When to Buy an Option Instead of the Stock
When I find a company whose stock is struggling, I buy options known as LEAPS instead of buying the stock.
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Jacob Mintz
Jacob Mintz is a professional options trader and editor of Cabot Options Trader. Using his proprietary options scans, Jacob creates and manages positions in equities based on risk/reward and volatility expectations. Jacob developed his proprietary risk management system during his years as an options market maker at a top tier options trading company in Chicago.
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Articles by Jacob Mintz
Options Market Making
Last Friday, there was a perfect example of why I left the trading floor, and how computers have taken over the trading world.When I began my trading career on the floor of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE) in 1999 as a maker,...
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Using Options to Hedge a Portfolio
A few Cabot Options Trader subscribers have asked me about ways to protect their portfolios, so here are a couple of strategies.
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Using Options to Increase Your Portfolio Yield
There are two options strategies any investor can use to create yield that far exceeds traditional avenues: Covered Calls and Writing Puts.
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The Greatest Options Trade I Ever Saw
Let me tell you about the greatest options trade I saw in my 10 years on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE) - and what I learned from it.
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Unusual Option Activity Scanner: Uncover What Big Hedge Funds Are Doing
My most successful strategy throughout my 18-year options trading career has been using my unusual option activity scanner. Here’s how it works.
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Options Education: Bull Risk Reversals
A bull risk reversal trade brought Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE) to Jacob’s attention back in June. Bull risk reversals are a favorite tool for hedge funds and are just about the most bullish trade you can execute using options because both components of trade...
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How to Prepare for Earnings Season
Like cooking a pizza on a grill, investing during earnings season requires a lot of preparation. Research helps; and so does options trading.
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Options Education: Put Sales
As the Nasdaq has fallen by approximately 5% in the last several weeks, and many stocks have fallen by much more, I’ve received many emails about how to play these stocks. For example, “Jacob, how would you recommend getting long XYZ at these levels?”...
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Handling Market Volatility With Patience
Market volatility has been historically low of late. But that's looking more and more like a mirage. When it changes course, the reversal could be explosive.
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The Three-Day Rule
For many experienced market professionals, it can be very attractive when high profile stocks fall hard. The volatility can create some big opportunities—but it’s best to wait three days before making any buys.
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Is FOMO Helping or Hurting This Bull Market?
Amid a raging bull market, FOMO - the Fear Of Missing Out - is becoming a pervasive part of the rally. But is it helping stocks, or hurting them?
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How the Amalfi Coast is Like Trading Options
I finally took a break from the stock market on a recent trip to the Amalfi Coast. But there were parallels to be drawn between my trip and trading options.
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In-the-Money Call vs. Out-of-the-Money Call
Oftentimes after making a buy-write recommendation, I get questions on how I choose the strike to sell. So I thought I would go through my thought process with this trade.
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My Greatest Trade
Today I want to share with you the story of my greatest trade. And it was pure luck!
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The Greatest Trade I Ever Saw
Not many people outside of my old company know about this trade—it’s the greatest trade I ever witnessed.
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Stories from the CBOE
As a trader on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange (CBOE) for more than 10 years, I witnessed and heard many unbelievable trading stories.
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On the Value of Evaluating Your Trades
A subscriber recently asked me if I keep a journal of my trades. Many traders keep journals so they can look back at their trades and evaluate what they did right and what they did wrong.
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Earnings: When to Sell and When to Hold
Recently, I decided to hold our Visa (V) calls through earnings and sold our Coca-Cola (KO) calls the day before their earnings announcement. I thought I would break down why I decided to take the risk in V, and not in KO.
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Two Things I Hate: Earnings Season and the NFL Draft
Earnings season is like the NFL draft: full of predictions and educated guesses that are horribly wrong. But for options traders, there are ways to play it.
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