James Chen, CMT is an expert trader, investment adviser, and global market strategist. Samantha (Sam) Silberstein, CFP®, CSLP®, EA, is an experienced financial consultant. She has a demonstrated ...

Do you believe a stock is set to move sharply in the next few days, weeks or months? You don’t have to guess the direction if you initiate a strangle or a straddle. These options trading strategies ...

With earnings season right around the corner, options players might want to look into employing a long straddle strategy. A long straddle is typically used ahead of expected volatility (such as before ...

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Thomas J. Brock is a CFA and CPA with more ...

Options trading allows investors to limit their risk and leverage their capital, but it can also expose them to amplified losses. It’s one of the most flexible trading styles because of the many ...

Options allow for greater flexibility when it comes to expressing a wide variety of market outlooks. Implied volatility tends to rise into earnings events, providing options sellers with potential ...

The second-quarter earnings season kicks off this week with key reports from PepsiCo Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP), Progressive Corp. (NYSE:PGR), and Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) on Thursday, followed by major ...

When traders first start using options, they often employ them either as a way to take a directional view on an asset (buying a call if they expect it to rise or a put if they expect it to fall) or as ...

Options sold as “volatility plays” hide a structural flaw—one retail traders often discover too late, after the market moves, premiums collapse, and the trade that seemed safe quietly turns costly.