“Jeff’s analysis is unique, at least among academic derivatives textbooks. I would definitely use this material in my derivatives class, as I believe students would benefit from analyzing the many dimensions of Jeff’s trading strategies. I especially found the material on trading the earnings cycle and discussion of how to insure against price jumps at known events very worthwhile.” —DR. ROBERT JENNINGS, Professor of Finance, Indiana University Kelley School of Business “This is not just another book about options trading. The author shares a plethora of knowledge based on 20 years of trading experience and study of the financial markets. Jeff explains the myriad of complexities about options in a manner that is insightful and easy to understand. Given the growth in the options and derivatives markets over the past five years, this book is required reading for any serious investor or anyone in the financial service industries.” —MICHAEL P. O’HARE, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. “Those in the know will find this book to be an excellent resource and practical guide with exciting new insights into investing and hedging with options.” —JIM MEYER, Managing Director, Sasqua Field Capital Partners LLC “Jeff has focused everything I knew about options pricing and more through a hyper-insightful lens! This book provides a unique and practical perspective about options trading that should be required reading for professional and individual investors.” —ARTHUR TISI, Founder and CEO, EXA Infosystems; private investor and options trader In The Volatility Edge in Options Trading, leading options trader Jeff Augen introduces breakthrough strategies for identifying subtle price distortions that arise from changes in market volatility. Drawing on more than a decade of never-before-published research, Augen provides new analytical techniques that every experienced options trader can use to study historical price changes, mitigate risk, limit market exposure, and structure mathematically sound high-return options positions. Augen bridges the gap between pricing theory mathematics and market realities, covering topics addressed in no other options trading book. He introduces new ways to exploit the rising volatility that precedes earnings releases; trade the monthly options expiration cycle; leverage put:call price parity disruptions; understand weekend and month-end effects on bid-ask spreads; and use options on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) as a portfolio hedge. Unlike conventional guides, The Volatility Edge in Options Trading doesn’t rely on oversimplified positional analyses: it fully reflects ongoing changes in the prices of underlying securities, market volatility, and time decay. What’s more, Augen shows how to build your own customized analytical toolset using low-cost desktop software and data sources: tools that can transform his state-of-the-art strategies into practical buy/sell guidance. An options investment strategy that reflects the markets’ fundamental mathematical properties Presents strategies for achieving superior returns in widely diverse market conditions Adaptive trading: how to dynamically manage option positions, and why you must Includes precise, proven metrics and rules for adjusting complex positions Effectively trading the earnings and expiration cycles Leverage price distortions related to earnings and impending options expirations Building a state-of-the-art analytical infrastructure Use standard desktop software and data sources to build world-class decision-making tools

Breakthrough option strategies from Jeff Augen: Three books packed with new tools and strategies for earning higher, more consistent profits and systematically controlling risk! In three remarkable books, Jeff Augen teaches you dozens of up-to-the-minute option trading strategies and techniques for earning powerful, consistent profits! The Option Trader’s Workbook, Second Edition offers start-to-finish hands-on practice with every leading strategy, including the newest trading techniques. Through hundreds of realistic problems (each with fully explained solutions), you’ll walk through trades designed to profit from changing prices, volatility, and time decay…plus new ways to use CBOE Weekly Options Expiration options, collars, covered calls, covered puts, ratio and variance trading, VIX options, volatility ETFs, and more…all without risking a dime! In Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame, Augen reveals new ways to structure positions that profit from predictable end-of-contract price distortions with remarkably low risk. Packed with brand-new statistical models, minute-by-minute pricing analyses, and optimized strategies, this book teaches you how to create trades that regularly deliver returns of 40%—300% with just two days of market exposure per month, or even less. Finally, in The Volatility Edge in Options Trading: New Technical Strategies for Investing in Unstable Markets, Augen introduces breakthrough strategies for identifying and profiting from subtle price distortions that arise from changes in market volatility. Drawing on more than a decade of never-before-published research, Augen shows option traders how to study historical price changes, mitigate risk, limit market exposure, and structure mathematically sound high-return positions. You’ll even discover how to build your own customized, low-cost analytical toolset to transform these state-of-the-art strategies into practical buy/sell signals!

If you have experience in option trading, or a strong understanding of the options markets, but want to better understand how to trade given certain market conditions, this is the book for you. Mark Sebastian's new edition will teach trade evaluation, using Greeks, trading various spreads under different market conditions, portfolio-building, and risk management. Sebastian's approach will help traders understand how to find edge, what kind of trade under what conditions will capture edge, and how to create and successfully hedge. The book demonstrates how to structure a portfolio of trades that makes more money with less risk.

A top options trader shows investors how they can use certain strategies, teaches why day trading options are more practical than ever, and helps them understand trends in the options market that have leveled the playing field between large institutions and private traders.

Equity and index options expire on the third Friday of each month. As that moment approaches, unusual market forces create option price distortions, rarely understood by most investors. These distortions give rise to outstanding trading opportunities with enormous profit potential. In Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame, leading options trader Jeff Augen explores this extraordinary opportunity with never-before published statistical models, minute-by-minute pricing analysis, and optimized trading strategies that regularly deliver returns of 40%-300% per trade. You’ll learn how to structure positions that profit from end-of-contract price distortions with remarkably low risk. These strategies don’t rely on your ability to pick stocks or predict market direction and they only require one or two days of market exposure per month. Augen also discusses: · Three powerful end-of-cycle effects not comprehended by contemporary pricing models · Trading only one or two days each month and avoiding overnight exposure · Leveraging the surprising power of expiration-day pricing dynamics If you’re looking for an innovative new way to reignite your returns no matter where the markets move, you’ve found it in Trading Options at Expiration. “Learn and profit from Jeff Augen’s book: It clearly explains how to take advantage of market inefficiencies in collapsing implied volatility, effects of strike price, and time decay. A must-read for individuals who are options oriented.” --Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Director of Technical Analysis Studies, New York Institute of Finance “A fantastic, insightful book full of meticulously compiled statistics about anomalies that surround option expiration. Not only does Augen present a set of effective trading strategies to capitalize on these anomalies, he walks through the performance of each across several expirations. His advice is practical and readily applicable: He outlines common pitfalls, gives guidance on timing your executions, and even includes code that can be used to perform the same calculations he does in the text. A thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you a true edge in your option trading.” --Alexis Goldstein, Vice President, Equity Derivatives Business Analyst “Mr. Augen makes a careful and systematic study of option prices at expiration. His translation of price behavior into trading strategy is intriguing work, and the level of detail is impressive.” --Dr. Robert Jennings, Professor of Finance, Indiana University Kelly School of Business “This book fills a gap in the vast amount of literature on derivatives trading and stands out for being extremely well written, clear, concise, and very low on jargon--perfect for traders looking to evolve their equity option strategies.” --Nazzaro Angelini, Principal, Spearpoint Capital “Instead of considering macro-time strategies that take weeks to unfold, Jeff Augen is thinking micro here--hours or days--specifically the days or hours right before expiration, and harnessing grinding, remorseless options decay for profit. He builds a compelling case for the strategy here. The concept of using ratio spreads plus risk management for as brief a period as one day--open to close--to capture expiring premium is worth the price of admission alone. A superb follow-up to his first book. Must-read for the serious options student.” --John A. Sarkett, Option Wizard software

An A to Z options trading guide for the new millennium and the new economy Written by professional trader and quantitative analyst Euan Sinclair, Option Trading is a comprehensive guide to this discipline covering everything from historical background, contract types, and market structure to volatility measurement, forecasting, and hedging techniques. This comprehensive guide presents the detail and practical information that professional option traders need, whether they're using options to hedge, manage money, arbitrage, or engage in structured finance deals. It contains information essential to anyone in this field, including option pricing and price forecasting, the Greeks, implied volatility, volatility measurement and forecasting, and specific option strategies. Explains how to break down a typical position, and repair positions Other titles by Sinclair: Volatility Trading Addresses the various concerns of the professional options trader Option trading will continue to be an important part of the financial landscape. This book will show you how to make the most of these profitable products, no matter what the market does.

How to collect big profits from a volatile options market Over the past decade, the concept of volatility has drawn attention from traders in all markets across the globe. Unfortunately, this scrutiny has also created a proliferation of myths about what volatility means and how it works. Options Volatility Trading deconstructs some of the common misunderstandings about volatility trading and shows you how to successfully manage an options trading account and investment portfolio with expertise. This reliable guidebook provides an in-depth look at the volatility index (VIX) and demonstrates how to use it in conjunction with other analytical tools to determine an accurate measure of investor sentiment. However, recognizing a trend isn’t enough. In order to give you everything you need to profit in the options market, Options Volatility Trading also features: Detailed analysis of historical volatility patterns in the context of trading activity Insights into the behavioral psychology of trading volatility Revealing examinations of market noise that distorts exploitable anomalies Author Adam Warner, a recognized trading strategist and financial writer, sheds light on the required mathematics by thoroughly covering options Greeks and building a solid foundation for more advanced options and volatility concepts. He explains how to diversify your investment choices using the latest trading vehicles on the market, including exchange traded funds (ETFs), which offer exceptional money-earning potential for volatility traders. Applying the conceptual lessons in this in-depth book, you will be able to identify, collect, and process the abundance of data available every day in order to time the markets like a pro, as well as develop your own toolbox of best practices and time-tested strategies for locking in big profits from dramatic shifts in investor sentiment. Most importantly, Options Volatility Trading provides you with a go-to resource of dependable guidelines that will help you become a successful volatility trader in options and any other market.