quantifies the sensitivity of a portfolio’s Delta to changes in the underlying asset’s price, a critical measure for options traders managing directional risk. High positive exposure implies that the portfolio’s Delta will increase as the asset price rises, while negative exposure indicates the Delta will decrease. Managing this second-order effect is essential for maintaining a desired risk profile across varying market conditions.
Sensitivity
analysis reveals how the Delta hedging requirement itself changes, which is the practical implication of this metric for dynamic trading desks. A large Gamma exposure necessitates more frequent and potentially larger rebalancing trades to maintain a near-Delta-neutral stance.
Calculation
involves the second partial derivative of the option pricing function with respect to the underlying price, providing a precise, model-dependent measure of this curvature. Traders must continuously monitor this value, especially near expiration or when the underlying asset is near the strike price.
