Difference Between Swap and Option | Finschool By 5paisa (2024)

An option is a right to purchase or sell an asset at a specific date and at a predetermined price, whereas a swap is an agreement between two people or companies to exchange cash flows from various financial instruments. However, if a call option is executed, the seller or writer would be required to sell the underlying asset at a certain price. Both sides are required to exchange cash flows in a swap.

Derivatives, or financial instruments whose value depends on the value of an underlying asset, include both options and swaps. Financial risks are hedged through derivatives. An option is a right, not an obligation, to purchase or sell a financial asset at a predetermined price on a specified date, whereas a swap is an agreement between two parties to exchange financial instruments.

Another distinction between swaps and options is that, unlike swap contracts, which only deal in cash flows, options trade securities according to their actual worth.

Swaps and options differ significantly in that a swap is not traded on exchanges. An option can be either an OTC or exchange-traded derivative, but a swap is a customized and privately traded over the counter (OTC) derivative form.

A premium must be paid to purchase an option, but a swap does not require this payment.

The term “swap” refers to a sort of derivative in which two parties’ consent to exchange obligations or cash flows. When one business desires a variable interest rate while another chooses a fixed interest rate to reduce risk, a swap makes sense. This is accomplished using a swap type known as an interest rate swap.

An agreement to exchange financial instruments between two parties is reached through a derivative known as a swap. While any security could be the underlying instrument in a swap, cash flows are often traded. Swaps are financial products available over the counter. While there are other sorts of swaps, some of which are listed below, the most fundamental type is known as a simple vanilla exchange.

Swaps of interest rates

This is a common kind of swap in which the parties trade cash flows based on a notional principal sum (this sum is not really traded) to speculate or protect themselves against interest rate risk.

Commodities swaps

These are utilized for commodities like gold and oil. One commodity will be subject to a fixed rate in this case, whilst the other will be subject to a fluctuating rate. Most commodity swaps will transfer payment streams rather than principal sums.