PowerOptions WeBlog

Double Diagonal - Neutral Strategy
The Double Diagonal is a neutral stock options strategy. The Double Diagonal strategy is similar to an Iron Condor and can be considered a combination of a Calendar Call spread and a Calendar Put spread.
The Calendar Put spread portion of the Double Diagonal is entered by selling an out-of-the-money put [...]

Journalists have long been required to disclose relationships with any sponsors, as well as any endorsements or compensation they receive for their articles and reviews. The same has not been true for bloggers, until now.
When the new FTC Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising come into effect on December 1, 2009, [...]

Citrix Systems (CTXS) call option volume was up yesterday and the company’s stock price was down about 4%.
Citrix’s products enable its customers to host software on a centralized server. This enables its customers to decrease costs for supporting software applications. Instead of having hundreds of remote PC’s to keep up-to-date, support staff only [...]

Akamai’s (AKAM) call option volume was out of the ordinary yesterday. Akamai’s stock price was up a little over 3% yesterday as well.
If you need your website performance improved, Akamai is the company for you. Akamai provides products and services for accelerating Internet delivery. Akamai claims it handles 20% of Internet traffic.

Stock option volume for Check Point (CHKP) was significantly up yesterday, and there does not appear to be any related news.
Check Point is in the business of providing hardware and software security products. The company provides products for data traffic inspection, intrusion prevention, virtual private networks, content screening and messaging security. Check Point [...]

Stock and option volume for EZCORP (EZPW) was significantly up yesterday, probably due to their pending earnings conference call scheduled for today at 3:30pm CST.
EZCORP is basically in the pawn shop/short term credit business with 294 pawn stores and 477 signature loan stores in the U.S. and 38 pawn stores in Mexico. [...]

The real beauty of the covered calls strategy is making money on a stock, even when the price of the stock doesn’t move. Yes, it’s nice to make the extra income for a covered calls position when the underlying stock increases in price and the position is rolled, but what really adds oomph to [...]

The expression “you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip” refers to not being able to get something out of someone that they don’t have. Stock option trading can often feel like trying to squeeze blood from a turnip. However, with a little effort and some patience it is possible to squeeze blood [...]

The announcement that a clinical trial of BenlystaTM, the lupus drug from Human Genome Sciences, Inc. (HGSI), is showing positive results has sent the company’s stock soaring. This is good news for both lupus sufferers and investors, but can the company sustain its newly polished image?

The state of California is in financial distress. Unlike its municipalities, California cannot seek protection under the United States Bankruptcy Code (”Bankruptcy Code”). The state will have to address the crisis through a range of non-bankruptcy options. State issued IOUs will have to be paid. Contractors may be amenable to renegotiating their contracts. Perhaps the [...]