Although there are hundreds of terms that are used in the financial language, beginners have to understand first the most important and commonly used words. Option – is the right of the buyer to either buy or sell the underlying asset at a fixed price and a fixed date. At the end of the contract, the owner can exercise to either buy or sell the option at the strike price. The owner has the right to pursue the contract but he or she is not obligated to do so. Call option – gives the owner the right to buy the underlying asset. Put Option – gives the owner the right to sell the underlying asset. Exercise – is the action where the owner can choose to buy (if call option) or sell (if put option) the underlying asset or, to ignore the contract. If the owner chooses to pursue the contract, he must send an exercise notice to the seller. Expiration – is the date where the contract ends. After the expiration and the owner does not exercise his or her rights, the contract is terminated. In-the-money – is an option with an intrinsic value. The call option is in-the-money if the underlying asset is higher than the strike price. The put option is in-the-money if the underlying asset is lower than the strike price. Out-of-the-money – is an option with no intrinsic value. The call option is out-of-the-money if the trading price is lower than the strike price. The put option is out-of-the-money if the trading price is higher than the strike price. Offsetting – is an act...
Understanding the components of option trading clearly outlines how much advantage a trader has. Without a doubt, people who have sufficient knowledge of a certain trade have better chances of profiting from it. In the same way, a trader who is knowledgeable in options trading has better control of his profits. In this article, three basic concepts will be presented. Let it be noted that the information covered here are intended for neophytes in options trading. What is option trading? Option trading is a category of trading stocks, bonds or any type of assets that acts more like a contract, which allows for liberty to buy or sell the asset but does not necessarily oblige the holder to exercise his powers within a certain period of time. In layman term, it simply means “buying” the right to buy or to sell an asset within a specified duration. It should be noted that buying the option is very different from buying the stock itself. What are the types of options? There are two types of options: the calls and the puts. Both of them work in exactly opposite principles. The calls are options that provide the right for a holder to buy a certain asset at a specific price, during a specific period. This investment will be profitable only if the stock would increase during the period of the option. Calls are also oftentimes considered long positions. The puts, on the other hand, are options that provide a holder to sell the asset at a certain price, within a specific period. This will yield profit for the holder if the...
Talk about risks. One of the notable things that most people would commonly say about option trading, or other types of trading for that matter, is that it entails risks. A lot of them. Some of them are discussed in this article. First off, any trade, in fact almost anything that promises much profit surely carries with it lots of disadvantages. You only get what you pay for. As they say, you don’t get free rides. When you give more then you would most likely get more. The same principle works with the trade. With higher promise of profit come higher and greater risks to be taken. So what makes option trading a high risk venture? It’s definitely the leverage. Leverage, in trade speak, is one of those crucial things that could make or break your trade. It gives you the advantage while taking away your potential profit if you pick the wrong option or the wrong timing to trade. Leverage is so attractive that it is among the things that make people want to enter trading but it is also disadvantageous when not properly used. In the case of options trading, there is higher leverage offered. Depending on which side of the coin you look, leverage could either mean boon or doom. As defined in its financial sense, leverage is a relatively small amount of money you invest in something that could turn out big. Sounds pretty interesting but what’s the problem? Just like what was mentioned earlier, a higher leverage could mean higher loss of profits if the trade is mishandled. Apart from these, risks of options...
It is easy to dismiss the benefits of a trade if the most typical description attached to it is risk. But it should not be so. There are great benefits that may be taken from participating in options trading that most people overlook. One should take into account that all types of trades have inherent risks but they also offer advantages in return. Flexibility Although it is true that options trading may not fit everyone, it still does not change the fact that to those traders who have made this trade work for them, it is clear for them that options offer great flexibility for both the option buyer and the seller. Most types of trading do not allow profiting from the underlying asset. However, with option trading this is very possible. There are various strategies traders use to maximize this advantage. Protection In comparison to other kinds of trades, particularly stock trading, options trading could give better protection to its participants. Significant losses are typically uncommon in this trade since traders only lose what they have invested and more often than not, investments are just minimal because they are limited only to the price of the option. It should be noted that typical options are just 10{f50081c0ec796da126603b263a099f347acb98e56a69dffae82b7eb84c3f1a5d} of the value of the asset. Traders could also benefit from protective put. This is a type of options strategy that allows for purchasing the same number of puts and stocks such that the stocks are protected from depreciation of value. Also, a trader who needs to buy an option in the future at a certain price can do so. It...
