All Star Options Articles

[12/4: updated stop to 107]

We've been talking a lot lately about the number of stocks setting up to play "catch-up" to this bull market that is only just now starting to get the attention it deserves, in spite of it...

I have a feeling there will be a large segment of the trader population that hates this trade. And that is precisely why I think it has a good chance of working.

It's Friday. It's late in the day. I won't waste your time with a long preamble....

It appears to me the broader markets have declared their intention to rally this summer. As such, I want to be positioned to take advantage.

And what better way to position for a summer rally than in a company with exposure to solar energy...

[12/4: updated stop to 250]

It feels like whatever items have been holding the broader markets back are falling by the wayside one by one, clearing the path to the next leg higher in this bull market.

And with volatility (as...

I'm continuing with my recent bent of positioning carefully in speculative names that have the potential to rip if the market resolves higher out of this Washington nonsense.

Today's trade is in a name that is showing signs of squeezing higher...

It's a bull market, in case you haven't heard.

As such, I'm on the hunt for alpha. I'm looking for stocks that might be off the radar, but can have outsized moves when the market runs.

Today's trade offers this potential in spades....

[9/28: updated our stop to $34]

I'm filing today's trade under the category of "Hard Trades." Not because it's particularly hard to execute or because it's a complicated multi-legged spread. It won't require an excessive amount of...

Full Disclosure: I'm a Buffalo Bills fan. As such, I'm excited about this upcoming NFL season. This is the year! Does this fact color my interest in today's trade? Maybe.

I get all my speculative juice in the financial markets. But there is a...

Options premiums have risen a little bit in recent days due to the fed, earnings, government data, and trader indecision, and [insert your favorite scary story].

Whatever the reason, this feels like a good time and opportunity to add some...

As we're starting to get the latest round of earnings reports into the rear-view mirror, we're getting some clarity on the next crop of leaders for a potential move higher in the stock market.

Today's trade is on an emerging leader in the...

In an effort to provide some much-needed portfolio diversification, I'm adding a delta-neutral credit spread to the mix.

There aren't a whole lot of juicy premiums out there (thank you plummeting $VIX!), but there is an ETF in a...

Finally, a setup I love that has earnings out of the way! There's light at the end of the tunnel. And no surprise I find this setup in a strong sector that wants to lead the market higher.

We're going to leverage some cheap options to position...

My man Steve Strazza's reaction to this trade idea: "Yes! Bios have got some catch-up to play!"

I concur.

Though, I think we've got some overhead resistance that may slow the roll heading into summer. But that's ok -- we can...

There are some big cap software stocks on the verge of resolving out of beautiful bases to the upside. Of course, we have to be on the ball to avoid earnings landmines as it's that time of the year.

That said, my favorite chart among these big...

[9/21: moved stop to 88]

Fair warning: today's trade is in a company that will be reporting earnings early next week. I generally try to avoid entering trades ahead of earnings. But its that time of the season where its kinda hard to...

McDonald's just put "300-dolla-rolls" on the menu. Sweet and delicious. Limited time offer.

Many of you know that my all time favorite options trades are simple long calls on stocks making new all-time highs. And when you add in a big round...

We got into and quickly out of a trade in Microstrategy $MSTR over the past two weeks. Whipsaws suck. But the way the stock has quickly battled back is telling me we weren't wrong, just early. And I'm getting back in, but with a new stop loss level....

The thing about options is that participants in these markets are very good at pricing in expected moves. You'd be amazed at how often the options market nails the expected move in an instrument before it happens.

Like point spreads in sports...

We're making a tactical bearish bet on a transportation stock that appears to be riding the rails south to lower prices.

It's got earnings coming up in late April, so we'll be buying an express ticket on a short-term play to capture a move....

We're still in premium-selling mode until the market calms down.

That said, we're not taking any wild risks. This time, we're targeting the relatively tame utility sector and defining our risks. April expiration will become the "front-month"...

We continue to be on the hunt for premium selling opportunities in this tape. It feels almost irresponsible not to be.

And we're heading back to a name we trust.

The Volatility Gods are offering us more tempting options premiums to sell. Is it a trap? Perhaps.

But I can step into the morass with a defined risk delta-neutral credit spread in a sector ETF that looks rangebound.

This puts me in a...

A Racecar manufacturer is off to the races and it's time for us to get involved with a bullish bet, defined risk, and reasonable odds of success.