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Options 101

Use Options to Repair Stock Losses

Options can be used to repair the decline in a stock. Buying a call option spread at different strikes will fix the damage if the stock rebounds.

Netflix Option Spread Too Good to be True

The earnings release today by Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) offers options traders a lesson in implementing double calendar spreads.

Buy Call Options in 2011

Investors should buy call options this year as the stock market rises due to favorable economic conditions.

Options and Dividends — When to Exercise

Option owners will want to follow a few rules to determine the best time to exercise their call options to receive a stock dividend.

Reading Options Tickers

Options tickers have gotten longer but they can easily read.

5 Option Expiration Questions Answered

Option expiration can be confusing for traders of all skill sets.

Hopeium and Leverage Bedevil Options

New option investors often see their great leverage and make the same mistakes time and again. I've been trading and analyzing options since the early-1990s…

VIX is Chartable but its Message Unclear

Statistical analysis of the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) has imprecise payoffs as it is a statistic not a stock or an index.

VIX Futures VXX, VXZ Look Tired

Since their introduction two years ago, the VXX and VXZ futures on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) have dropped dramatically and their premium prices today aren’t appealing.

Time Decay, the Greeks and Options Trading

Time decay is central to the pricing of options premium and is expressed by theta.

VIX Volatility Still on Hold

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) isn’t seeing a jump in movement in January but option premium is high.

Stock Volatility Data Joins the Crowd

The CBOE will popularize volatility on equities by posting data on Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and others.

Options Up in Intel, Down in Supervalu

Options were active, led by Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) going up, Supervalu (NYSE: SVU) going down, and Powershares (NASDAQ: QQQQ) with heavy put volume.

Be a Better Biotech Investor

Invest in the biotech sector using an ETF like iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology (NASDAQ: IBB).

4 January Covered Calls to Sell

Mannkind Corp. (NASDAQ: MNKD) January calls are popular for covered call sellers, along with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Inspire Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ISPH), and Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX).

Early Assignment Can Be a Gift

A rookie option trader should not fear early exercise of an option that he sold as it can prove profitable.

Volatile VIX Should Close 2010 Where it Began

The VIX in 2010 was highly volatile, tripling in value at one-point, but finishing the year about where it started near $17.

Covered Calls – Should I Roll My Position?

A good covered call option calculator to help you decide whether you can increase your options trading profitability.

VIX Rallies – Christmas Miracle or White Noise?

There may be less to today’s VIX rally than meets the eye, as VIX futures fail to follow the same large trend upward.