall to a level that will cause the option to be exercised. If the put
expires without being exercised, the option seller earns the full
option premium.
Instead of waiting, crossing your fingers in the hope an option
will not be exercised, an option seller can always offset the
option position before it expires. Under this scenario, the option
seller would earn the price difference between the sale price and
purchase price.
Which Option to Buy or Sell
A common denominator of all option strategies is the need to
decide specifically which option to buy or sell: an option with
a short time remaining until expiration or with a long time
remaining until expiration? An option that is currently out-
of-the-money, at-the-money or in-the-money? As you learned
earlier, option premiums reflect both the time value remaining
until expiration and the option strike price relation to the
current underlying quoted futures price. It follows that different
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
39
options, therefore, have different risk-reward characteristics.
Generally, the decision as to which option contract month to
buy or sell will be dictated by the time frame of your objective.
For example, if it is summer and your objective is to achieve
protection against declining soybean prices between now
and harvest, you would likely want to purchase a November
put option. On the other hand, if it is winter and you want
protection from a possible corn price decrease during the spring,
you would probably want to purchase a May put option. As
we discussed in the “Option Pricing” section of Chapter 4, the
longer the time until the option expires, the higher the premium
provided all other factors are equal.
When it comes to choosing the option strike price, however,
there is no easy rule of thumb. Your decision may be influenced
by such considerations as: In your judgment, what is likely to
happen to the price of the underlying futures contract? How
much risk are you willing to accept? And (if your objective is
price protection), would you rather pay a smaller premium
for less protection or a larger premium for more protection?
Options, with a wide range of strike prices, provide a wide range
of alternatives.
The following brief examples illustrate how and why.
Example 1
Assume it is late spring and you would like protection against
lower soybean prices at harvest. The November futures price
is currently quoted at $11.50. For a premium of 25 cents, you
may be able to purchase a put option that lets you lock in a
harvest time selling price of $11.50 plus your local basis. Or, for
a premium of 15 cents, you may be able to buy a put that lets you
lock in a harvest time selling price of $11.30 plus the basis. If
prices subsequently decline, the higher-priced option provides
you with more protection; but, if prices rise, the savings on the
cost of the lower-priced option will add another 10 cents (the
difference in the premiums) to your net selling price. In effect,
it is similar to deciding whether to buy an automobile insurance
policy with a small deductible or a larger deductible.
Example 2
Assume you decide to purchase a Corn call option for protection
against a possible spring price increase. If the May futures price
is currently $5.70 and you pay 8 cents for an out-of-the-money
call with a $5.80 strike price, you will be protected from any
price increase above $5.88 (strike price + premium). But, if you
pay a premium of 15 cents for an at-the-money call with a strike
price of $5.70, you will be protected from any price increase
above $5.85 (strike price + premium). The out-of-the-money
option, however, is cheaper than the at-the-money option – your
out-of-pocket expense is the 8-cent premium (rather than the
15-cent premium) if prices decline rather than increase.
Example 3
In anticipation that wheat prices will remain steady or decrease
slightly over the next four months, you decide to sell a call
option to earn the option premium. If you are strongly bearish
about the price outlook, you might want to earn a premium of
17 cents by writing an at-the-money $6.40 call. But, if you are
only mildly bearish or neutral about the price outlook, you might
wish to write an out-of-the-money $6.50 call at a premium of
13 cents. Although the premium income is less, the out-of-the-
money call gives you a 10-cent “cushion” against the chance
of rising prices. That is, you would still retain the full 13-cent
premium if, at expiration, the futures price had risen to $6.50.
In each of these illustrations – and, indeed, in every option
strategy – the choice is yours. The important thing is to be aware
of the choices and how they affect the risks and rewards.
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The Buyer of Commodities
Commodity buyers are responsible for the eventual purchase
of physical raw commodities (e.g., corn, soybeans, wheat, oats)
or derivatives of the raw commodities (e.g., soybean meal,
soybean oil, fructose, flour). For example, commodity buyers
can be food processors, feed manufacturers, feedlots, livestock
producers, grain merchandisers or importers. They share a
common risk – rising prices. Additionally, commodity buyers
share a common need – price risk management. The following
strategies illustrate a variety of strategies with varying degrees of
risk management that can be used by commodity buyers.
Strategy #1: Buying Futures
Protection Against Rising Prices
The current time period is mid-summer and you need to
purchase wheat during the first half of November. The Dec
Wheat futures are trading at $6.50 per bushel. Your business
can realize a profit at this price level but may sustain a loss if the
prices rally much higher. To lock in this price, you take a long
position in Dec Wheat futures. Although, you are protected if
the prices move higher, you will not be able to benefit should the
prices move to a lower price.
Based on historical basis records in your area, you expect the
basis to be about 10 cents under the Dec Wheat futures price.
As a buyer of commodities, your purchase price will improve
if the basis weakens and worsen if the basis strengthens. For
example, if the basis turns out to be stronger at 5 cents under,
then your purchase price will be 5 cents higher than expected.
If the basis weakens to 20 cents under, then your purchase price
will be 10 cents lower than expected.
Action
In August you purchase a Dec Wheat futures contract at
$6.50 per bushel.
Expected purchase price =
futures price +/– expected basis
$6.50 – .10 = $6.40/bushel
Results
Assuming basis turns out to be 10 cents under December futures
in November and the Dec Wheat futures move above $6.50 per
bushel, the higher price you pay for the physical wheat will be
offset by a gain in your futures position. If Dec Wheat futures
moves below $6.50 per bushel, you will pay a lower price for
the physical wheat but you will have a loss on your long futures
position. Note the different price scenarios for the November
time period. Regardless, if Dec Wheat futures moves higher
or lower, the effective purchase price will be $6.40 per bushel
provided the basis turns out to be 10 cents under. A change in
the basis will affect the purchase price.
LONG DECEMBER WHEAT FUTURES AT $9.50 PER BUSHEL
If Dec Wheat futures are: Basis Cash price Long futures gain(–)/loss(+) Actual buying price
$6.00 –$.10 $5.90 +$.50 (L) $6.40
$6.25 –$.10 $6.15 +$.25 (L) $6.40
$6.50 –$.10 $6.40 $0 $6.40
$6.75 –$.10 $6.65 –$.25 (G) $6.40
$7.00 –$.10 $6.90 –$.50 (G) $6.40
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
41
Strategy #2: Buying Call Options
Protection Against Higher Prices and Opportunity
if Prices Decline
Assume you are a buyer who needs to establish a wheat purchase
price for November delivery. The time is August and the Dec
Wheat futures price is $6.50 per bushel. At this level, you decide
to use options to protect your flour purchase price and related
profit margins against a significant rise in the price of wheat. By
buying call options you’ll be protected from a price increase yet
retain the downside opportunity should prices fall between now
and November.
The cash market price for wheat in your region is typically about
10 cents below the December futures price during November.
This means the normal basis during late fall is 10 cents under,
and, given the current market conditions, you expect this to
hold true this year. Therefore, if the December futures price
in November is $6.50, the cash price in your suppliers’ buying
region is expected to be about $6.40 per bushel.
Premiums for Dec Wheat call and put options are currently
quoted as follows:
Option strike
price
Call option
premium
Put option
premium
$6.10
$.41 $.01
$6.20 $.33 $.04
$6.30 $.27 $.08
$6.40 $.21 $.12
$6.50 $.15 $.16
$6.60 $.11 $.22
$6.70 $.07 $.28
$6.80 $.03 $.34
$6.90 $.01 $.41
Expected Buying Price
To compare the price risk exposure for different call option
strikes simply use the following formula:
Maximum (ceiling) buying price =
call strike price + premium paid +/– basis
In the current example, the comparison between the $6.40 call
and the $6.50 call would be:
Call + Premium – Basis = Ceiling price
$6.40 + $.21 – $.10 = $6.51
$6.50 + $.15 – $.10 = $6.55
As you can see, greater price protection involves a somewhat
higher cost.
Action
After considering the various option alternatives, you purchase
the $6.50 call for 15 cents, which provides protection above the
current market price level.
Scenario #1: Prices Rise
If prices rise, and assuming the basis remains unchanged at
10 cents under, you will pay a maximum of $6.55 per bushel for
wheat. That is, the option strike price ($6.50) plus the premium
paid for the option (15 cents) less the basis (10 cents under).
Assume the December futures price has risen to $7.50 and your
supplier is offering cash wheat at $7.40 ($7.50 futures price –
$.10 basis).
With the futures price at $7.50, the call option with a strike price of
$6.50 can be sold for at least its intrinsic value of $1.00. Deducting
the 15-cent premium paid for the option gives you a net gain of 85
cents per bushel. The cash market price of $7.40 less the 85-cent
gain gives you an effective buying price of $6.55 per bushel.
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Scenario #2: Prices Decrease
If Dec Wheat futures prices decrease below the $6.50 strike
price, your option will have no intrinsic value but may have some
remaining time value. To receive the remaining time value and
lower the purchase price, you should attempt to offset the option.
Your net wheat flour price will be directly related to the cash price
for wheat plus the premium you initially paid for the option minus
any time value you recover. If the option has no time value, you
can allow the option to expire worthless.
For example, assume the Dec Wheat futures price has decreased
to $6.00 at the time you procure your cash wheat and your
supplier is offering a local price of $5.90 (futures price less the
basis of 10 cents under). You allow the option to expire since it
has no intrinsic or time value. The net price you pay for wheat,
equals $6.05 ($5.90 cash price + $.15 option premium paid).
Whether the market price has gone up or down, the following
formula allows you to calculate the net price for the basic
ingredient (wheat in this scenario) you are buying:
Futures price when you purchase the ingredient
+/– Local basis at the time of your purchase
+ Premium paid for the option
– Premium received when option offset (if any)
= Net purchase price
Results
Note the different price scenarios for the November time period.
Regardless of the price increase in cash wheat, the maximum
purchase price is $6.55 per bushel because of the increasing
profits in the long call option position. As prices decline, the
wheat buyer continues to improve on the effective buying price.
LONG $6.50 DECEMBER WHEAT CALL AT $.15 PER BUSHEL PREMIUM
If Dec Wheat futures are: Basis Cash price Long call gain(–)/loss(+) Effective buying price
$6.00 –$.10 $5.90 +$.15 (L) $6.05
$6.25 –$.10 $6.15 +$.15 (L) $6.30
$6.50 –$.10 $6.40 +$.15 (L) $6.55
$6.75 –$.10 $6.65 –$.10 (G) $6.55
$7.00 –$.10 $6.90 –$.35 (G) $6.55
QUIZ 8
1. Assume you pay a premium of 13 cents per bushel for a
Jan Soybean call with a $12.40 strike price, and the basis
is 20 cents over in December. What is the net price for
soybeans if the Jan Soybean futures price in December
is the price shown in the left-hand column?
January soybean futures Net price
$12.20 $________per bu
$12.80 $________per bu
$13.40 $________per bu
2. Assume you buy a Mar Corn call option with a strike
price of $5.30 at a premium cost of 8 cents a bushel.
Also assume, in February, your corn supplier usually
quotes you a price of 10 cents under March futures.
What would your net price be if the March futures price
in February is the price shown in the left-hand column?
March futures price Net price
$5.80 $________per bu
$5.60 $________per bu
$5.20 $________per bu
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
43
Action
Assume again you are a wheat buyer for a food manufacturer
that needs to establish a price for mid-November delivery. It is
August, the Dec Wheat futures price is $6.50 per bushel, and
you expect wheat prices to trade in a narrow range through the
next several months. Also, assume out-of-the-money Dec Wheat
puts (i.e., strike price of $6.30) are trading at 8 cents a bushel.
The expected basis is 10 cents under December. You decide to
sell December $6.30 puts to reduce the actual price you pay
for cash wheat between now and November. (The December
contract is used because it most closely follows the time you
plan to take delivery of your ingredients.)
To calculate the expected floor purchase price simply use the
following formula:
Minimum (floor) buying price =
put strike price – premium received +/–
expected basis
$6.30 put strike – $.08 premium – $.10 basis = $6.12
With this strategy, the effective purchase price will increase
if the futures price rises above the put strike price. Once that
happens, your protection is limited to the premium received and
you will pay a higher price for wheat in the cash market.
If Dec Wheat
futures are:
− Actual
basis
= Cash
price
+/ – Short put
gain(–)/loss(+)
= Net buying
price
$6.00
−
$.10
=
$5.90
+
$.22 (L)
=
$6.12
$6.25
−
$.10
=
$6.15
−
$.03 (G)
=
$6.12
$6.50
−
$.10
=
$6.40
−
$.08 (G)
=
$6.32
$6.75
−
$.10
=
$6.65
−
$.08 (G)
=
$6.57
$7.00
−
$.10
=
$6.90
−
$.08 (G)
=
$6.82
Strategy #3: Selling Put Options
Lower Your Buying Price in a Stable Market
If you anticipate the market remaining stable, you can lower the
buying price of your ingredients by selling (going “short”) a put
option. By selling a put option as a commodity buyer, you can
lower the purchase price of your ingredients by the amount of
premium received provided the market remains relatively stable.
If the futures market falls below the put’s strike price, you’ll
be able to buy the cash commodity at a lower price than you
originally expected (the cash and futures markets generally
move parallel to each other), but you will lose on the short put.
If the futures market falls below the strike price by more than
the premium collected, your losses on the short put offset the
lower price paid to your supplier. If the futures market rallies,
the only protection you have against the higher cash price is the
premium collected from selling the put. Also, because selling
options involves market obligations, performance bond/margin
funds must be posted with your broker.
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Results
Your effective buying price will depend on the actual futures
price and basis (10 cents under as expected) when you purchase
your cash wheat. In this example, the previous table lists the net
wheat prices as a result of various futures price levels.
As the equation indicates, after adjusting for the basis, premium
received from the sale of the puts reduces the effective purchase
price of wheat. But there are risks when selling options. If prices
fall below the put strike price, there is the possibility you will
be exercised against and assigned a long futures position at any
time during the life of the option position. This would result in
a position loss equal to the difference between the strike price
and the futures market price. This loss offsets the benefit of a
falling cash market, effectively establishing a floor price level. In
contrast, if the market price increases, your upside protection is
limited only to the amount of premium collected.
Strategy #4: Buy a Call and Sell a Put
Establish a Buying Price Range
This long hedging strategy provides you with a buying price
range. Purchasing a call option creates a ceiling price and
selling a put establishes a floor price. The strike prices of the
options determines your price range. You would choose a lower
strike price for the put option (i.e., a floor price) and a higher
strike price for the call option (i.e., a ceiling price). As with all
strategies, the range selected depends on your company’s price
objectives and risk exposure. The premium received from selling
the put allows you to reduce the premium cost of the call. You
effectively lower the ceiling price by selling the put.
Once more, assume you are buying wheat for your firm and
1. If you sell an Oct Soybean Oil put with a strike price of
55 cents for 1 cent per pound and the expected basis is
$.005/lb under October, what is your expected net floor
and ceiling price?
Ceiling price ________________
Floor price ________________
2. What is your gain or loss on the 55-cent Soybean Oil put
option you sold if: (Note: Assume it is close to option
expiration and there is no remaining time value.)
Futures Put Futures
price is: gain/loss price is: gain/loss
$.52 ___________ $.55 ___________
$.53 ___________ $.56 ___________
$.54 ___________ $.57 ___________
3. Using your answers from Question 2, what will be
the effective purchase price for Soybean Oil if: (Note:
Assume the basis is $.01/lb under October and it is close
to option expiration so there is no remaining time value.)
Futures Effective Futures Effective
price is: purchase price price is: purchase price
$.52 $_________ per lb $.55 $_____ per lb
$.53 $_________ per lb $.56 $_____ per lb
$.54 $_________ per lb $.57 $_____ per lb
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
QUIZ 9
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
45
decide to use wheat options to establish a price range for
requirements between August and November. As described in
Strategy #1, Dec Wheat futures are at $6.50 a bushel and the
expected buying basis in November is generally 10 cents under
Dec Wheat futures. The premiums for the Dec Wheat call and
put options (the same as used in Strategies #2 and #3) are:
Strike price Call option
premium
Put option
premium
$6.10 $.41 $.01
$6.20 $.33 $.04
$6.30 $.27 $.08
$6.40 $.21 $.12
$6.50 $.15 $.16
$6.60 $.11 $.22
$6.70 $.07 $.28
$6.80 $.03 $.34
$6.90 $.01 $.41
Minimum (floor) purchase price =
put strike price + call premium paid – put premium received
+/– expected basis
Using these formulas and the various option premiums, you can
calculate different buying ranges based upon the strike prices
chosen. The greater the difference between the call and put
strike prices, the wider the purchase price range. Conversely, a
smaller difference in the strike prices will result in a narrower
purchase price range.
After considering various options, you decide to establish a
buying price range by purchasing a $6.50 call for 15 cents and
selling a $6.30 put for 8 cents. The call option was initially at-
the-money and the put option was initially out-of-the-money.
Results
Regardless of what the futures market does, your net buying
price will be no more than $6.47 ($6.50 call strike + $.15
call premium paid – $.08 put premium received – $.10 basis)
and no less than $6.27 ($6.30 put strike + $.15 call premium
paid – $.08 put premium received – $.10 basis), subject to any
variation in the basis. The price range is 20 cents because this is
the difference between the call and put strike prices.
Looking at the net results based on different futures prices
scenarios in the table below confirms the establishment of a
buying price range.
If Dec Wheat
futures are:
− Actual
basis
= Cash
price
+/ − Long $6.50 call
gain(–)/loss(+)
+/ − Short $6.30 put
gain(–)/loss(+)
= Net
buying
price
$6.00
−
$.10
=
$5.90
+
.15 (L)
+
$.22 (L)
=
$6.27
$6.25
−
$.10
=
$6.15
+
.15 (L)
−
$.03 (G)
=
$6.27
$6.50
−
$.10
=
$6.40
+
.15 (L)
−
$.08 (G)
=
$6.47
$6.75
−
$.10
=
$6.65
−
10 (G)
−
$.08 (G)
=
$6.47
$7.00
−
$.10
=
$6.90
−
.35 (G)
−
$.08 (G)
=
$6.47
*Long call option gain/loss = futures price – call strike price – call premium paid; maximum loss = premium paid
*Short put option gain/loss = futures price – put strike price + put premium received; maximum put profit = premium received
Action
You first need to calculate the “buying price range” that fits your
risk tolerance level. This is done by using the following formulas.
Maximum (ceiling) purchase price =
call strike price + call premium paid – put premium received
+/– expected basis
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1. Assume you are a soybean buyer wanting to establish a
buying price range. This time, you purchased a $12.00
Mar Soybean call for 15 cents and sold a $11.50 Mar
Soybean put for 5 cents. The expected basis is 20 cents
over the Mar Soybean futures price.
What is your buying price range?
Ceiling price________ Floor price_________
2. What is the gain or loss on the $12.00 call option
you purchased if: (Note: Assume it is close to option
expiration and there is no remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Call gain/loss
$11.00 ____________
$11.50 ____________
$12.00 ____________
$12.50 ____________
$13.00 ____________
3. What is the gain or loss on the $11.50 put option you
sold if: (Note: Assume it is close to option expiration
and there is no remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Put gain/loss
$11.00 ____________
$11.50 ____________
$12.00 ____________
$12.50 ____________
$13.00 ____________
4. Using your answers from Questions 2 and 3, what will
be the effective purchase price if: (Note: Assume the
actual basis is $.20/bu over the Mar Soybean futures
price and it is close to option expiration so there is no
remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Effective purchase price
$11.00 $____________ per bu
$11.50 $____________ per bu
$12.00 $____________ per bu
$12.50 $____________ per bu
$13.00 $____________ per bu
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
QUIZ 10
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
47
Comparing Commodity Purchasing
Strategies
A commodity buyer should realize that there isn’t one “perfect”
strategy for all firms or for all market conditions. Different
economic conditions require different purchasing strategies.
Therefore, an astute commodity buyer should become familiar
with all of the available purchasing strategies. They should learn
how to evaluate and compare the strategies, and sometimes
realize that a strategy may need to be revised, even in the middle
of a purchasing cycle, due to changing market conditions.
The purchasing strategies we looked at in this chapter are
some of the more common ones, but by no means, are they to
be considered a complete list of purchasing strategies. Each
firm with their own risk/reward profiles will have to make a
decision – which strategy is the best for their needs.
The following chart compares four purchasing strategies
involving futures or options and one strategy without price
risk management. Each of the strategies has strengths and
weaknesses, which will be discussed in the following paragraphs.
Note: All of the following strategies being compared assume a
basis of 10 cents under the Dec Wheat futures contract. If the
basis turns out to be anything other than 10 cents under the
December contract, the effective purchase price will be different.
A stronger basis would increase the purchase price and a weaker
than expected basis would lower the effective purchase price.
Long Futures
The long futures position is the most basic price risk
management strategy for a commodity buyer. This strategy
allows the commodity buyer to “lock in a price level” in advance
of the actual purchase. It provides protection against the risk of
rising prices but does not allow improvement in the purchase
price should the market decline. This position requires the
payment of a broker’s commission as well as the costs associated
with maintaining a performance bond/margin account. In the
following table, the long futures position fares the best when the
market moves higher (i.e., when the price risk occurs).
Long Call Option
The long call option position provides protection against rising
commodity prices but also allows the buyer to improve on the
purchase price if the market declines. The long call position
“establishes a maximum (ceiling) price level.” The protection
and opportunity of a long call option position comes at a cost –
the call option buyer must pay the option premium at the time
of the purchase. In the table, the long call option provides upside
price protection similar to the long futures position except at a
cost. Unlike the long futures position, the long call option nets
a better purchase price when the market declines. The long call
option does not require performance bond/margin.
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Short Put Option
Although the short put option position is the riskiest of the
strategies that we covered in this publication, it provides the best
purchase price in a stable market, as seen in the table. However,
if the market declines, the put option “establishes a minimum
(floor) purchase price level.” The worse case scenario for this
strategy is if the market rallies because the upside protection is
limited to the premium collected for selling the put. The short
put strategy requires performance bond/margin.
Long Call Option and Short Put Option
By combining the short put position with the long call position,
the commodity buyer establishes a lower ceiling price level
because of the premium received for selling the put. However,
the cost of this benefit is that the short put position limits the
opportunity of lower prices by establishing a floor price level.
Effectively, the commodity buyer “established a purchase price
range” with this strategy. The price range is determined by
the strike prices and therefore can be adjusted (widened or
narrowed) by choosing alternative strike prices. After the long
futures position, this strategy provided the most protection
against rising prices, as noted in the table.
Do Nothing
Doing nothing to manage purchasing price risk is the most
simplistic strategy for a commodity buyer – but also the most
dangerous should the market rally. Doing nothing will yield the
best purchase price as the market declines but “provides zero risk
management” against a rising market, as indicated in the table.
Other Purchasing Strategies
There are many other purchasing strategies available to a
commodity buyer. These strategies may involve futures, options
or cash market positions and each will have their own set of
advantages and disadvantages. As stated earlier in this chapter,
a good commodity buyer should acquaint themselves with all
of their alternatives and understand when a specific strategy
should be employed or revised. Remember, a strategy that
worked effectively for one commodity purchase may not be the
best for your next commodity purchase.
If Dec Wheat
futures are:
Long futures Long call Short put Long call/
short put
Do nothing
$6.00 $6.40 $6.05
$6.12 $6.27 $5.90
$6.25 $6.40 $6.30 $6.12 $6.27 $6.15
$6.50 $6.40 $6.55 $6.32 $6.47 $6.40
$6.75 $6.40 $6.55 $6.57 $6.47 $6.65
$7.00
$6.40 $6.55 $6.82 $6.47 $6.90
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
49
CHAPTER 6 OPTION HEDGING STRATEGIES
FOR SELLING COMMODITIES
The Seller of Commodities
Commodity sellers, similar to commodity buyers, are potential
hedgers because of their need to manage price risk. Commodity
sellers are individuals or firms responsible for the eventual sale
of the physical raw commodities (e.g., wheat, rice, corn) or
derivatives of the raw commodities (e.g., soybean meal, flour).
For example, commodity sellers can be farmers, grain elevators,
grain cooperatives or exporters. Although they have different
functions in the agricultural industry, they share a common
risk – falling prices and a common need to manage that price
risk. The following strategies for commodity sellers provide
different risk management benefits.
Strategy #1: Selling Futures
Protection Against Falling Prices
As a soybean producer, who just completed planting, you are
concerned that prices will decline between spring and harvest.
With Nov Soybean futures currently trading at $11.50 per bushel
and your expected harvest basis of 25 cents under Nov Soybean
futures, the market is at a profitable price level for your farm
operation. To lock in this price level, you take a short position
in Nov Soybean futures. Although you are protected should the
prices move lower than $11.50, this strategy will not allow you
to improve your selling price if the market moves higher.
A short futures position will increase in value to offset a lower
cash selling price as the market declines and it will decrease in
value to offset a higher cash selling price as the market rallies.
Basically, a short future position locks in the same price level
regardless of which direction the market moves.
The only factor that will alter the eventual selling price is a change
in the basis. If the basis turns out to be stronger than the expected
25 cents under, then the effective selling price will be higher. For
example, if the basis turns out to be 18 cents under November at
the time you sell your soybeans, the effective selling price will be
7 cents better than expected. If the basis weakens to 31 cents
under at the time of the cash soybean sale, then the effective
selling price will be 6 cents lower than expected.
Action
In the spring, you sell Nov Soybean futures at $11.50 per bushel.
Expected selling price =
futures price +/– expected basis = $11.50 – .25 = $11.25/bushel
SHORT NOVEMBER SOYBEAN FUTURES AT $11.50 PER BUSHEL
If Nov Soybean
futures are:
+/ − Basis = Cash
price
+/ − Short futures gain(+)/
loss(–)
= Actual selling
price
$10.50
−
$.25
=
$10.25
+
$1.00 (G)
=
$11.25
$11.00
−
$.25
=
$10.75
+
$ .50 (G)
=
$11.25
$11.50
−
$.25
=
$11.25 0
=
$11.25
$12.00
−
$.25
=
$11.75
−
$ .50 (L)
=
$11.25
$12.50
−
$.25
=
$12.25
−
$1.00 (L)
=
$11.25
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Premiums for Nov Soybean put and call options with various
strike prices are presently quoted as follows:
Put option
strike price
Put option
premium
Call option
premium
$11.00 $.10 $.61
$11.20 $.19 $.51
$11.50 $.30 $.31
$11.80 $.49 $.21
$12.00 $.60 $.12
Expected Selling Price
To evaluate the expected minimum (floor) selling price and
compare the price risk exposure from the various put options,
use the following formula:
Minimum (floor) selling price =
put strike – premium paid +/– expected basis
Comparing two of the put options from the previous chart:
$11.80 (strike)
– $.49 (premium paid)
– $.25 (expected basis)
= $11.06 floor selling price
$11.50 (strike)
– $.30 (premium paid)
– $.25 (expected basis)
= $10.95 floor selling price
As you can see, the greater protection comes from the put
option with the higher strike prices and therefore, the greatest
premium.
Results
Assuming the Nov Soybean futures drop below $11.50 at harvest
and the basis is 25 cents under, as expected, the lower price
you receive for your cash soybeans would be offset by a gain in
your short futures position. If Nov Soybean futures rally above
$11.50 and the basis is 25 cents under, the higher selling price
you receive for the soybeans will be offset by a loss on the short
futures position.
Note the different price scenarios for the harvest time period
(October) in the previous table. Regardless of the Nov Soybean
futures moving higher or lower, the effective cash selling price
will be $11.25 per bushel if the basis is 25 cents under. Any
change in the basis will alter the effective selling price.
If the basis was stronger (20 cents under) when futures were at
$10.50, the effective selling price would have been $11.30. If the
basis weakened (30 cents under) when futures were at $12.50,
the effective selling price would have been $11.20.
Strategy #2: Buying Put Options
Protection Against Lower Prices and Opportunity
if Prices Rally
As a soybean producer whose crop has just been planted, you
are concerned that there may be a sharp decline in prices by
harvest in October. You would like to have protection against
lower prices without giving up the opportunity to profit if prices
increase. At the present time, the November futures price is
quoted at $11.50 per bushel. The basis in your area during
October is normally 25 cents under the Nov Soybean futures
price. Thus, if the November futures price in October is $11.50,
local buyers are likely to be bidding about $11.25.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
51
Action
You decide to use options to manage your price risk. After
considering the various options available, you buy the $11.50 put
(at-the-money) at a premium of 30 cents a bushel.
Scenario #1: Prices Decline
If prices decline and assuming the basis remains unchanged at
25 cents under, you will receive a minimum $10.95 per bushel
for your crop. That is the option strike price ($11.50) minus the
expected basis (25 cents) less the premium paid for the option
(30 cents).
Assume the November futures price has declined to $10.50,
and local buyers are paying $10.25 (futures price – the basis of
$.25 under).
With the futures price at $10.50, the $11.50 put option can be
sold for at least its intrinsic value of $1.00. Deducting the 30
cents you paid for the option gives you a net gain of 70 cents.
That, added to the total cash market price of $10.25, gives you a
total net return of $10.95 per bushel.
Scenario #2: Prices Increase
If prices increase, you will allow your put option to expire if there
isn’t any time value, because the right to sell at $11.50 when
futures prices are in excess of $11.50 has no intrinsic value. Your
net return will be whatever amount local buyers are paying for the
crop less the premium you initially paid for the option.
Assume the futures price when you sell your crop has increased
to $13.00, and local buyers are paying $12.75 (futures price – the
basis of $.25 under).
You would either allow the option to expire if there isn’t
any time value or offset the put option if there is time value
remaining. If you allow the put option to expire, your net return
will be $12.45 (local cash market price of $12.75 – the $.30
premium paid).
Regardless of whether prices have decreased or increased, there is
an easy way to calculate your net return when you sell your crop:
Futures price when you sell your crop
+/– Local basis at the time you sell
– Premium paid for the option
+ Option value when option offset (if any)
= Net selling price
Results
Note the different price scenarios for the October time period.
Regardless of the price decline in soybeans, the minimum selling
price is $10.95 per bushel because of the increasing profits in
the long put option position. As prices rally, the soybean seller
continues to improve on the effective selling price. In other
words, the soybean seller has protection and opportunity.
LONG $11.50 NOVEMBER SOYBEAN PUT AT $.30 PER BUSHEL PREMIUM
If Nov Soybean
futures are:
+/ − Basis = Cash
price
+/ − Long Put
gain(+)/loss(–)
= Actual selling
price
$10.50
−
$.25
=
$10.25 + .70(G)
=
$10.95
$11.00
−
$.25
=
$10.75 + .20(G)
=
$10.95
$11.50
−
$.25
=
$11.25 − .30(L)
=
$10.95
$12.00
−
$.25
=
$11.75 − .30(L)
=
$11.45
$12.50
−
$.25
=
$12.25 − .30(L)
=
$11.95
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QUIZ 11
1. Assume that you pay a premium of 30 cents a bushel for
a Nov Soybean put option with a $12.50 strike price, and
the basis is expected to be 25 cents under November
futures when you sell your crop in October. What would
your selling price be if the Nov Soybean futures price at
expiration (i.e., no time value) is the price shown in the
left-hand column?
November
futures price Net return
$11.80 $ ______________ per bu
$12.60 $ ______________ per bu
$14.30 $ ______________ per bu
2. Assume you buy a Sep Corn put option with a strike
price of $6.70 at a premium cost of 8 cents a bushel.
Also, assume your local basis is expected to be 10
cents under September futures in August. What would
your selling price be if the September futures price at
expiration is the price shown in the left-hand column?
September
futures price Net return
$6.40 $ ______________ per bu
$6.70 $ ______________ per bu
$7.00 $ ______________ per bu
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
53
Strategy #3: Selling Call Options
Increase Your Selling Price in a Stable Market
If you are expecting a relatively stable market, you can increase
your selling price by selling (going short) a call option. As a
commodity seller, you will increase the effective selling price by
the amount of premium collected when you sell call options.
If the futures market price increases above the call strike price,
you will be able to sell the cash commodity at a better price
but you will begin to lose on the short call option position.
If the market rallies above the call strike price by an amount
greater than the premium collected, the losses on the short call
will outweigh the increased cash selling price. As a result, this
strategy locks in a maximum (ceiling) selling price level.
If the futures market declines below the strike price, the only
protection you have against falling prices is the premium
collected from selling the call option. Note, that by selling
options, you have a market obligation and therefore you will
be required to maintain a performance bond/margin account.
Additionally, as an option seller, you may be exercised on at any
time during the life of the option. As with all risk management
strategies, the effective selling price will be affected by any
change in the expected basis.
Use the following formula to evaluate this strategy. This formula
should also be used to compare this type of strategy using
different strike prices:
Expected maximum (ceiling) selling price
Call option strike price $11.80
+ Premium Received +.21
+/– Expected Basis –.25
$11.76
With this strategy, the effective selling price will decrease if the
futures price falls below the call strike price. Once that happens,
your price protection is limited to the premium collected and
you will receive a lower selling price in the cash market.
Results
Your effective selling price will depend on the futures price
and the actual basis when you sell your cash commodity. In this
example, the following table lists the effective selling prices for a
variety of futures price scenarios.
As the formula indicates, after adjusting for the actual basis, the
premium received from the sale of the call increases the effective
selling price. But note that there are risks associated with selling
options. If prices rally above the call strike price, there is the
possibility that you will be exercised on and assigned a short
futures position at any time during the life of the call option.
As the market rallies, the losses sustained on the short call
position will offset the benefits of a higher cash price, thereby
establishing a ceiling selling price ($11.76). In contrast, if the
market prices decline, your downside price protection is limited
to the amount of premium collected.
Action
Assume you are a soybean producer who is planning to deliver
soybeans in October at harvest and expect the harvest basis
to be 25 cents under the Nov Soybean futures. Nov Soybean
futures are currently trading at $11.50 per bushel and you don’t
expect very much price movement in the months leading up to
harvest. To enhance your effective selling price, you decide to
sell the $11.80 Nov Soybean call option (out-of the-money) for a
premium of 21 cents per bushel.
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Strategy #4: Buy a Put and Sell a Call
Establish a Selling Price Range
This is a short hedging strategy with the net effect of creating
both a floor price and a ceiling price. Let’s assume you are
a soybean farmer and you have just planted your crop. The
November Soybean futures contract is trading at $11.50 per
bushel, and you anticipate the local basis to be 25 cents under
by harvest. You like the idea of having downside price protection
but if there is a market rally between now and fall, you won’t
be able to take advantage of it if you’re short futures. Instead,
you decide to buy a put option. You have downside protection
but are not locked in if prices rise. The only catch is the option
premiums are a little higher than what you’d like to spend. What
you can do to offset some of the option cost is establish a “fence”
or “combination” strategy. With this type of strategy, you buy a
put and offset some of the premium cost by selling an out-of-the-
money call option.
However, this strategy establishes a selling price range where
you can’t benefit from a price rally beyond the call strike price.
The premiums for the Nov Soybean put options and the
Nov Soybean call options are:
Strike price Put option
premium
Call option
premium
$11.00 $.10 $.61
$11.20 $.19 $.51
$11.50 $.30 $.31
$11.80 $.49 $.21
$12.00 $.60 $.12
Action
The first step would be to calculate “the selling price range”
under various option scenarios. This is easily done by using the
following formulas:
Floor price level =
Put strike price – put premium +
call premium +/– expected basis
Ceiling price level =
call strike price – put premium +
call premium +/– expected basis
After considering various alternatives, you decide to buy an at-
the-money $11.50 put for 30 cents and sell an out-of-the-money
$11.80 call for 21 cents. The strategy can be put on for a net
debit of 9 cents per bushel, and the selling price range is well
within your projected production costs plus profit margin.
SHORT $11.80 CALL OPTION FOR $.21 PREMIUM: SCENARIOS
If Nov Soybean
futures are:
+/ − Basis = Cash
price
+/ − Short futures gain(+)/
loss(–)
= Net selling
price
$10.50
−
$.25
=
$10.25
+
$.21 (G)
=
$10.46
$11.00
−
$.25
=
$10.75
+
$.21 (G)
=
$10.96
$11.50
−
$.25
=
$11.25
+
$.21 (G)
=
$11.46
$12.00
−
$.25
=
$11.75
+
$.01 (G)
=
$11.76
$12.50
−
$.25
=
$12.25
–
$.49 (L)
=
$11.76
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
55
Results
As shown in the table above, your net selling price will vary
depending on what the Nov Soybean futures price and the basis
are when you offset your combination put/call (fence) strategy.
What is interesting, is with the long put/short call strategy
the net selling price will be anywhere from $11.16 to $11.46
provided the basis is 25 cents under.
LONG $11.50 PUT AND SHORT $11.80 CALL: SCENARIOS
If Nov Soybean
futures are:
− Actual
basis
= Cash
price
+/ − Long put
gain(+)/loss(–)*
+/ − Short call
gain(+)/loss(–)**
= Net selling
price
$10.50
−
$.25
=
$10.25
+
$.70 (G)
+
$.21 (G)
=
$11.16
$11.00
−
$.25
=
$10.75
+
$.20 (G)
+
$.21 (G)
=
$11.16
$11.50
−
$.25
=
$11.25
–
$.30 (L)
+
$.21 (G)
=
$11.16
$12.00
−
$.25
=
$11.75
–
$.30 (L)
+
$.01 (G)
=
$11.46
$12.50
−
$.25
=
$12.25
–
$.30 (L)
−
$.49 (L)
=
$11.46
* Long put option gain/loss = put strike price – futures price – put premiums; maximum cost (loss) = premium paid
** Short call option gain/loss = call strike price – futures price + call premiums; maximum gain = premium received
QUIZ 12
1. Assume you are a soybean producer wanting to establish
a selling price range. You purchase a $10.00 put for 11
cents and sell a $11.00 call for 12 cents. The expected
basis is 25 cents under Nov Soybean futures.
What is your anticipated selling price range?
Floor price_________ Ceiling price_________
2. What is the gain or loss on the $10.00 put option if:
(Note: Assume it is close to option expiration and there
is no remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Put gain/loss
$9.25 ________
$9.50 ________
$10.75 ________
$11.00 ________
$11.25 ________
cmegroup.com/agriculture
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Comparing Commodity Selling Strategies
A commodity seller doesn’t have one “perfect” strategy that
will fit all market conditions. You need to realize that different
economic conditions require different selling strategies.
Therefore, a smart seller of commodities should become familiar
with all of the available selling strategies. They should learn how
to evaluate and compare the strategies, and sometimes realize
that a strategy may need to be revised due to changing market
conditions.
The commodity selling strategies we looked at in this chapter are
fairly common ones, but by no means, are they to be considered
an all inclusive list of selling strategies. Each individual or
firm, with their own risk/reward profiles, will have to make
the ultimate decision – what strategy is the best for their risk
management needs.
The following table compares four commodity selling strategies
involving futures or options and one strategy not involving price
risk management. Each of the strategies has their own strengths
and weaknesses, which will be discussed in the following
paragraphs.
If Nov Soybean
futures are:
Short futures Long put Short call Long put/
short call
Do nothing
$10.50 $11.25 $10.95 $10.46 $11.16 $10.25
$11.00 $11.25 $10.95 $10.96 $11.16 $10.75
$11.50 $11.25 $10.95 $11.46 $11.16 $11.25
$12.00 $11.25 $11.45 $11.76 $11.46 $11.75
$12.50 $11.25 $11.95 $11.76 $11.46 $12.25
Note: All of the strategies being compared assume a basis of 25 cents under the November futures contract. If the basis turns out to be anything other than 25 cents under the
November futures contract, the effective selling price will be different. A stronger basis would increase the selling price and a weaker than expected basis would lower the effective
selling price.
3. What is the gain or loss on the $11.00 call option if:
(Note: Assume it is close to option expiration so the
option has no remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Call gain/loss
$9.25 ________
$9.50 ________
$10.75 ________
$11.00 ________
$11.25 ________
4. Using your answers from Questions 2 and 3, what
will be the effective selling price for soybeans if:
(Note: Assume the actual basis is $.30/bu under the
Nov Soybean futures price and it is close to option
expiration, so the option has no remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Effective selling price
$9.25 $_________ per bu
$9.50 $_________ per bu
$10.75 $_________ per bu
$11.00 $_________ per bu
$11.25 $_________ per bu
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
57
Short Futures
The short futures position is the most basic price risk
management strategy for a commodity seller. This strategy
allows the commodity seller to “lock in a price level” in advance
of the actual sale. It provides protection against the risk of falling
prices but does not allow improvement in the selling price
should the market rally. This position requires the payment
of a broker’s commission, as well as the costs associated with
maintaining a performance bond/margin account. In the
comparison table, the short futures position fares the best when
the risk occurs as the market moves lower.
Long Put Option
The long put option position provides protection against falling
commodity prices but also allows the seller to improve on
the selling price if the market rallies. The long put position
“establishes a minimum (floor) selling price level.” The
protection and opportunity of a long put option position comes
at a cost – the put option buyer must pay the option premium.
In the comparison chart, the long put option provides upside
price protection similar to the short futures position with the
difference being the cost of the protection – the premium.
Unlike the short futures position, the long put option nets a
better selling price when the market rallies. When buying a put
option, you must pay a brokerage commission but you do not
have a performance bond/margin account to maintain.
Short Call Option
Although the short call option position is the riskiest of the
selling strategies covered in this section, it provides the best
selling price in a stable market, as seen in the comparison table.
However, if the futures market price increases, the short call
option “establishes a maximum (ceiling) selling price level.” The
worse case scenario for this strategy is if the market declines
significantly because the downside protection is limited to the
premium collected for selling the call.
Long Put Option and Short Call Option
By combining the short call position with the long put position,
the commodity seller establishes a higher floor price level
because of the premium received for selling the call. However,
the cost of this benefit is that the short call position limits the
opportunity of higher prices by establishing a ceiling price level.
Effectively, the commodity seller using this strategy “establishes
a selling price range.” The selling price range is determined
by the strike prices and therefore can be adjusted (widened or
narrowed) by choosing alternative strike prices. Next to the
short futures position, this strategy provides the most protection
against falling prices, as noted in the comparison table.
Do Nothing
Doing nothing to manage price risk is the most simplistic
strategy for a commodity seller – but also the most dangerous
should the market decline. Doing nothing will yield the best
selling price as the market rallies but “provides zero price risk
management” against a falling market, as indicated in the
comparison table.
Other Strategies for Selling Commodities
There are many other strategies available to a commodity seller.
These strategies may involve futures, options or cash market
positions and each will have their own set of advantages and
disadvantages. As stated earlier in this chapter, a commodity
seller should be acquainted with all of their alternatives and
understand when a specific strategy should be employed or
revised. Remember, a strategy that worked effectively for one
commodity sale may not be the best for your next commodity
sale. The first four strategies discussed are usually used in
advance of the actual sale of commodities. The next strategy
(#5) can be used after the sale of the commodity.
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Strategy #5: Sell Cash Crop and Buy Calls
Benefit from a Price Increase
Another strategy that can be used by a commodity seller is to
buy a call option after you sell the cash commodity. This strategy
would enhance your effective selling price if the market rallies
after the cash market sale has been completed.
If you’re like most farmers, you’ve probably asked yourself on
more than one occasion this question:
“Should I sell my crop now or store and hope prices go up by spring?”
If you sell at harvest you receive immediate cash for your crop –
money that can be used to pay off loans or reduce interest
expenses. It also eliminates the physical risk of storing crops,
and ensures you won’t get into a situation where an increase in
price still doesn’t cover storage expenses. Therefore, one of the
primary comparisons to consider when deciding to store grain
or purchase a call option is the cost of storage versus the cost
(premium paid) of the call.
Let’s assume you are a corn producer. It is now October and the
March futures price is quoted at $6.30 a bushel. At the time, the
Mar $6.30 Corn call option is trading at 10 cents per bushel.
If the March futures price increases anytime before expiration,
you can sell back the call for its current premium, and your net
profit is the difference between the premium you paid for buying
the March call and the premium received for selling (offsetting)
the March call.
Depending upon the March futures price, the table below shows
your profit or loss if you had bought a March $6.30 call at a
premium of 10 cents. Assume there is no remaining time value
left in the option.
If Mar Corn futures price
in February is:
Long call
net gain or loss
$6.00 .10 loss
$6.10 .10 loss
$6.20 .10 loss
$6.30 .10 loss
$6.40 0
$6.50 .10 gain
$6.60 .20 gain
$6.70 .30 gain
One of the greatest benefits of this strategy is the flexibility
it provides to producers. They don’t have to feel locked in to
a given harvest price or take on additional storage costs with
no guarantee that prices are going up and their grain won’t
suffer some physical damage. Of course, there is a price for
this flexibility – the option premium. And option premiums
will vary, depending on what option strike price you buy. Your
options are open.
Action
You sell your corn at harvest. After reviewing the premiums for
the various call options, you decide to buy one at-the-money
March call option for every 5,000 bushels of corn you sell at the
elevator.
Results
If prices decline, your maximum cost, no matter how steep the
futures price decline, will be 10 cents per bushel – the premium
paid for the call.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
59
1 Assume it is now November, that the Jul Corn futures
price is $6.70, and that call options with various strike
prices are currently being traded at the following
premiums:
Call option Call option
strike price premium
$6.50 $.23
$6.60 $.19
$6.70 $.15
$6.80 $.09
Based on the futures price at expiration and the call you
have purchased, determine the net profit or loss.
If futures Net profit or loss at
price at expiration if you bought
expiration is:
$6.50 call $6.60 call $6.70 call $6.80 call
$6.50 ________ ________ ________ ________
$6.80 ________ ________ ________ ________
$7.10 ________ ________ ________ ________
2. Based on your answers to Question 1, which option
offers the greatest profit potential?
(a) July $6.50 call
(b) July $6.60 call
(c) July $6.70 call
(d) July $6.80 call
QUIZ 13
3. Based on your answers to Question 1, which option
involves the largest possible loss?
(a) July $6.50 call
(b) July $6.60 call
(c) July $6.70 call
(d) July $6.80 call
4. Assume at harvest you sold your corn at $6.60 per
bushel and purchased a $6.80 July call option for
9 cents. What will be the effective selling price if:
(Note: Assume it is close to option expiration so there
is no remaining time value.)
Futures price is: Effective sale price:
$6.50 $_______per bu
$6.80 $_______per bu
$7.10 $_______per bu
See the answer guide at the back of this book.
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Strategy Summary
Flexibility and Diversity
The strategies described up to now have hopefully served two
purposes: to illustrate the diversity of ways in which agricultural
futures and options can be used and to increase your “comfort
level” with the math of futures and options. By no means,
however, have we included – or attempted to include – all of the
possible strategies.
Neither have we fully discussed the “ongoing flexibility” enjoyed
by buyers and sellers of futures and options. The existence of a
continuous two-sided market means that futures and options
initially bought can be quickly sold, and futures and options
initially sold can be quickly liquidated by an offsetting purchase.
This provides the opportunity to rapidly respond to changing
circumstances or objectives.
For example, let’s say you paid 1.4 cents per pound for an at-the-
money Soybean Oil put option with a strike price of 53 cents
and, after several months, the underlying futures price declines
to 48 cents. The put is now trading for 6 cents. By selling back
the option at this price, you have a net return on the option of
4.6 cents ($.06 premium received – $.014 premium paid). This
could be an attractive strategy if, at 48 cents, you feel the price
decline has run its course and prices are likely to rise. Once the
futures price rises above 53 cents the put no longer holds any
intrinsic value.
Options in Combination with Other Positions
As you fine-tune your understanding of options, you may well
discover potentially worthwhile ways to use puts and calls
in combination with hedging or forward contracting, either
simultaneously or at different times.
For instance, assume a local elevator offers what you consider
an especially attractive price for delivery of your crop at harvest.
You sign the forward contract, but you’re a little uneasy about
the delivery clause. If you are unable to make complete delivery
of the agreed upon amount, the elevator charges a penalty for
the undelivered bushels. To protect yourself, you buy enough
call options to cover your delivery requirements. Then, if you are
unable to make complete delivery on the forward contract due
to reduced yields and if the calls increased in value, you could
offset some or all of your penalty charges.
For example, suppose a producer has entered into a forward
contract to deliver 10,000 bushels of corn at $5.20 in November.
December futures are currently trading at $5.40. He
simultaneously buys two Dec $5.60 Corn calls (out-of-the-
money) at 10 cents per bushel. A floor price for the crop has
been established at $5.10 ($5.20 forward contract – $.10
premium paid).
Suppose it was a long, dry, hot summer, and production fell
short of expectations. If these fundamentals caused futures
prices to go beyond $5.70, (i.e., the strike price plus the $.10
paid for the option), the farmer could sell back the calls at a
profit. The producer could then use this money to offset some
of the penalty charges he might incur if he doesn’t meet the
delivery requirements of the forward contract.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
61
Other Option Alternatives
In addition to the standard options on the Grain and Oilseed
futures contracts, CME Group offers an array of shorter term
options that offer flexibility to more precisely tailor your hedging
strategies to a specific time period or around specific events.
Because their time to expiration is shorter than for a standard
option, their premiums are typically lower too.
Serial. Serial options are like standard options, but they are
listed in months where no underlying futures or standard
options are listed. For example, Corn futures are listed in
December, March, May, July and September, as are standard
Corn options. That means that Corn serial options are listed in
January, February, April, June, August, October and November.
Serial options normally trade for approximately 90 days and can
be used for short term hedging, or to extend a hedge from one
month to another. The underlying futures for a serial option is
the first contract following the serial option month.
Short-Dated New Crop Options. Short-Dated New Crop
options provide a shorter term alternative for trading new crop
corn, soybeans and wheat. These options reference the new
crop month, but expire earlier than the traditional (standard)
new crop options. With their reduced time values and earlier
expirations compared to standard new crop options, they allow
you to manage risk during key events (such as USDA reports)
or specific windows of the growing season, at lower premiums.
Learn more at www.cmegroup.com/sdnc.
Weekly Grain Options. Weekly Grain options are very short
duration options – up to 28 days – on the benchmark grain
and oilseed futures: Corn, Wheat, Soybeans, Soybean Meal
and Soybean Oil. With an expiration occurring every Friday
that is not an expiration of either a standard or serial option,
Weekly Grain options allow management of event driven
exposure and targeted trading around specific time periods for a
relatively lower premium. Learn more at www.cmegroup.com/
weeklyags.
Calendar Spread Options. Calendar Spread Options (CSOs)
are options on the price differential between two delivery
months of the same futures contract. Featuring smaller strike
price intervals than standard options, CSOs allow more precise
hedging of calendar spread risk in Corn, Wheat, Soybeans,
Soybean Oil and Soybean Meal futures. Since CSOs are
sensitive only to the value and volatility of the spread itself,
rather than the underlying commodity, they offer more efficient
protection against adverse movements in calendar spreads while
providing access to favorable spread changes. Learn more at
www.cmegroup.com/gso.
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62
Additional Risks of the Grain Hedger
This guide focused on how participants in the grain and oilseed
markets can manage the price risks associated with buying and
selling. There are many other risks that a grain operation is
exposed to, and the same concepts of managing grain risk can also
be applied to other price risks that these operations may face.
Nearly every grain business consumes energy, which could have a
major impact on a firm’s bottom line. At times, the energy markets
may be quite volatile. Regardless of the types of energy consumed-
-gasoline, natural gas, heating oil, diesel fuel, crude oil or others--
CME Group has a variety of Energy futures and options products
available to help manage these risks.
Depending on the size of the grain related business, the financial
portfolio or the ability to borrow to fund operations may be at risk
to changing interest rates. Whether the hedger has short or long
term interest rate exposure, the CME Group financial products,
such as Eurodollars and U.S. Treasury futures and options, can
help minimize the risks of fluctuating interest rates.
If a business is buying or selling grains and oilseeds outside their
own borders, fluctuating foreign currency values (i.e., FX risk)
may also have an impact on the firm’s bottom line. CME Group
FX products can help manage these market exposures, including
Mexican Peso, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Japanese Yen,
Chinese Renminbi, Euro Currency, Australian Dollar and
many others.
A commodity broker or advisor will be able to advise grain hedgers
on structuring strategies to address the various risks they face.
Transaction Costs
Trading futures and options involves various transaction costs,
such as brokerage commissions and possible interest charges
related to performance bond/margin money. The strategies in
this book do not include transaction fees. However, in reality,
these costs should be included when evaluating futures and
options strategies as they will effectively lower the commodity
selling price or increase the commodity buying price. Check with
your commodity broker for more information on commodity
transaction costs.
Tax Treatment
With all futures and options strategies, you may want to check with
your tax accountant regarding reporting requirements. The tax
treatment may vary depending on the type of strategy implemented,
the amount of time you hold the position, and whether the position
is considered a hedge or speculative strategy.
Finding a Broker
Establish a relationship with a broker who is knowledgeable about
agricultural futures, options, and price risk management. A broker
can answer questions you will inevitably have, keep you posted on
new developments, and alert you to specific opportunities that may
be worth your consideration. For a list of brokers that execute trades
in CME Group products, visit www.cmegroup.com/findabroker.
Summary
If you feel you have a working understanding of the material covered
in this course – or even a major portion of it – consider yourself far
better informed than all but a small percentage of your competitors.
And, with the ever-increasing emphasis on marketing skills, it is an
advantage that can open the door to new profit opportunities. This
does not mean, however, that you should rush immediately to the
phone to begin placing orders to buy or sell futures or options.
Review and, from time to time, review again – the portions of this
course having to do with market nomenclature and mechanics.
Eventually, it will become second nature to you to calculate the
possible outcomes of any given strategy and to compare that strategy
with alternative price risk management strategies.
Seek additional information. Whenever available, send for copies
of booklets and other publications on options from such sources
as futures exchanges, brokerage firms, and extension-marketing
specialists. Watch for opportunities to attend worthwhile seminars on
futures and options.
Granted, honing your options skills will require an investment of
time and effort, but there is a good chance it may be one of the best
investments you will ever make. Besides, by completing this self-study
guide, you have already begun to make an investment!
CONCLUSION: OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
63
CME GROUP AGRICULTURAL MARKETS
Prices of these primary products are subject to factors that are difficult or impossible to control, such as weather, disease and
political decisions. In addition, there are also short-term fixed-supply products offered in a context of growing worldwide demand
and global economic expansion. As such, CME Group Agricultural markets serve commodity producers and users seeking price
risk management and pricing tools, alongside funds and other traders looking to capitalize on the extraordinary opportunities these
markets offer.
CME Group offers the widest range of agricultural markets in the world, with trading available on the following products:
Grains and Oilseeds
Commodity Indexes
Dairy Products
Livestock
Forest Products
Soft Commodities
In addition, CME Group offers central counterparty clearing services for over-the-counter (OTC) Agricultural products submitted for
clearing through CME ClearPort. Learn more at cmegroup.com/agswaps.
For more information, visit cmegroup.com/agriculture.
cmegroup.com/agriculture
64
GLOSSARY
extrinsic value – Same as time value.
futures contract – A standardized contract traded on a futures
exchange for the delivery of a specified commodity at a future
time. The contract specifies the item to be delivered and the
terms and conditions of delivery.
futures price – The price of a futures contract determined by
open competition between buyers and sellers on the trading
floor of a commodity exchange or through the exchange’s
electronic trading platform.
hedge – The buying or selling of futures contracts and/or
options contracts for protection against the possibility of a price
change in the physical commodity.
holder – Same as option buyer.
in-the-money option – An option that has intrinsic value, i.e.,
when a call strike price is below the current underlying futures
price or when a put strike price is above the current underlying
futures price.
intrinsic value – The dollar amount that would be realized if
the option were to be exercised immediately. See in-the-money
option.
liquidation – A purchase or sale that offsets an existing position.
This may be done by selling a futures or option that was
previously purchased or by buying back a futures or option that
was previously sold.
long – A position established by purchasing a futures contract or
an options contract (either a call or a put).
long hedge – Buying a futures contract(s) and/or using an
option contract(s) to protect the price of a physical commodity
one is planning to buy.
margin – See performance bond/margin.
at-the-money option – An option whose strike price is equal
or approximately equal to the current market price of the
underlying futures contract.
basis – The difference between the local cash price of a
commodity and the price of a related futures contract, i.e., cash
price – futures price = basis.
bearish – A market view that anticipates lower prices.
break-even point – The futures price at which a given option
strategy is neither profitable nor unprofitable. For long call option
strategies, it is the strike price plus the premium. For long put
option strategies, it is the strike price minus the premium.
bullish – A market view that anticipates higher prices.
call option – An option that gives the option buyer the right
to purchase (go “long”) the underlying futures contract at the
strike price on or before the expiration date.
CFTC – Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
closing transaction – See liquidation.
commission – Fees paid to the broker for execution of an order.
exercise – The action taken by the holder (buyer) of a call if he
wishes to purchase the underlying futures contract or by the
holder (buyer) of a put if he wishes to sell the underlying futures
contract.
exercise price – Same as strike price.
expiration date – The last date on which the option may be
exercised. Although options expire on a specified date during
the calendar month prior to the contract month, an option on a
November futures contract is referred to as a November option,
since its exercise would lead to the creation of a November
futures position.
expire – When option rights are no longer valid after the
option’s expiration date.
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
65
margin call – A requirement made by a brokerage firm to a market
participant to deposit additional funds into one’s performance bond/
margin account to bring it up to the required level. The reason for
additional funds can be the result of a losing market position or an
increase in the exchange performance bond/margin requirement.
offset – Taking a futures or option position equal and opposite
to the initial or opening position of an identical futures or option
contract; closes out or liquidates an initial futures or options position.
opening transaction – A purchase or sale that establishes a new
position.
open interest – Total number of futures or options (puts
and calls) contracts traded that have not been closed out or
liquidated an offset on delivery.
option buyer – The purchaser of either a call option or a put
option; also known as the option holder. Option buyers receive the
right, but not the obligation, to enter a futures market position.
option seller – The seller of a call or put option; also known
as the option writer or grantor. An option seller receives the
premium and is subject to a potential market obligation if the
option buyer chooses to exercise the option rights.
out-of-the-money option – A put or call option that currently
has zero intrinsic value. That is, a call whose strike price is above
the current futures price or a put whose strike price is below the
current futures price.
performance bond/margin – In commodities, an amount of
money deposited to ensure fulfillment of a futures contract at
a future date. Option buyers do not post margin – also called
performance bond – since their risk is limited to the option
premium, which is paid in cash when the option is purchased.
Option sellers are required to post performance bond/margin to
ensure fulfillment of the options rights.
premium – The price of a particular option contract determined
by trading between buyers and sellers. The premium is the
maximum amount of potential loss for an option buyer and the
maximum amount of potential gain for an option seller.
put option – An option that gives the option buyer the right
to sell (go “short”) the underlying futures contract at the strike
price on or before the expiration date.
serial option – Short-term option contracts that trade for
approximately 60 days and expire during those months in which
there is not a standard option contract expiring. These options
are listed for trading only on the nearby futures contract, unlike
standard options, which can be listed for nearby and deferred
contract months.
short – The position created by the sale of a futures contract or
option (either a call or a put).
short hedge – Selling a futures contract(s) and/or using options
to protect the price of a physical commodity one is planning to sell.
speculator – A market participant who buys and sells futures
and/or options in hopes of making a profit – adding liquidity to
the market.
standard option – Traditional option contracts trading in those
months which are the same as the underlying futures contract.
Standard option contracts can be listed for nearby and deferred
contract months.
strike price – The price at which the holder of a call (put) may
choose to exercise his right to purchase (sell) the underlying
futures contract.
time value – The amount by which an option’s premium
exceeds the option’s intrinsic value. If an option has zero
intrinsic value, its premium is entirely time value.
transaction cost – Fees charged by brokers including exchange
and clearing fees to buy or sell futures and options contracts.
underlying futures contract – The specific futures contract
that may be bought or sold via the exercise of an option.
writer – See option seller.
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ANSWER GUIDE
Quiz 1
1. (b) Futures contracts are standardized as to quantity,
quality, delivery time and place. Price is the only
variable. In contrast, the terms of a forward contract
are privately negotiated.
2. (a) All futures prices are discovered through competition
between buyers and sellers of a given commodity.
Neither the Exchange nor CME Clearing participates
in the process of price discovery.
3. (e) CME Clearing performs both of these functions. CME
Clearing ensures the integrity of futures and options
contracts traded at the CME Group and clears every
trade made at the CME Group.
4. (b) At the end of each trading session, CME Clearing
determines net gains or losses for each member
firm, and each member firm does the same with its
customers’ accounts.
5. (e) Speculators perform all of these functions.
6. (a) A true hedge involves holding opposite positions in
the cash and futures markets. The other positions are
merely forms of speculation, since they cannot offset
losses in one market with gains in another.
7. (d) Futures margins act as performance bonds that
provide proof of an individual’s financial integrity
and one’s ability to withstand a loss in the event of an
unfavorable price change. They do not involve credit
or down payments, as securities margins do.
8. (f) Being long in a falling market (b) or short in a rising
market (c) would result in a loss and, therefore, could
lead to a margin call. Because situations (a) and (d) are
both profitable, there would not be a margin call.
9. (c) Customer margin requirements are set by each
brokerage firm, while clearing margin requirements
for clearing member firms are set by CME Clearing.
Neither the Federal Reserve Board nor the Commodity
Futures Trading Commission is involved with setting
margins.
10. (a) A customer can withdraw gains as soon as they are
credited to the account, provided they are not required
to cover losses on other futures positions. Accounts
are settled after the markets close, so funds are usually
available by the start of the next business day.
Quiz 2
1. (c) Cash prices and futures prices generally move upward
and downward together but not necessarily by
identical amounts. Even so, the changes are usually
close enough to make hedging possible by taking
opposite positions in the cash and futures markets.
2. (a) Protection against rising prices is accomplished by
taking a long futures position — i.e., by purchasing
futures contracts. Protection against declining prices
can be achieved by selling futures contracts.
3. (a) The farmer is in the same position, in terms of market
exposure, as someone who has purchased and is
storing the crop; benefiting if prices increase and
losing if prices decrease.
4. (c) The basis is the amount by which the local cash price
is below (or above) a particular futures price. The
difference between futures prices for different delivery
months is known as the carrying charge or the spread.
5. (d) Credit yourself a bonus point if your sharp eye caught
this tricky question. The question asks what buying
price you can lock in by selling a futures contract.
Buying prices are locked in by buying futures
contracts.
6. (c) The approximate selling price you can lock in by
selling a futures contract is $5.35, the price of the
futures contract you sold minus the local basis of
15 under ($5.50 – $.15).
7. (a) Transportation costs due to location differences
are one of the components of the basis; thus higher
transportation costs would, all else remaining the
same, weaken the basis.
8. (d) An unhedged long cash market position is a
speculative position — you will realize a gain if prices
increase or a loss if prices decrease.
9. (b) When the basis is relatively weak. For example, assume
you initially hedged by purchasing a wheat futures
contract at $6.50. If, down the road, prices rise and your
supplier is quoting you $7.00 and the futures price is
$6.80 (a basis of $.20 over), your net purchase price
when you lift the hedge is $6.70 ($7.00 supplier’s cash
price – $.30 gain on futures). On the other hand, let’s say
futures prices still increased to $6.80 but your supplier is
quoting you $6.90 (a weaker basis of $.10 over). Under
this scenario your net purchase price is only $6.60 ($6.90
supplier’s cash price – $.30 gain on futures).
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
67
10. (a) If you could predict the basis exactly, you would know
exactly what net price a given hedge would produce.
To the extent basis is subject to fluctuation, there is a
“basis risk.”
11. (a) Provided you like the quoted price for soybean oil,
it would make “sense” to hedge your price risk by
purchasing Soybean Oil futures. According to your
basis records, the quoted February basis of 5 cents
over March futures is historically strong. Since you
would benefit from a weakening basis you could take
advantage of today’s futures prices by hedging, wait for
the basis to weaken, then offset your futures position
by selling Soybean Oil futures and simultaneously
purchase Soybean Oil from one of your suppliers.
12. (b) $6.50 futures price + $.12 expected basis = $6.62
expected purchase price. Of course, if the basis is
stronger than 12 cents over, your actual purchase price
will be higher than expected. And, if the basis is weaker
than 12 cents over, your actual purchase price will be
lower than expected. The important point to remember
is hedging with futures allows you to “lock in” a price
level, but you are still subject to a change in basis.
Quiz 3
1. May Net
futures purchase
price price Explanation
$5.58 $5.70 $5.58 futures price
– .05 basis
$5.53 cash purchase price
+ .17 futures loss (buy $5.75 – sell $5.58)
$5.70 net purchase price
$5.84 $5.70 $5.84 futures price
– .05 basis
$5.79 cash purchase price
– .09 futures gain (buy $5.75 – sell $5.84)
$5.70 net purchase price
$5.92 $5.70 $5.92 futures price
– .05 basis
$5.87 cash purchase price
– .17 futures gain (buy $5.75 – sell $5.92)
$5.70 net purchase price
2. In April, the price of corn from your supplier is $5.87
($5.80 futures + $.07 basis). The gain on the futures
position is 5 cents per bushel ( $5.80 sold futures – $5.75
bought futures), which is used to lower the net purchase
price to $5.82 ($5.87 cash price – $.05 futures gain).
Quiz 4
1. Cash market Futures market Basis
Jul
Elevator price for Sell Soybean –.25
soybeans delivered futures
in Oct. at $12.30/bu at $12.55/bu
Futures Expected Expected
price basis selling price
$12.55/bu – $.20/bu $12.35/bu
2. Cash market Futures market Basis
Jul
Elevator price for Sell Soybean – .25
soybeans delivered futures
in Oct. at $12.30/bu at $12.55/bu
Oct
Elevator price Buy Soybean – .20
for soybeans futures
at $11.90/bu at $12.10/bu
$.45 gain +.05 change
Result:
elevator sale price $11.90/bu
gain on futures position +$.45/bu
net sales price $12.35/bu
If you had not hedged, you would have received only $11.90
per bushel for your crop versus $12.35. By hedging, you
were protected from the drop in prices but also gained 5
cents from an improvement in the basis.
Quiz 5
1. 50 cents 2. 0 3. 50 cents 4. 0
5. 0 6. 40 cents 7. 25 cents 8. 0
Quiz 6
1. 5 cents 2. 0 3. 0 4. 10 cents
5. 8 cents 6. at-the-money 7. more 8. increases
cmegroup.com/agriculture
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Quiz 7
1. (d) The buyer of an option can exercise the option, sell the
option to someone else, or allow the option to expire.
2. (b) Upon exercise, the seller of a call acquires a short
futures position.
3. (a) Only the seller of an option is required to deposit and
maintain funds in a margin account. The option buyer
has no such requirement.
4. (b) Option premiums are arrived at through competition
between buyers and sellers through the exchange’s
electronic trading platform.
5. (c) An option’s premium is the total of its intrinsic value
(if any) plus its time value (if any).
6. (a) An option’s value is influenced most by time and
volatility.
7. (a) With the soybean futures price at $12.25, a $12.00 call
selling for 27 cents would have an intrinsic value of 25
cents and a time value of 2 cents.
8. (c) If the futures price at expiration is $11.50, a call
conveying the right to purchase the futures contract at
$12.00 would be worthless.
9. (a) The most that any option buyer can lose is the
premium paid for the option. Your maximum loss
would thus be 10 cents per bushel.
10. (c) Your potential loss is unlimited because you must
honor the call option if it is exercised.
11. (b) With the underlying wheat futures price at $6.50, a call
with a strike price of $6.00 would be in the money by
50 cents.
Quiz 8
1. January
futures Net
price price Explanation
$12.20 $12.53 $12.20 futures price
+ .20 basis
+ .13 premium
– .00 intrinsic value at expiration
$12.53 net purchase price
$12.80 $12.73 $12.80 futures price
+ .20 basis
+ .13 premium
– .40 intrinsic value at offset
$12.73 net purchase price
$13.40 $12.73 $13.40 futures price
+ .20 basis
+ .13 premium
– 1.00 intrinsic value at offset
$12.73 net purchase price
2. March
futures Net
price price Explanation
$5.80 $5.28 $5.80 futures price
– .10 basis
+ .08 premium
– .50 intrinsic value at offset
$5.28 net purchase price
$5.60 $5.28 $5.60 futures price
– .10 basis
+ .08 premium
– .30 intrinsic value at offset
$5.28 net purchase price
$5.20 $5.18 $5.20 futures price
– .10 basis
+ .08 premium
+ .00 intrinsic value at expiration
$5.18 net purchase price
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
69
Quiz 9
1. There is no ceiling price. By selling a put option you are
protected only to the level of premium received.
Floor price = put strike +/– basis – premium
$.535/lb = $.55 – $.005 – $.01
2. Short put gain/loss = futures price – put strike price +
premium received (maximum gain = premium received)
Futures Put
price is: gain/loss
$.52 $.02 loss $.52 – $.55 + $.01
$.53 $.01 loss $.53 – $.55 + $.01
$.54 $.00 $.54 – $.55 + $.01
$.55 $.01 gain futures price is greater
than put strike price, so
you keep entire premium
$.56 $.01 gain futures price is greater
than put strike price, so
you keep entire premium
$.57 $.01 gain futures price is greater
than put strike price, so
you keep entire premium
3. Purchase price was lower than expected because the basis
weakened to 1 cent under October.
Futures
price is:
–
Actual
basis
=
Cash
price +/–
$.45 Put
gain(+)/
loss(–)
=
Effective
purchase
price
$.52 – $.01 = $.51 + $.02 (L) = $.53
$.53 – $.01 = $.52 + $.02 (L) = $.53
$.54 – $.01 = $.53 $.00 = $.53
$.55 – $.01 = $.54 – $.01 (G) = $.53
$.56 – $.01 = $.55 – $.01 (G) = $.54
$.57 – $.01 = $.56 – $.01 (G) = $.55
Quiz 10
1. The soybean buyer is anticipating a local basis of 20 cents
over the March futures price. Given this information, you
can calculate the ceiling and floor prices.
$11.80 floor price =
$11.50 put strike price + $.15 call premium –
$.05 put premium + $.20 expected basis
$12.30 ceiling price
$12.00 call strike price + $.15 call premium –
$.05 put premium + $.20 expected basis
2. Long call gain/loss = futures price – call strike price –
premium cost; maximum loss = premium paid
Futures Call
price is: gain/loss
$11.00 $.15 loss futures price is lower than call
strike price, so the call has no
value; the maximum cost was the
15-cent premium
$11.50 $.15 loss futures price is lower than call
strike price, so the call has no
value; the maximum cost was the
15-cent premium
$12.00 $.15 loss futures price is at the call strike
price, so the call has 50 cents of
intrinsic value; the out-of pocket
cost was the 15-cent premium
$12.50 $.35 gain futures price is greater than call
strike price, so the call has intrinsic
value; the maximum cost was the
15-cent premium
$13.00 $.85 gain Futures price is greater than call
strike price, so the call has $1.00 of
intrinsic value; the maximum cost
was the 15-cent premium.
3. Short put gain/loss = futures price – put strike price +
premium received; maximum gain = premium received
Futures Put
price is: gain/loss
$11.00 $.45 loss Futures price is less than put strike
price, so the short put position has
a loss of 50 cents minus the 5 cents
of premium initially collected
$11.50 $.05 gain futures price equals put strike
price, so you keep entire premium
$12.00 $.05 gain futures price is higher than put
strike price, so you keep entire
premium
$12.50 $.05 gain futures price is higher than put
strike price, so you keep entire
premium
$13.00 $.05 gain futures price is higher than put
strike price, so you keep entire
premium
cmegroup.com/agriculture
70
4. Since the actual basis was 20 cents over March, as expected, the purchase price range fell within $11.80 to $12.30 regardless of
the futures price.
If March
futures are:
+
Actual
basis
=
Cash
price
+/ –
$12.00 call
gain(–)/loss(+)
+/ –
$11.50 put
gain(–)/loss(+)
=
Effective
purchase price
$11.00
+
$.20
=
$11.20
+
$.15 (L)
+
$.45 (L)
=
$11.80
$11.50
+
$.20
=
$11.70
+
$.15 (L)
–
$.05 (G)
=
$11.80
$12.00
+
$.20
=
$12.20
+
$.15 (L)
–
$.05 (G)
=
$12.30
$12.50
+
$.20
=
$12.70
–
$.35 (G)
–
$.05 (G)
=
$12.30
$13.00
+
$.20
=
$13.20
−
$.85 (G)
−
$.05 (G)
=
$12.30
Quiz 11
1. November
futures Net
price return Explanation
$11.80 $11.95 $11.80 futures price
– .25 basis
– .30 premium
+ .70 intrinsic value of option
$11.95 net return
$12.60 $12.05 $12.60 futures price
– .25 basis
– .30 premium
+ .00 intrinsic value of option
$12.05 net return
$14.30 $13.75 $14.30 futures price
– .25 basis
– .30 premium
+ .00 intrinsic value of option
$13.75 net return
2. September
futures Net
price return Explanation
$6.40 $6.52 $6.40 futures price
– .10 basis
– .08 premium
+ .30 intrinsic value of option
$6.52 net return
$6.70 $6.52 $6.70 futures price
– .10 basis
– .08 premium
+ .00 intrinsic value of option
$6.52 net return
$7.00 $6.82 $7.00 futures price
– .10 basis
– .08 premium
+ .00 intrinsic value of option
$6.82 net return
Self-Study Guide to Hedging with Grain and Oilseed Futures and Options
71
Quiz 12
1. As explained, the soybean producer is anticipating a harvest
basis of 25 cents under the November futures price. Given
this information, you can calculate the floor and ceiling
prices.
Put strike price – put premium + call premium +/– expected
basis = floor price $10.00 – $.11 + $.12 – $.25 = $9.76
Call strike price – put premium + call premium +/–
expected basis = ceiling price $11.00 – $.11 + $.12 – $.25 =
$10.76
2. Long put gain/loss = put strike price – futures price –
premium paid
Note: maximum loss = premium paid
Futures Put
price is: gain/loss
$9.25 $.64 gain $10.00 – $9.25 – $.11
$9.50 $.39 gain $10.00 – $9.50 – $.11
$10.75 $.11 loss futures price is greater
than the put strike price,
so the put has no value;
the maximum expense is
the 11- cent premium
$11.00 $.11 loss futures price is higher
than put strike price, so
the put has no intrinsic
value
$11.25 $.11 loss futures price is higher
than put strike price, so
the put has no intrinsic
value and the maximum
cost is the 11-cent
premium
3. Short call gain/loss = call strike price – futures price +
premium received
Note: maximum gain = premium received
Futures Call
price is: gain/loss
$9.25 $.12 gain futures price is lower
than call strike price, so
the call has no intrinsic
value; you keep the
entire premium
$9.50 $.12 gain futures price is lower
than call strike price, so
the call has no intrinsic
value; you keep the
entire premium
$10.75 $.12 gain futures price is lower
than call strike price, so
the call has no intrinsic
value; you keep the
entire premium
$11.00 $.12 gain futures price equals
the call strike price, so
the call has no intrinsic
value; you keep the
entire premium
$11.25 $.13 loss $11.00 – $11.25 + $.12
4. Since the actual basis was 30 cents under November, 5 cents weaker than expected, the sale price range was 5 cents
lower on both ends.
If Nov soybean
futures are:
−
Actual
basis
=
Cash
price
+/ –
Long $10.00 put
gain(–)/loss(+)
+/ –
Short $11.00 call
gain(–)/loss(+)
=
Effective
sale price
$9.25
−
$.30
=
$8.95
+
$.64 (G)
+
$.12 (G)
=
$9.71
$9.50
−
$.30
=
$9.20
+
$.39 (G)
+
$.12 (G)
=
$9.71
$10.75
−
$.30
=
$10.45
–
$.11 (L)
+
$.12 (G)
=
$10.46
$11.00
−
$.30
=
$10.70
–
$.11 (L)
+
$.12 (G)
=
$10.71
$11.25
−
$.30
=
$10.95
−
$.11 (L)
−
$.13 (L)
=
$10.71
cmegroup.com/agriculture
72
Quiz 13
1. Net profit or loss at expiration
if you bought
If futures price $6.50 $6.60 $6.70 $6.80
at expiration is: call call call call
$6.50 or below loss $.23 loss $.19 loss $.15 loss $.09
$6.80 gain $.07 gain $.01 loss $.05 loss $.09
$7.10 gain $.37 gain $.31 gain $.25 gain $.21
The profit or loss is the option’s intrinsic value (if any) at
expiration less the premium paid for the option.
Thus, if the futures price at expiration is $7.10, the call with
a $6.50 strike price would have a net profit of 37 cents.
$.60 intrinsic value at expiration
– $.23 initial premium
$.37 net profit
2. (a) If prices increase, the call with the lowest strike price
will yield the largest profit. This is why individuals
who are bullish about the price outlook may choose to
buy an in-the-money call.
3. (a) Since the maximum risk in buying an option is limited
to the option premium, the call with the highest
premium involves the greatest risk.
4. Since the actual selling price was established at harvest,
you would just add the gain or loss on the call to the harvest
selling price.
Futures
price is:
Harvest
sale price
+/–
$6.80 call
gain(+)/
loss(–)
= Effective
sale price
$6.50 $6.60 – $.09 (L) = $6.51
$6.80 $6.60 – $.09 (L) = $6.51
$7.10 $6.60 + $.21 (G) = $6.81
Corn, Chicago SRW Wheat, KC HRW Wheat, Soybean, Soybean Oil, Soybean Meal, Oat and Rough Rice futures and options are listed with and subject to the rules and regulations of the CBOT.
References to CME Clearing are to CME’s U.S. Clearinghouse
Futures trading is not suitable for all investors, and involves the risk of loss. Futures are a leveraged investment, and because only a percentage of a contract’s value is required to trade, it is
possible to lose more than the amount of money deposited for a futures position. Therefore, traders should only use funds that they can afford to lose without affecting their lifestyles. And
only a portion of those funds should be devoted to any one trade because they cannot expect to profit on every trade.
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ClearPort, New York Mercantile Exchange and NYMEX are registered trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. The information within this brochure has been compiled by CME
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errors or omissions. Additionally, all examples in this brochure are hypothetical situations, used for explanation purposes only, and should not be considered investment advice or the results
of actual market experience.
All matters pertaining to rules and specifications herein are made subject to and are superseded by official CME, CBOT and NYMEX rules. Current rules should be consulted in all cases
concerning contract specifications.
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