Jul 14, 2012 | Option Trading Basics
What makes some stock option premiums worth so much more than others? Let’s say we have two stocks, A and B. Both are trading @ $25/share. We look to sell the same month at-the-money $25 strike and one (stock A) returns 2% and the other (stock B) 4%. WHY? The answer...
Jul 7, 2012 | Option Trading Basics
We have all heard the term “the Greeks” as it applies to stock options. Most of us know that these factors somehow explain how certain parameters can impact the value of an option premium. To avoid facing some members of the BCI community claiming that...
Jun 18, 2012 | Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Stock Option Strategies
Whenever a study is performed on covered call writing a stock is selected and the nearest out-of-the-money (O-T-M) strike price is sold. This is repeated over and over and then the results are compared to the overall market performance. The usual conclusion is that...
Jun 9, 2012 | Option Trading Basics
As covered call writers, we have all looked at options chains. That’s where we determine how much cash will be generated into our accounts when we sell our options. It’s fun! We first inspect the current price of the underlying security (stock or ETF). Then we check...
May 12, 2012 | Option Trading Basics
When studying option trading basics, a critical formula is: Option premium = intrinsic value + time value (or extrinsic value) This past week I hosted a seminar in New York and there were many inquiries regarding the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic value so...
May 5, 2012 | Option Trading Basics, Options Calculations, Stock Option Strategies
In the BCI methodology for covered call writing we use predominantly 1-month options. There are times, however, where we find cash in our accounts (mid-contract) that is inactive. This may be due to closing a position early either because the share price declined...