"The author's option trading guidelines include important issues often overlooked by investors. Attention conservative investors! Michael C. Thomsett's Options Trading for the Conservative Investor has hit a bull's-eye...for you!" -Marty Kearney, The Options Institute, Chicago Board Options Exchange "Michael C. Thomsett has done a terrific job of showing how a conservative investor can use certain option strategies to his advantage. He spells out how that investor can utilize options to provide income, to protect stock holdings, or even as a substitute for stock itself. Every open-minded conservative investor should read this book." - Lawrence G. McMillan, publisher, The Options Strategist newsletter; president, McMillan Analysis Corporation; author, Options as a Strategic Investment "This book is a must for the diligent investor. Perfectly timed for these uncertain markets, Michael C. Thomsett provides a lucid guide for how to approach options trading conservatively, yet also focuses on the fundamental need for good returns and provides real examples throughout." -Guy Cohen, author of The Bible of Options Strategies and creator of OptionEasy (www.optioneasy.com) New downside protection strategies, detailed examples, and step-by-step techniques for conservative investors Easy enough for virtually any experienced investor to use-even those without options experience By renowned options expert Michael C. Thomsett, author of the global best-seller Getting Started in Options To protect yourself in today's volatile and uncertain market environment, you need to hedge losses, create extra sources of income, and reduce risk. In this book, internationally renowned options expert Michael C. Thomsett shows how to do all that effectively. One step at a time, Thomsett helps you exploit 12 carefully chosen options strategies that can dramatically increase your overall returns as you manage risks within your personal limits.

Optionsscheine haben vielfach den Ruf einer riskanten Anlageform. Was viele Investoren nicht wahrhaben wollen ist, daß der Optionshandel auch Teil einer sehr konservativen Anlagestrategie sein kann. Der Autor zeigt hier, wie man Optionen strategisch zur Senkung des Risikos einsetzen kann. Ein neuer Standpunkt, dargestellt in klaren, präzisen Worten. (12/98)

By trading on corporate earnings, investors can reliably profit in both up and down markets, while avoiding market risk for nearly the entire quarter. In this book, two leading traders and portfolio managers present specific, actionable techniques anyone can use to capture these sizable profits. Ping Zhou and John Shon have performed an unprecedented empirical analysis of thousands of stocks, reviewing tens of millions of data points associated with option prices, earnings announcement returns, and fundamentals. Their massive analysis has identified consistent opportunities associated with focusing on the magnitude of the market’s reaction to earnings, not its direction. Option Trading Set-Ups for Corporate Earnings News offers concrete guidance for improving the likelihood of making correct forecasts, and managing the risks of incorrect forecasts. It introduces several ways to exploit option trading opportunities around earnings news, discuss crucial issues that most retail investors haven’t considered, and explore aspects of earnings-related option trading that have never been empirically examined and documented before. For example, they identify hidden patterns and potential opportunities based on valuation, industry, volatility, analyst forecasts, seasonality, and trades that immediately follow earnings announcements. Simply put, trading on earnings reports offers immense profit opportunities, if you know how. This book provides incontrovertible facts and detailed strategies, not just theories and anecdotes!

A straightforward guide to successfully trading options Options provide traders and investors with a wide range of strategies to lock in profits, reduce risk, generate income, or speculate on market direction. However, they are complex instruments and can be difficult to master if misunderstood. No-Hype Options Trading offers the straight truth on how to trade the options market. In it, author Kerry Given provides realistic strategies to consistently generate income every month, while debunking many myths about options trading that tend to lead retail traders astray. Along the way, he makes a conscious effort to avoid complex strategies that are appropriate only for market makers or professional traders, and instead focuses on low-risk strategies that can be easily implemented and managed by a part-time trader. Shows how you can use option spreads in conjunction with stocks to produce a regular stream of income Each chapter includes exercises to help you master the material presented Examines how you can adjust option positions as market conditions change in order to maintain an optimal risk/reward profile Written for anyone interested in successfully trading options, this reliable resource cuts through the hype and misinformation that surrounds options trading and presents a realistic path to profits.

Equity and index options expire on the third Friday of each month. As that moment approaches, unusual market forces create option price distortions, rarely understood by most investors. These distortions give rise to outstanding trading opportunities with enormous profit potential. In Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame, leading options trader Jeff Augen explores this extraordinary opportunity with never-before published statistical models, minute-by-minute pricing analysis, and optimized trading strategies that regularly deliver returns of 40%-300% per trade. You’ll learn how to structure positions that profit from end-of-contract price distortions with remarkably low risk. These strategies don’t rely on your ability to pick stocks or predict market direction and they only require one or two days of market exposure per month. Augen also discusses: · Three powerful end-of-cycle effects not comprehended by contemporary pricing models · Trading only one or two days each month and avoiding overnight exposure · Leveraging the surprising power of expiration-day pricing dynamics If you’re looking for an innovative new way to reignite your returns no matter where the markets move, you’ve found it in Trading Options at Expiration. “Learn and profit from Jeff Augen’s book: It clearly explains how to take advantage of market inefficiencies in collapsing implied volatility, effects of strike price, and time decay. A must-read for individuals who are options oriented.” --Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Director of Technical Analysis Studies, New York Institute of Finance “A fantastic, insightful book full of meticulously compiled statistics about anomalies that surround option expiration. Not only does Augen present a set of effective trading strategies to capitalize on these anomalies, he walks through the performance of each across several expirations. His advice is practical and readily applicable: He outlines common pitfalls, gives guidance on timing your executions, and even includes code that can be used to perform the same calculations he does in the text. A thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you a true edge in your option trading.” --Alexis Goldstein, Vice President, Equity Derivatives Business Analyst “Mr. Augen makes a careful and systematic study of option prices at expiration. His translation of price behavior into trading strategy is intriguing work, and the level of detail is impressive.” --Dr. Robert Jennings, Professor of Finance, Indiana University Kelly School of Business “This book fills a gap in the vast amount of literature on derivatives trading and stands out for being extremely well written, clear, concise, and very low on jargon--perfect for traders looking to evolve their equity option strategies.” --Nazzaro Angelini, Principal, Spearpoint Capital “Instead of considering macro-time strategies that take weeks to unfold, Jeff Augen is thinking micro here--hours or days--specifically the days or hours right before expiration, and harnessing grinding, remorseless options decay for profit. He builds a compelling case for the strategy here. The concept of using ratio spreads plus risk management for as brief a period as one day--open to close--to capture expiring premium is worth the price of admission alone. A superb follow-up to his first book. Must-read for the serious options student.” --John A. Sarkett, Option Wizard software

Presents today's most effective strategies for trading options :how and why they work, when they're appropriate, when they're inappropriate, and how to use each one responsibly and with confidence. This book will help you identify and implement the optimal strategy for every opportunity, trading environment, and goal.