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Why Black–Scholes Misprices Options Away from the Money

Article Quant Q&A · Author: Piyush Divyanakar

Summary

The document describes an attempt to price calls and puts with Black–Scholes using historical volatility. Prices near the underlying stock price appear close to observed prices, while estimates farther away diverge. The author calculates implied volatility across strikes and asks what model could improve estimates away from the money.

A table of put prices, strikes, and open-interest changes provides sample market data, but the document includes no fitted volatility curve, market conditions, expiry details, or comparison of alternative models. It therefore frames a calibration problem rather than supplying a solution. The observed difference suggests that one constant historical volatility may not represent option prices across strikes; the data alone do not establish which pricing model or volatility input would be appropriate.

Key ideas

  • Using historical volatility as a constant Black–Scholes input can produce prices that differ from observed prices away from the underlying price.
  • Implied volatility can be calculated across strikes to examine how market pricing varies.
  • The included put data illustrates the question but does not identify a preferred model.
  • Reliable model comparison would require context such as expiry and market conditions.

Tags

Full text
# Option pricing formula for deep in-the/out-of money options?


# Option pricing formula for deep in-the/out-of money options?












I am learning option pricing and trying to calculate the call and put price using the Black-Scholes Formula. I have calculated the historical volatility to be 0.232. The formula is gives value close to the black scholes near the current stock price but away from the stock price it diverges significantly. Following is the plot of call/put prices and acutal call/put prices for a particular stock I analysed.

I calculated the implied volatility for all the prices. Here the vertical redline is the stock price and the horizontal line is the historical volatility.

My Question. What model should I use to get accurate estimates for prices away form the stock price?

EDIT Attaching the put data.

```
      STRIKE_PR   CLOSE  OPEN_INT  CHG_IN_OI
4961     1380.0    2.00         0          0
4962     1400.0    2.65         0          0
4963     1420.0    3.45         0          0
4964     1440.0    4.45         0          0
4965     1460.0    5.65         0          0
4966     1480.0    7.15         0          0
4967     1500.0    8.90         0          0
4968     1520.0   11.00         0          0
4969     1540.0   13.45         0          0
4970     1560.0   16.30         0          0
4971     1580.0   19.60         0          0
4972     1600.0   23.35         0          0
4973     1620.0   27.65         0          0
4974     1640.0   15.90       800          0
4975     1660.0   12.00      1600          0
4976     1680.0   16.65      6800        800
4977     1700.0   21.75     17200       3600
4978     1720.0   29.85     10800       1200
4979     1740.0   37.70      8400      -1200
4980     1760.0   55.00      4000       1200
4981     1780.0   52.95      5200          0
4982     1800.0   77.00      5600          0
4983     1820.0  100.00       400          0
4984     1840.0  113.85         0          0
4985     1860.0  125.45         0          0
4986     1880.0  137.60         0          0
4987     1900.0  150.35         0          0
4988     1920.0  163.65         0          0
4989     1940.0  177.50         0          0
4990     1960.0  191.80         0          0
4991     1980.0  206.70         0          0
4992     2000.0  221.95         0          0
4993     2020.0  237.55         0          0
4994     2040.0  253.60         0          0
```

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This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.