No stock trading course could prepare the stock trader for the extremely volatile market we have experienced in the last year. Large stocks were pummeled by the erratic up and down motions of the market indices and the smaller, weaker stocks were demolished.

An options course will show how to benefit from the downturns in the markets where the stock trading courses cannot. That is right, when stock traders are losing money, you will be able to use your stock options training knowledge to make more money!

The two basic stock option methods will allow the trader to make a larger amount of money then they would off of using the same amount of capital in a stock trade. The easiest options to understand are the call options. When the stock goes up, the value of the call options goes up as well.

When using a call option, the trader is allowed but not required to purchase the underlying stock at a specified price within a specified time range. The trader also has the option of trading the call contract itself or using it to purchase a favorite stock as a reduced price.

Call options are often referred to as ’surrogates’ for stocks because you can benefit from the upward movement of a stock at a fraction of the price. However, the often overlooked profit player is a put option, which is also based on an underlying stock and increases in value when that stock goes down. You can also trade put options for the value they carry inherently, but they also afford you the right, but not the obligation, to sell a stock at a set price. That means you can sell a low-valued stock at a premium price.

You can also use put options as a form of insurance for the stocks you own. For example, if you purchase 100 shares of a $10 stock you spend $1,000. If the price drops to $5 per share then you lost $500. If you purchased a single $10 put option for those same 100 shares and the price fell to $5 per share, then you will have the right to sell the $5 shares for $10 each, thus negating your loss.

The saying ‘buy low and sell high’ has been around for almost as long as the stock market and this was an effective message when the daily volatility of market was supported by the fundamentals- which has not been the case for the past year. These large daily swings would stress the stock trader but allow the options trader to profit from them.

With even the most basic brokerage account, online option trading can generate a windfall of profits whether the market swings up, down or all around by allowing you to trade call and put options. What’s more is that options are available for all of the major indices and many exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, as well. This means you can play an entire sector or index for a lot less money. Don’t be limited by the strategies in your stock trading course a” expand your portfolio to options and expand your opportunities!

Tags: finance, investing, investing education, investing in options, option trading, personal finance, personal investing, puts and calls, stock option trading, trading options
Filed under: investing