underlying asset

Underlying asset

The security or property or loan agreement that an option gives the option holder the right to buy or to sell.

Underlying Asset

In a derivative or warrant, the security, property, or other asset that gives value to the derivative or warrant. For example, in an option giving one the right to buy stock in Johnson and Johnson, the underlying asset is the stock in Johnson and Johnson. An underlying asset may many things, such as a physical commodity, a security, a piece of land, or part of a business.

underlying asset

1. The physical and financial asset to which a security holder or a class of security holders has a claim. An analyst may believe that a stock is underpriced on the basis of the value of the firm's underlying assets and the potential earning power of those assets.

2. The asset that underlies and gives value to a security. The underlying asset of a stock option is the stock that the option can be used to purchase. Likewise, the underlying asset of a convertible bond is the stock for which the bond can be exchanged. The market value of a security is directly affected by changes in the value of any underlying asset into which it may be exchanged.