Difference Between Swap and Option

An option is the right to buy or sell an asset on a specified date and at a preset price, whereas a swap is an agreement between two individuals or businesses to exchange cash flows from various financial instruments. However, if a call option is exercised, the seller or writer must sell the underlying asset at a specific price. A swap requires both sides to exchange cash flows.

In intraday trading, derivatives come in a variety of forms, including forwards, futures, swap and options. Each derivative type differs from the others and has its unique characteristics in the online trading app. Understanding the distinctions between various derivative contracts is essential since you will be investing a significant amount of cash in derivatives. We shall talk about the difference between swap and option in this article. 

What are the Options?

With the aid of an options contract, you can purchase or sell an asset at any time up to the end of a given term with no commitment. These resources might be money or stock in a corporation. Call option and put option are the two categories of options contracts.

The buyer of a call option has the option, but not the duty, to purchase the underlying asset at the established strike price. In a put option, the buyer is free to sell the underlying asset at the strike price, but they are not required to do so. The cost at which the option is to be purchased or sold has already been decided. The premium is the cost of purchasing the option, and the strike price is the cost at which the option must be exercised.

What are Swaps?

The term "swap" refers to a sort of derivative in which two parties consent to exchange obligations or cash flows. A swap makes sense when one firm wants a variable interest rate while another selects a fixed interest rate to lower risk. 

This is accomplished by a sort of swap known as an interest rate swap, in which businesses exchange interest rate payments. A different kind of swap is a currency swap, which enables the parties to exchange the principle and fixed interest payments for a loan made in one currency for principal and fixed interest payments made in a different currency. Furthermore, you can know about the swap vs option in the below section.

Difference Between Swap and Option

Here are some key differences between swap and option:

Example of Swap and Option  

Instead, let's use a hypothetical situation involving Company X and Company Y to demonstrate the differences between swaps and options. Company X owns a 4% interest rate fixed-rate bond. Company X wants protection because it is worried that rising interest rates will have an adverse effect on the bond's value. However, Company Y, which has a 4% yielding variable-rate bond, is concerned that falling interest rates may have an impact on its profitability because of the floating rate. 

To resolve these issues, a swap is agreed upon by Company X and Company Y. Under the terms of this agreement, Company X will consistently pay Company Y 4% interest, and Company Y will pay Company X variable interest depending on the current market rate, which will likewise be fixed at 4%. Through this exchange, Company X may protect itself from increasing interest rates by converting its fixed-rate bond to a floating-rate bond, and Company Y can protect itself from dropping interest rates by converting its floating-rate bond to a fixed-rate bond.

On the other hand, think of an option as a flexible instrument for trading or hedging asset values. Assume, for instance, that the price of Company A's shares is Rs. 120. In the derivatives market, I may pay Rs. 15 for a call option that has a strike price of Rs. 130 and a one-month expiration date. I can exercise my option to purchase the stock at Rs. 130 and sell it at Rs. 150, making a profit of Rs. 5 after deducting the premium paid if the market price increases from Rs. 120 to Rs.150 on the expiration date. This demonstrates how options provide chances to profit from changes in asset prices.

What is Swaption?

A form of derivative contract known as a swaption allows the holder the choice to engage in an underlying interest rate swap at a later time and under certain conditions. It combines elements of interest rate swaps and options.

A swaption gives the contract's buyer the option, but not the duty, to subsequently enter into a specific interest rate swap. Typically, the underlying interest rate swap entails the trading of fixed and variable interest rate payments over a predetermined time frame.

The swaps and options are the two main parts of the swaption contract itself. The swap component sets the conditions of the underlying interest rate swap, including the notional amount, fixed rate, floating rate index, and duration, whilst the option component gives the buyer the right to execute the swaption.

Risk Associated with Swaps and Options

The risks connected to swaps and options are as follows:

Risks Associated with Swap

• Interest Rate Risk: Swaps are susceptible to fluctuations in interest rates, even though they are frequently employed to manage interest rate risks. One party may experience adverse cash flow exchanges if market interest rates fluctuate in a way that isn't predicted.
• Counterparty Risk: Since swaps are usually private contracts, the other party may sustain financial losses if one party defaults on its responsibilities (such paying cash flow payments).
• Market Risk: When using swaps, cash flows are exchanged depending on the state of the market. The value of the swapped cash flows may not be as beneficial as first thought if the market moves in unanticipated directions.
• Liquidity Risk: Swaps are customised agreements as opposed to options, which are tradable on marketplaces. 

Risks Associated with Options

• Price Fluctuation Risk: Options are extremely susceptible to shifts in the underlying asset's price. The premium paid may be lost if the asset's price changes negatively and the option expires worthless.
• Time Decay Risk: Since options have expiry dates, their value decreases as the date approaches. The option loses value if the expected price change doesn't materialise before it expires.
• Volatility Risk: Variability in the market has an impact on the price of options. Options' values can fluctuate quickly and erratically in an extremely volatile market, which could result in losses.
• Risk of Premium Loss: An option purchase involves the upfront payment of a premium. The premium is lost if the projected price change is not realised.

Conclusion
Options and swaps are both derivatives, although they have different characteristics. So concluding the swap vs option, the options contracts are mostly standardised and exchanged through exchanges with the option of dealing OTC, swaps are traded over-the-counter. Additionally, unlike swaps, which are agreed upon by the two parties involved, options contracts provide the holder the right but not the responsibility to sell the underlying asset. In contrast to option contracts, which need premium payments, swaps do not. Hope the key difference between swap and option was useful. Open demat account and trading account with a reputable stock trading app to start exploring the world of derivatives trading if you want to put your investment to good use.