What are puts and calls?

Puts and calls are the types of options contracts, and both types have a buyer and a seller. So while most financial markets have only two types of participants — buyers and sellers — the options market has four: call buyers, call sellers, put buyers and put sellers.

What is an example of a call & put?

Applications of Options: Calls and Puts Options: calls and puts are primarily used by investors to hedge against risks in existing investments. It is frequently the case, for example, that an investor who owns stock buys or sells options on the stock to hedge his direct investment in the underlying asset.

What is the difference between a call and a put option?

Calls give the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy the underlying assetat the strike price specified in the option contract. Investors buy calls when they believe the price of the underlying asset will increase and sell calls if they believe it will decrease. 2. Put options