... Those who succeed consistently in the long run are those
who make the effort and take the time to learn the skills re-
quired to achieve lasting success. They apply these lessons in the
real world, ... B
OPTION EXCHANGES, OPTION
BROKERS, OPTION SYMBOLS,
AND OPTION VOLUME
255
Exchanges
Options are traded at each of the exchanges listed in Tables B.1
and B.2.
Table...
... become traders in the stock, futures, and options markets is
to attain financial rewards. Stories about the large sums of money to
be made and the successes of the rich and famous inspire a desire to
achieve ... collecting tools to beat the market consistently. Successful
options traders first learn to walk, then to run. Usually traders begin with
simplistic strategi...
... purchasing a call option has a limited risk because the most you
stand to lose is the premium paid for the option plus commissions paid to
the broker.
52
THE OPTIONS COURSE
ccc_fontanills_ch3_ 42- 75.qxd ... owner.
Short Stock Case Study
Outside of trading options, there is only one method a trader has to make
a profit during a downtrend in stocks: short selling stock....
... sell
another call to offset your risk.
ã The stock falls below the initial stock price but stays above
the breakeven: The long stock position starts to lose money, but
this loss is offset by the ... price, but
stays below the breakeven: The short stock position starts to
lose money, but this loss is offset by the credit received from the
short put. As long as the sto...
... options traders should
combine the values of the Greeks used to create the optimal options
spread. The result will allow the trader to more accurately assess the risks
of any given options spread.
Understanding ... important to them than the volatility of the options
(implied volatility) and the volatility of the underlying stock (statistical or
historical...
... that case, the loss is equal to the commissions paid for
the trade. On the other hand, if the stock falls sharply, the losses can be
substantial. The downside breakeven is equal to: higher strike ... hold the worth-
less call for a possible stock reversal.
ã The underlying shares fall within the downside and upside
breakevens: This is the range of risk and will ca...
... also
our next subject of discussion.
VOLATILITY SKEWS REVISITED
As we have seen, calendar spreads are trades that involve the purchase
and sale of options on the same shares, with the same strike ... decisions. As in any profession, there are top-notch pro-
fessionals as well as others who have missed their calling and should not
be offering their services. The best advice I can...
... as Trea-
sury bills and notes. This increases bank reserves, which increases the
money supply and causes short-term interest rates to decrease. Reduced
rates induce consumers and businesses to ... decreases. When there are less bank reserves, short-term
interest rates increase. This means consumers and businesses have to
pay the bank more in order to borrow money. Less bor...
... it seems to me that prayer is truly the method
most often used by traders and investors. Most traders and investors do
very little analysis and have no idea as to what is going on; still they ... ridiculous price multiples due to continued up-
grades by analysts as the stock prices went into the stratosphere? How
many investors still own those stocks today under $10 a share?...
... predefined loss because the first loss is always the best. On the
other hand, discipline gives you the impenetrable strength to keep holding
on to an options position when success is at hand or passing ... Tech,
Networks, E-Business, and Sciences and Medicine. The site also has
links to their magazine.
Investor s Business Daily
www.investors.com
IBD s site has incorporated...
... levels of the National Association of Securities
Dealers Automated Quotations System (Nasdaq). Level I quotes provide basic in-
formation such as the best bids and asks for Nasdaq-listed stocks. ... opposite
transaction.
running stops When quoted, floor traders use these to move the market. When
stops are bunched together, traders may move the market in order to activate stop
ord...
... 9
Analyzing Risk: What Separates the Winners
from the Losers 11
Summary 18
Chapter 2 The Basics of Options 21
Option Definitions 21
Options on a Specific Security 26
Intrinsic Value versus Extrinsic Value ... option strategies are best for
any given situation, and they fail to understand just what the
risk is before they make their trades.
Jay Kaeppel explains these iss...
... received the option premium of $450. Nevertheless, if
the stock falls too far, both traders will face the prospect of a
large loss and may need to act in order to cut the loss. The bot-
tom line is ... implications for each choice? The best way to
assess the relative advantages and disadvantages is to examine
the risk curves for each potential trade.
Figures 2....
... the stock falls, the option
position
ã Makes money if the stock remains relatively unchanged
ã Incurs losses if the stock makes a significant move in either
direction (see Figures 3. 5 and 3. 6)
Reasons ... oppor-
tunities to astute traders. Each strategy also entails unique risks,
which must be understood and accounted for if you hope to use
them successfully. More inform...
... with a strike price of 55 . The stock falls to 45 and the
trader decides he wants to short the stock from 55 . To make this
happen he calls his broker and says that he wants to exercise
this particular ... strike price
of 55 . The stock rises to 65 and the trader decides she wants to
own the stock. To make this happen she would call her broker
and sa...