The trader can set the strike price below the current price to reduce premium payment at the expense of decreasing downside protection. This can be thought of as deductible insurance. The following put options are available:.

The table shows that the cost of protection increases with the level thereof. If, however, the price of the underlying drops, the loss in capital will be offset by an increase in the option's price and is limited to the difference between the initial stock price and strike price plus the premium paid for the option. These strategies may be a little more complex than simply buying calls or puts, but they are designed to help you better manage the risk of options trading:.

Options offer alternative strategies for investors to profit from trading underlying securities. There's a variety of strategies involving different combinations of options, underlying assets, and other derivatives. Basic strategies for beginners include buying calls, buying puts, selling covered calls and buying protective puts. There are advantages to trading options rather than underlying assets, such as downside protection and leveraged returns, but there are also disadvantages like the requirement for upfront premium payment.

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The first step to trading options is to choose a broker. Fortunately, Investopedia has created a list of the best online brokers for options trading to make getting started easier. Chicago Board Options Exchange. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Investopedia. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

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We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Your Money. Personal Finance. Your Practice. Popular Courses. Part Of. Stock Market Basics. How Stock Investing Works. Investing vs. Managing a Portfolio. A standard option contract on a stock controls shares of the underlying security. Because the option contract controls shares, the trader is effectively making a deal on shares. Potential profit is unlimited, as the option payoff will increase along with the underlying asset price until expiration, and there is theoretically no limit to how high it can go.

A put option works the exact opposite way a call option does, with the put option gaining value as the price of the underlying decreases. While short-selling also allows a trader to profit from falling prices, the risk with a short position is unlimited, as there is theoretically no limit on how high a price can rise.

With a put option, if the underlying rises past the option's strike price, the option will simply expire worthlessly. The maximum profit from the position is capped since the underlying price cannot drop below zero, but as with a long call option, the put option leverages the trader's return.

This is the preferred position for traders who:. A covered call strategy involves buying shares of the underlying asset and selling a call option against those shares. When the trader sells the call, he or she collects the option's premium, thus lowering the cost basis on the shares and providing some downside protection.

In return, by selling the option, the trader is agreeing to sell shares of the underlying at the option's strike price, thereby capping the trader's upside potential. In exchange for this risk, a covered call strategy provides limited downside protection in the form of premium received when selling the call option.

A protective put is a long put, like the strategy we discussed above; however, the goal, as the name implies, is downside protection versus attempting to profit from a downside move. If a trader owns shares that he or she is bullish on in the long run but wants to protect against a decline in the short run, they may purchase a protective put. If the price of the underlying increases and is above the put's strike price at maturity , the option expires worthless and the trader loses the premium but still has the benefit of the increased underlying price. Hence, the position can effectively be thought of as an insurance strategy.

The trader can set the strike price below the current price to reduce premium payment at the expense of decreasing downside protection. This can be thought of as deductible insurance. The following put options are available:. The table shows that the cost of protection increases with the level thereof. If, however, the price of the underlying drops, the loss in capital will be offset by an increase in the option's price and is limited to the difference between the initial stock price and strike price plus the premium paid for the option.

These strategies may be a little more complex than simply buying calls or puts, but they are designed to help you better manage the risk of options trading:. Options offer alternative strategies for investors to profit from trading underlying securities.

There's a variety of strategies involving different combinations of options, underlying assets, and other derivatives. Basic strategies for beginners include buying calls, buying puts, selling covered calls and buying protective puts. There are advantages to trading options rather than underlying assets, such as downside protection and leveraged returns, but there are also disadvantages like the requirement for upfront premium payment.

The first step to trading options is to choose a broker. Fortunately, Investopedia has created a list of the best online brokers for options trading to make getting started easier.

Prior to forming Trader's Edge, he was the top performing broker at Carr Investments for five straight years. Lubow holds a degree in history from Dartmouth College. Permissions Request permission to reuse content from this site. Table of contents Introduction. Trading Options the "Write" Way. Why Trade Options on Futures?

Commodity Futures and Options Charaacteristics. Selling Strategies for Commodity Options. Putting Theory into Practice.