Options Trading
5 Rookie Mistakes Most Traders Make – And How To Avoid Them
Here are five rookie trading mistakes I continually discuss with Options360 members through daily alerts and our weekly webinar calls. 1) Buying “Lottery” Tickets Too often, new traders opt for buying way out-of-the-money options as they are attracted by their low notional dollar amount. They perceive them as “bargains” and a good way to gain […]
Debunking The Myth That 80% Of Options Expire Worthless
Nearly all of Options360 trades come in a type of spread. I believe it’s crucial for positions to have some element of premium collection in order to generate consistent returns. However, a persistent and pernicious myth regarding options is that 80% of all options expire worthless. The number belies the fact that most options get […]
Let Price Action Show You What To Do In An Approaching Bear Market
Traders have access to an overwhelming amount of market indicators. But does a trader really need any of these indicators to be successful at trading? At the end of the day, the price determines our loss or profit. Therefore, we should focus our research on price action rather than time lagging indicators or market fundamentals. […]
Understanding Risk-Adjusted Returns When Trading Options
My articles this week on calculating a Twilio (TWLO) profit and Capital One Financial (COF) loss continue generating questions on how profit and loss calculations are applied to overall returns? So, I’ll dive a bit deeper into the topic. It’s a well-known investment maxim that risk is correlated to reward. But, when it comes to […]
How To Make Triple-Digit Profits With Options
Once you start looking for option trades on your own, the most important thing you can do to find trades with triple-digit profit potential is staying up on the news. The market and stocks in general move up and down over time, and the key is to identify these cycles. You will learn to decipher […]
Why Successful Traders Make More By Trading Less
During my 25 years of trading and mentoring others, I have been dragged through the coals a few times. And by that, I mean I have: blown up a few trading accounts; had some massive gains only to watch them turn into worthless penny stocks, and; I even had one trade based around the volatility […]
Stop Trading Options Like Stocks (Gamestop Example)
“Options are the same as stocks, just cheaper!” Ever heard a pitch start like that? Well, it’s wrong. Crazy wrong. Options trade much differently than stocks, and thus why it’s easier to lose money with options (and this is coming from a 20+ year options trader). One key difference is… Find out here This article […]
Using Options To Help Predict Big Market Moves
Options order flow, particular large or unusual block trades, can potentially help traders predict where a big market move may occur. Large traders will often use options on ETFs in order to take a directional position on a major asset class or industry. For example, using the iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF […]
How To Profit During October’s Earnings Season
It’s been a tumultuous 18 months since Covid first descended, roiling personal lives, businesses, and the markets. While things keep continually flowing, we humans (prisoners to time), like to mark the days segmenting periods in order to assess past actions and set future goals. Today marks the end of Q3, as September proved to be […]
Using Options To Protect Gains While Maintaining Upside Potential
The stock market is hitting all-time highs and investors are torn between the possibility of an economic downturn, or entering a new leg of the bull market. Last week’s article noted that money managers were increasingly using call options to gain additional exposure to the stock market. Some of this behavior might be deemed as a reckless […]
2 Distinct Concepts That Options Traders Need To Know
Market volatility is starting to tick back up as macro headlines from Iran/Iraq come in. And now we are about to enter earnings season, which not only will cause big moves in the individual names, but over the past few years, has proved to be a volatile first quarter. More specifically, on individual names that are […]
How To Read Options Activity For Clues To A Move
Using option activity as an indicator of impending price moves is difficult, subjective, and unreliable. That being said, it can help confirm other indicators and increase the probability of a profitable trade. Indeed, there have been many situations in which activity in the options pits accurately predicts or presages an impending price move. There are […]
The 6 Rookie Mistakes Options Traders Should Avoid
I thought this would be a good time to review some of the common mistakes traders make when using options. As shoppers have become increasingly savvy in finding online bargains and discounts, we see similar behavior spilling into other aspects of their lives. This includes investment advice and stocks they seek. But sometimes it’s better to […]
Using Options To Invest Tax-Efficiently
With 2019 drawing towards a close, it’s time investors need to look at their portfolios for rebalancing and determining asset allocation. While it should never be the driver of investment decisions, one needs to always keep an eye on tax implications as they can have a significant impact on the final total returns. Typically, at […]
Earnings Season: What To Know Right Now Before Making A Trade
It’s that time of year again: earnings season. Things will officially kick off next week when big banks such as Bank America (BAC) and JP Morgan (JPM) report Monday and Tuesday, and then move into some big tech such as Netflix (NFLX) and IBM (IBM) on Wednesday afternoon. After a few months of being waffled and swayed by political trade […]
Is It Time To Start Buying Options Instead Of Selling Them?
In a world of ultra-low interest rates, it seems every investor is searching for yield. Of course, that should come as no surprise when 10-year notes are yielding something like 1.6%. A yield like that is certainly not going to fund most people’s retirement! Given the yield of government bonds, it’s also no wonder that […]
The One Rule You Must Follow When Trading Options
When people talk about options trading, the conversation often turns to ultra-risky strategies like buying a call or put options — ahead of an earnings number in the hope of being on the right side. The upside in getting lucky on such an unpredictable event is a big, fat profit. The downside when you’re wrong? […]
Have Option Gamma Trades Taken Control Of The Market?
Back in my day as a market maker on the floor of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE), the third Friday of the month was known as ‘gamma day.’ That was prior to 2005 when weekly options were introduced—to show my age, I was on the CBOE from 1991-2002—and ever since ‘gamma day, it has been a weekly occurrence. Actually, […]
3 Steps For Using Options To Protect Your Portfolio
With the stock market having a sizzling run to new all-time highs, investors are rightfully asking how they can protect their gains while still retaining upside exposure. This is where options trading can be extremely helpful. The most straight forward and simplest form of hedging or limiting downside risk is buying put options. While it is essentially true […]
Options Trading: Profit And Probability Discussion [Part 3]
![Options Trading: Profit And Probability Discussion [Part 3]](http://optionstradingresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/stocksvsbonds-150x150.jpg "Options Trading: Profit And Probability Discussion [Part 3]")
If the 2016 election results and market response taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected and make sure your positions and portfolio can withstand even the most outlier of events. In [the first part] of this series, we looked at how to properly measure risk and return, before even stepping in the batter’s box. […]
Options Trading: Profit And Probability Discussion [Part 2]
![Options Trading: Profit And Probability Discussion [Part 2]](http://optionstradingresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/marketing-research-150x150.gif "Options Trading: Profit And Probability Discussion [Part 2]")
In the [first part of this series], we discussed how returns need to calculate returns on a risk-adjusted basis in both percentage and dollar terms. This applies to within the context of each position but, the overall portfolio. Now, let’s take a look at how setting up the proper risk/reward profile for each individual position […]
Options Trading: A Probability & Profitability Discussion
It’s a well-known investment maxim where risk is correlated to reward. But, when it comes to options, it seems people are making claims to both consistently hitting singles while simultaneously being home run kings. In my next three articles (this is one of three), I want to explore how returns should be calculated, whether it’s […]
Do You Want To Become A Better Options Trader?
The passing of Memorial Day, with its historical weight, is also a time to look forward — to the light and carefree days of summer. While some have used this turning of the season to clear “sell in May and go away,” I think it’s a good time to brush up on your options knowledge. […]
What Percentage Of Options Expire Worthless?
One of the persistent and pernicious myths regarding options trading is that 80% of all of them expire worthless. The number relies on the fact that most options get closed well before expiration and can create a misleading belief that selling premium is the only sure way to make money trading options. We’ve all seen the marketing […]
Selling Versus Buying Options: A Risk/Reward Comparison
Next week I’ll be speaking at the MoneyShow in Las Vegas. It’s one of my favorite experiences every year. Not only is it a great opportunity to meet and talk to other options traders, but I also get a lot of really good questions at the event. I decided that this year I’ll be more […]
SPIKES Versus VIX: How To Take Advantage Of The Differences
Up until last February, the Cboe’s VIX (S&P 500 Volatility Index) was the only market volatility index which could be traded through derivative products. The index itself is not tradeable, but VIX futures, options on those futures, and VIX-related ETFs are all widely popular products. While the usage of these products varied based on the […]
5 Tips To Become A Better Stock Trader
Trading is hard, but these 5 tips should help make it easier Are you looking to become a better stock trader? Whether you’re swing trading or day trading, learning how to trade stocks isn’t really that difficult on the surface. Develop a system, follow your rules and makes tweaks to improve it along the way. […]
1 Predictable Pricing Behavior That Savvy Options Traders Use
Earnings season officially kicks off next week with some of the big banks such as JP Morgan (JPM) and Bank America (BAC) set to report on Tuesday and the first of FAANG, Netflix (NFLX) reports on Thursday. Earnings can be very tricky to trade as there are many moving and unknown parts; will the company miss or beat expectations, what will be the […]
Your Questions, My Answers For $7,050 In “Bonus” Monthly Payouts
We received many thoughtful questions after last Wednesday’s “options for income” editorial. (If you missed the original piece, you can read it in its entirety here.) Many of you are understandably interested in my favorite strategy for generating thousands of dollars in extra income each month regardless of what happens with the S&P 500. After all, it’s […]
Options: Short-Term Money-Making Opportunities
All the political and policy noise is about to brushed aside by what really matters for stock prices- earnings. And this is shaping up to be one of the most interesting, and possibly treacherous, earnings seasons in many years. Here is what you need to know. Earnings season kicked off on Friday with big banks […]
Options: How To Buy Them Before They Expire Worthless
One of the persistent and pernicious myths regarding options is that 80% of all them are worthless. The number belies the fact that most options get closed well before expiration and can create some misleading beliefs that selling premium is the only sure way to make money trading options. We’ve all seen the marketing emails […]
Options Trading: 5 Basic Rules Of Thumb
One of the members of my Options360 service wrote asking whether I had hard rules for managing my options trading. He knows I’m pretty much a stickler for entry points relative to the underlying shares, but when it comes to applying the options strategies, I allow more leeway for flexibility. That, in fact, is one of the […]
Options Trading: 4 Ways To Protect Your Portfolio
Amidst heavy saber rattling over tariffs and a seeming slowdown in global growth, earnings season is about to kick off. We have big banks such as JPM and BAC reporting on Friday and Netflix set to post results on Monday. This will be the real acid test for the bull market. Will companies post sufficient […]
Recession Prediction: Is Call Buying A Warning?
Going by the reaction in China, you would’ve thought global markets were in for a thrashing after President Donald Trump’s latest belligerence on trade. And while a few cracks widened, in the end it was another muffled reaction in U.S. stocks. Any immediate recession prediction has yet to bear fruit. For the S&P 500 Index, […]
Options, Hurricanes And Hedging
We always look at our investment process and ask ourselves, “What can we do better?” How can we increase returns and lower risk? We think we have found a new, sensible way to do both. We can hedge a portion of our market exposure with put options. Put options are contracts that trade on an […]
The Limitations Of Trading Options
I’ve always been a fan of options trading. In fact, I still use covered calls as a tool in my investing arsenal. That being said, options, when not used correctly, can pose a serious amount of risk to the unknowing investor. While options can be used as an effective tool for hedging and speculation, by nature […]
Is Binary Options Always A Scam?
Binary Options Industry From the outside, it seems as though the binary options industry is going through a torrid time; platforms closing, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) warnings, publicly traded companies being forced to delist and a plethora of consumer complaints has caused havoc for the industry in recent months. Is binary options a legitimate industry being […]
Fighting Binary Options Trading Scams, The Stephen Young Story
How the Binary Options Trading Scam Works We’ve all been subject to the online clickbait adverts promoting get rich quick schemes, and we’re all familiar with the “Nigerian Prince” who just needs someone like you with an international bank account to deposit his millions. The model may change, but the medium rarely does. The sophistication […]
The Advantages Of Investing In Options
Options are often associated with risk. This couldn’t be farther from the truth if used correctly. Before we dive into some advantages, it’s important that you know exactly what an option is. Here are a couple guides that should help you develop an understanding of an option: What Is An Option By Stocktrades Options Basics […]
VIX Options And Taxes
Like many investors, the nine year bull market has left my fund with a large amount of unrealized capital gains. With prices now very rich, at least in my view, I feel the risk/return trade-off is much less favorable then when those investment were made. I fear there is a reasonable probability of a large […]
Don’t Fall Prey To Overpriced Options
I am old enough that I was trading in the markets before decimalization. If an option was trading for a quarter, we called it a “quack.” If it was trading for a sixteenth, we called it a “teeny” or a “stink.” Beware the teeny puts. If you were a market maker on the floor, you […]
3 Trades To Play The Eye Of The Storm In Energy Stocks
Energy stocks are splendid choices for options plays right now Let us praise the markets for creating puts and calls. The three-year period of volatility in oil delivery prices has created all kinds of havoc in the energy sector and in the global economy. The volatility and large moves in oil prices have created a […]
5 “Facts” Smart People Get Wrong About Options
Using options contracts to boost returns and income could be the most powerful investing tool that you’re not using. While trading options for the first time might be intimidating, we’ve broken it down to its core pieces and show that options aren’t as dangerous as you might think. 1) Options Trading is complicated Markets can […]
Buy This Stock At A 10% Discount Or Get Paid Not To
Using an easy to understand options strategy, you can purchase this undervalued and attractive stock at a 10% discount to its current price or get paid real cash income not to. Professional money managers use this strategy to build positions in stocks at a discount while also earning a regular income stream. Rates are ridiculously […]
3 Pitfalls Of Options Trading
Let’s discuss the downsides to options no one ever mentions. The reason no one talks about these pitfalls is that it’s against the system’s best interest. The system wants retail traders churning their accounts at brokerages with tons of options trades. The more trades the better. Brokers earn fat commission fees and their affiliates that […]
The Value Of “Growth Options”
Financial economists divide the value of a company’s equity into two components: the value of “assets in place” and the value of “growth options.” Although unfamiliar to many investors, the division is a highly useful tool. To see why, both components must be defined clearly. The first component, assets in place, has two parts. The […]
Consider Options
Options are typically seen as complex and risky. They may be complex, but they need not be risky. In fact, options are a great tool for making the risk/return menu more complete. In that regard, I think they deserve a close look now. The reason is that given the immense run-up in the market since […]
Options Trading Is Much Better Than Stock Trading
Options Trading Is Much Better Than Stock Trading This is an options trading site, so of course we spend a lot of time talking about the benefits of options. I regularly point out the virtues of using options instead of stocks. That should come as no surprise to most people who trade options regularly. Yet, […]
Using Options To Trade Economic Activity
Options traders can use S&P 500 options or interest rate ETFs like TLT to trade economic activity.
Why Is Wall Street Not Talking More About Options Trading?
There’s no denying the popularity of options trading these days. Just go to a bookstore (if they still exist in your neighborhood) and see how many books there are on options. Or, do a Google search and check out how many newsletters and services are based on options trading. The fact is, options trading has […]
One More Reason To Trade Options Instead Of Stocks
By now most options traders are aware of the numerous benefits to using options. As options trading grows in popularity, more and more people are trading options rather than stocks. I personally believe there are very few reasons left to trade stocks. The clear advantages to using options include the ten to one leverage (compared […]
Three Ways To Make Buying Options More Affordable
There’s absolutely no denying how powerful options can be. Options have nearly unlimited uses. And, savvy traders can learn to reap huge rewards from trading options on a regular basis. Of course, like anything else in the world of investments, options aren’t perfect. One of the few negatives to trading options is some calls and […]
Two Options Products That Could Be Right For You
One of the amazing benefits of options is the variety of ways they can be used. All different types of strategies and goals can be achieved by mixing and matching options contracts. What’s more, exchanges continue to release more and more types of options products. New products come in all shapes and sizes and are […]
What To Do If This Bigger Picture Remains Unchanged?
We normally see a positive market bias ahead of pre-holiday trading. But that was not the case Friday as worries about Europe and continued disgust over Facebook (FB) and JPMorgan (JPM) dominated the headlines. In addition, overall share volume was the lightest of the year as we slowly slid lower after a brief attempt to […]
Options Trading: Buying Puts On TJX
The TJX Companies (TJX) has had a great run… The low-end retailer’s stock has shot up nearly 80% since the beginning of 2011. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg… TJX has gone parabolic since a 2 for 1 stock split on February 3, 2012. It’s up more than 15% in the eight weeks […]
A Simple Option Strategy To Hold Onto Stock Gains!
The S&P is now sitting at its highest level since May of 2008, with another 1.4% gain yesterday. It’s days like this that make you wonder why you’d ever bother selling anything. I mean, this is unbelievable! Even amidst poor housing data which indicated contracts for existing homes fell more than expected, the S&P still […]
Covered Calls: How To Generate Profits In A Flat Market
Stocks are having an epic first quarter of 2012. The S&P 500 has surged 145 points so far this year. That amounts to an eye-popping 11.5% gain for the large cap index. No doubt about it, investors are happy to see stocks on the upswing. But here’s the thing… At the beginning of the year, […]
A Simple Options Play On Rising Oil
Got extra gas money? I hope so… with oil prices rising, you’re going to need it! Oil prices are moving up and it appears there’s no relief in sight. Since the beginning of the year, gas prices have risen by nearly $0.57 a gallon. And just about everyone is cringing about how much it’s costing to […]
