Question: How can I use FX options to hedge currency risk? I am borrowing in British Pounds, converting to U.S. to lend - then selling USD to British pounds for payment to the bank. I have a good understanding of options and strategies, but have not applied them to FX before. Would like to know contract specifications (how many ATM calls to purchase to hedge $1M, - margin requirements to create synthetic long positions. Steve's Response: Our FX contracts control 100 * the pair value amount. For example EUR/USD might be 1.35 *100 creating an FX index value of 135.
One contract controls approximately 100 * 135, or $13,500 USD. (Each ISE symbol controls a different notional value)
Considering a 1M USD portfolio, you would need 1,000,000/13,500, or about 74 contracts to hedge USD movement.
If you wanted to hedge with an ATM option with about a 50 delta you might look at the 135 calls/puts ITM calls/puts would offer a lower deductible with higher costs. OTM calls/puts would offer even lower costs relative to ATM and ITM with much higher deductibles associated. Since the product is EUR/USD calls hedge Euro strength, puts hedge Euro weakness. We have contracts that are either USD based or quote, use whichever convention that you are most comfortable with, whether it's the euro or pound relative to the USD.