Stock Market Trading And Options Investing A Winning Combo

Posted on Mar 10 2008 | Tagged as: Finance

Investors often believe that stock market trading is the only way to make money. This is sound thinking when the market is moving upward, but not so beneficial when indices decline. As investors have been shown way too often, the market declines at a far more rapid pace then it ascends.

If you include an option trading strategy, you can earn money whether the market is up or down. In case you are not conversant with options, they allow you to decide whether or not you wish to purchase or unload the shares of a particular stock for a set price within a set period.

Unlike stock market trading, options can make money for you no matter which way the market is moving. The two basic tools that options use are calls and puts. When you feel bullish about a certain stock, sector or index, you buy a call because you expect it to go up in value. When you are feeling bearish about a particular stock, sector or index you buy a put because you expect it to drop in value.

Even though any investor can derive benefits from an option tutorial, it is important to keep in mind that all calls have strike prices, which are basically the prices at which you will choose either to buy or sell the underlying stocks. Options also have expiration dates, which is the same as saying that options are wasting assets with inflexible time limits.

With a call, you pay a premium (any where from 1 cent to hundreds of dollars, depending on the stock) for the right to purchase a stock at a set price, regardless of that stock’s actual price in the future.

What does it mean? It means that if you buy the stock XYX $ 10 calls, you bet that on or before the January expiration day, i.e., the third Friday of the month, trading will be effected for more than $ 10. In other words, your call option confirms your right to buy shares at a discount.

A put option provides the investor a means of paying a premium for the right to sell a stock at a set price with no regard for its actual future price. For example January $10 puts on stock XYZ offer the right to sell XYZ at $10 before the January expiration date. The bet is that the stock will be trading at a lower price allowing the option to be sold at a profit.

An option trading strategy requires less money to start than does stock market trading. However it does require some knowledge but it also allows you to profit in any market. Unlike stock investing, especially buy and hold strategies, volatility is the markets is often welcome.

The common belief among professionals was that stock market trading was the only way to generate significant profits. That is indeed the case when the market is increasing, but what about those times it is headed the other direction? Unfortunately, the decline tends to occur much more rapidly than its counterpart. That is why deploying an option trading strategy can provide a profit opportunity no matter which way the market is headed. Any investor can learn from an option tutorial. From this, one will learn first and foremost that options are wasting assets valuable only within strict time limits thus each option has an expiration date.

- David Baxwell


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