A warrant is a tradable security issued by an institution for a time period that gives the right (and not the obligation) by paying a price to buy (call warrant) or to sell (put warrant) a specific amount of an asset (underlying asset) at a specified price (strike) over the duration of its life or on its expiry date depending on its style.
Warrant features
- Time period: This refers to the warrant’s expiry date, which indicates the date from when the warrant no longer exists. The expiry date may or may not coincide with the warrant’s last trading day in the Stock Exchange Interconnection System.
- Warrant price: This is the premium, that is to say, the effective price on what trades are executed on the Stock Exchange Interconnection System. The premium will be closely tied to the price evolution of the underlying asset related to the warrant.
- Call warrant: This is a purchase warrant, that is to say, it gives the right to buy the underlying asset.
- Put warrant: This is a sales warrant, which gives the right to sell the underlying asset.
- Ratio: This is the number of underlying asset units that a warrant gives the right to buy (call) /sell (put).
- Strike: is the price set by the issuer of the warrant that allows the holder to buy (in the case of a call warrant) or sell (in the case of a put warrant) the underlying asset at the time of exercising the warrant.
- Exercise of the warrant: is the act by which the holder of the warrant exercises the right to which it is entitled by relinquishing ownership of the warrant in exchange for the purchase (in the case of a warrant call) or sale (in the case of a warrant put) of the underlying asset.
- Style: A warrant can be American-style or European-style. If the warrant is American, it may be exercised during the warrant’s life. On the other hand, if it is European, it can only be carried out on the warrant’s exercise date.
Advantages of investing in Warrants
- Traded on Spanish stock market in real time and continuously from 9 am to 5 pm.
- Offer access to a large variety of assets: equities, commodities, currencies, etc.
- Market maker's commitment to provide liquidity, offering buy and sell positions during each trading session.
- Trading transparency as products are subject to strict oversight rules by the stock exchange governing body, Sociedad de Bolsas.
- Can be used to implement different investment strategies.
Warrants Product Types
Plain Vanilla Warrants are exchange-traded financial products that grant the investor the right—but not the obligation— to buy (Warrant Call) or sell (Warrant Put) an underlying asset (such as a stock, index, or commodity) at a price fixed in advance (exercise price or strike), on a determined future date (maturity). They do not involve the purchase of the actual asset but rather replicate its behavior in a leveraged manner: with a small investment, the investor can participate in the underlying's performance. This means that warrants allow for the amplification of gains, but also losses, since if the market does not move favorably for the investor, the product can lose all its value.
One of the main characteristics of warrants is that their price does not depend solely on the underlying's movement but also on factors such as the time to maturity, implied volatility, interest rates, and expected dividends.
Turbos are exchange-traded products that allow investors to gain leveraged exposure to the performance of an underlying asset, such as a stock, index, commodity, or currency. They are designed to amplify both gains and losses with respect to the underlying's movement. Unlike Plain Vanilla Warrants, whose price also depends on factors like volatility and time to maturity (making them harder to value), Turbos have a more transparent structure: their price is based primarily on the difference between the underlying asset's value and the financing level or strike, which allows their performance to be tracked more directly and understandably. Contrary to Multis, Turbos do not have a daily compounding effect, which allows them to be held over a broader time horizon.
A Turbo's leverage is derived from the difference between the underlying price and the financing level (exercise price or strike), which allows investors to control a large position with a small outlay.
A key feature of Turbos is the existence of a knock-out level or barrier which, if reached or breached during the product's life, causes the Turbo's automatic liquidation and the total or partial loss of the capital invested. There are Long Turbos (which benefit from underlying rises) and Short Turbos (which benefit from falls), so they can be used for both directional and hedging strategies.
The Turbo Pro is an advanced modality of Turbo Warrants that incorporates a double activation barrier, making it a particularly sophisticated product within the Turbo universe. Unlike a standard Turbo which is active from the start, the Turbo Pro remains inactive in the market until the underlying crosses one of the two predefined activation levels (upper or lower barrier). Once activated, the product begins to behave like a traditional Long or Short Turbo, with associated leverage and knock-out risk. This double barrier allows the investor to position themselves in advance to enter the market only if a specific technical or price scenario is reached, which can be useful in range-breakout strategies or high-volatility events.
Multis are exchange-traded products designed to replicate the performance of an underlying asset with constant daily leverage, which allows both gains and losses to be amplified compared to the underlying's performance. Unlike other structured products, Multis do not have a maturity date, nor do they have barriers or knock-out levels: their behavior is based solely on the underlying asset's daily performance multiplied by a fixed leverage factor (e.g., x3, x5, or even x10). This leverage can be bullish (Multi Long) or bearish (Multi Short), allowing investors to position themselves in both market directions.
The functioning of Multis is based on the daily compounding effect: each day, the product's price is recalculated based on the underlying's daily performance and the leverage level. This means that the product does not replicate the underlying's total long-term performance but instead amplifies its variation day-by-day. This effect makes Multis suitable for very short-term or intraday strategies, but they are not recommended for long-term holding, as the accumulation of daily returns can significantly distance the final result from the underlying's total performance.
Bonus Certificates are exchange-traded products that allow the investor to benefit from the performance of the underlying asset, with the possibility of obtaining a guaranteed minimum return (the "bonus"), provided the underlying does not touch a predetermined lower barrier throughout the product's life. At maturity, if the asset has stayed above that barrier, the investor will receive the greater value between the underlying price and the guaranteed bonus level, allowing them to benefit from asset rises without giving up a minimum protection.
If, however, the underlying reaches the barrier at any time before maturity, the bonus guarantee disappears, and the certificate starts to behave like a direct investment: the investor will receive the final underlying value at maturity, assuming potential losses if the underlying has fallen. This structure makes the Bonus interesting for sideways or moderately bullish scenarios, and for investors who want to maintain exposure to the underlying with partial downside protection, provided the barrier is not crossed.
Bonus Cap Certificates operate under the same basic structure as Bonus: they offer the investor the possibility of obtaining the underlying asset's return, along with a minimum redemption guarantee (the "bonus") provided the underlying does not touch a lower barrier during the product's life. The main difference is that the Bonus Cap incorporates a maximum redemption limit (cap), which restricts the maximum profit the investor can obtain if the underlying rises sharply.
In practice, this means that if the underlying has stayed above the barrier at maturity, the investor receives the lesser value between the cap level and the underlying's quotation—but never less than the guaranteed bonus. If, conversely, the barrier is reached at any time, the bonus protection is lost, and the certificate simply returns the underlying's value at maturity. By limiting the upside potential, the Bonus Cap can usually be acquired with better terms (lower price, further barrier, or more attractive bonus), and it is useful in sideways or slightly bullish scenarios when the investor prioritizes certain protection and return visibility over the possibility of large rises.
Inlines are exchange-traded products that allow for obtaining a fixed predefined return if the underlying asset's price remains within a specified range (between two barriers) throughout the product's life. In other words, the investor does not need to guess whether the market will rise or fall, but simply that it does not leave the established range. If the underlying has not touched either barrier (neither the upper nor the lower) at maturity, the investor receives the maximum agreed-upon payout. Conversely, if either barrier is broken at any time before maturity, the product loses that fixed payout, and the redemption will directly depend on the underlying's level, which can result in losses.
These types of products are ideal in low-volatility environments or when the investor has a sideways or stability view on the market. Inlines allow investors to benefit from the underlying's lack of clear direction, but the risk lies in the fact that a single intraday breach of one of the barriers deactivates the benefit, even if the underlying returns to the range afterward.
Discount Certificates allow investment in an underlying asset (such as a stock or index) at a discount compared to its market price, in exchange for waiving part of the potential upside. By purchasing a Discount, the investor pays a lower price than the underlying, and at maturity, they can receive the underlying or an equivalent amount, always limited by a maximum price or "cap." This structure allows for obtaining a return even if the underlying remains stable or falls moderately, as long as it does not exceed the cap. The main risk is that, if the underlying falls significantly, the Discount will track that fall (although with less impact than a direct investment).
There are two types of structures: Discount Calls, which benefit if the underlying remains below the cap and are ideal for sideways or slightly bullish environments, sought by those looking for a more conservative way to access the underlying with some downside protection; and Discount Puts, which allow for obtaining a return when the underlying remains above the cap, and thus can be used in sideways or slightly bearish market scenarios. Both cases offer a more defensive alternative to direct investment, with the added appeal of the entry discount as a cushion against adverse market movements.
Stay High and Stay Low are exchange-traded products that allow the investor to obtain a fixed predefined return if the underlying asset's price remains above or below a single barrier throughout the product's life. In the case of Stay High, the underlying must remain above the barrier; in Stay Low, it must remain below.
If the barrier is not touched during the product's life, the investor receives the full agreed-upon payout at maturity. However, if the barrier is reached or breached at any time, the product loses that fixed return, and the redemption will depend on the final underlying level, with the possibility of losses.
This type of structure is useful for investors with a sideways view with a bullish bias (Stay High) or sideways view with a bearish bias (Stay Low), who seek a return without needing to predict a large rise or fall, but simply that the market does not cross a specific level. As with Inlines, the main risk is that a single, even momentary, breach of the barrier deactivates the guaranteed payout.
Certificates are financial products designed to directly replicate the performance of an underlying asset, such as a stock, index, or commodity, without the need to buy the asset itself. Unlike other structured products, certificates do not incorporate leverage or barriers, which makes them more transparent instruments. Their function is very similar to a direct investment, but with advantages such as the possibility of accessing international markets or baskets of assets with a single trade.
faqs
Frequently Asked Questions about Warrants
Also known as exchange-traded or structured products, they are financial instruments that are traded on organized markets, as if they were stocks. They allow investors to access complex investment strategies (such as leverage, protection, or exposure to multiple assets) in a simple, transparent way with real-time pricing.
There are products for all profiles: conservative (seeking protection), moderate (seeking returns with conditions), and speculative (seeking leverage and fast movements). The important thing is to fully understand the product's function and risk before investing.
Costs may include buy/sell commissions, spreads (the difference between the buy and sell price), and in some cases, implicit costs such as the daily adjustment in leveraged products. They usually do not have management fees like funds.
Specialists are entities responsible for providing liquidity in the market, ensuring that buy and sell prices are always available for the exchange-traded products. This allows investors to enter and exit the market easily.
For most warrants, the minimum unit of negotiation is one unit of the product, which allows for an accessible investment even with small amounts.
In general, the gains or losses obtained from warrants are taxed as capital gains or losses in the Personal Income Tax (IRPF), just like shares. They are not subject to withholding tax at the time of sale and are taxed on the savings base according to the current tax brackets. However, there is an important exception: certificates are subject to withholding tax at the time of collection, since, from a tax perspective, certificates are considered returns on movable capital.
It is important to consult the current tax regulations or seek professional advice, as taxation may vary depending on the product, the operation, and the investor's profile.
Options are standardized contracts negotiated on organized derivatives markets (such as MEFF or Eurex), which grant the right to buy or sell an asset under fixed conditions. In contrast, warrants are securities issued by a financial entity, which are traded like a stock on organized markets and allow retail investors to replicate the behavior of an option in a more accessible way.
Another important difference is that options can be sold short to generate a premium (for example, selling a call option), while warrants cannot be sold short: they can only be bought and then sold. Furthermore, options are primarily intended for professional or institutional investors, while warrants are focused on the retail public, with simpler operations.
They are traded on organized markets, such as BME (Bolsas y Mercados Españoles), and can be bought or sold through authorized investment platforms or financial intermediaries. Additionally, they have daily liquidity thanks to the presence of a specialist.
Yes. Exchange-traded structured products are traded on regulated markets and are subject to supervision by bodies such as the CNMV (in Spain) or its equivalent in each country. Furthermore, they must have specific legal documentation (such as the KID – Key Information Document for the Investor) that details their risks, operation, and costs.
Warrants, Turbos, Turbo Pros, and Multis offer leverage, which allows for amplifying the movements of the underlying asset, both up and down.
Products such as Bonus, Bonus Cap, or Discounts can offer a certain level of protection, provided that specific conditions are met, such as not breaching a barrier or remaining within a range.
The main risk is that losses can be rapid and significant due to the multiplying effect of leverage. The sensitivity to market movements is much greater.
They can be linked to stocks, indices, commodities, currencies, bonds, or thematic baskets. The variety is very wide and allows for building strategies on almost any type of asset, national or international, with different levels of risk and volatility.
No. In these products, the risk is limited to the capital invested. An additional contribution is never required, and there is no risk of indebtedness, unlike other derivatives such as futures or CFDs. The investor knows from the start how much they can lose.
A barrier is a price level of the underlying asset that, if reached or breached, can activate or deactivate certain conditions of the product. For example, it can nullify a guaranteed minimum return or cause the early cancellation of the product. It is a key condition that defines the product's behavior in response to certain market movements.
It is a price level of the underlying that, if reached, automatically cancels the product. In most cases, it implies the total loss of the capital invested. It is common in products with leverage and high risk, such as Turbos or Warrants.
Investing in a stock means becoming an owner of a part of a company, participating directly in its market performance (up or down) and, in some cases, receiving dividends. In contrast, a structured product does not grant ownership over the underlying asset but instead replicates or modifies its behavior according to predefined rules. It can offer protection, leverage, or special return conditions that a stock alone does not have.
They are typically issued by investment banks or specialized financial institutions. The issuer is the one who designs the product's structure, brings it to market, and guarantees its redemption according to the agreed-upon conditions. Therefore, there is a credit risk: if the issuer goes bankrupt, the investor may not recover their investment, even if the product performed well.
It means that the product multiplies the variations of the underlying asset, allowing for greater gains with a smaller investment... but also assuming greater losses. For example, x5 leverage means a 2% rise in the underlying turns into a 10% gain, but also that a 2% drop implies a 10% loss.
Maturity is the date on which the product's life ends and its redemption value is determined. Most warrants do have a maturity date. Some, like certain daily leveraged products, do not have a maturity date, but they must be actively managed due to their daily cumulative behavior.
No. These products are classified as issuer debt; they are not covered by deposit guarantee funds. If the issuer becomes insolvent, the investor may lose part or all of their investment, even if the product has performed favorably. Therefore, it is important to consider the issuer's solvency.
Because the underlying asset is not the only factor. The product can be affected by:
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The time remaining until maturity.
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Market volatility.
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The accumulated daily performance (in products with daily leverage).
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Or having touched a barrier in the past.
All of these factors can cause the product's price not to directly reflect the positive performance of the underlying.
Not in all cases. Some products (such as daily leveraged products) are not designed to be held over time, as their performance is distorted by the accumulation of daily returns. Others, such as certain products with partial or conditional protection, can be held until maturity if they suit the investor's profile. It is important to understand the optimal time horizon for each product before investing.
Structured products allow for building more flexible and tailored strategies:
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Profitability in sideways markets.
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Partial protection against drops.
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Access to leverage without the need for complex derivatives.
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More affordable entry premiums.
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Ability to generate returns in bearish markets.
However, this comes at the cost of greater complexity, lower liquidity in some cases, and specific risks such as issuer risk or loss from touching a barrier.
If the underlying asset trades in a foreign market, such as the U.S. or Asia, and the product (for example, a Turbo or a Multi) is traded in Spain, there may be a time lag. Due to this potential time difference, the investor should specially monitor the underlying's value to be able to react as quickly as possible to movements in its home market