Selling Options » Finance

5 Ways To Benefit From Currency Options Trading

admin — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:08:50 +0000

Most people are of the opinion that foreign exchange market trading and trading currency options are the same. They have this misconception because both these markets involve buying and selling of money. So it is natural for people to believe that both are the same. Because of this, currency options trading is less popular.
There are many advantages of currency options trading
1. The main difference between the two is that in currency options trading, their values are determined at a specific time period. This is a big advantage unlike the foreign exchange market that operates 24 hours a day, five days a week.
2. At this point, it is important to highlight that currency options trading is the only option trade that operates for 24 hours, which is good news to those who prefer to dabble in this sort of trade.
3. A trader dealing with currency options will know how unpredictable the market of the foreign exchange is. He is aware that you can win or lose within the blink of an eyelid. However, currency options have better predictive potential because the movements are more constant due to their being in a stable and fixed time framework.
For this reason many companies use currency options as a risk reducing option – because a trader will have a tentative idea of how much the trader will profit when it comes to this particular trade.
4. Potential losses too, can be foreseen beforehand. You always have a second chance when it comes to trading currency options – the chance to change your position before the trading actually commences. However, it also means that you will not win every single time just like any other trade – but you still have some knowledge of what will happen before it actually does.
5. Even with currency options trading and its degree of predictability, you are not exempt from the constant tracking of market conditions. Since currencies change value from high to low very randomly, a great deal of foresight is required from the trader in order to attribute a particular value to your chosen currency.
A longer while in trading options results in greater
windfalls but also leads to greater expenditure on the trader’s part to keep it like that. So if you have a good foresight, you can benefit immensely.
Of course there are pitfalls with currency trading, but experienced traders stand to gain from delving into this particular trade.

Option Trading Software- 12 Valid Reasons To Go In For Option Trading Software!

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:25:50 +0000

Even in earlier days, most people looked upon the trading business as a lucrative one. The scene is no different today. As a matter of fact, the business is attracting more and more people all the time! Along with “people” growth, there has also been “technological” growth. The result is sophisticated softwares that provide help to the trader/investor in realizing his/her dream of generating huge revenues. The latest one to join the bandwagon is option trading software!
Below is a detailed commentary on the trading world, and how it has ultimately led to the development of option trading software–
(1) Looking at the history of the trading business, it has brought about so many changes. The business has expanded globally, giving rise to international trading markets and exchanges. For example, the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange. The capital turnover is quite massive. And people are rushing to invest in stocks and bonds, hoping to get a share of the profits!
(2) All courses on economics focus on trade now-a-days; it has become so much a part of our lives! Actually, regional and international trade have become sources of wealth for developed countries like the United States. Looking at their progress, other developing countries (especially those from Asia) are also jumping into the fray.
(3) What Asian countries do is, export the products that they manufacture to other countries. The payment is made in dollars. These dollars are in turn used to import foreign products. Thus, the performance of the export trade decides the economies of the respective countries.
(4) More lucrative is the foreign currency exchange market, otherwise known as Forex! The capital in circulation daily is around $1.5 trillion, making it the cynosure of all eyes! Of course, there is commodities trading too, and some people are very interested in venturing into that arena also.
(5) What does one have to do in “trading”? Be like a sales agent. The investor/trader purchases what he/she wants, and then tries to sell it at a greater price. With more and more successful trades, the profits keep growing! Sometimes, the revenue generated in a single day itself is quite large!
(6) There is a certain term that the investor/trader needs to be familiar with, when venturing into the trading world–that is, options trading. There are particular “options” that are selected and that work better than others in the market. It is to this end that the option trading software was developed later on.
(7) What exactly are “options”?
They are actually contracts that afford “buyer rights”. The investor/trader is free to buy or sell any amount that he wants to, of a particular security, which could be stocks/commodities. The price for buying, and the price for selling are already determined beforehand (depending on market trends). The purchase/sale has to take place within specified time limits only. The investor/trader is not bound by any obligations.
(8) Contrast option trading with futures trading. The buyer who goes in for futures trading is under an obligation to pay the ordered security at the price asked for. Also, the pre-determined date has to be adhered to. In the same way, the seller is under an obligation to deliver the ordered security on the particular date specified and stick to the price asked for.
(9) In option trading, as mentioned before, the buyer is not obliged to do something that he/she does not want to do. If he/she feels that the security is not going to yield any profits, he/she can allow the option to lapse. What is lost in the process? Only the initial payment made.
(10) The person who chooses to take up options trading would be well advised to also go for option trading software so that risks are minimized. The software can be a guide to some amount of profit, if not 100% profits.
(11) The price may seem too high–$400. In fact, many may feel it is an unwanted luxury, well worth staying away from. But for a neophyte in the trading world, option trading software promises to be an extremely useful tool. It helps in making the right decisions.
(12) Finally, how is option trading software valuable to the trader/investor?
To illustrate with an example, there may be a “call” (for selling) option or a “put” (for buying) option that the investor/trader is dealing with. Despite knowing the market movements, if the buyer pays too much for a particular commodity, he/she stands to lose. The reverse is the case with an underpriced commodity. The risks are therefore lessened by the option trading software.

Stock Option Trading Millionaire Principles

admin — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:37:57 +0000

INTRODUCTION
Having been trading stocks and options in the capital markets professionally over the years, I have seen many ups and downs.
I have seen paupers become millionaires overnight…
And
I have seen millionaires become paupers overnight…
One story told to me by my mentor is still etched in my mind:
“Once, there were two Wall Street stock market multi-millionaires. Both were extremely successful and decided to share their insights with others by selling their stock market forecasts in newsletters. Each charged US$10,000 for their opinions. One trader was so curious to know their views that he spent all of his $20,000 savings to buy both their opinions. His friends were naturally excited about what the two masters had to say about the stock market’s direction. When they asked their friend, he was fuming mad. Confused, they asked their friend about his anger. He said, ‘One said BULLISH and the other said BEARISH!’”
The point of this illustration is that it was the trader who was wrong. In today’s stock and option market, people can have different opinions of future market direction and still profit. The differences lay in the stock picking or options strategy and in the mental attitude and discipline one uses in implementing that strategy.
I share here the basic stock and option trading principles I follow. By holding these principles firmly in your mind, they will guide you consistently to profitability. These principles will help you decrease your risk and allow you to assess both what you are doing right and what you may be doing wrong.
You may have read ideas similar to these before. I and others use them because they work. And if you memorize and reflect on these principles, your mind can use them to guide you in your stock and options trading.
PRINCIPLE 1
SIMPLICITY IS MASTERY
When you feel that the stock and options trading method that you are following is too complex even for simple understanding, it is probably not the best.
In all aspects of successful stock and options trading, the simplest approaches often emerge victorious. In the heat of a trade, it is easy for our brains to become emotionally overloaded. If we have a complex strategy, we cannot keep up with the action. Simpler is better.
PRINCIPLE 2
NOBODY IS OBJECTIVE ENOUGH
If you feel that you have absolute control over your emotions and can be objective in the heat of a stock or options trade, you are either a dangerous species or you are an inexperienced trader.
No trader can be absolutely objective, especially when market action is unusual or wildly erratic. Just like the perfect storm can still shake the nerves of the most seasoned sailors, the perfect stock market storm can still unnerve and sink a trader very quickly. Therefore, one must endeavor to automate as many critical aspects of your strategy as possible, especially your profit-taking and stop-loss points.
PRINCIPLE 3
HOLD ON TO YOUR GAINS AND CUT YOUR LOSSES
This is the most important principle.
Most stock and options traders do the opposite…
They hold on to their losses way too long and watch their equity sink and sink and sink, or they get out of their gains too soon only to see the price go up and up and up. Over time, their gains never cover their losses.
This principle takes time to master properly. Reflect upon this principle and review your past stock and options trades. If you have been undisciplined, you will see its truth.
PRINCIPLE 4
BE AFRAID TO LOSE MONEY
Are you like most beginners who can’t wait to jump right into the stock and options market with your money hoping to trade as soon as possible?
On this point, I have found that most unprincipled traders are more afraid of missing out on “the next big trade” than they are afraid of losing money! The key here is STICK TO YOUR STRATEGY! Take stock and options trades when your strategy signals to do so and avoid taking trades when the conditions are not met. Exit trades when your strategy says to do so and leave them alone when the exit conditions are not in place.
The point here is to be afraid to throw away your money because you traded needlessly and without following your stock and options strategy.
PRINCIPLE 5
YOUR NEXT TRADE COULD BE A LOSING TRADE
Do you absolutely believe that your next stock or options trade is going to be such a big winner that you break your own money management rules and put in everything you have? Do you remember what usually happens after that? It isn’t pretty, is it?
No matter how confident you may be when entering a trade, the stock and options market has a way of doing the unexpected. Therefore, always stick to your portfolio management system. Do not compound your anticipated wins because you may end up compounding your very real losses.
PRINCIPLE 6
GAUGE YOUR EMOTIONAL CAPACITY BEFORE INCREASING CAPITAL OUTLAY
You know by now how different paper trading and real stock and options trading is, don’t you?
In the very same way, after you get used to trading real money consistently, you find it extremely different when you increase your capital by ten fold, don’t you?
What, then, is the difference? The difference is in the emotional burden that comes with the possibility of losing more and more real money. This happens when you cross from paper trading to real trading and also when you increase your capital after some successes.
After a while, most traders realize their maximum capacity in both dollars and emotion. Are you comfortable trading up to a few thousand or tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands? Know your capacity before committing the funds.
PRINCIPLE 7
YOU ARE A NOVICE AT EVERY TRADE
Ever felt like an expert after a few wins and then lose a lot on the next stock or options trade?
Overconfidence and the false sense of invincibility based on past wins is a recipe for disaster. All professionals respect their next trade and go through all the proper steps of their stock or options strategy before entry. Treat every trade as the first trade you have ever made in your life. Never deviate from your stock or options strategy. Never.
PRINCIPLE 8
YOU ARE YOUR FORMULA TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE
Ever followed a successful stock or options strategy only to fail badly?
You are the one who determines whether a strategy succeeds or fails. Your personality and your discipline make or break the strategy that you use not vice versa. Like Robert Kiyosaki says, “The investor is the asset or the liability, not the investment.”
Understanding yourself first will lead to eventual success.
PRINCIPLE 9
CONSISTENCY
Have you ever changed your mind about how to implement a strategy? When you make changes day after day, you end up catching nothing but the wind.
Stock market fluctuations have more variables than can be mathematically formulated. By following a proven strategy, we are assured that someone successful has stacked the odds in our favour. When you review both winning and losing trades, determine whether the entry, management, and exit met every criteria in the strategy and whether you have followed it precisely before changing anything.
In conclusion…
I hope these simple guidelines that have led my ship out of the harshest of seas and into the best harvests of my life will guide you too. Good Luck.

How to Trade Call Options

admin — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:30:26 +0000

The majority of casual investors buy and sell stocks. If they are bearish on a stock, some will even short-sell stock. But relatively few investors fully understand and take advantage of trading options.

With stocks, you own a small piece of a company. However, with options, you purchase the right to buy or sell underlying stock. There are two basic types of options – calls and puts. When you purchase a call option, you buy the right to purchase a stock at a specific price before a specific date. When purchasing put options, you buy the right to sell a stock at a specific price before a specific date. Like stocks, you can both buy and sell options.

Traders consider buying call options when they are bullish on an underlying stock. As the stock rises, call options, in general, also rise. There are, though, some important differences between buying an underlying stock and its call options. First, options are cheaper than buying the underlying stock. If you a share of XYZ is $100, it may cost you the same to control 1000 shares with options.

Options are cheaper because they have a strike price and an expiration date. The strike price of a call option is the price at which you have the right to purchase the stock. If the price of an underlying stock is above the strike price, the call option is considered “in-the-money.” If the price of the stock is below the strike price, the call option is “out-of-the-money” while it is “at-the-money” if the stock is the same price as the strike price. Call options that are in-the-money have inherent value. For example, let’s say the price of stock XYZ increased to $105. You, however, own a call option with a strike price of $100. You thus have the option to buy XYZ at $100 while selling it for $105. This in-the-money call option thus as an inherent value of $5. Call options that are at-the-money do not have any inherent value. For instance, it would not be worth it to exercise a call option with a strike price of $15 because you cannot sell it for a profit. Call options that are out-of-the-money actually have a negative inherent value since the stock would have to rise just to get to the strike price. The farther the stock price is from the strike price, the lower the inherent value.

The expiration date is the time until which you have to exercise your option. Because options expire, they have a time value. As the expiration draws nearer, the time value of call options decrease because there is less time for the underlying stock to increase in value. A call option that expires in a year will therefore have much greater time value than a call option that expires in a week. The price of options are roughly calculated by:

Option price = inherent value + time value

There are several exit strategies with call options. If you do nothing and let an option expire, call options that are at-the-money or out-of-the-money will become worthless – they will have no inherent or time value. However, if a call option is in-the-money at expiration, you can exercise your option for a profit. Many option trading companies will automatically exercise options that are in-the-money at expiration for you.

Most option traders, however, have no intention of ever owning the underlying stock. Traders often sell their options well before expiration. Call options, in general, increase in value with the underlying stock. Thus, if a stock rises, you can usually sell a corresponding call option at a profit.

This can be beneficial because it leverages your capital. Let’s say you have $1000 to invest. If a share of XYZ costs $100, you can buy 10 shares. However, a call option of XYZ, with a strike price of $100, costs only $10. You can thus alternatively purchase 100 call options of XYZ. If shares of XYZ go to $105 at expiration, owning the stock would give you a profit of $50. Owning the options, however, would give you a profit of roughly $500. The risk in call options, however, is that this increase in price needs to occur before the expiration date.

For more information about trading options, visit DayTradingModels.com

Stock Option Trading – New Options Clearing Corporation Rule

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:27:23 +0000

A few years ago on a Monday morning, I checked my brokerage account and to my surprise it showed that I had purchased 1,000 shares of AMD for a total cost of $15,000. The payment for this purchase was taken out of my brokerage money market account.
Why surprised you may ask. I had not put an order for this purchase nor did I really intend to buy AMD. I get to this in a little bit.
Had I wanted to sell the stock on that day, I would have received around $14,500, a loss of $500 in just a few hours. In the end it worked out and I sold that particular stock a few months later for a handsome profit.
But on that day I had a paper loss of $500 and if I didn’t have enough money to pay for the purchase, the $500 loss would have been the least of my worries.
So, how did I end up with a stock that I did not necessarily want or order?
Automatic exercise threshold for equity options is the reason.
Today, I received the following message from two of my brokerage firms that reminded me of that day.
“Beginning October 2006, the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) will implement a change to reduce the automatic exercise threshold for equity options. The current threshold of $0.25 will be set at $0.05 for expiring options that are automatically exercised by the OCC. The threshold for index options will remain at $0.01.”
Who cares about a measly $0.20? You can’t even buy a stick of gum with that.
For options traders this could mean a huge potential loss, margin calls and a whole lot of trouble.
Let’s go over a few simple reminders about options trading. Options are contracts that allow a person to buy or sell securities, for example stocks, at a predetermined price called option exercise price and on/or before a predetermined date in the future called option expiration date.
Options represent a reserved right but not an obligation. In other words, the holder of this right, that is to say the buyer, can exercise this right or not.
For example if you own a Microsoft January 25 Call Option, it gives you the right to buy Microsoft for $25.00 on or before third Friday in January. It is obvious that you would not exercise your option if Microsoft is at $20.00. In that case, if you really like Microsoft, you just go to open market and buy it for $20.00.
However, if Microsoft soars to $40, then you want to exercise your right (option) and buy the stock at $25 and turn around and sell it at $40 or keep it for further potential increase.
To exercise your options you need enough money to pay for buying the stock. Each option contract represents 100 shares of stocks, so 10 contracts represent 1000 shares of stocks. In our Microsoft example, for you to exercise 10 options contracts at the price of $25.00 requires $25,000 to be in your account.
If you don’t have that money, well, you may face margin calls and some other not so pleasant consequence. This is where the new change can cause some serious damage.
Options are a right and not an obligation except that you have to deal with automatic exercise threshold. This is the threshold the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) uses to determine if they should exercise your right on your behalf.
In the letter I received from my brokerage firm, they informed me that if the price of the stock is only a nickel ($.05) above the exercise price, that would mean they will automatically buy the stock for me according to this new rule.
So what can options traders do not to deal with unwanted stocks?
First, they can and should watch the stock price and be proactive in the process especially on the option expiration date. Option trading is not by any stretch of imagination a passive approach. They can also call their brokerage firm and find out what other alternatives are available to them.
Seasoned options traders know what they should do and the aim of this article is to bring some facts to the attention of those who are just getting started.
In investing and in life I remember what Robert Grant said, “Men and women everywhere must exercise deliberate selection to live wisely.”
* DISCLAIMER: Vishy Dadsetan, http:/www.MyPersonalFinance.com or My Favorite Shop, Inc. do not endorse any product or company. This article does not provide investment, legal, insurance, or other professional services. If investment or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Although Vishy Dadsetan has made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information contained in this site, it assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, inaccuracies, or inconsistencies.
© Vishy Dadsetan