Clinging on to Fundamental Analysis and stock picking software, only keeps you stuck in trading equities. Trading this way, compounds concentration risk in one asset class and fails to adequately diversify risks across Equities, Bonds, Currencies and Commodities. Thereâs much more to stock option trading, than stock itself.I cite Benjamin F. Kingâs study, quoted repeatedly [...]
I am sure many of you have heard of a sophisticated sounding strategy called the Butterfly. For some reason, it seems to be the darling strategy of many of those ‘teach-you in five hours’ type option companies. They publicize the ‘mystical magical Butterfly’ and the ’sophisticated Condor’ as if they were going to unlock the [...]
To that end, we’re definitely fans of buying puts and calls, no matter what your level of options experience is. The potential for explosive returns without the need for betting the farm on each trade is unrivaled in the investing world. But we’re also fans of broadening our horizons and investing in options is [...]
Professional traders use the term lean to refer to one’s perception about the directional strength of the stock. When you own a stock and intend to hold it for a period of time, you are aware that you will probably be holding it while it goes up and while it goes down.
This means that at [...]
The other side of this coin is that while the versatility that options offer is a great thing, it can also be confusing to investors new to the options game. Options strategies abound with funny names like collars, strangles, spreads and straddles that are not for new investors. That doesn’t mean you can’t make [...]
The Reward of Profit and the Risk of Losses for retail option trading needs to be managed at 2 related levels of performance: Portfolio and Trade Specific.At the Portfolio level for online options trading, there are 3 types of Targets that must be set, even before you trade.Maximum Return Target: complete achievement of the âidealâ [...]
Another protective strategy that allows for some upside capital gain while providing maximum down side protection is the collar.
The collar is a combination of the covered call and protective put strategies. The collar uses a long put position in coordination with a short call position along with a long stock position. The ratio is one [...]
Introducing the Amazing Stock Repair Strategy. This strategy involves buying one at-the-money call option while simultaneously selling two out-of-the-money call options on the same stock, in the same month.
The construction of this trade is critical. First, you must make sure to purchase exactly the equivalent amount of at-the-money call options as shares of stock you [...]
Like most trades, time spreads have a maximum loss for the buyer. As a buyer, you can only lose what you have spent. If you paid $1.00 for the spread then your maximum potential loss is that $1.00. If you bought the spread for $2.00, then $2.00 is the maximum potential loss.
The buyer of a [...]
Time decay, also known as theta, is defined as the rate by which an options value erodes into expiration. The value of the option over parity to the stock is called extrinsic value.
Since an option is a depreciating asset, meaning it has a limited life, the extrinsic value in the option will wither away daily [...]