Derivatives & Quantitative Finance
Understanding Black-Scholes & Greeks
Key quantitative options pricing, risk management, and derivatives principles:
- The Merton Continuous Dividend Extension: Adjusts spot asset prices by $e^{-qT}$ to account for dividend cash drag before expiration.
- Delta ($Delta$) as Hedge Ratio: Delta indicates the number of shares needed to create a delta-neutral, risk-free hedge. It also approximates the risk-neutral probability of expiring in-the-money.
- Gamma ($Gamma$) Risk: Measures Delta convexity. High Gamma near ATM expiration means market makers must aggressively buy and sell underlying shares to stay delta-neutral.
- Theta ($Theta$) Time Decay: Options are wasting assets. Extrinsic value decays non-linearly, accelerating in the final 30–45 days before expiration.
Evaluate portfolio Value at Risk in the VaR Lab.