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Most Popular
Calls, Puts & Options Trades
Butterfly Spreads – How to Trade a Call Butterfly Spread
By
Josip Causic
Options expert walks you through placing a call butterfly spread using the TradeStation platform.
Nuclear Power Stocks – USEC Inc-USU Options Active
By
Jon Ogg
With the Obama administration putting nuclear power back in the alternative energy lineup, we're seeing a standout speculative trade in USEC Inc-USU options.
Earnings Trade – 2 Health Care Stocks: 1 Hot, 1 Not
By
Two major health insurers report earnings next week, but only one of them looks like it will make a good bullish trade.
Trade Apple-AAPL Volatility With an Option Straddle
By
Jon Ogg
It's hard to say whether Apple's (AAPL) highly anticipated iPad will slay or flop, and what will happen to the stock -- but chances are it will make a big move. Find out how to profit from that move without even having to guess which direction it will go.
Stocks to Buy – Berkshire Hathaway-BRK.B
By
John Lansing
With Berkshire Hathaway's BRK.B 50-to-1 stock split, average investors can now get in on the action. Find out why you want to act fast.
Buy-Write – Are Covered Calls All They’re Cracked Up to Be?
By
Adam Warner
A new study calls into question the benefits of the most popular option strategy.
Using Covered Calls to Protect Your Profits if the Market Wobbles
By
Bryan Perry
Covered call writing is a good way to protect profits from the market rally. Get details on a closed-end fund with a healthy dividend yield derived from a covered call strategy here.
Trading Earnings – How to Profit From ‘Sell the News’ Victims
By
Chris Johnson and Jon Lewis, Contributors
It's not uncommon for a stock to sell off after a benign-to-positive earnings report, and if you know how to anticipate which stocks will fall victim to this, it can lead to some great trading opportunities.
The Advantages of Covered Calls
By
John Jagerson, Editor, Strategic Trader
Covered calls are a great way to limit your liability as an option writer and hedge risk on your stock holdings.
5 Reasons to Go Short in 2010
By
Michael Shulman, Editor, Options Income Blueprint
Shorting stocks will be the easiest way to make money (and a lot of it) in the year ahead. Find out how to position yourself to profit.
Earnings Trade – Starbucks-SBUX
By
Chris Johnson and Jon Lewis, Contributors
Find out why you may want to look at this fallen star for a bullish trade ahead of its earnings announcement.
Dividend Plays – Too Good to be True?
By
Adam Warner
The idea behind a dividend play is to find a virtually risk-free way to get short calls and hope the pre-existing owners do not exercise them. But the odds of winning are not in your favor. Find out why.
Earnings Trade – Shuffle Master-SHFL
By
Jon Lewis, Contributor
Casinos have been a hot item lately, and gaming supply company Shuffle Master (SHFL) could pack a strong earnings punch next week.
Covered Calls – When is the Best Time to Use a Buy-Write?
By
Adam Warner
Covered call writing is the most popular use of options, but some people pick the wrong time to employ the strategy.
Play Volatility Through Options on a Gold ETF
By
Adam Warner
Find out why a gold ETF could present a better opportunity to profit from a volatility play than the indices.
Selling Puts – Don’t Miss Out on Put Selling Opportunities
By
Adam Warner
A Goldman Sachs study found selling puts is a good way to play stock-buyback candidates. But if you follow their selection criteria too strictly, you could miss out on some good opportunities.
Santa Claus Rally – Bank Short-term Profits From the Santa Claus Rally
By
Chris Johnson, CEO, Johnson Research Group
Find out exactly how short-term traders can leverage the potential market move as we roll toward the 'Santa bump.'
Vertical Option Spreads – Bear Put Spread
By
Josip Causic
If you're particularly bearish on the market, put options may be the way to go right now. But for those who are somewhat neutral to bearish, there's a better strategy.
QQQQ vs. E-mini Nasdaq 100 Futures – A Better Way to Trade the Nasdaq 100
PowerShares QQQ 100 Trust (QQQQ) options are a popular way to make a bet on the Nasdaq 100, but they may not be the ideal one. Learn a better option.