Options are riskier to trade than stocks. That’s fairly well known. And we’ll get into why.
Since options have an expiry date the investor has to make a choice within a relatively short time frame. This adds risk and complexity to the trading scenario.
Also, since options are derivatives, they have no inherent worth. Their value is [...]
The up scenario
In the up scenario, the maximum gain that can be attained is the stock finishing at $10.00 or higher.
At $10.00, you would profit from the full value of the extrinsic value of the option which is $.50 and you would also have $.50 of capital appreciation from the stock for a total of [...]
Time decay, also known as theta, is defined as the rate by which an options value erodes into expiration. The value of the option over parity to the stock is called extrinsic value.
Since an option is a depreciating asset, meaning it has a limited life, the extrinsic value in the option will wither away daily [...]
The individual investor will typically include some stocks in their investment portfolio. And whether they are a long term trader or in it for much quicker returns, many investors understand and feel somewhat comfortable with the concepts and techniques of trading stocks.
Options tend to be much less understood – and therefore avoided. But Options can [...]