Options straddles and options strangles are two advanced options strategies that can be used to capitalize on changes in implied volatility (IV) and stock price volatility. Options straddles and ...

James Chen, CMT is an expert trader, investment adviser, and global market strategist. Samantha (Sam) Silberstein, CFP®, CSLP®, EA, is an experienced financial consultant. She has a demonstrated ...

Options sold as “volatility plays” hide a structural flaw—one retail traders often discover too late, after the market moves, premiums collapse, and the trade that seemed safe quietly turns costly.

Investopedia contributors come from a range of backgrounds, and over 25 years there have been thousands of expert writers and editors who have contributed. Thomas J. Brock is a CFA and CPA with more ...

In 2023, we saw a surge in options volume, setting yet another record. As Cboe Global Markets, total volume across Cboe's four options exchanges was 3.7 billion contracts in 2023, the fourth ...

Put and call options are the building blocks of many options trading strategies. A call option gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy a stock at a specified price (the strike price ...

Options allow for greater flexibility when it comes to expressing a wide variety of market outlooks. Implied volatility tends to rise into earnings events, providing options sellers with potential ...

When traders first start using options, they often employ them either as a way to take a directional view on an asset (buying a call if they expect it to rise or a put if they expect it to fall) or as ...