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

Trading Options at Expiration: Strategies and Models for Winning the Endgame [Kindle Edition]

Jeff Augen
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

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Product Description

“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

 

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, 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.

 

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.

 

  • Why traditional option pricing calculations always break down in ...

    From the Back Cover

    “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

     

    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, 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.

     

    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.

     

    • Why traditional option pricing calculations always break down in the final days before expiration
      Three powerful end-of-cycle effects not comprehended by contemporary pricing models
    •  Reducing your risk by reducing your market exposure
      Trading only one or two days each month and avoiding overnight exposure
    • Structuring trades that reflect true expiration-day behavior
      Leveraging the surprising power of expiration-day pricing dynamics

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 2234 KB
  • Print Length: 180 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0135058724
  • Publisher: FT Press; 1 edition (4 Mar 2009)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language English
  • ASIN: B001UID8MI
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #168,109 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Rolf Dobelli TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
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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Amazon.com:  29 reviews
97 of 103 people found the following review helpful
Excellent theory ,but not practical for the average option trader 14 April 2009
By Christian Farman - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Before going into the details of my review I will quote some statements from the book:
"A relatively large amount of minute by minute stock and option data was used in preparation of this book....... First and foremost `in importance' was accuracy because slight discrepancies can cause significant errors in volatility calculations"

"It is certainly reasonable to study option expiration by studying the behavior of individual stocks that is one end of the spectrum . The other end involves development of custom data bases and software"
Before I buy any book, I usually look through the Table of Contents to get a glimpse of what the book covers. In this book the search inside feature was not available, so my decision to buy was based on the one review available at the time. Even though I am a successful options trader I could not resist the high potential profits in few hours mentioned in the review.
After reading the book, and based on the author's own assertions quoted above, an average option trader can use ideas qualitatively by studying the behavior of specific stocks and its effect on option premium at expiration. This may include volatility near expiration, open put call position lopsidedness, and distorted time value of the premium among others. While this information is available in other books , this book is useful in that it consolidates it in one small book together.
To quantitatively apply the concepts in this book you have to be able to: (1) obtain extensive and accurate stock and option data. (2) Be able to program and (3) be a full time dedicated option trader. Fortunately, I am a programmer and a full time option trader. I tried to get as accurate data as possible and generate option volatility decay charts for specific stocks I felt are good candidates. What I found is that there is a lot of noise in the volatility decay charts, as the author himself admits, that makes is difficult in practice to achieve such returns , even though it is possible in theory assuming ideal entry and exit.
I rate the book 5 stars for theory and research and 3 stars for practicality of application thus a total rating of 4 stars.
107 of 115 people found the following review helpful
Read this book before next expiration day! 19 Mar 2009
By Michael Benklifa - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I'm an options trader. That's how I make my living. I've read all the books, been to the seminars, and have the scars from experience. So believe me when I say this book is different. It's not the same options books with a different cover. It's not going to start all over from scratch about what are options. This little book is packed with an out-of-the box winning strategy that takes advantage of the institutional moves (for once!). The pinning of stocks on expiration day is a phenomena that has been noted for some time. How to make money from this is not so clear. Mr. Augen takes advantage of institutional trading behavior on expiration day and details not only which stocks to trade but which strategy and what time of day to apply each strategy. [read this last sentence again] This approach is not conjecture but a statistical study as to how certain stocks move. This is a genuine money making strategy that can earn 200%-300% or more in a few hours. Just recently a straddle purchased on a stock mentioned in the book could have been purchased for $1 and sold for $6 a few hours later. The beautiful thing is that institutions can't even take advantage of this strategy!

My previous favorite book on options was Mr. Augen's Volatility Edge which, again, is in a class by itself. His next book was the Options Trader's Workbook which will push your knowledge on options like no other. I don't know why Mr. Augen is disseminating this strategy that most people would jealously guard. I can only assume from the nature of his other books that he is one of those who loves to teach and sees success in other people's success. Thank you Mr. Augen!
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Thought provoking strategies for serious option traders 7 April 2009
By Sreeram Ramakrishnan - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
In a very pithy and dense 'follow-up' to his previous "classic" The Volatility Edge in Options Trading: New Technical Strategies for Investing in Unstable Markets and a reasonably good workbook The Options Trader's Workbook: A Problem-Solving Approach, Augen provides a (very) serious options trader some key insights and strategies in dealing with options expiration dynamics.

This book is not for the casual investor looking to make a quick profit and some of the strategies mentioned, as the author himself points out, could have implications regarding whether you could be classified as a day trader for tax purposes.

The book is organized in three chapters. In the first chapter, the author explains three key observations regarding option pricing dynamics - volatility collapse, strike price pinning, and acceleration of time decay. He explains how each of these components contribute to option prices in the expiration week (and day) and provides some strong hints as to how to exploit them using some detailed examples. In the second chapter, the author provides some guidelines on the use of statistical models to identify potential candidates for implementing some of the strategies based on the three concepts mentioned above. The third chapter provides detailed descriptions of specific trading strategies on expiration Thursday and Friday.

Now, the caveats. While the book provides a serious student of options and a trader some excellent insights, it is not clear how accessible the tools one may need to execute any strategies outlined (thankfully, the author doesn't provide or pretend to provide a formulaic approach, but rather a generic, well thought out framework with enough details that a serious reader can develop his/her own strategy based on risk profile). The effectiveness of these techniques cannot, obviously, be solely judged by the examples the book contains. So, one needs to take a patient approach in critiquing the book's approach - it will take some time to develop a trading strategy and enough data points to make any meaningful conclusions regarding the effectiveness. But, it is clear that a serious reader will benefit tremendously by being encouraged to look into a perhaps a niche area in option trading in a very systematic and through manner, which in itself can significantly improve one's experience in option trading. A must-have book for the serious options student/trader.

(for what it is worth, I consider myself as a fairly conservative options trader, mostly focusing on spread strategies with a day job far away from the trading pits)
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Popular Highlights

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&quote;
Finally, a rarely mentioned result of pinning is the tendency of some stocks to exhibit unusually large price changes on the Monday following expiration. This tendency can be exploited by purchasing long straddles just a few minutes before expiration on stocks that close expiration Friday pinned to a strike price. Statistically speaking, these straddles generate disproportionately large returns because they are mispriced. &quote;
Highlighted by 63 Kindle users
&quote;
As noted by many active traders, option contracts that exhibit high levels of open interest tend to cause the underlying stock to migrate toward the heavily traded strike price. &quote;
Highlighted by 52 Kindle users
&quote;
Almost invariably, simple short positions designed to benefit from implied volatility collapse perform best late in the day after the stock stabilizes near a strike price and most large positions have been unwound. &quote;
Highlighted by 52 Kindle users

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