OptionWitOption Evaluation Board

Vega

Vega measures sensitivity to implied volatility: how much the option's price changes when IV moves by one percentage point. Both calls and puts have positive vega, so a rise in IV lifts them and a fall drags them down, regardless of direction.

Vega is largest for at-the-money options with plenty of time left, and it shrinks toward expiry. It is the Greek behind IV crush: buy an option at inflated pre-earnings IV, and even a correct directional call can lose money when IV collapses and vega does its work in reverse.

Worked number. The default $105 call (stock $100, 45% IV, 30 days) has a vega near $0.110 per point. Raising IV from 45% to 46% lifts the model price from $3.27 to about $3.38, exactly that $0.11.
See it in the calculator → Load this scenario and change any input to watch vega update live.

FAQ

Why did my option lose money when the stock went my way?

Often vega. If you bought at high IV before an event and IV then collapsed, the vega loss can outweigh the delta gain from the stock's move. That is IV crush.

← All glossary terms