Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame

by Jeff Augen

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 admi

159 pages, Hardcover

First published February 4, 2009

Reviews

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expert analysis of option trading

Investors commonly use pricing models and formulas to determine the fair value of call options to buy stock and put options to sell stock. But formulaic fair value does not account for all the pricing dynamics that affect options near their expiration dates. That is why the price of an expiring option often diverges from its fair value. This pattern of distorted pricing creates trading opportunities in the options market that are less risky and potentially more rewarding than holding the underlying stock over the long term. Jeff Augen’s compact, focused book details strategies for trading options on the third Thursday and Friday of each month, before the options expire that Saturday. He cautions that investors must be aware of collateral funding needs, regulatory requirements, investment minimums and other sophisticated details. Because Augen assumes that the reader has substantial background knowledge, professional traders may have the most to gain from his mathematically rigorous insights. getAbstract, which recommends books, but not investments (the opinions in the summary are those of the author), also suggests this book to amateur investors who are familiar with options and seek the next level of professional information.

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[Gordon K Sung · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a book for beginners. I feel a lot of the information are skipped for the sake of brevity. You have to know what he is talking about to start to get his ideas. Tactics-wise, they are available on the internet. Not very thorough explaining the process in executing the stocks.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very methodical and logical approach to capitalizing on expiration day dynamics. Ever more pertinent now for weekly options

Good for those who wants a respite from trading deltas