At expiry, your pnl (as evidenced by the well-known option payoff diagram) will be, by definition, S - K - (price you paid for the option), assuming you bought a call. S is spot, K is strike.
Does that make sense?
Does that make sense?
That would be true prior to expiration. For what happens at expiration, read what Martinghoul wrote 4 timesQuote from Nashequilibrium:
If i buy an ATM call, delta is usually at around 50%, therefore price is not moving 1 for 1, so my profit will be everything above the strike price also taking into account delta movement over the period. The net would be then subtracting the option cost.

Quote from Martinghoul:
At expiry, your pnl (as evidenced by the well-known option payoff diagram) will be, by definition, S - K - (price you paid for the option), assuming you bought a call. S is spot, K is strike.
Does that make sense?
Quote from maninjapan:
If the previous explanations dont clear it up for you Im not sure that this will, but here goes anyway.
When you have an option with time remaining the change in your PL will depend on your delta, theta, gamma, vega and Rho. your position is the option. however once your option expires, generally speaking 1 of 2 things happen. if it is out of the money nothing happens, you lose all the premium you paid for for it, game over, try again. BUT if it finishes in the money your option is converted into a position in the underlying. Once this happens the option is nothing. There is no delta, theta, vega, gamma or Rho. Forget it, its finished. The only profit you have is the difference between the strike price and the current price (minus the amount you paid for it). If your P&L is showing something else then either it is wrong or you are reading it wrong. Heres an example.
You buy 1 EUR/USD call for 100 ticks @ 1.4500
EUR/USD is at 1.4700 at expiry. You now are the proud owner of 1 EUR/USD Futures contract. your gross profit is 1.4700-1.4500 = 200 ticks. Now deduct your purchase cost of 100 ticks. You are left with a profit of 100 ticks. Nothing more, nothing less......
Quote from maninjapan:
That is correct. but as you get closer to expiration you will see Time decay eat your profits until it gets to zero, (if it is out of the money) even if it misses by just 1 tick.