Time Value vs Intrinsic Value
Time value vs intrinsic value in a structured warrant — how a warrant's price splits into the two, and why time value shrinks to zero by expiry.
By warrants.asia Editorial Team · Published July 21, 2026
Splitting a warrant's price in two
Every warrant's price is made up of two components: intrinsic value and time value. Intrinsic value is how far in-the-money the warrant is right now — for a call warrant, the underlying price minus the strike (adjusted for the entitlement ratio), floored at zero. Time value is everything else in the price: compensation for the chance the warrant moves further in-the-money before expiry.
An out-of-the-money warrant has zero intrinsic value — its entire price is time value, reflecting only the possibility the underlying moves in-the-money before maturity.
A worked example
Take a call warrant with a strike of RM6.00, entitlement ratio 4, trading at RM0.18 while the underlying sits at RM6.40. Intrinsic value is (RM6.40 − RM6.00) ÷ 4 = RM0.10. The remaining RM0.08 of the RM0.18 price is time value — what the market is paying for the chance the underlying moves further in the warrant's favor before expiry.
Why time value shrinks to zero
As expiry approaches, time value steadily erodes (this is theta, covered in its own guide) and reaches exactly zero at maturity — at that point a warrant is worth precisely its intrinsic value, nothing more. This is the mechanical reason a warrant that goes nowhere in price still loses money simply by being held: intrinsic value stays flat while time value bleeds away.
FAQ
What is the difference between time value and intrinsic value?
Intrinsic value is how far in-the-money a warrant is right now. Time value is everything else in its price — compensation for the chance it moves further in-the-money before expiry. The two together make up a warrant's full price.
Does an out-of-the-money warrant have any value?
Yes, provided it's not at expiry — its entire price is time value, reflecting the market's assessment of the chance it moves in-the-money before maturity. That value falls to zero if it's still out-of-the-money at expiry.
What happens to time value at expiry?
Time value falls to exactly zero at maturity — at that point a warrant is worth precisely its intrinsic value, and any remaining time value has fully decayed away.
Key resources
Structured warrants homepage · Pricing calculator · Glossary · HSI warrants guide · CBBCs guide
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