Option Trading Gives You Better Returns

By Dr. Asoka Selvarajah

What is option trading?

Option trading is a way of entering a market with a relatively small upfront investment, but with the possibility of netting you a much bigger return on investment than if you had traded in the underlying instrument. What you are doing in option trading is purchasing the right to buy or sell the underlying security within a specified time period.

Generally these option periods last a month and a specific day of the month is decided for termination of the contract. This is the third Saturday of the month or any other day specified by the exchanges who monitor such trades. The expiry of the period expunges all the rights of the option trader and he cannot make the trade after the date is over.

A broader look at option trading

You would have to be deeply involved in stock market trade to understand the difference between stock trading and option trading. If you as a newcomer still want to be involved in option trading you must make an effort to understand terminology used and the ideas behind the concept. The terms by used by traders in option trading are quite specific and have their own meanings. When you go in for option trading you would have to decide a price for the stock you want to trade in , the number of shares, and the time period in which you would make such a trade.

You do not have to exercise your rights during the specified period, but your failure to do so will cause the premium you have paid for such future rights to be forfeited. The premium is charged to you so that you can lock in the agreed price for the time period that you have contracted to honor. So during these period, if you find that the price of the stock has appreciated, you are free at any time to make the balance payment and acquire the shares at the price agreed. On the other hand if the price has gone down and you do not feel that it is worthwhile honoring the option, you can take no action and allow your contract to lapse. You would however forfeit the premium you have paid. This may look like a loss, but would be much smaller than if you had bought the shares at the prevailing price before the start of the options contract.

The stock price may drop or just remain lower the exercise price, the buyer of call option cannot use at all, but can also sell the option and in that way exit the position at a loss or breakeven. Alternatively, he can hold onto it with the expectation that the market value of the option will rise, dependent upon factors such as the underlying stock price, volatility, time to expiry and more.

Generally though, because of the leverage that options provide, you can control a far larger amount of the underlying stock for a relatively small capital outlay compared with buying or selling the underlying instrument. That is what makes options so attractive because there exists the potential to make far higher return on capital than through merely trading the underlying instrument. When you know what you are doing, there are also far more trading opportunities with relatively lower risk compared to merely buying or selling the underlying.

Terms in usage

Blocks of 100 shares are considered for option trading.

Call option: The option giving the right to buy the underlying instrument at the strike price.

The selling option the underlying instrument at the strike price is referred to as a put option.

The price that you agree to when the option trading contract is made is called the strike price.

In option trading, for call options you are "in the money" if your strike price is below the market price of the stock. For put options, if the strike price is higher than the current market price, you are again said to be "in the money".

You are considered to be "out of the money" if your strike price is more than the existing price at the time of the option and you put in a call option, or you put in a put option and the strike price is lower than the existing price. - 23210

About the Author:

Which Of These 7 Deadly Mistakes of Online Trading Are You Making Right Now? Get Dr. Asoka Selvarajah's critical Free Report, The 7 Deadly Mistakes Of Online Trading and surge your trading profits, starting today. Visit His Online Trading Site OnlineTradingRebel.Com Right Now!

Forex VPS Hosting

By James Smith

Forex VPS is a leading service provider for VPS forex hosting. By using a VPS, ar a virtual private server, you alleviate many of the problems associated with a shared hosting account. When many people are using one server sometimes things slow down or other times it's hard to open a page. VPS is a server being used by only one person. Imagine using a server alone in the whole world. The main server will be divided into several servers and distributed and used as forex VPS.

With the dedicated server you will have your own software's and operating system. This virtual server is like a branch of the bigger universal server but still operates individually. This server is usually used by forex traders and is referred to as forex VPS, ie hosting for your forex trading requirements. The dditional beneift of using a VPS is that your MetaTrader EAs will run 24/7, even while you are sleeping. This means that you do not need to have your computer switched on for your trades to be placed.

One of the biggest advantages of a forex hosting service is that on the dedicated server, you will have your own software's and operating system. This virtual server is like a branch of the bigger universal server but still operates individually. This server is usually used by forex traders, hosting your forex trading requirements. The additional beneift of using a forex VPS is that your MetaTrader EAs will run 24/7, even while you are sleeping. This means that you do not need to have your computer switched on for your trades to be placed, and you do not need to worry about power outages, or losing your internet connection.

If you are a forex professional and transact deals regularly, setting up a forex VPS hosting account will enable you to trade without having your laptop or PC on all of the time. You can trade through a Metatrader broker by simply logging into the site; you will view it and manage the account then start trading immediately.

For those traders who run their expert advisers without interruptions, forex VPS is the ideal service for you. It is always on-line, and does not reboot when trading. Power outages do not affect it and the best part is that the computer can be off. With all its benefits, you can also use this kind of server to test WebPages right before you make them available to the public. It lets you test applications and different software's without having to reboot the whole server.

You need the automatic restart feature incase the server is rebooted and you need to automatically restart. The 24/7 access feature is needed because you should be able to access your forex VPS anytime and trade.

There are a number of other reputable companies that will offer you similar forex VPS services. Some of them are namely; Commercial Network Services, Crucial Paradigm, Gallant VPS, VPSLAND, eApps, HostEasier, OmegaSupreme, EzforexHost and Forex Hoster.

Of the above forex VPS companies I have listed all of them have different features. The features that you should look out for should include a pre-installed MetaTrader preferably the new version which is MetaTrader 4. Make sure the hosting service is compatible with all brokers; this will allow you to download and install trading platforms from brokers to your VPS. - 23210

About the Author:

If you require more information about forex hosting and Forex VPS go to Forex Village. They have considerable expertise in forex hosting and MetaTrader MT4 automated trading systems.

Fibonacci Sequence Nothing Mystic - Make Money Online In Forex!

By Richard U. Olson

The mathematician Fibonacci or Leonardo of Pisa in 1202 first published his Fibonacci sequence. In order to calculate the number of pairs of rabbits he would have at the end of a year based on their behavior of breeding, Fibonacci developed this famous sequence of numbers. Forex traders find this type of no-nonsense approach very profitable.

While many think of the Fibonacci sequence as a mathematical abstraction, it is grounded in a real world application. The Fibonacci sequence can be used to predict patterns which would not otherwise be apparent.

So how is the Fibonacci sequence applicable to currency investing? Savvy investors know that there are patterns to the movements of the stock and currency markets which can be seen by studying the past behavior of investors. The market truisms "buy low, sell high" is based on an understanding of these market patterns.

Hidden patterns of investment marketing cannot be seen up close. There is no accurate sense in trying to predict the hourly or daily fluctuations of investment markets. However, overall extended trends very well can be. Increased profits are taken advantage of when investors and Forex traders confidently use the number sequence of Fibonacci to reach their gains.

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each successive number is the sum of the two previous numbers. So it goes 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, and into perhaps infinity. There are a number of interrelationships held within these numbers; for instance, any given number is approximately 1.618 times the preceding number, and 1.618 happens to represent the ancient Greeks' "golden ratio"--considered to be the supreme essence of balance (and balance is the ultimate key to successful investing).

Of all the Fibonacci series the two applications in wide spread use by Forex traders and investors are arcs and retracements.

Fibonacci chart technique involves three curved lines drawn for anticipating key resistance and supporting various levels as well as areas of ranging. First drawn is an invisible trendline between the two points of high and low for particular period of time. Next, three intersecting curves are drawn overlapping the trendline at the levels of 38.2, 50, and 61.8 percent according to Fibonacci. When the price of the asset crosses through these key levels, decisions of transaction are made.

Now, a retracement, in investing, refers to a reversal in the movement of a stock's price--a reversal which is enough to counter the stock's prevailing trend. Advanced successful investors pay intense attention to retracement possibilities and patterns. The Fibonacci retracement analyzes the likelihood that a financial asset's price will see a larger than average retracement and then come to support or resistance at the key Fibonacci levels before it then continues on in its original direction. A trendline is drawn between two extreme points; then, its vertical distance is divided by the key Fibonacci ratios of 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8%, and 100%.

Multitudes of high-level traders gain with the Fibonacci retracement method. It aids them in finding the most strategic placement of transactions, their target prices and stop-losses. Gartley patterns, Tirone levels and the Elliott Wave theory are other technical tools that make use of retracement.

The Fibonacci formula simply works and is useful while investing. Forex traders worldwide are finding it successful while using it. - 23210

About the Author:

Richard U. Olson recommends the state of the art Forex Expert Advisor that he uses to make consistent profits in the Forex markets. Grab his FREE e-course on The Crucial Facts On Forex Trading to realize your financial dreams.

Commodity Market Index Offers Diverse Investing

By Derek Powell

Commodities are crops that are grown, such as wheat and corn, and goods that are produced from the ground, such as aluminum or oil. These different commodities are bought and sold every day on speculation. Tracking these transactions is the commodity market index.

There is a fair amount of risk involved in commodity investing as natural occurrences can adversely affect a particular crop. The commodity market index levels the risk, by dispersing amongst various other commodity investments. Thus, if a crop such as coffee is damaged by bad weather, another such as gold could be performing very well and would balance out the loss.

If you prefer not to invest in the futures market, then you will find the commodity market index attractive. Commodities are available to all investors as they are traded on all the major exchanges. Choose either an active approach or a passive approach. The former allows you to base transactions on a strategy to outperform a future index and the latter allows you to adopt a passive role and try and match future performance.

Investing in commodities offers many advantages, among them the ability to have a diversified portfolio with protection against inflation. However, it is a fast-moving market, with prices fluctuating practically every minute. To obtain the most success in the commodity market index, many investors use charts to track the fast-moving market. There are several online resources that enable you to enter quotes for the various commodities so you can track their prices.

Businesses which rely on certain commodities heavily, utilize the commodity market index as a strategy for risk reduction. By balancing price swings, such companies hedge their bets.

The commodity market index can be seen as a reliable forecaster for investing in mutual funds. Mutual funds offer less risk and expense as compared to direct investment.

Futures and current market prices are displayed in a commodity market index. Several factors, including production, liquidity and performance are used to determine the price. There are a number of different indexes, including the Chicago Board of trade, the Reuters/Jefferies CRB index, the Dow Jones, the Goldman Sachs commodity Index, the New York Board of trade and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Although the commodity market index tracks the prices of hogs, soy, gold, and other items, investors don't necessarily have to take possession of the products. They can invest simply to make a profit. There are a number of funds available to meet your investment goals. There are direct commodity funds, natural resources funds, commodity funds that hold futures and combination funds that include actual and future holdings. - 23210

About the Author:

Author Derek Powell has a great deal of information about commodity market index. Check out http://www.thecommodityblog.com for up-to-date news.

Forex Broker

By Hass67

Forex traders need to know about their forex brokers if they want to really start trading forex trading. There are many myths and scams that need to be exposed. Many retail forex traders are too simpleton to understand the games the forex brokers play with them.

Retail forex market where small traders like you and I trade forex is different than the interbank forex market. Interbank forex market is where big banks, corporations, hedge fund and other institutional investors exchange currencies. It is only open to big players.

With the advent of internet, retail forex trading became popular. Forex brokers work as intermediaries between the retail traders and the interbank market. Forex brokers popularize retail fx trading by offering online margin accounts. But beware retail forex market is not highly regulated. Due to poor regulation forex brokers can do what they want with immunity.

Know these games before you start your forex trading. The following facts can help you understand some of the games that can be played against you:

Pricing is Not Transparent: Being an OTC (Over the Counter) market, forex broker can quote prices that may not be fair but you have accept them or choose another broker. The prices that your forex broker is going to quote to you, is the price that you will get. You cannot do anything about it.

Use of Leverage: Your forex broker will love you to use a high leverage like 100-1 or 200-1 in your trading. Since most of the small forex traders are unsophisticated, they easily overexpose themselves and get wiped out in the market making gains for the broker in return.

Brokers try to trade against you: Forex brokers act as an intermediary between the retail trader and the interbank forex market. Since most of the retail trades are too small in size and cannot be immediately offset in the interbank market, forex brokers get the opportunity to trade against you. If you go long, the broker will go short and if you go short, the broker will take the long position. As most of the retail traders are not good traders and lose most of the time, forex brokers make profit from this.

Practices that are unfair: Forex brokers and Casinos have the same mentality: they dont like winner. If you are winning too much, the house will be stacked against you. Your forex broker may make the execution of your trades very difficult or start denying the service to you. Your trade may not execute due to slippage. There are many games the broker will play against you so beware.

Bill Poulos a veteran forex trader has developed a forex broker scorecard that you can find at my Blog. He will also teach the type pf question that you need to ask. - 23210

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in investing and Forex Trading. Read more about Forex Broker Scorecard.