subject: Options As A Good Investment [print this page] Trading options sometimes seems cloudy in secrecy, when really it is a straightforward means of expenditure, being employed by large expenditure businesses and by people. Occasionally, the world media takes pleasure in spreading the concern mainly because a wayward employee has made secret and foolish investments using derivatives such as options, and thereby dropped a massive amount of money.
This kind of press exposure has resulted in trading options having a poor reputation. The truth is that most trustworthy buyers use choices as a method of alleviating risk, not increasing it.
How does this work? An investment company, say, may have purchased a large number of stocks in a specific company for its buyers.
If the market failures for some reason or any other, this will have an effect on the costs of this company's shares, even if the company is fundamentally sound. Most purchasers will attempt to sell the shares as soon as possible, but often can't look for a purchaser to stop the carnage.
Nevertheless, if the investment company buys a 'put' deal on the stocks that it owns, this provides it a good guarantee that they will be capable to provide the shares at a certain fixed price, even if those stocks are trading much lower during that time. In effect, the company is buying a kind of short term insurance to make sure that its investment is protected to a particular amount. In this way, it guarantees its clients from heavy losses, and at one time guarantees its status.
On the other hand, say a major company such as Sony plans on creating a new widget in the near future. The expectations can make quite a lot of interest in the share, and share rates grow as a result.
In this case, an investment company may want to purchase up large blocks of stock for its customers, but at the best possible price. So, before the madness starts, the business may buy the right to purchase the share someday at a set cost (this is called a 'Call Option' contract).
This then is a guaranteed cost that it can pass on to their customers. Naturally, if the stock has increased in cost over that time, the clients will benefit from the foresight of the investment business, and will make an instant profit.
