Put Call Forward Parity Calculator

Advanced tool for call, put, and forward parity. Inspect discounting, valuation gaps, and implied relationships. Built for clear decisions across pricing scenarios and studies.

Calculator Inputs

Financial Engineering Use Case

Use three known option-parity values, plus rate and time, to solve the remaining field.

Plotly Graph

The line shows theoretical C - P across strike values using the entered forward price and discount factor.

Formula Used

Main forward-based parity:

C - P = DF × (F - K)

Where C is call price, P is put price, F is forward price, K is strike, and DF is the discount factor.

Discount factor options

DF = e^(-rT) for continuous compounding

DF = (1 + r/m)^(-mT) for discrete compounding

Useful rearrangements

C = P + DF × (F - K)

P = C - DF × (F - K)

F = K + (C - P) / DF

K = F - (C - P) / DF

This version is practical for financial engineering checks because it works directly from forward inputs instead of requiring a separate spot-dividend adjustment.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Choose the field you want to solve.
  2. Enter the other known values: call, put, forward, or strike.
  3. Enter the annual risk-free rate and time to maturity.
  4. Pick continuous or discrete compounding.
  5. Press Calculate to view the result above the form.
  6. Review the parity gap, synthetic forward, and implied strike.
  7. Use the CSV or PDF buttons to export the current result summary.

What is Put Call Parity?

Put call parity is a no-arbitrage pricing relationship linking calls, puts, forwards, discounting, and strike value. If market prices break that relationship by more than costs and frictions, a pricing inconsistency exists. Traders, analysts, and financial engineers use it to validate models and detect mispricing.

Example Data Table

Case Call Put Forward Strike Rate % Years Compounding Parity Gap
Solve Call 13.179167 7.400000 108.000000 102.000000 5.00 0.75 Continuous 0.000000
Solve Put 6.300000 10.220795 96.000000 100.000000 4.00 0.50 Continuous 0.000000
Solve Forward 11.100000 8.250000 108.062768 105.000000 6.00 1.20 Continuous 0.000000

FAQs

1) What is put call parity?

It is a no-arbitrage relationship connecting call price, put price, strike, forward value, discounting, and maturity. If quoted prices violate the relationship, the market may contain a pricing inconsistency after allowing for costs, spreads, and execution limits.

2) Why does this calculator use forward price?

Forward-based parity is convenient when you already know or model the forward directly. It avoids separate carry adjustments in the main equation and fits many financial engineering workflows, derivatives checks, and desk-level validation tasks.

3) What does the parity gap mean?

The parity gap is the difference between the observed call-minus-put spread and the theoretical discounted forward-minus-strike spread. A value near zero suggests consistency. A larger gap signals possible mispricing, bad assumptions, or missing market frictions.

4) What is a synthetic forward?

A synthetic forward is the forward value implied by call and put prices under parity. It helps compare option quotes against the actual forward market and is useful when checking model outputs, broker sheets, or implied trading relationships.

5) Should I use continuous or discrete compounding?

Use the convention that matches your model or quoted market inputs. Continuous compounding is common in theory and some valuation models. Discrete compounding can better match annual, semiannual, quarterly, or monthly rate conventions.

6) Is this the same as spot-based put call parity?

It is equivalent in spirit, but the input form differs. Spot-based parity uses spot price and carry terms. This version starts from forward price, which already embeds carrying effects under the chosen assumptions.

7) Can parity fail in real markets?

Quoted prices can appear to fail because of bid-ask spreads, dividends, borrowing costs, taxes, collateral rules, execution delays, or stale data. Small differences do not always imply a clean arbitrage trade.

8) Who should use this calculator?

It is useful for students, quants, analysts, and financial engineers who need a fast parity check. It also helps in classroom demonstrations, valuation audits, sensitivity reviews, and model debugging.

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Important Note: All the Calculators listed in this site are for educational purpose only and we do not guarentee the accuracy of results. Please do consult with other sources as well.