Currency Trading Information

Options Trading - Advantages and Disadvantages


What is Options Trading?

An option is simply granting someone the right to buy or sell something in the future. In the case of Dow index futures options, when someone buys a Dow call option they are buying the right to purchase that underlying Dow future at a specific price, known as the "strike price," at a future point in time, known as the "expiration date." When an investor buys a put, they are essentially selling the market; a call essentially buys the market. Likewise, selling a put essentially buys the market; selling a call essentially sells the market.

In order to receive the opportunity to buy an option on this future, investors pay a "premium." If the market does not reach the strike price of the option, then that option will expire worthless on the expiration date. If the market does reach the strike price of the option on the expiration date, then the investor will be assigned the underlying future at that strike price.

Advantages of Options Trading

Flexibility. Options can be used in a wide variety of strategies, from conservative to high-risk, and can be tailored to more expectations than simply "the stock will go up" or "the stock will go down."

Leverage. An investor can gain leverage in a stock without committing to a trade.

Limited Risk. Risk is limited to the option premium (except when writing options for a security that is not already owned).

Hedging. Options allow investors to protect their positions against price fluctuations when it is not desirable to alter the underlying positon.

Disadvantages of Options Trading

Costs. The costs of trading options (including both commissions and the bid/ask spread) is significantly higher on a percentage basis than trading the underlying stock, and these costs can drastically eat into any profits.

Liquidity. With the vast array of different strike prices available, some will suffer from very low liquidity making trading difficult.

Complexity. Options are very complex and require a great deal of observation and maintenance.

Time decay. The time-sensitive nature of options leads to the result that most options expire worthless. This only applies to those traders that purchase options - those selling collect the premium but with:

Unlimited Risk. Some option positions, such as writing uncovered options, are accompanied by unlimited risk.

Overall Options present a good opportunity to formulate plans which can take advantage of volatility in underlying markets as well as price direction. However for most traders the disadvantages are significant and online futures trading is usually a better option.

Tim Wreford runs Online Futures Trading, a website that provides information and resources for traders. Tim also provides a free day trading system, the results of which are updated daily on the site.


MORE RESOURCES:

KBS

Gov't to Ease Foreign Currency Trading Rules
KBS, South Korea - 16 hours ago
Most forms of personal foreign currency trading under ten-thousand dollars will be permitted starting next year. The Ministry of Strategy and Finance said ...


Wall Street Journal Blogs

Currency Trading’s Growing Asian Hub
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY - Aug 28, 2008
A decade ago, some government officials in Southeast Asia lambasted currency traders, blaming them for driving down the value of many Asian currencies. ...


Currency Trading Systems – A Simpe Tip to Spot the Scams Easily!
Corsavoo.com, France - Aug 30, 2008
The trick is to look at the track record and see if it adds up by checking the disclaimer it’s very important as all track records are NOT what they seem. ...


Currency Trading Using Bollinger Bands
Corsavoo.com, France - Aug 29, 2008
Bollinger Bands are forex trading indicators that were first developed by John Bollinger during the 1980s. Bollinger Bands are one of the most powerful ...


Currency Trading: The Secrets to Ultimate Market Success
3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine, Germany - Aug 26, 2008
by Salvador Paez With the evolution of technology, currency trading and access to Forex capital markets has been more accessible. ...


Around The Clock Currency Trading At Handelsbanken (STO:SHBA)
ABN Newswire (press release), Australia - Aug 29, 2008
HÃ¥kan Larsson, head of FX at Handelsbanken Capital Markets says, "We have centralised all price setting in Stockholm. This will make us faster, ...


Learn the ABC of currency trading
Merinews, India - Aug 26, 2008
If you are a forex currency trading starter, your can't stay without being informed. Forex trading can be highly profitable. For this, Trading Mastermind’s ...


Mexico's Peso Declines for Second Week on Oil, Global Slowdown
Bloomberg - 6 hours ago
... for global growth,'' said Omer Esiner, a senior market foreign-exchange analyst at Ruesch International Inc., a currency trading company in Washington. ...


A New Pattern of Currency Trading?
Seeking Alpha, NY - Aug 27, 2008
Overall, the market has developed a trading pattern lately. A wave of orders hit the currency market soon after the Asian session opened, ...


Turkish Press

Euro falls to fresh year-low in Asian trade
Inquirer.net, Philippines - 19 hours ago
But Yuzo Sakai, currency trading manager at Tokyo Forex and Ueda Harlow, predicted that the yen could rise again. "Many players appear to be keen to sell ...
Dollar Doldrums Reader's Digest
Yen rallies as PM Fukuda resigns The Age
Yen Rises on Speculation Stock Declines to Crimp Carry Trades Bloomberg
all 471 news articles

Currency-Trading - Google News

home | site map
© 2006