Moneyness
Moneyness describes the relationship between an option’s strike and the underlying’s price — in-the-money, at-the-money, or out-of-the-money.
Moneyness tells you how much of an option’s premium is intrinsic versus extrinsic and roughly how stock-like it behaves. Deep ITM options act almost like the shares; deep OTM options are mostly a bet on a large move.
It is a key input to strike selection: more moneyness means more cost and higher delta, less means cheaper premium and lower probability of profit.
Example. With the stock at $100: a 90 call is ITM, a 100 call is ATM, and a 110 call is OTM — three different moneyness levels.
FAQ
What are the three types of moneyness?
In-the-money (positive intrinsic value), at-the-money (strike ≈ spot), and out-of-the-money (no intrinsic value).
How does moneyness affect delta?
Deep in-the-money options have deltas near ±1.00, at-the-money near ±0.50, and far out-of-the-money near 0.