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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Option Trading: How To Achieve Superior Returns As A Trader

By Dr. Asoka Selvarajah

Definition Of Options Trading

You can enter the stock market with a minimum of investment and still get a bigger return on your investment if you go in for option trading. In option trading you pay a premium to give you the right to buy or sell some shares in the future. You can then buy or sell those shares within the time specified at the price decided. You are obliged to make the purchase or sale within the specified time or risk the forfeiture of the premium paid.

Generally these option periods last a month and a specific day of the month is decided for termination of the contract. This is the third Saturday of the month or any other day specified by the exchanges who monitor such trades. The expiry of the period expunges all the rights of the option trader and he cannot make the trade after the date is over.

A broader look at option trading

You would have to be deeply involved in stock market trade to understand the difference between stock trading and option trading. If you as a newcomer still want to be involved in option trading you must make an effort to understand terminology used and the ideas behind the concept. The terms by used by traders in option trading are quite specific and have their own meanings. When you go in for option trading you would have to decide a price for the stock you want to trade in , the number of shares, and the time period in which you would make such a trade.

The option trader who buys options has no obligation to act whatsoever, and is only obligated to pay the premium to buy the option in the first place. He retains the right to exercise his options in the future, should the opportunity arise and should he wish to do so. The option "exercise price" locks in the specified price at which the underlying stock can be bought or sold for the lifetime of the option. If you are the owner of a call option, giving you the right to buy stock at the exercise price, and the stock price rises above the exercise price during the lifetime of your call option, you can exercise your option to acquire the stock at that exercise price instead of the prevailing price in the market, which may be far higher. In other words, you are buying stock cheaper than the market value.

The stock price may drop or just remain lower the exercise price, the buyer of call option cannot use at all, but can also sell the option and in that way exit the position at a loss or breakeven. Instead, he can hold onto it with the hope that there will be rise in the option of the market value, by depending upon factors such as volatility, expiry time and much more.

Generally though, because of the leverage that options provide, you can control a far larger amount of the underlying stock for a relatively small capital outlay compared with buying or selling the underlying instrument. That is what makes options so attractive because there exists the potential to make far higher return on capital than through merely trading the underlying instrument. When you know what you are doing, there are also far more trading opportunities with relatively lower risk compared to merely buying or selling the underlying.

What do the words mean?

Option trading for stocks is generally in blocks of 100 shares

Call option: The option giving the right to buy the underlying instrument at the strike price.

The selling option the underlying instrument at the strike price is referred to as a put option.

Strike price: This is the price of the stocks for agreed on when the option trading contract is made.

In the money: When the strike price is below the existing price of the stock and you exercise a call option, and when the strike price is above the existing price of the stock and you exercise a put option.

Out of the money: When the strike price is above the existing price of the stock and you exercise a call option, and when the strike price is below the existing price of the stock and you exercise a put option. - 23162

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