Options Trading Facts and Why Option Traders Lose

Published on Mar 1st, 2007 in trading with

By johndavis

  Stock Option or Option Trading is a popular instrument for investors to maximize profit with minimized risk. Simply speaking, its a contract that lets the owner buy or sell a stock at a pre-fixed price before it expires. How?

Say, youve bought stocks of XYZ Company, which is called underlying, at $100 and plan to sell it at $10 profit in three months. Although XYZ company stocks currently have really good demands, can you give guarantee of any profit after three months? Simply, NO! In three months, the uncertain world of stocks may take that stock price to the Everest or take that down to the Atlantics!

There comes Option Trading into the play to make sure you get a desired pre-fixed price. Wondering how its possible? Simple! Buy a stock option contract that allows you to sell XYZ stocks at $110 anytime before it expires in three months. After two months, you see XYZ company stocks being traded at $90. ButIts not anymore a problem to you as you own the right to sell it at $110!

You may ask, What if the market price is $120? Dont I loose profit then? Well, thats an opportunity cost youve to accept. You may loose profit. But note, actually youre not making any loss. And more importantly you can sleep well at night even if the market price of XYZ has gone down!

Depending on market condition and trend, you may trade options in two ways. A Call Option is a right to buy stocks at a preset price within a specified date. You may buy call options when you hope the stock price will rise in future. Alternatively, a Put Option allows you to sell the stocks within a specified date at a current agreed price. When you expect stock price to fall in future, buy put options.

Trading stock options is vital for investors as it can leverage the profit dramatically with relatively lower risk. But be careful. Its not childs play! A considerable amount of expertise and concentration are a must before you start dealing with stock options.

The most made mistake with stock options is the fact that the vast majority of traders concentrate on options that have a very low price. By doing this they expect a small increase in price which would result in a big percentage based profit. The problem with this kind of expectation is that the underlying of the option has to move quite sharply in order to make any profits at all with the option.

Due to this, most of these options expire worthless. Although option traders know this fact they keep on repeating this strategy by saying that they only invest a small portion of their capital.

Well, on the long run these small portions become very big. At the end the option trader realizes this but then it’s too late.

Are there any strategies with option trading which are less risky but still bringing more profit potential? Check out stock option strategies which bring you to the other side of the option market: Become an option seller.

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