Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and ...

An option gives traders the right, but not the obligation, to trade the underlying asset that it is linked to. Whether the underlying asset moves up or down in value, an options straddle is a trading ...

Options Techniques to Maximize Gains and Lower Risk in Flat and Volatile Market Conditions Fact checked by Suzanne Kvilhaug Reviewed by Thomas J. Catalano A straddle is an options strategy that bets ...

When the stock market becomes a roller coaster, the gains and losses both get larger. Traders have the potential to make profits during volatility, but getting it wrong can result in losses. Some ...

Buying a straddle profits from significant price swings regardless of direction. Selling a straddle profits when the stock price remains stable near strike price. Straddle buying is risky before ...

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 ...

The straddle is an options trading strategy, so named for the shape it makes on a pricing chart; your position literally “straddles” the price of the underlying asset. With the straddle, you trade on ...

While directional trading involves making bets on the price movements of an underlying asset, non-directional trading is a unique approach that focuses on generating profits from volatility and time ...

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 ...

Options trading might sound complex, but there are basic strategies that most investors can use to improve returns, bet on the market's movement, or hedge existing positions. Covered calls, collars, ...