July 4th, 2011, 4:12 pm
As already mentioned, the relationship, while obviously positive, is non-linear due to the convexity of option payoffs.Robert Merton wrote about the relationship between option and underlying returns in his characteristically thorough fashion some time ago.It might be these papers:Merton, Robert C., Myron S. Scholes, and Matthew L. Gladstein. "The Returns and Risk of Alternative Put Option Portfolio Investment Strategies." Journal of Business 55 (January 1982): 183-242. Merton, Robert C., Myron S. Scholes, and Matthew L. Gladstein. "The Returns and Risk of Alternative Call Option Portfolio Investment Strategies." Journal of Business 51 (April 1978): 183-242.