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OPTIONSTAR.
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sonable care)
Optionstar EZ
INTRODUCTION TO OPTIONS
Options as an alternative investment
Learn little known strategies of brokers and floor traders.
Make money in down markets. Profit whether the stock goes
up or down. Try Options as an alternative investment.
Options give you a virtually unlimited number of profit
opportunities for ANY direction (up, down, choppy, or still) you think the stock is headed.
You can limit both your profits and losses. You can control
much larger quantities of stock for the same cost of buying the stock.
Option Basics
Perhaps you have invested in a 401k.
Maybe you have bought or sold stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.
Options can be the next step in your short or long term investment strategies.
Different forms of options are used everyday. Why do you have insurance on your
house and car? It's to protect your property from an unlikely catastrophe for
a small amount known as a premium. In the same way some investors
buy options on stocks and indexes as insurance protection against their holdings.
The biggest advantage of options is their flexiblity. They can be as conservative or
speculative as your investment style needs to be. Here are some examples of strategies
you can do with options:
Protect your existing stock or mutual funds from big declines. (buy puts)
Profit fully from a stock increase for a fraction of the cost. (buy calls)
Profit generously from a stock increase for a smaller fraction of the cost. (bull spread)
Take in a monthly income from a stock you own. (covered calls)
Receive a payment for the opportunity to buy a stock at a discounted price. (put writing)
Profit from a market move up OR down. (straddles)
Benefit if the market stays still. (short straddles)
Buying Calls and Puts
The most fundamental options strategy is to buy call or buy puts.
First select a stock you are interested and go to an options chain quote service such as:
The Chicago Board Options Exchange CBOE:
http://quote.cboe.com/QuoteTable.asp
Dreyfus Brokerage:
http://www.edreyfus.com
Type in the symbol and you will get a list of available options.
Here is an options chain for Microsoft on 11/7/01:
An option is a right to buy or sell an asset for a specified price and time.
Let's say you want to buy a TV on sale at Wal-Mart. You drive there only
to find out that it's "sold out". So you go to the clerk and ask for a
"rain check". This "rain check" is a guarantee that you will get the TV
for the sale price when they are back in stock. There may be an expiration
date on the "rain check" for 1 month from the out of stock date.
This rain check qualifies as an Call option. You have the right to purchase
the TV for the sale price up to 1 month regardless of how much the
TV goes up or down in price during that period. You are the buying this
call option and Wal Mart is the seller. The only difference of this
rain check versus a real option is that there is NO value on this option and
it is probably non-transferable.
Now, let's use this same concept for a stock. For instance, you want to
buy Microsoft stock and it is trading at $50 a share. Instead of buying the
stock, you decide to purchase a "right to buy the stock at 50" which will
expire on 1/15/01. You would be willing to pay $3 for this right to buy Microsoft
before 1/15/01 at $50. On the other side of this deal, there is someone
who is willing to sell you this right for you to buy Microsoft from him for 50.
He wants $3 for granting you this contract.
Comparison table: Stock option VS Rain check for TV
Option components:
Expiration Date
Stock
###
Rain
check
for TV
###
50
500
call
call
NO
VALUE
(non
transferr
able)
Option price
20
-300
30
-300
40
-300
50
-300
60
700
70
1700
80
2700
p/l% at exp
-100%
-100%
-100%
-100%
233%
567%
900%
The same $300 investment in buying MSFT would have got you only 6 shares:
stk price
p/l at exp
p/l% at exp
20
-180
-60%
30
-120
-40%
40
-60
-20%
50
0
0%
60
60
20%
70
120
40%
80
180
60%
As you can see, the power in buying options involves controlling substantially more shares
for the same cost. You also limit your maximum risk to the lower cost of the option.
The only downside to buying options is that your probability is high that the stock will stay
the same resulting in you losing some or all of your option value.
Buying Put options.
Buying put options are the same strategy as buying calls, only betting the stock will go down
instead of up. So the you could buy a 50 Put Option for $3. This would be the right to SELL
Microsoft for $50 before the expiration date. On expiration, if Microsoft is above $50, the
option expires worthless and you would lose your $3.
If it is anywhere below $50, you would profit dollar per dollar less your $3 cost.
A profit loss table for 1 put option contract (100 shares, total cost: $300) would look as follows:
stk price
p/l at exp
p/l% at exp
20
2700
900%
30
1700
567%
40
700
233%
50
-300
-100%
60
-300
-100%
70
-300
-100%
80
-300
-100%
20
-2700
-900%
30
-1700
-567%
40
-700
-233%
50
300
100%
60
300
100%
70
300
100%
80
300
100%
Here your loss would be almost unlimited and your profit would be limited to $300.
The probability would be high that the stock would stay the same or go up giving you the $300 profit.
Covered Calls
A "covered call" has the same exact profit and loss table as a naked put.
Here you would buy 100 shares of a $50 stock and sell (write) a 50 call for $3.
Basically, selling the 50 call would give someone the the right to buy the stock
from you for $50 on or before expiration. In return for granting this, you will
receive $3. Should the stock close above $50 at expiration, you would end up
selling your stock to that person for $50 and profiting $300. If the stock is
below $50, you would still own it and keep the $300.
CLICK HERE to analyze a COVERED CALL
20
-3000
2900
-100
30
-2000
1900
-100
40
-1000
900
-100
50
0
-100
-100
60
1000
-100
900
70
2000
-100
1900
80
3000
-100
2900
The put will limit your total losses to only $100 (cost of the put) reduce your gains by the same amount.
Bull Spread - a conservative option play
A more conservative approach to just buying a call would be the bull spread.
This involves buying one call and selling another call further out.
For example, a stock is trading at $50 and you buy the 50 call for $3 and sell the 60 call for $1.
This would result in a spread position where you max loss and profit are limited. The max
profit would be $800 and the max loss would be $200 (net cost).
The PL at expiration table would look as follows:
stk price
buy 50 call@3
sell 60 call@1
net pl
20
-300
100
-200
30
-300
100
-200
40
-300
100
-200
50
-300
100
-200
60
700
100
800
70
1700
-900
800
80
2700
-1900
800
This position in comparision to just buying the call, would give you a lower maximum risk and
limit the max profit to $800.
CLICK HERE to analyze a BULL SPREAD
20
-300
2700
30
-300
1700
40
-300
700
50
-300
-300
60
700
-300
70
1700
-300
80
2700
-300
net pl
2400
1400
400
-600
400
1400
2400
20
300
-2700
-2400
30
300
-1700
-1400
40
300
-700
-400
50
300
300
600
60
-700
300
-400
70
-1700
300
-1400
80
-2700
300
-2400
A short straddle is a neutral position making money if the stock stays around 50 with an unlimited
risk exposure.
CLICK HERE to analyze a STRADDLE
Options
Components*
Buy Call
bc
Buy Put
bp
Sell Call
sc
Sell Put
sp
Covered Calls bu+sc
Bull Spread
bac+soc
Bear Spread
bap+sop
Straddle
bc+bp
Short Straddle sc+bc
DIRECTION
MAX PROFIT
MAX RISK
very bullish
very bearish
moderate bearish
moderate bullish
moderate bullish
bullish
bearish
volatile
neutral
unlim
unlim
cost of option
cost of option
cost of option
strike spread
strike spread
unlim
cost of options
cost of option
cost of option
unlim
unlim
unlim
cost of options
cost of options
cost of options
unlim
count requirements
2700 stocks.
w as $10 a trade.
same amount.
Protect your existing stock or mutual funds from big declines. (buy p
Profit fully from a stock increase for a fraction of the cost. (buy calls
Receive a payment for the opportunity to buy a stock at a discounte
2 Covered Calls
4 Straddles
5 Custom Analysis
R down. (straddles)
hort straddles)
Optionstar EZ
SINGLE CALLS or PUTS
POSITION DATA
Stock Price
Stock Volatility
Option
Qty (no. contracts)
Expiration
Option Strike
Option Price
50.00
30%
buy call
1
2/19/2002
50.00
2.00
Intrinsic Value
Time Value
Option Value
Implied Volatility
83.3
3,133
1567%
###
Price interval:
100.0
4,800
2400%
###
16.67
6,000
2.00
5,000
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
4,000
POSITION SUMMARY
Total Cost
200
Max Profit
4,800
Max Loss
(200)
Breakeven Price
52.00
Probability of profit
Err:502
Expected Return
Err:502
66.7
1,467
733%
###
3,000
2,000
1,000
-
16.7
33.3
50.0
66.7
83.3
100.0
50.0
200
4%
66.7
700
15%
83.3
700
15%
100.0
700
15%
50.0
66.7
83.3
100.0
(1,000)
COVERED CALLS
POSITION DATA
Stock Price
Stock Volatility
Qty (no. contracts)
Expiration
Call Strike
Call Price
Intrinsic Value
Time Value
Call Value
Implied Volatility
50.00
30%
1
12/19/2001
55.00
2.00
2.00
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
POSITION SUMMARY
Total cost
4,800
Max Profit
700
Max Loss
(4,800)
Breakeven Price
48.00
Probability of profit
Err:502
Yield if assigned
15%
Yield at cur price
4%
Yld (ann) if assn
-1%
16.7
33.3
0%
50
30%
call
call
Buy Option
1
2/19/2002
45
7
Sell Option
1
2/19/2002
50
3
Intrinsic Value
5.00
Time Value
2.00
3.00
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
700
POSITION SUMMARY
Total Cost
400
Max Profit
100
Max Loss
(400)
Breakeven Price
49.00
Probability of profit
Err:502
Expected Return
Err:502
###
###
300
Option Value
Implied Volatility
55.0
100
Price Interval:
200
100
35.0
(100)
40.0
45.0
50.0
55.0
60.0
(200)
(300)
(400)
(500)
STRADDLE
POSITION DATA
Stock Price
50
Stock Volatility
30%
Buy or Sell Spread sell
call option
Qty (no. contracts)
1
Expiration
2/19/2002
Option Strike
40
Option Price
11
Intrinsic Value
10.00
10.00
1.00
1.00
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
1100
POSITION SUMMARY
###
###
1100
Time Value
Option Value
Implied Volatility
58.3
200
Price Interval:
400
200
25.0
(200)
(400)
(600)
(800)
(1,000)
(1,200)
(1,400)
33.3
41.7
50.0
58.3
66.7
25.0
(200)
(400)
(600)
(800)
Total Cost
Max Profit
Max Loss
Breakeven Price 1
Breakeven Price 2
Probability of profit
Expected Return
(2,200)
200
(3,800)
38
62
Err:502
Err:502
(1,000)
(1,200)
Err:502
Err:502
(1,400)
33.3
41.7
50.0
58.3
66.7
(200)
4,800
Buy or Sell
buy
1 buy call
buy
call
1
16.67
Call or Put
call
2 buy put
3 sell call
4 sell put
buy
sell
sell
put
call
put
2
3
4
12.50
8.33
5.00
1,467
(200)
###
###
3,133
(200)
###
###
prob
1
3
1a
3a
Err:502
(200)
4,800
###
###
(200)
3,133
###
###
100.0
100.0
(200)
1,467
###
###
(200)
(200)
###
###
0.0
prob
Err:502
60.0
100
Price Interval:
3
4
65.0
100
5.00
4
16.67 call
12.50 put
1
2
8.33
5.00
bc
35.0
(700)
40.0
(700)
45.0
(700)
50.0
(200)
55.0
300
sc
bull sprd
300
(400)
300
(400)
300
(400)
300
100
(200)
100
300
(1,200)
(900)
(200)
(700)
(900)
(700)
(200)
(900)
(700)
300
(400)
(700)
300
(400)
25.0
(1,100)
2,400
1,300
33.3
(1,100)
1,567
467
41.7
(933)
733
(200)
50.0
(100)
(100)
(200)
58.3
733
(933)
(200)
5
bp
sp
bear sprd
55.0
60.0
65.0
66.7
75.0
(467) (1,300)
Price Interval:
58.3
66.7
8.33333
8.33
75.0
1
2
3
3
16.67
12.50
8.33
5.00
(3,800)
(3,800) bc
bp
straddle
0.0
58.3
66.7
75.0
16.6667
1
1
7/28/2015
1
2
2
3
4
3/18/2012
11/7/2008
2/19/2002
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
4,800
(200)
###
###
0
(200)
4,800
100.00
4,800
(200)
60.0
800
65.0
1,300
(700)
100
(1,200)
100
(700)
300
(400)
(700)
300
(400)
66.7
1,567
(1,100)
467
75.0
2,400
(1,100)
1,300
100.0
0
(1,100)
4,900
3,800
100
4,900
(1,100)
3,800
Optionstar EZ
CUSTOM SPREAD
POSITION DATA
Stock Price
POSITIONS:
200
(200)
200
200
200
200
50.00 Stock Volatility
1
2
3
(200)
200
30.0% interest rt
4
5
2.5%
6
TOTAL
Option Theoretical
Implied Volatility
TOTAL COST
GREEKS
Net Delta (stk prc)
gamma (delta)
theta (time to exp)
vega (volatility)
rho (interest)
2.00
1.00
2.00
1.00
###
###
200
500
21.43
(500)
TOTAL
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
#MACRO?
(1,000)
(1,500)
(2,000)
SUM
PROFIT & LOSS (at expiration) TABLE
21.43
28.57
35.71
42.86
(1,857)
PL at
(1,143)
(429)
50.00
286
57.14
286
Price Interval
7/28/2015 7/28/2015
64.29
71.43
(429)
(1,143)
7.14286
7.14
500
78.57
(1,857)
1 bc
2
3
4
5
6
sc
bp
sp
bu
su
21.43
28.57
35.71
42.86
50.00
57.14
64.29
71.43
1
2
3
4
5
6
(500)
(1,000)
(1,500)
bc
sc
bp
sp
bu
su
2
(2,000)
78.57
Max Profit
Max Loss
286
(4,000)
1
2
3
4
5
6
bc
sc
bp
sp
bu
su
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
bc
sc
bp
sp
bu
su
4
1
2
3
4
5
6
bc
sc
bp
sp
bu
su
5
1 bc
2 sc
3 bp
4 sp
5 bu
6 su
6
(1,857)
(1,143)
(429)
286
21.43
(200)
28.57
(200)
35.71
(200)
42.86
(200)
200
2,657
(2,657)
(2,857)
2,857
2,657
200
200
1,943
1,229
(1,943) (1,229)
(2,143) (1,429)
2,143
1,429
1,943
1,229
200
514
(514)
(714)
714
514
(200)
200
4,514
(4,514)
(5,714)
5,714
(4,514)
286
(429)
(1,143)
(1,857)
(4,000)
(4,000)
50.00
(200)
57.14
514
64.29
1,229
71.43
1,943
78.57
2,657
(200)
100.00
4,800
200
(200)
200
(200)
(514)
(200)
200
714
(714)
(200)
(1,229)
(200)
200
1,429
(1,429)
(200)
(1,943)
(200)
200
2,143
(2,143)
(200)
(2,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
(200)
200
4,800
(4,800)
(5,000)
5,000
4,800
(4,800)
(200)
200
5,000
(5,000)
(200)
(200)
(200)
(200)
200
200
200
3,086
1,657
229
(3,086) (1,657)
(229)
(4,286) (2,857) (1,429)
4,286
2,857
1,429
(3,086) (1,657)
(229)
800 2,229
(800) (2,229)
(200)
(200)
200
200
1,429
(1,429)
200
200
3,657
(3,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
200
5,086
(5,086)
(200)
200
4,286
(4,286)
200
6,514
(200) 10,800
(6,514)
200 (10,800)
(200)
8,800
(200)
200
(8,800)
200
5,714 (10,000) 10,000
(5,714) 10,000 (10,000)
200
(8,800)
200
(200)
200
2,657
(2,657)
(2,857)
2,857
(200)
(200)
(200)
200
200
1,943
1,229
(1,943) (1,229)
(2,143) (1,429)
2,143
1,429
(200)
(200)
(200)
200
(200)
200
(200)
514
(514)
(200)
200
714
(714)
514
1,229
(1,229)
(200)
200
1,429
(1,429)
1,229
1,943
(1,943)
(200)
200
2,143
(2,143)
1,943
2,657
(2,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
2,657
(200)
200
6,514
(6,514)
(5,714)
5,714
200
(200)
(200)
(200)
200
200
200
5,086
3,657
2,229
(5,086) (3,657) (2,229)
(4,286) (2,857) (1,429)
4,286
2,857
1,429
200
200
200
(200)
229
200
(229)
800
(200)
(800)
200
1,429
(1,429)
200
(229)
1,657
(1,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
(1,657)
3,086
(3,086)
(200)
200
4,286
(4,286)
(3,086)
4,514
(200)
8,800
(4,514)
200
(8,800)
(200) 10,800
(200)
200 (10,800)
200
5,714 (10,000) 10,000
(5,714) 10,000 (10,000)
(4,514)
200
(8,800)
(200)
200
514
(514)
(714)
714
(200)
(200)
200
4,800
(4,800)
(5,000)
5,000
(200)
4,800
(4,800)
(200)
200
5,000
(5,000)
4,800
(1,857)
(1,143)
(429)
286
21.43
(200)
28.57
(200)
35.71
(200)
42.86
(200)
200
2,657
(2,657)
(2,857)
2,857
2,657
200
1,943
(1,943)
(2,143)
2,143
1,943
200
1,229
(1,229)
(1,429)
1,429
1,229
(200)
200
4,514
(4,514)
(5,714)
5,714
(4,514)
(200)
200
3,086
(3,086)
(4,286)
4,286
(3,086)
(200)
200
2,657
(2,657)
(2,857)
2,857
(200)
(200)
200
6,514
(6,514)
(5,714)
5,714
200
286
(429)
(1,143)
(1,857)
50.00
(200)
57.14
514
64.29
1,229
71.43
1,943
78.57
2,657
200
514
(514)
(714)
714
514
200
(200)
200
(200)
(514)
(200)
200
714
(714)
(200)
(1,229)
(200)
200
1,429
(1,429)
(200)
(1,943)
(200)
200
2,143
(2,143)
(200)
(2,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
(200)
(200)
200
1,657
(1,657)
(2,857)
2,857
(1,657)
(200)
200
229
(229)
(1,429)
1,429
(229)
800
(800)
(200)
200
200
2,229
(2,229)
(200)
200
1,429
(1,429)
200
3,657
(3,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
200
5,086
(5,086)
(200)
200
4,286
(4,286)
200
6,514
(6,514)
(200)
200
5,714
(5,714)
200
(200)
200
1,943
(1,943)
(2,143)
2,143
(200)
(200)
200
1,229
(1,229)
(1,429)
1,429
(200)
(200)
200
514
(514)
(714)
714
(200)
(200)
200
(200)
200
(200)
514
(514)
(200)
200
714
(714)
514
1,229
(1,229)
(200)
200
1,429
(1,429)
1,229
1,943
(1,943)
(200)
200
2,143
(2,143)
1,943
2,657
(2,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
2,657
(200)
200
5,086
(5,086)
(4,286)
4,286
200
(200)
200
3,657
(3,657)
(2,857)
2,857
200
(200)
200
2,229
(2,229)
(1,429)
1,429
200
(200)
200
800
(800)
200
229
(229)
(200)
200
1,429
(1,429)
(229)
1,657
(1,657)
(200)
200
2,857
(2,857)
(1,657)
3,086
(3,086)
(200)
200
4,286
(4,286)
(3,086)
4,514
(4,514)
(200)
200
5,714
(5,714)
(4,514)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
buy Call
sell Call
buy Put
sell Put
buy Stk
sell Stk
3 7.142857
1
12.50
1 7/28/2015
10.00
2 3/18/2012
7.14
5.00
3.33
2.50
1.25
3 11/7/2008
4 2/19/2002