Understanding Options Symbols

Ted Peroulakis — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:17:47 +0000

Options symbols follow an outline. Once you know the rules you can assemble and understand options symbols.

The fundamental parts of an option symbol are as follows:

Option root symbol + Expiration date code + Strike price code

For example, the International Business Machines (IBM) December Call Options with a strike price of 80 would be listed as options symbol: (IBMLP).

For NYSE/AMEX stocks, the option root symbol is typically the same as the symbol used on the stock exchange.

Keep in mind that the root options symbol is not always the same as the underlying stock ticker symbol. For example, NASDAQ stock symbols are a minimum of four letters, whereas the base symbol of an option is three letters or less. So the options authorities will assign an option root symbol for each NASDAQ stock that has options traded on it.

You want to always look at the option chain or check with your broker to find the corresponding root options symbol.

Once you know the root options symbol, you can use the tables below to aid you in creating or deciphering options symbols.

Here are the expiration month codes:

And here are the standard strike price codes:

One exception is LEAPS options symbols as the ‘expiration month letter’ format typically differs from the chart above.

Another exception is if the options strike price is not typical like 17.5 or 19, in this case ’strike price letter’ format differs from the chart above.

Make sure you get the correct options symbol by pulling up an option chain or check with your broker. One of the best free sites to look up options chains is Yahoo Finance. Here is the link:

http://finance.yahoo.com/

Simply enter the stock symbol and click “GET QUOTES”

Then, click on “Options” on the left hand side to pull up the options chain.

Source: Understanding Options Symbols

Stick This Ultimate Trading Strategy In Your Investment Arsenal

Karim Rahemtulla — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:25:25 +0000

When it comes to investment strategies, you’re looking for two key elements right off the bat: Simplicity and understandability. After all, if you know what you’re doing, your chances of success are greatly heightened. And that’s especially true in the sometimes murky world of options.

For example, I often get questions from folks at seminars, asking why I don’t use strategies like butterfly spreads, condor spreads, or iron crosses.

Simple. They’re too complex!

There are many strategies that are much easier to execute than these and are proven to work time after time, so why confuse the issue?

Even if you’re an options aficionado, I believe in keeping it simple. Making a complex trade only defeats the purpose. Just because a trade is complex doesn’t necessarily mean you‘re going to get higher profits or greater win rate consistency.

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve addressed covered call selling, using deep-in-the-money (DITM) options – my favorite way of executing the strategy.

Today, I’m going to focus on Long Term Equity Anticipation Securities (LEAPS) – options that expire anywhere from a year to three years.

The Beauty Of LEAPS

If LEAPS is a new term for you, don’t worry. While it sounds a bit long-winded, it doesn’t involve any fancy or complicated tricks. But because LEAPS are options that expire over a longer period of time, it gives investors a solid method to invest in stocks either from the long side or the short side.

LEAPS offer several advantages over common stocks and you essentially just need to adopt an outlook of less than two years… maybe two-and-a-half years at most. And given that over the past decade, we’ve increasingly become a nation of traders rather than investors, due to immense market volatility, it’s a good strategy for most people.

And since LEAPS expire in a couple of years or less, forget “buy-and-hold” stocks or “legacy” investments. This kind of mentality has pretty much gone by the wayside since we really can’t trust anything we hear from Wall Street anymore. Need I remind you of companies like American International Group, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Washington Mutual and Enron – all of which have shown us that lying is often an art form in the investment and corporate world?

Cheaper And Better Than Traditional Investing

LEAPS allow you to invest in the same company that you were going to buy shares in… but for a fraction of the cost.

For example, let’s say you want to buy 1,000 shares of Goldcorp (NYSE: GG). At its current price, that’s a hefty outlay of $38,000. And it’s totally unnecessary, since LEAPS allow you to practically replicate the investment over a two-year holding period.

For example, you could control 1,000 shares by buying 10 options contracts (one contract consists of 100 shares of the underlying stock) at the January 2011 $35 strike price for about $9,000. That’s less than 25% of the stock price.

If you’re taking a bullish stance on gold and establish a price target for Goldcorp of $60 or so, here’s how the profit potential breaks down…

$60 minus $35 (the options strike price, at which you have the right to buy the shares) = $25
$25 (gross profit) minus $9 (cost) = $16, or $16,000 in net profit.

Two more big benefits…

If you employed a 25% stop-loss on your shares, you’d actually lose more than if you bought the option and held it for a complete loss.
By using LEAPS, more than 75% of your money isn’t tied up in the shares – money you can use for other investments.

And that’s just the beginning…

Over the next few columns, I’ll introduce you to several LEAPS options strategies. So stay tuned.

Source: Stick This Ultimate Trading Strategy In Your Investment Arsenal

Contrarian Stock Market Investing News - Featuring Bargain Stocks » Leaps Options

Understanding Options Symbols

Options symbols follow an outline. Once you know the rules you can assemble and understand options symbols.

Stick This Ultimate Trading Strategy In Your Investment Arsenal