Options trading

Options trading is a popular trading tool. You can start trading at the leading options exchanges in the world live with our powerful and reliable trading system – very easily and effectively.

With well over 1 million options available, you have an endless wealth of trading combinations to select.

Benefit from our large range of products and our long-term low prices. You can trade options in Europe and the USA from just EUR 1.90 including all the fees at Agora direct.

However, Agora direct customers are not only able to purchase options, but also engage in covered option transactions (writing options).

Prices for options trading

Country	Currency	Currency code	per contract
Germany	Euro	EUR	1,95
USA	U.S. Dollar	USD	3,10
Switzerland	CH-Franken	CHF	3,70
Great Britain	British Poand	GBP	3,33
Belgium	Euro	EUR	2,20
France	Euro	EUR	2,20
Italy	Euro	EUR	2,20
Netherlands	Euro	EUR	2,20
Norway	Norwegian Crown	NOK	23,00
Sweden	Swedish Crown	SEK	0,70% (min.46,00)
Spain	Euro	EUR	2,20
Canada	Canadian Dollar	CAD	3,35
Mexico	Mexican Peso	MXN	75,00
Australia	Australian Dollar	AUD	4.10
Hongkong	Hong Kong Dollar	HKD	35,00
India	Indian Rupee	INR	45,00
Japan	Japanese YEN	JPY	402,50
South Korea	Korean Won	KRW	1,15% (min. 2100)
Singapore in SGD	Singapore Dollars	SGD	8,00
Singapore in USD	U.S. Dollar	USD	3,95

Heavy traders – volume discounts for private and institutional traders

We draw up individually agreed commission rates for regular traders, premium traders or heavy traders and for commercial traders and asset managers. Please get in touch with us contact form.

Strategies for trading options

Taking out a call option

Agora direct provides you with the opportunity to take out both covered and naked options. However, please take note of the enormous differences in risks in the two variants.

Strategic consideration on trading in covered options

The word taker of an option, a term used for the seller of a call option, describes the significant difference from other strategies. Passive, considered behaviour is required here as it involves an action that is fraught with risks.

The goal is to earn reliable additional profits through call options known as "short calls".

Covered options

Covered options are covered by the associated share in each case. The risk is simply restricted to the fluctuations in the price of the shares. The option itself does not entail any risks.

You can request a detailed description of a covered option, which was actually traded, from us as an information leaflet by using our contact form.

Naked options

In case of naked options the risk is practically unlimited and can lead to high losses. Naked options must always be secured by an amount of cash (a covering amount). Extreme or wrongly assessed market movements can lead to a liability to make further contributions.

If you have any questions or require some explanation, please contact us on stock exchange trading days on the following number +44 (0) 1332 895 070 or make use of our contact form.

Information on trading with options

A claim for trading fees exists with each order and on all types of orders
The trading fees shown are final prices, they include all the stock exchange and other outside expenses, if they are not listed separately
No commission is charged for US trading or assignments
Any orders, which are placed through accounts arranged by Agora direct, take into account stock exchange fees in the decision on where the order is routed. In order to avoid or minimise stock exchange fees when trading an option, it is possible in certain circumstances that the tradable order is routed to a stock exchange, which does not currently provide the national best bid or offer (NBBO), but is prepared to trade the order at the NBBO. Using this routing method always means a lower handling fee for the customer. In those cases, where an order is routed to a stock exchange in order to avoid or reduce the stock exchange costs, but which does not currently show the NBBO, the NBBO rate will still be guaranteed to the customer at the time that the order is routed
If volume thresholds have an effect because of high volumes or special agreements, they are set on the basis of the accumulated monthly trading volume into which all the existing option contracts at the time of trading are included. These fees are calculated on the basis of marginal costs for the calendar month in question. For example, if 12,000 US contracts are traded in one month, the fees will be calculated as follows: 10,000 contracts at US$ 2.90 / 2,000 contracts at US$ 2.20
A US regulatory fee for options (“Options Regulatory Fee” or ORF) may be charged by the following stock exchanges: AMEX, BATS, BOX, CBOE, CBOE2, ISE, GEMINI, MIAX, NOM, NASDAQBX, PCX, PHLX and amounts to US$ 0.0404 per contract
US clearing fees may be due for trading procedures, which are settled in the customer account with the OCC. This basically applies to “private customers” and “professional customers”. The fee amounts to US$ 0.041 per contract, but only US$ 46.00 per transaction for 2,000 contracts or more
Amended orders are treated as a cancellation and replacement for an existing order by a new order. At particular stock exchanges, it is possible that the current minimum commission is due for payment for amended orders in the same way as for new orders. If you, for example, place an order for 200 contracts, of which 100 contracts are actually processed, and you then change the order – in return for which the remaining 100 contracts are traded, the minimum fee for both processes of 100 contracts will be due
In the case of combination orders, the minimum fees apply for the individual order elements in each case

Example of calculations in EUR:

You purchase 2 contracts for share options with Linde AG at a purchase price of EUR 6.35
= 2 contracts for share options x 100 individual options = EUR 1,270.00 as the trading amount
= 2 option contracts x EUR 1.90 in commission =
just EUR 3.80 in fees, including everything

Example of calculations in US dollars:

You purchase 2 contracts for index options from the S&P 500 Index at a purchase price of USD 45.50
= 2 contracts for index options x 100 individual options = USD 9,100.00 as the trading amount
= 2 option contracts x USD 2.90 in commission =
just USD 5.80 in fees, including everything

Do you need some information on the transaction fee for a particular product? Then send us an e-mail using our contact form.