The correct answer is C, $500. In options trading, the quoted premium is given on a per-share basis, but each standard options contract represents 100 shares of the underlying stock.
Step 1: Identify the premium. The premium is quoted as 5, which means $5 per share.
Step 2: Determine the contract size. One standard equity option contract controls 100 shares.
Step 3: Calculate the total cost.
$5 × 100 shares = $500 total premium paid
This means the investor must pay $500 to purchase the call option.
Choice A ($5) is incorrect because it reflects only the per-share premium, not the total contract cost. Choice B ($30) incorrectly uses the strike price (30), which is unrelated to the premium paid. Choice D ($3,000) incorrectly multiplies the strike price by 100, which represents the exercise value, not the premium.
For the SIE exam, it is essential to remember that all listed equity options are quoted per share but traded in contracts of 100 shares, so always multiply the premium by 100 to find the total cost.
Thus, the correct total payment is $500, making answer C correct.
