Sunday, July 10, 2011

Basics For A Solid Options Trading Strategy

By Tim Leary


Learning the keys for a solid options trading strategy is important to more and more people who are interested in trading. Those who are selling stocks and mutual funds don't want the full advantages of options trading to become widely known, simply because the risks are lower, if you understand how to use the instruments.

In their simplest form, options give the buyer the right, but not the obligation to complete the transaction. The seller has the obligation to honor the provisions within the term of the option. A Call option is the right to buy the stocks at an agreed upon price. A Put option is the right to sell the stocks at the stated price. The seller must provide the stocks as agreed if the rights are exercised.

There are a number of definitions that should be mastered prior to putting money into a trade. Examples are hedging, bear and bull markets, strike price, covered and naked calls and puts, strangles and spreads. Learning about the market and the option strategies can be facilitated by studying online tutorials or published materials available in many forms. Making certain that you fully understand the terms and how they apply to the market is critical to your trading success. Identifying the risk level you can accept is another factor to consider. Learning more about market charts and how they can help determine the direction of the market is another important part of preparing for successful trading.

Strategies that are acceptable in a bull market range from limited risk to high risk and from limited reward to high reward. When you buy calls, the risk is limited and the rewards are high. Selling naked puts offers high risk and limited rewards. Bull call spreads, bull put spreads and call back spreads are all low risk with limited rewards.

Bear market strategies are those that you employ when you believe the market is headed down. In this market condition, you could buy puts which is the simplest of the strategies. Selling naked calls is the riskiest strategy. Put back spreads, bear call spreads and bear put spreads are a way of buying an insurance policy, just in case your belief in the market direction is misplaced. These three strategies limit your risk.

In a neutral market, traders can take advantage of low risk, low reward strategies such as conversions and reversals, although these are usually only employed by floor traders. Strategies with a medium risk and high reward include straddles, strangles, ratio spreads and calendar spreads. Butterflies, collars and condors have a limited risk and a limited reward.

Some traders take the approach of using these strategies to protect the underlying investment from times when the market turns downward. High rewards with limited risks suitable for this market condition includes married puts and protective puts. Collars, just as in a neutral market limit both reward and risk levels. Some traders take the approach of using a stock portfolio to generate income. The iron condor and covered calls have limited incomes, but also limited risk. The sale of naked puts or calls are high risk strategies with limited income. Traders could also make use of the variable risk and reward possibilities of credit spreads.

Before implementing the keys for a solid options trading strategy, it is important to understand the terms and to determine what your acceptable risk level is. You should learn how to read the market charts. Knowing which direction the market is likely to turn will help to determine your strategy.




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