Options Trading Tutorial

Will shares be called away before options expiration day for covered calls if strike price is exceeded?

Or do the shares only get called away on options expiration day?

Public Comments

1. If the stock goes above the strike price of the option the shares could potentially be called away. However the majority of the time you will not get called out unless it is expiration day.
2. It partly depends upon whether you have European style options or American style options. European style options can only be called away on the option's expiration day while American style options can be called away at any time through expiration, whether in the money or not. Most options on individual stocks are American style options and most options on financial indexes (like RUT and SPX) are European style.
3. it depends on the buyers, but usually called away on the expiration date.
4. All exchange traded options on individual stocks in the United States are American-style options, so the option holder has the right to exercise the call (buy your shares) at any time, regardless of the stock price and the strike price. In practice the only time there is any financial incentive for an option holder to exercise a call option before expiration is when the stock is about to go ex-dividend. If the dividend is greater than the extrinsic value (time value) of the option, the option holder is likely to exercise the option to capture the dividend.