Forex Highlights

The Benefits of Options Trading

December 21st, 2009 by Werner Michael Heus in Options Trading with 0 Comments

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% 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 is, in a way, insurance for the trader who currently has investments on long stock positions, especially during the times when the market is uncertain.

Leverage

Since the trader bought the “option” and not the stock, he could profit with very little investment. By coughing a small amount, the trader can control the full value of the stock because he holds a contract that performs in the same way the stock performs but for only a fraction of the stock price. This is probably the main reason why option trading is very appealing to traders with small funds.

Limited Risks

The limitations of risks can be seen from two perspectives. First, is from the duration or the period of the option and second, is from paying a minimum amount for the full value of the asset. During the period of the options, the holder can either exercise the option or not. Any unnecessary movement in the market may be prevented, thus giving more protection to the holder. On the other hand, if the option is not profitable, the holder will only endure the losses for a short and definite period of time.

Volatility Trading

Most trades only offer upwards and downwards movement. With this kind of trading, the participant may trade even when the market is dormant.

On a final note, by working within the principle of option trading, the trader has the liberty to buy or not to buy an option depending on the movement. That, in itself, is a great benefit since the trader is not obligated to pursue with the purchase of an asset even when he has already lost interest on it. The only thing one can lose is the payment for the option, which significantly costs lesser when compared with the price of the actual stock.

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Risks of Option Trading

December 18th, 2009 by Werner Michael Heus in Options Trading with 0 Comments

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 trading can be seen from two different perspectives-the buyer’s risks, the seller’s risks.

Buyer’s risks

Options trading offer the possibility of losing your entire investment in a relatively short period of time. It is noteworthy that the main essence of options trading is to control a certain asset within a certain period of time at a fraction of the asset’s original price. So if you bought an asset that has an expiration of 3 months and within those months the stock remains at a certain price lower than what is profitable, then you could really lose all your investments very fast. Losses compound as the expiration date approaches.

This is the main reason why traders who are interested in this type of trading are advised to participate only with their risk capital.

Further, European style option, a classification of options trading, restricts its traders to exercising the option after the expiration date since it does not offer secondary markets. Also, there are certain option contracts that may further create risks as well as regulatory agencies that could limit the possibility of realizing the value of a certain option.

Seller’s risks

Option trading is also risky for the sellers. There are types of options that may have unlimited possibility of losses depending on the movement of the underlying stock. There are also occasions when even if there are no trading markets, sellers are obligated to sell options.

All the risks involved in options trading should be understood as something inherent to it. But any trader should not take the risks as the hook, line and sinker of the trade. As we have mentioned earlier, more risks mean better profits. So you should put into your calculation the risks but you must not forget the profit you could get from option trading.

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Options Trading: Types, Styles and Participants

December 15th, 2009 by Werner Michael Heus in Options Trading with 0 Comments

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 stock price will depreciate during the period. Conversely, puts are often seen as short positions.

What are the styles of option trading?

There are two: the American Style Options and the European Style options. The difference between the two lies on the date when the option can be exercised. In European Style, options can only be exercised after the expiration date. American style option, on the other hand, provides more leeway as it allows the option to be exercised from the day of purchase until the day it expires.

Most stock traders hold the common misconception that the style of options depends largely on the geographical location where the trade was made. Wrong. Actually, the names American and European styles are just terminologies to separate one style from the other. It does not necessarily mean that when one trades in Europe, the trading style adopted is automatically a European Style or vice versa.

Who are the Buyers and Sellers in Option Trading?

These two types of options then lead to four different types of traders namely, the buyers and sellers of the calls, and the buyers and the sellers of the puts.

But, buyers and sellers of options are further distinguished by their general names: buyers are called holders and sellers are called writers.

Buying and selling of options comprise a very complicated scheme of trade. For the holders of calls a puts, an options contract does not oblige them to participate in the trade through either buying or selling. They have, at their disposal, their rights to either maintain an asset or to dispose it.

However, for writers of calls and puts, the contract necessitates that they either buy or sell an asset.

Option trading is by nature, a speculative type of trade. In trading-speak, it suggests that this kind of trading best suits those who seek risks and enjoy taking them.

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Options Trading in a Nutshell: The General Idea behind Options Trading

December 12th, 2009 by Werner Michael Heus in Options Trading with 0 Comments

Perhaps among the most complicated and possibly the riskiest type of trading is option trading. Most seasoned traders realize that option trading does not suit all traders. It selects its own type of people, usually the risk takers. And the trade itself requires skills and thinking unique only to people who could handle extreme risks. Most experts recommend this type of trading only to those people who have sufficient risk capital as it carries with it substantial risks.

By nature, it is also speculative. So if you are a person who doesn’t want to speculate too much, you might as well find another type of security which will work best for you. However, rejecting the idea of entering this trade right away is as risky as not knowing anything about it. It carries with it risks, that’s true, but it is also a highly profitable venture. You might as well try to learn something on it such that you could decide whether to try you luck on options trading or not.

While it is inherently risky, option trading also offers advantages that may not be had with other types of trades. Among its premium advantages is the flexibility it lends its investors. Each lender has the option to trade at a specific price within a predetermined period.

It is also, by comparison, a more advantageous type of trade because of the high leverage it offers. Depending on the location, each option may cover a number of underlying assets. In the United States, for example, each option may represent for 100 underlying assets. Thus, this principle lends the holder the capacity to profit from several assets within a single option.

So what is an option?

An option is a type of security, perhaps closely comparable to bonds and stocks. It is, in itself, a binding contract, that is monitored by and through strict terms and conditions. In gist, options are contracts that owners could buy or sell at a certain price prior to or on a specific date. An option is typically an added price tag to a certain asset or item because it is a reservation for the purchase or sale of a certain asset.

Options are also sometimes called derivatives. This is due to the fact that the value of an option is derived from the value of the underlying asset.

To give light on this topic, consider the example below:

Say you have considered buying a real estate property which is worth several hundred thousand dollars. However, when you first negotiated with the owner, you did not have sufficient money to purchase the property right there and then. So you made a deal with the owner to pay an extra $5, 000 to reserve the deal for you for the duration of two months. The extra money you put in is called the options. In case you don’t want to pursue with the sale, the owner of the real estate can neither force you to buy the property nor can the law impose the sale on you. However, you would still have to pay the price of the option.

In summary, when considering buying a property with an enclosed option, you will have the right to pursue with the sale or to turn down the sale. You are not obligated to do either of the two. However, you may lose 100% of your total investment in options trading which is the value of the option itself.

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