Abstract. Multivariate analogues of the put-call symmetry can be expressed as certain symmetry properties of basket options and options on the maximum of several assets with respect to some (or all) permutations of the weights and the strike. The so-called self-dual distributions satisfying these symmetry conditions are completely characterized and their properties explored. It is also shown how to relate some multivariate asymmetric distributions to symmetric ones by a power transformation that is useful to adjust for carrying costs. Particular attention is devoted to the case of asset prices driven by Lévy processes. Based on this, semistatic hedging techniques for multiasset barrier options are suggested.Key words. barrier option, dual market, Lévy process, multiasset option, put-call symmetry, self-dual distribution, semistatic hedging AMS subject classifications. 60E05, 60G51, 91B28, 91B70DOI. 10.1137/0907541941. Introduction. Consider European options on S T = S 0 e rT η being the price of a (say nondividend paying) asset at the maturity time T , where S 0 is the spot price and e rT η is the factor by which the price changes, r is the (constant) risk-free interest rate, and η is an almost surely positive random variable. In arbitrage-free and complete markets, the option price equals the discounted expected payoff, where the expectation can be taken with respect to the unique equivalent martingale measure. In this case Eη = 1 and the discounted price process (S t e −rt ) t∈ [0,T ] becomes a martingale. Unless indicated by a different subscript, all expectations in this paper are understood with respect to the probability measure Q, which is not necessarily a martingale measure. In this paper we do not address the choice of a martingale measure in incomplete markets.One of the most basic relationships between options in arbitrage-free markets is the European call-put parity. This parity can be expressed by