Bermuda Options
Last Updated :
21 Aug, 2024
Blog Author :
Wallstreetmojo Team
Edited by :
Ashish Kumar Srivastav
Reviewed by :
Dheeraj Vaidya
Table Of Contents
What is Bermuda Options?
Bermuda Option refers to those options which can be exercised on fixed dates (which are predetermined in advance) after the completion of the lock-in period. In other words, it gives the holder of the option the right to exercise on a specific set of dates during the life of the option.
Bermuda Option is a blend of the two other popular exotic options, namely the American option and European option, and it got its name from the place Bermuda, which lies between these two places. It is also called the Mid-Atlantic Option. Thus the exercise date for such an option is restricted to certain dates, unlike American options, which can be exercised anytime, or European Option, which can be exercised only on the maturity of the option. Due to these inherent features, these options are usually priced more compared to European Option and Less compared to the American option.
Table of contents
- Bermuda Options are financial derivatives granting the holder the right to buy or sell an underlying asset at predetermined prices within a specified period, including specific exercise dates.
- Unlike European options, Bermuda Options allow exercise at specific intervals, providing greater flexibility to benefit from favorable price movements.
- Bermuda Options are suitable when the underlying asset's value fluctuates, allowing strategic exercise based on market conditions.
- Pricing Bermuda Options is more intricate due to multiple exercise dates, requiring advanced models like the Binomial Model or Monte Carlo simulation to determine their value while considering potential exercise decisions.
Examples of Bermuda Option
ABC limited purchased shares of Reliance Industries Limited @ $1000 per share on 01.01.2019. The company bought 20000 shares, amounting to 20 million dollars. To protect itself from any downside, ABC Limited decided to purchase Bermuda Option with an Exercise Price of $980 with a six-month expiry ending on 30.06.2019 and the option to exercise on the first date of every month for $10 per share option.
Details are as follows:
The option allows ABC Limited multiple benefits, namely:
- It provides downside protection against any price erosion below 980$.
- Provides the opportunity to sell the stock at the exercise price on the first day of every month irrespective of the price of the stock on that date (Mostly option is exercised only when it is in the money, i.e., the price is less than the strike price of $980).
Thus if the price falls below $980, ABC Limited can sell the stock on the pre-specified dates and protect itself from the further downside.
Comparison between Bermuda Option vs. American Option
Particulars | Bermuda Option | American Option |
---|---|---|
Definition | Bermuda Options are those option which can be exercised on specified dates as well as on Expiry period. | American Options can be exercised anytime on or before the Expiry period. |
Customized/Standard | They are customized and bilaterally traded. | American Options are standardized and traded on recognized exchange platforms. |
Premium Cost | They are always less compared to American Options. | Always more than Bermuda Option. |
Exercise Freedom | It can be exercised on expiry or certain specified dates. | It can be exercised anytime on or before expiry. |
Advantages
- They are less expensive compared to American Options and offer better exercising options than European options.
- These options are over the counter traded (OTC) products and offer customized trades compared to standard options which are standard.
- This type of option is mostly used in Interest rate Contracts and Forex Markets.
- These options are a good choice for companies that have to receive payments in foreign currency and have the option to receive it on some prefixed dates. In such cases, the company can be better off by buying a Bermuda Option and paying less premium compared to an American Option.
Disadvantages
- It cannot be exercised at any time like American options and exercisable only on specified dates, which are predetermined.
- These options are expensive compared to European Options, and the buyer is better off opting for European Option if the intention is to exercise only on the expiry of the option.
- It can be exercised only on specific dates, which may not be the best days to exercise the option.
- It offers writers of such options to exercise more control over when the option can be exercised rather than on the option buyer.
- It requires the use of complex option pricing models and can’t be undertaken using the standard Black Scholes Option pricing model.
Important Points to Remember
Bermuda Options acts as a mixture of American and European Options; however, what makes them more relevant and useful is that they provide specific dates on which they can be exercised before expiry and are less costly compared to American Options, which allow exercising any time on or before expiry. Thus if a trader expects movement in the underlying asset over a specified period/dates only due to any external event or event associated with the underlying asset, he/she can generate a better cost-effective return by opting for a Bermuda Option than an American option.
For instance, Traders betting on prices of Crude Oil can opt for Bermuda Option when OPEC (Oil producing and Exporting countries) meet ( which directly impacts the prices of Crude Oil) coincides with the specific dates as that can safeguard the cost rather than opting for an American option, thereby gaining from the hybrid model.
Conclusion
Bermuda Option is mostly Over the Counter Traded options and is often used as a hedging instrument for interest rate contracts and foreign exchange contracts. It offers more flexibility compared to European options. Such options are also used for specific situations or event-specific purposes. The writer of such options makes use of extensive quantitative techniques and sophisticated option Pricing Models to price these complex derivative instruments. These exotic options offer more flexibility compared to a European Option at the expense of additional premium and less exercising opportunities compared to the American option by being less expensive compared to American Options.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A Bermuda option is an option contract that can only be exercised on specific dates, providing more flexibility than European options but less flexibility than American options. At the same time, a Bermuda swaption is an option on an interest rate swap with exercise dates occurring during a specified period, offering the right to enter into an interest rate swap at those specific dates.
Risks associated with Bermuda options include market price volatility, uncertain exercise dates that may result in missed opportunities for exercising the option, and potential timing mismatches between option exercise and market conditions.
The inclusion of a Bermuda option in a portfolio can impact risk by introducing additional sources of uncertainty, potentially increasing both volatility and complexity, which should be carefully considered and managed to align with the investor's risk tolerance and investment objectives.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to Bermuda’s options and its definition. Here we discuss an example and its comparison with the American option along with advantages and disadvantages. You can learn more about financing from the following articles –