|
Home / Finance
Understanding and Trading Put Options
By:Billy Williams
Copyright 2006 Billy Williams
Put options are a misunderstood investment tool but once understood by an individual investor it can be a very versatile investment tool. Put options can be used to protect your portfolio, and they can help you pick up huge profits by controlling the stock of a company during a price decline and profiting from the decline. Plus, put options offer strictly limited risk. If an option trade goes the wrong way, you won't lose more than your initial investment plus commissions.
So what are put options? Put options are a type of investment that gives you the right to buy an underlying security at a higher price for a specified amount of time and if that security falls lower you can purchase the shares at that price and then sell it to the issuer of that put option at a higher price and keep the difference as your profit.
In other words, put options give you the right to bet on the price decline of a stock, but you are limited to that bet for a certain period – usually from 1 month to as long as 3 years depending on the option selected.
For example, you believe that the SPX, the S & P 500 index, is very overbought and that if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates that it will cause the SPX to sell off and decline.
You then look up the strike prices on the SPX options for the current month because the Fed (Federal Reserve) will make its decision in a week so there is no need to look at buying puts several months out. The SPX has a current price of 1310 so you decide to purchase the ATM (at-the-money) SPX 1310 options for the current month at $11 (which is $1100; $11 premium x 100 = $1100 cost per option).
The Fed raises interest rates as you expected and over the next 8 days has a massive sell off and declines over 60 SPX points to a price level at 1250.
Your SPX option rises in value from $11 to $47 for a profit of $36 ($3600) which translates into a return of 327%!
Another advantage to investing in options is that you can never lose more than you invest in an option. If the trade doesn't go your way, you only lose the amount you paid for the option and any commissions related to the trade. If the SPX had continued to rally from the example above then the most you would have lost is your original investment of $1100. Also, you could have sold your position for a smaller loss instead of holding it for the duration.
Put options are another tool in your trading arsenal that offer large rewards but limit your risk. While there are other factors to consider such as timing, understanding volatility, etc. it can be well worth the effort to understand how put options can help maximize your returns.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: online stock trading, stock trading, option trading, stock market, option trader
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
Mr. Williams has been trading stocks, options, and futures for almost 15 years. He has extensive training in systemic trading and technical analysis along with the insight that comes from suffering the highs and lows from trading for many years. He trades professionally and operates an educational website with the goal of helping aspiring traders as well as experienced traders achieve their goals in the stock market. www.stockoptionsystem.com
|
|
| Top Finance Articles |
- 1). Locate And Find Debtors With A Credit Collection Agency By : Stu Pearson
It can be a frustrating experience trying to collect a debt from a customer who just seems unwilling to pay. Letters sent to their address go ignored, and phone calls are answered with empty promises of payment. While this is certainly a bad scenario, what if a customer who owes you money just disappears? It is possible to locate and find debtors with a credit collection agency, and in this article we’ll explain to you the methods behind their tracking.
|
|
|
|
|
- 4). Who Is Responsible For Closing Costs By : Raynor
Buying or selling a home is a euphoric experience for both of the parties involved. This euphoria can cool when you learn which party is responsible for the closing costs.
Who Is Responsible For Closing Costs
When looking to buy or sell a home, every person eventually arrives at the question of funding closing costs on the transaction. To put it simply, both buyers and sellers typically are responsible for some of the closing costs.
|
- 5). Family Finance By : Joseph Kenny
One of the hardest things that young couples report during their first year of marriage is getting to grips with joint finances. While most are willing to share what they have with their partner, they are not sure on the best way to bring this sharing into effect so that they can share with their new partner, but at the same time maintain financial security and a degree of independence.
|
- 6). Preparing Your Finances For A Bird Flu Pandemic By : Pandemic Zone
If you have been paying attention to the news lately you may of heard of the threat of bird flu and a world pandemic. What would this mean and how would it affect your financial holdings. The World Bank, which has estimated that a bird flu pandemic lasting a year could, cost the global economy up to $800 billion dollars. The economic toll on the world economy will be catastrophic.
|
|
|
- 8). High Gas Prices and Ways to Save By : essmeier
With Memorial Day around the corner, the great American travel season is here. During the summer, most Americans take at least one extended vacation, and four fifths take that trip by automobile. Unfortunately, this year, the price of gas is at record highs, and no one likes to spend their vacation money on gasoline. While there is little to be done about the price of gas itself, there are some things the average vacationer can do to help ease the costs of auto travel.
|
|
|
|
|
| New Finance Articles |
- 1). How To Earn Money Online In Five Easy Steps By : John Morris
Living in Los Angeles, Greg realized that there are a lot of people who work from home rather than the office. One reason is that many of these executives are writers and producers of films and television shows...
|
- 2). You Can Stick to Your Budget By : Jonathon Hardcastle
Recent studies have shown that Americans are spending less money on necessities than ever before. Yet, more Americans are also in debt. The unspoken fact that makes both those statements true is that Americans are spending more and more money on luxury items.
|
- 3). Technical Analysis Of Stock Data By : John Morris
To perform a technical analysis is simply examining stock chart data in order to make predictions about the future of that stock. Investors who use this style of analysis are often unconcerned about the nature or value of the companies they trade stocks in...
|
- 4). Getting The Most Money Out Of Selling Your House By : John Morris
It is easier said than done to make a profit in the real estate market nowadays. Those that manage to consistently turn a profit on real estate investments have been working in that field for years and are using proven strategies in order to minimize risk...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- 10). How Can I Be Approved For A Low Rate Credit Card? By : Mike Singh
When applying for a credit card you may come upon what is called a low rate credit card, what is this exactly and how can it help you? First of all you should know that a low rate credit card is usually an excellent way to go when applying for a credit card. Find out more...
|
|
|
