What Is Options Trading In Normal Terms

By Harriet Denis


A vast majority of people have asked themselves the question, "What is options trading?". Even those who are regular day traders may not have much of an idea about what options exchange really means and deals with. The truth is, that it is not a complicated subject.

Options allow the one who holds them the ability to legally purchase or sell them for a certain price at a specific date. When choosing a specific date and buying or selling on that date, this move is called a European option. Whereas buying and selling at a time before the chosen date is called a US option.

Stock options and future options are two categories that are rolled into this type of exchange. Both have similarities and differences. While both of these give rights for sales and purchases, they differ somewhat. General stocks give the lawful right to sell or buy whenever one wants, while future exchanges have a mandatory sale attached to their name.

Several markets for trades exist in the United States and European style. Among the European style types, which are all cash settled matters, are the ODAX, OSMI, and the ESX. Respectively they are the German, Swiss, and European owned stock indexes. Among the US styled stocks are those that are cash settled and future settled. The OYM, which is based on a stock index of the Chicago Board of Trade, is the only cash settled stock in the US category. The EUR and the OZG are both future settled.

The negotiation of contracts is crucial in trading. It involves selling, buying, and exchanging contracts. The contracts will always detail the type of stock, the date of its expiration, its price and what kind of security it happens to be. Some prefer to trade the right to the commodity for selling or buying purposes while others actually make a profit off the difference in the bought and sold price.

The SEC, of the securities and exchange commission of the United States, heavily regulates the types of stocks that can be traded within the borders of the United States. Both European and US stocks and dealt in futures or immediate currency. While the future options are changed to contracts to be traded, the cash stocks are bought and sold. The US only has two future stock options and the SEC restricts the trade of all cash stocks.

Any trader would recognize the typical signs and notations of regular stocks. These symbols and notes include the details and important information that any trader would like to have knowledge of. These include the stock's trading symbol which is normally between three and four letters long and is an abbreviation of the stock's name. The information also includes the expiration with the month and year of the stock's ending date. Finally, the price and the right to sell or buy is also included.

Those who previously wondered, "What is options trading", can rest assured that it is not a complicated subject matter. People who are already familiar with some stock exchanges can do some research online or in their local bookstore to better familiarize themselves with stock trade in today's market.




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