In-the-money is a term used in options trading to describe an options contract that has crossed its strike price. It is contrasted with out-of-the-money options which have not, and at-the-money options, which are very close to the strike price. An in the money option will not expire worthless, as the user will have the right to buy the underlying asset for less than the market price. By contrast, an out of the money option gives the holder the (useless) right to buy an underlying at more than the market price. Options contracts may have any underlying – forex, equities or commodities.
This status of the option, sometimes referred to with the ungainly word ‘moneyness’, is what determines its value. Options prices increase as the underlying approaches the strike price, then stabilise as they move further and further into the money. This is because the chance of a reversal decreases the further in the money it goes. In the money does not have a particular direction, as a put option will be in the money when the asset price is below the strike price, it simply refers to whether the strike price has been exceeded in the direction of the contract.
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