- March Madness is in full swing. The NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament has narrowed the field to the Sweet 16 teams. And, we’ve
locked in our OptionsZone 1st Annual March Madness Trading Contest “Sweet 16.”These lucky 16 have a chance to be crowned the National Champion on April 6 — and take home the $1,000 grand prize.Of the hundreds of entries we received, these are the 16 trades with the highest percentage return performance from market open on Thursday, March 19th through the close of trading on Monday, March 23rd. The gains ranged from 61% to 182% — in just 3 days! Aren’t options a beautiful thing?
Check out the contenders and maybe even find a couple of good trading ideas for yourself.
Here are your OptionsZone March Madness “Sweet 16” trades…
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Trade #16: AAPL April 100 Call (QAADT)
Return: 61.29%
“The recent release of the third-generation iPod shuffle, imminent release of new iPhone software and approaching release
of good profit results, combined with a general upturn in the market, should see a major lift in the Apple Inc. share price in
the near future.” — Trade submitted by kjes8226.Want some more trading ideas? Check out 10 NCAA Tournament
Stocks to Trade and 10 Stocks ‘On the Bubble’ to Trade.
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Trade #15: GOOG April 350 Call (GGDDJ)
Return: 62.07%
“Google is one of the best bets in tech sector. Even with the economy sinking, Google seems to make steady profits and
is undervalued.” — Trade submitted by royv111.Learn 10 Secrets of Successful Options Traders here.
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Trade #14: BKE April 25 Call (BKEDE)
Return: 62.16%
“Just a hunch — from a climbing positive sentiment.” — Trade submitted by motionH20.
Reality check time: Know how much stock you’re really controlling. Some investors get carried away with options and end
up owning 50 or 100 contracts or more — but don’t realize that their investment can go to zero! Learn 5
more options trading mistakes to avoid here.
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Trade #13: RIMM April 50 Call (RFYDJ)
Return: 62.24%
“Speculation on good news on or after 3/18/2009.” — Trade submitted by localmind.
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are turning into the “next big thing” in many investment circles. Here are 10
reasons why you should consider using ETFs when trading options.
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Trade #12: SDS April 75 Put (SDSPW)
Return: 66.67%
“We’re going to be in a bounce that will be longer and stronger than most people think. (Just before a bigger crash than
most people think).” — Trade submitted by justguessing.Your stock market nightmare isn’t over. Learn 7 Reasons Why
the Market Is Not Going Up Anytime Soon.
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Trade #11: GS April 120 Call (GSDD)
Return: 72.95%
“I would put on this trade as I believe the recent rally still has some legs over the next two weeks. Especially in the
financials. I believe GS should break out and hit $120. If this is true, my $2 option has a real good chance to go to $10.” — Trade
submitted by sweron.Find out why Goldman Sachs (GS) is on the credit
bubble fighting back.
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Trade #10: QQQQ April 32 Call (QAVDF)
Return: 80.49%
“The market will likely rally through March and April with techs as a leader. Far out-of-the-money options will have the
biggest percentage gains.” — Trade submitted by styelverton.Trading options is not a game for the uninitiated. Here are 7
reasons why you should consider a brokerage that specializes in options trading. And to compare options brokers, click
here.
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Trade #9: GM April 5 Call (GMDA)
Return: 85.71%
“I feel GM has bottomed out and will quickly start to express positive views of their position moving forward.” — Trade
submitted by kasparty.Want some more trading ideas? Check out 10 NCAA Tournament
Stocks to Trade and 10 Stocks ‘On the Bubble’ to Trade.
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Trade #8: ETR June 70 Call (ETRFN)
Return: 86.05%
“I think Entergy will return to former highs once the spin-off of their nuclear core (pun!) is announced as approved.” — Trade
submitted by RavinDave.There are few constants in the market and even fewer things you can rely on. Everyone searches for those constants,
those reliable indicators that provide an edge. But they’re hard, if not nearly impossible, to find. There is, however,
one constant that you can count on: earnings season. Learn
the 12 keys to trading earnings for profits.
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Trade #7: GM April 3 Call (GMDG)
Return: 86.67%
“With GM’s plans to sell their European Opel plants, their agreement with Canadian union and possibly more stimulus funds,
any additional good news could cause stock to rise rapidly.” — Trade submitted by rmelson.The crazy market volatility has some people shying away from trading, and they’re missing out. Find
out how to use volatility to your advantage.
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Trade #6: APOL April 90 Call (OAQDR)
Return: 86.96%
“My trade is a buy on 90 calls for Apollo. I think that when they have earnings at the end of March, the stock will reach
a new high — previous 52-week high is $90. I think earnings will take the stock over $100.”– Trade submitted
by juliecav.Learn 10 Secrets of Successful Options Traders here.
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Trade #5: SLB April 50 Call (SLBDJ)
Return: 91.76%
“The oil industry is on the verge of a breakout from its drop. Late spring should see things improve.” — Trade
submitted by COOLJOEL.The price of crude oil is well off its all-time highs, but no matter how much slowing occurs in global economic activity,
the world will still need to purchase oil. That’s why another oil stock is one of the 10
Stocks You Shouldn’t Throw Away.
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Trade #4: DELL April 10 Call (DLYDB)
Return: 100%
“Dell products are good alternatives to Apple at affordable prices.” — Trade submitted by adam12.
Find out why one OptionsZone expert thinks Dell (DELL) is one of the 7
Stimulus Trades That No One is Talking About.
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Trade #3: JPM April 5 Put (JSAPP)
Return: 100%
“The market isn’t finished bringing this one down.” — Trade submitted by HM.
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) are turning into the “next big thing” in many investment circles. Here are 10
reasons why you should consider using ETFs when trading options.
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Trade #2: AAPL April 115 Call (QAADC)
Return: 105.83%
“The recent market has shown some life. Historical seasonal cycles show AAPL to be a strong performer at this time of year.
With help from some bulls and short covers, a short-term move is very possible.” — Trade submitted by InTheZone.Trading options is not a game for the uninitiated. Here are 7
reasons why you should consider a brokerage that specializes in options trading. And to compare options brokers, click
here.
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Trade #1: CME June 300 Call (CMEFC)
Return: 182.61%
“The stock market is in rally mode, and people are afraid to miss this move. This will bring increased trading volume and
gives an upbeat look at stock market futures. This bodes well for brokers and CME.” — Trade submitted by shmid.There you have it — our Sweet 16!
Keep checking back to see how the Sweet 16 are doing on our March Madness
Leaderboard where we’re tracking the trades to determine who will be crowned the National Champion on April 6 — and take
home the $1,000 grand prize!Related Articles:
