The Option Expansion Macro (@)
The expansion macro is an @ sign. You can use the macro in place of the
expiration, in place of the strike, or in place of both the expiration and the
strike. All Aspen Systems expects is a symbol root, one or two expansion macros,
and an option type specifier.
You supply a specific option root, like SP, OEX, or HXK. You follow the
symbol root with one or two macros. If you use one macro, Aspen Systems assumes you
are specifying a list of all option strikes in the near month expiration. If
you use two expansion macros, Aspen Systems assumes you want a list of all
option strikes in all expirations. Finally, you include an option type specifier,
C for calls, P for puts, or CP for both calls and puts. The expansion macro
tells Aspen Systems to list all the option symbols that satisfy the syntactical
elements you specify. Let
Listing Options
In the following symbol, the elements are the symbol root (SP), the macro (@),
and the call symbol (C):
SP@C
If you enter this symbol, Aspen Systems returns a list of all the call options
on the S & P 500 Index future.
The expansion macro enables you to list all the options that satisfy
particular elements in an option symbol. The expansion macro enables you to forget
about the particulars of the symbol, like the specific expiration codes and strike
codes. As you begin using macros, try the following examples.
Listing Options of all Expirations
To view all calls and puts from all expiration months, use the following syntax:
To view all S & P calls from all expiration months, enter
SP@@C
where SP is the symbol root, the first @ specifies a list of all expiration
months, the second @ specifies a list of all strikes, and C specifies calls.
Using this same syntax, you can also view calls and puts with the expansion
macro by entering CP after the @. You can only use CP with the expansion macro.
For example, to view all S & P calls and puts from the all expiration months,
you would type SP@@CP and press
Listing Options for a Specific Expiration
To view all calls and puts from a particular out-month, use the following
syntax:
To view all S & P calls for the September expiration, enter
SPU5@C
where SP is the symbol root, U specifies September, 5 specifies 1995, the @
specifies a list of all strikes, and C specifies calls.
Limiting Expansion
If you use large fonts in your quote windows, you may find listing all options
with the expansion macro is not useful because of space constraints. In such
circumstances, you can get around these constraints by using an expansion macro
delimiter. A macro delimiter enables you to specify the length of the listing
produced by the macro. For example, you can limit expansion as follows:
SP@C5
This delimited macro lists the five options closest to the money in the lead
month contract. Basically, this macro says,
You can use strike modifiers with the expansion macro to list the strikes you
want. When used with the expansion macro, a strike modifier enables you to
list options with a particular relationship to the at-the-money strike. The
syntax for the strike modifier is as follows:
As with any symbol, you must supply the symbol root. A modifier is either a
plus sign (+) or a minus sign (-). The plus sign signifies in-the-money while
the minus sign means out-of-the-money. Optionally, you can include a number to
specify the number of strikes in or out of the money, as shown in the following
table:
Modifier
| Meaning
|
+
| in-the-money
|
-
| out-of-the-money
|
+2
| two strikes in-the-money
|
-2
| two strikes out-of-the-money
|
To view all in-the-money calls or puts, use the plus sign (+) when entering the options symbol. Use the following syntax to view in-the-money calls or puts with the in-the-money wildcard.
For example, to view all the S&P in-the-money calls from the near expiration month, you would type SP@+C, where SP is the symbol root, @ specifies the near expiration month, + signifies in-the-money, and C specifies calls. As with the expansion macro, you can view in-the-money calls and puts by entering CP together at the end of the symbol.
The out-of-the-Money Modifier
To view out-of-the-money calls or puts, use the minus sign (-) when entering your options symbol. Use the following syntax for the out-of-the-money wildcard.
For example, to view all out-of-the-money puts from the near expiration month, you would type SP@-P and press
b, where SP is the symbol root, @ specifies the near expiration month, - specifies out-of-the-money, and P specifies puts. As with the expansion macro, you can view out-of-the-money calls and puts by entering CP together at the end of the symbol.
Macro Examples
Macro
| Definition
| Example
|
<symbol>@C
| Displays all calls from the near expiration month.
| SP@C
|
<symbol>@P
| Displays all puts from the near expiration month.
| SP@P
|
<symbol>@CP
| Displays all calls and puts from the near expiration month.
| SP@CP
|
<symbol>@C7
| Displays seven calls from the near expiration month, including the
at-the-money, three in-the-money, and three out-of-the-money.
| SP@C7
|
<symbol>@P7
| Displays seven puts from the near expiration month, including the
at-the-money, three in-the-money, and three out-of-the-money.
| SP@P7
|
<symbol>@-C
| Displays all out-of-the-money calls from the near expiration month.
| SP@-C
|
<symbol>@+P
| Displays all in-the-money puts from the near expiration month.
| SP@+P
|
<symbol>@-CP
| Displays all out-of-the-money calls and puts from the near expiration month.
| SP@-CP
|
<symbol>@@C
| Displays all out-of-the-money calls from all expirations.
| SP@@C
|
<symbol>@@CP
| Displays all calls and puts from all expirations.
| SP@@CP
|