Is it possible to trade forex options?

What Does Option Mean?

A financial derivative that represents a contract sold by one party (option writer) to another party (option holder). The contract offers the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy (call) or sell (put) a security or other financial asset at an agreed-upon price (the strike price) during a certain period of time or on a specific date (excercise date).

Investopedia explains Option

Options are extremely versatile securities that can be used in many different ways. Traders use options to speculate, which is a relatively risky practice, while hedgers use options to reduce the risk of holding an asset.

In terms of speculation, option buyers and writers have conflicting views regarding the outlook on the performance of an underlying security.

For example, because the option writer will need to provide the underlying shares in the event that the stock's market price will exceed the strike, an option writer that sells a call option believes that the underlying stock's price will drop relative to the option's strike price during the life of the option, as that is how he or she will reap maximum profit.

This is exactly the opposite outlook of the option buyer. The buyer believes that the underlying stock will rise, because if this happens, the buyer will be able to acquire the stock for a lower price and then sell it for a profit.

Is it possible to trade forex options?

Yes. Options are available for trading in almost every type of investment that trades in a market. Most investors are familiar with stock or equity options, however options are available to the retail forex currency trader as well.

Currency Option Trading
There are two types of options primarily available to retail forex traders for currency option trading. The first is the traditional call or put option.

The call gives the buyer the right to purchase a currency pair at a given exchange rate at some time in the future. The put option gives the buyer the right to sell a currency pair at a given exchange rate at some time in the future. Both the put and call options give investors a right to buy or sell, but there is obligation. If the current exchange rate puts the options out of the money, then the options will expire worthless.

Alternatively, the other type of option available to retail forex traders for currency option trading is the single payment options trading (SPOT) option. SPOT options have a higher premium cost compared to traditional options, but they are easier to set and execute. A currency trader buys a SPOT option by inputing a desired scenario (ex. "I think EUR/USD will have an exchange rate above 1.5205 15 days from now"), and a premium will be quoted. If the buyer purchases this option, then the SPOT will automatically pay out should the scenario occur. Essentially, the option is automatically converted to cash.

Options are used by forex currency traders to make a profit or protect against a loss. It is also important to note that there is a wide variety of exotic options that can be used by professional forex traders, but most of these contracts are thinly traded because they are only offered over the counter. Because options contracts implement leverage, traders are able to profit from much smaller moves when using an options contract than in a traditional retail forex trade. When combining traditional positions with a forex option, hedging strategies can be used to minimize the risk of loss. Options strategies such as straddles, strangles and spreads are popular methods for limiting the potential of loss in a currency trade. (To learn more on this topic, see Exotic Options: A Getaway From Ordinary Trading.)

Forex Options Online
Not all retail forex brokers provide the opportunity for option trading within your accounts. Retail forex traders should be sure to research the broker they intend on using to determine whether everything that will be required is available. For forex traders who intend to trade forex options online, for either profit or risk management, having a broker that allows you to trade options alongside traditional positions is valuable. Alternatively, traders can open a separate account and buy options through a different broker.

Because of the risk of loss when writing options, most retail forex brokers do not allow traders to sell options contracts without high levels of capital for protection.