Ultimate Options Trading Strategies

It is axiomatic that the largest investment returns typically come from investing in private companies. Peter Thiel initially invested $500,000.00 in Facebook, which was worth over $1b when he cashed out.  Eric Lefkofsky turned an investment of $546 (that’s not a typo) into $386m in cashed out payments.

By cwelsh, Tuesday at 12:39 PM

Options expiration dates and strikes are among the most important parameters options traders must consider. Today we have the well-known weekly, monthly, cyclical, and LEAPS options. A lot of choices. But is that as far as we can go? The realm of possibilities could be endless. Consider some of these possible expansions:

By Michael C. Thomsett, Friday at 02:21 PM

“Income” trading has become wildly popular for option traders since the global financial crisis. This style involves selling out-of-the-money options to a hedger and collecting the full premium payment at expiry — assuming the underlying doesn’t trend too hard in one direction.

By Tyler Kling, July 12

Is QE money printing or is it something else that appears to be money printing? Search the internet for “QE and money printing”, and you will see countless articles explaining why Quantitative Easing (QE) is or is not money printing. Here are a few articles that we found:

By Michael Lebowitz, July 11

I've written about writing puts on multiple occasions, as I find it to be an attractive way to gain long exposure to the underlying asset class. It doesn't have to be a decision of one vs. the other (meaning, is it better to sell puts or own the underlying asset directly?), as there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

By Jesse, July 9

Do you feel you don't have time to trade options?  This is one of the most common objections I hear from potential traders. In this article I'll give you 10 actionable tips to trade options like a pro while you balance life's other commitments.

By Drew Hilleshiem, July 5

Risk all too often is defined by the attributes of a strategy, and nothing more. However, the circumstances under which a position is opened is a better indicator of actual risk. Why? Because risk is not fixed but varies based on proximity of price to strike, and of strike to resistance or support.

By Michael C. Thomsett, July 3

Some Option traders prefer to trade mostly non directional strategies, while other option traders prefer to trade directional strategies.  Well, in the world of Options trading, there is no right or wrong answer. You can create a host of strategies based on your preferences and outlook.

By Kim, June 21

Stoking the Embers of Inflation is one of the more important articles we have written. The Monetary Equation Identity discussed in the article provides a counterintuitive way to think about inflation. It took us a long time to accept that this identity lays out a real case for stagflation.

By Michael Lebowitz, June 21

Academic research refers to the persistent phenomenon of ex-post implied volatility (IV) exceeding realized volatility (HV) as the Volatility Risk Premium (VRP). As it applies to option premiums, this leads to a positive expected return for being a systematic option seller.

By Jesse, June 18