So Many Options: Directional, Neutral, or Volatility Trading

How to Prepare for Earnings Season: Part 2

In Tuesday’s episode, How to Prepare for Earnings Season: Part 1, I discussed my first steps in prepping to trade earnings season, including making my earnings calendar, identifying optionable tickers to trade, and honing in on volatility. 

Next comes deciding how to sit down and approach the season, which means knowing what options and strategies you want to use. This will depend on your experience level, personality, interest level, and more! ‘Trading earnings’ is a broad topic, as it can be done in many ways! That is one of my favorite aspects of being a trader.

There are so many ‘options’ when selecting options strategies!

Where should you begin? It all starts with what your overall goal is.

Speculative Bias in the Stock Market

Options are a speculative, leveraged tool in the stock market.

So, how do you want to use them? Are you trying to speculate on which direction the market goes, bet on sideways action, or purely bet on the rise and fall in volatility without care for the price direction?

When I first started trading, I began as a directional trader. That’s because the lure of explosive gains initially interested me in options trading! I’d have to bet I’m not alone in this thinking. However, I have focused substantially more on income-based and volatility trading over time. That’s because both tend to be more forgiving, consistent, and don’t require as much management or directional bias. Between managing kids and my media schedule, these are all highly alluring positives related to these trading styles!

So, which is which? Let them break it down.

Directional Trading

Objective: To capture and profit when an underlying makes a directional move from one price to another

Key Characteristics:

  • Price Focused: Directional strategies often revolve around the idea that the underlying price will make a big move in the speculated direction.
  • Common Strategies: Include calls, puts, debit spreads, and butterflies
  • Risk & Reward: Typically have substantial potential rewards if the direction and price targets are identified expertly

 

Register for my upcoming webinar, where I’ll be discussing my system for catching overnight earnings moves with simple options setups LIVE! Click the image below to sign up. I’ll see you on Wednesday, October 11th, at 7:00 pm Central!

Neutral Trading

Objective: To profit from an underlying asset that remains within a specific price range or exhibits minimal price movement over time.

Key Characteristics:

  • Price Focused: Neutral strategies often revolve around the idea that the underlying price will not move significantly in any direction.
  • Common Strategies: Include iron condors, butterflies, and calendar spreads.
  • Risk & Reward: Typically have defined risk and reward, aiming for consistent but often smaller profits.

Volatility Trading

Objective: To profit from changes in volatility, regardless of the direction in which the price of the underlying asset moves.

Key Characteristics:

  • Volatility Focused: These strategies are based on predictions of the volatility of an asset, not necessarily its price direction. Volatility can be historical (statistical) or implied (derived from option prices).
  • Common Strategies: Straddles, strangles, and Vega-based trades are typical. Both buying and selling options can be used to exploit different volatility conditions.
  • Different Market Conditions: Traders might expect a surge in volatility (e.g., before earnings announcements or significant events) or a decrease in volatility (post-event or in stable market conditions).
  • Risk & Reward: Can be both undefined or defined, depending on the strategy

These days, I like to focus more on volatility-based trading because it allows me to get in and out of the market quickly and still have time for everything else! It also doesn’t require me to pick or be right on the direction, and instead merely trade volatility trends. Want to learn more? I’ll be live on Wednesday, October 11th, where I’ll talk about my top earnings strategy and where you can learn more. Click here to sign up for the live webcast! I look forward to seeing you there.

 

Up Next...

NFLX: Taking Profits (A Follow Up)

Hey traders! Last week, I posted a bullish Netflix (NFLX) setup at Five Star Trader. At this point, this trade is making targets, and I’m taking profits. What does that look like? Well, Netflix has hit just below my price target of $730. My put credit spread, and my butterfly has two days remaining. One could … Read more

Read More

A Bullish Trade in Netflix (NFLX)

Relative Strength, Squeezes, and Earnings Netflix has been at the top of my radar for the past few months due to its trend and relative strength. This is primarily for trading only versus investments because I don’t invest in stocks at new all-time highs. With this ticker, I added some put credit spreads and bullish … Read more

Read More

The Post-Fed Break Out Continues…

Relative strength stocks continue to break out after the Fed cut rates. When semiconductors (SMH) break higher, along with Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Netflix (NFLX), Meta (META), Tesla (TSLA), and Broadcom (AVGO), this relative strength is a bullish sign for continued upside price action. There’s also a difference between where traders and investors should focus. … Read more

Read More

Subscribe Today!

Want my up-to-date analysis, setups, top trading tips, and more? Be a Five Star trader, and join my free newsletter today!

Sign Up Now
all-as-seen-on-logos