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Options Trader
Basic Strategies for Big Profits in Any Market
Issues
For the second straight week the leading indexes went in vastly different directions as the S&P 500 fell 0.6%, the Dow lost 1.9%, and the Nasdaq gained 1%.
It was another interesting week for the market as the Nasdaq rallied 3.3%, while the S&P 500 added 1% and the Dow fell 0.6%. That is quite the performance difference between the Nasdaq and Dow!
The holiday-shortened week yielded more gains for the leading indexes as traders ready themselves for the close of 2024. Here is how our positions performed last week.
Despite some early morning sell-offs nearly every day last week, the bulls stepped up each time, and by week’s end the S&P 500 had gained 1.6%, the Dow had rallied 2%, and the Nasdaq had added 1.55%.
Not surprisingly the post-election market wiggles continued last week as many stocks and sectors continued to show strength, while others got hit hard. By week’s end the three leading indexes had all lost ground as the S&P 500 fell 2.3%, the Dow declined by 1.7%, and the Nasdaq lost 3.65%.

The election results and Federal Reserve rate cut were seemingly just what the market was looking for as the S&P 500 rallied 4.7% last week, the Dow added 4.65% and the Nasdaq gained 5.4%.
Before I dive into my election preview, I first wanted to address Palantir (PLTR) earnings as the company will report its quarterly results today after the close.
Ahead of a monster week of economic data and earnings releases the S&P 500 fell 0.85%, the Dow lost 2.6%, and the Nasdaq gained 0.4%
Another week, another all-time high for the S&P 500 and Dow, while the Nasdaq is slowly creeping towards its previous highs. By week’s end the S&P 500 had gained 0.6%, the Dow had rallied 1%, and the Nasdaq had risen marginally.
It was yet another strong week for the market and countless stocks, many of which are breaking out to new highs. At some point the market may cool off, but for now at least, I’m not seeing any truly worrying signs. And in fact, the S&P 500 closed at a new record high as the index gained 1.44% on the week, while the Dow added 1.56%, and the Nasdaq rallied 1.63%.
Despite plenty to worry about in the market including the rising tensions in the Middle East and the short-lived port strike, impressively the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq all rose marginally last week.
It was a mostly quiet week for the market, which isn’t terribly surprising as traders have moved past the Federal Reserve event and inch towards the election. By week’s end the S&P 500 had gained 0.4%, the Dow had rallied 0.5% and the Nasdaq had fallen 0.55%.

Recent Alerts
Options Strategy
Options trading has its own vernacular. To know how to do it, you need to know what every options term means. Here are some of the basics.
Want to know how the big institutional investors use options? Here is an example of how one trader spent $132 million on three technology stocks.
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.
Using Options to Hedge a Portfolio


A few Cabot Options Trader subscribers have asked me about ways to protect gains in their portfolios, so I thought I would write to everyone with a couple of strategies using options to hedge your portfolio.

This guide will help you execute the options strategies recommended in Cabot Options Trader.
Guide to Options Trading
Options Education
Worried about another market correction? This bit of options education should help you learn how to hedge your portfolio using puts.
Options education is one of my main goals for Cabot Options Trader subscribers. And here are three important lessons I’ve been telling people lately.
Options education is one of my main goals for Cabot Options Trader subscribers. And here are three important lessons I’ve been telling people lately.
In the wake of the second Boeing 737 plane crash Boeing stock, symbol BA, has become extremely volatile and of interest to Cabot Options Traders.
All options are a wasting asset whose time value erodes to zero by expiration. This erosion is known as time decay.
A protective put is used when a trader is bullish on a stock he is buying or already owns, but is wary of the stock’s short-term future. It is used as a means to protect unrealized gains, while giving the trader continued upside potential.
Combining Cabot Options Trader and Cabot Growth Investor
In mid-February I sent an Options Education article highlighting a trade Cabot Options Trader Pro subscribers had just executed. To refresh, this was in the midst of a steep market decline and the VIX was exploding higher.
Below is an article I wrote a couple years ago in response to a subscribers’ question regarding options and option volatility around earnings.
I’ve received a ton of great emails from subscribers over the last couple of days about huge profits this year. I’m thrilled that you are making lots of money. That said, while it’s great that we are making good money, we must remember the risks as well.
The S&P 500 is down 0.5% this morning, though well off the overnight lows (lower by 1.25%) following news that Gary Cohn, President Trump’s top economic advisor, is leaving his position. As the market has heated up, I’ve received many great questions from subscribers.