Finance glossary
Protective Put
Definition
Buying a put on stock you own to limit downside risk.
A protective put involves buying a put option on shares you hold, acting like insurance against a price drop. The put gains value as the stock falls, offsetting losses below the strike. The cost is the premium paid, which reduces returns if the stock holds or rises.
In a sentence
Treating it like insurance, he bought a protective put to cap losses on his big position.
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