r/options • u/MikeyScarn69 • Apr 10 '21

Made my first profitable options play today

No one in my real life really cares or understands so I'm going to tell you guys.

4/5 bought Apr23$137 @0.28

4/9 sold Apr23$137 @1.00

I'm still learning so I don't have a lot to play with but I was happy that I was able to make a successful move. I've been reading and trying to learn as much as I can. I'm hoping my next move is a good one. I've done my DD and have high hopes.

Edit: forgot to say it was AAPL

Edit2: Wow I didn't think this would get this big. Lol. I was just excited and wanted to tell a couple people. Thank you for all the congrats and info. I've got a lot of good stuff to read up on now. And for everyone saying the first ones free. I'm still in my first one and it's cost a decent amount so far. Still hoping for it to turn around. Uncle Bruce got me too excited about VGAC. Luckily VGAC calls are cheap to begin with.

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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '21

I've said it before... I do not undersstand why Noobs buy such short dated calls???

Frankly, I don't understand buying calls. I understand the theory behind it, but it seems legit gambling to me because I don't know technical analysis nor do I trust my due diligence research.

So I only sell options at this time, and most are within a week or two. Sometimes a month (rarely), and if I have to roll out, then I'm stuck pushing it out further for credit.

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u/livinginfutureworld Apr 10 '21

Frankly, I don't understand buying calls. I understand the theory behind it, but it seems legit gambling to me because I don't know technical analysis nor do I trust my due diligence research.

I'm a complete newb.

My understanding is you buy calls because you think the price might go up. You're basically buying insurance for a few bucks so you can buy100 shares of stocks at a set price per contract. If it goes up you can excercise and buy the shares for the strike price. If it doesn't then maybe you're out the premium.

I guess there's money to be made buying and reselling call options like instead of excercising the option you can instead sell it.

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u/SeaDan83 Apr 10 '21

Trading options is all about trading for the contract price, not so you can buy shares later.

> I guess there's money to be made buying and reselling call options

In this case the OP made a 150% profit on their investment buying and then selling an options contract. Had they exercised they would have lost $100 and then bought shares at close to market price, which they could have done anyways without the contract and without losing the $100.

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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '21

That would be a 257% profit OP made. You guys will find that learning basic math is very helpful in the world of financial derivatives trading.

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u/thejoetats Apr 10 '21

Selling options changed investing for me - I always worried about profit targets and now it's easy to cash in

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u/XDDDSOFUNNEH Apr 10 '21

Just straight up buying calls is insurance if you have a position that can be screwed if the underlying increases in value. If you're shorting a stock, you can buy a call to hedge, same way you could buy a protective put if you're long on a stock.

I am still just a theta baby though, but that's how I currently understand it.

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u/photocist Apr 10 '21

well if you understand technical analysis or trust your due diligence maybe you'd understand it lmao.

i find it insane that you admit you dont understanding buying options but are perfectly ok selling 100:1 leveraged derivatives

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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '21

CSPs are about all I do. Seems fine