Concepts
Strike prices and GPS
Richard Ho
One day I was driving home after work and I received a call from an old friend, Alex. We started talking about the kids and the wife but, eventually, we ended up talking about the markets. Alex has some knowledge of options, but there was one thing that he didn’t understand. He asked me, “How do you know which strike price...
Use Bid/Ask Spreads to Measure Liquidity, Not Open Interest
Tony Zhang
One question we’re often asked about our trades is why we would present ideas that have low volume and open interest. The answer might surprise you: It’s because open interest and volume are not reliable indicators of liquidity. Option liquidity is primarily a function of the underlying stock’s liquidity. Here’s why:...
Evolution, Revolution or Convolution: The Changing Landscape of Exchange Market Structure in North America
Alan Grigoletto
Bill Gates once said, “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” There is some argument as to which nation created the first exchange....
Option Myths and Misconceptions
Jason Ayres
For those readers who are just beginning their options education journey, I am sure you have been presented with many opinions from other investors and investment professionals alike, regarding the value and risk that options bring to a portfolio. Unfortunately, many myths and misconceptions have arisen due to a lack of...
Secret to Consistent Income with Options
Tony Zhang
The success to trading any strategy on stocks or options is consistency. This is true for both researching the underlying stock or ETF, and choosing the right trading strategy. Having a consistent approach such as technical or fundamental analysis leads to reliable research that doesn’t conflict. The same applies to...
Understanding Credit Spreads and How They Differ from Debit Spreads
Alan Grigoletto
In a previous posting, “Bull Call and Bear Put Spreads, Pairing Option Strategies with Forecasts” we learned how to implement a debit spread for both calls and puts. This week we will examine another form of vertical spreads: credit spreads and how they can be used. Recall that debit spreads are a limited risk transaction,...
5 Potential Canadian Market Surprises for 2018
Patrick Ceresna
What better way to wrap up the 2017 year than with a market forecast. As a trader, I always look at a forecast as establishing a baseline from which to build investment themes for the upcoming year. The obstacle however, lies in that there is substantial herding in economic forecasting and rarely does an analyst stick their...
Understanding Options Vega
Alan Grigoletto
Prior to understanding Vega, we need to quickly review option-pricing models. The options pricing models are mathematical formulas that help investors and traders remove the guesswork from determining an options price. The models make some assumptions, primarily that stock prices are random and that only one of the option...
Unintended Consequences of Systematic Covered Call Writing
Patrick Ceresna
Enhancing income and returns through covered call writing has become one of the most common strategies being adopted by investors. Arguably selling calls against shares and ETFs is considered a conservative strategy that almost any Canadian retail investor can access, in and out of their registered accounts. While many...
Options Brief- Week of July 24
Montréal Exchange
Behind every transaction, there is intention, a belief. Investors typically select options strategies with a clear objective in mind based on a predetermined outlook. One of the most popular strategies is the covered call strategy. We have discussed the covered call in depth in previous posts, but here is a quick summary. The...
