The put/call ratio is a popular sentiment indicator based upon the trading volumes of put options compared to call options. The ratio attempts to gauge the prevailing level of bullishness or bearishness in the market. Each day the CBOE calculates the ratio below: Volume of put option contracts / Volume of call option contracts On days when the major averages perform … [Read more...]
Variance Gamma Model: Overview
The variance-gamma distribution is a continuous probability distribution that is defined as the normal variance-mean mixture where the mixing density is the gamma distribution. The most widely used option pricing model is the Black-Scholes model. We motivate an alternative option pricing model called the Variance Gamma (VG) model and demonstrate its implementation in the … [Read more...]
Writing Covered Calls for IRA’s
Writing Cvered Calls for IRA's The investors who look for a low-risk alternative to increase their investment returns should be considering writing covered calls on the stock they have in IRAs. This conservative approach to trading options can produce additional revenue, regardless of whether the stock price rises or falls, as long as the proper adjustments are … [Read more...]
Trading with Double Diagonal Options
A double diagonal trade is a neutral trade, with a small chance for profit and an equivalent small chance for loss. If you're familiar with options trades, the double diagonal is similar to a Butterfly spread except of that it is diagonal. The most challenging aspect of the trade is finding a good discount broker, since the trade requires four distinct transactions. Define a … [Read more...]