An option is a securities contract, a “call” or a “put,” that gives you the right to buy (call) or sell (put) the underlying equity, index, or ETF.

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Option players opt for Monster call options and Coca-Cola put options as rumors spin of a massive beverage buyout.

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Household debt is at multi-year lows and consumer spending is rising. These names are ones to watch amid these trends.

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If Dollar Tree's move into pharmacy services becomes a trend, drugstores face a serious challenge.

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Options volume has surged in Safeway as speculative traders attempt to buy in before the company's next strategic announcement.

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When you purchase options contract, the price quoted will be per share and not per contract. Here's a simple calculation to determine options contract price.

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Before you open an options trading account here are a few considerations you'll encounter when choosing an options broker. Getting approval for trading options.

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There are many fairly complex options trading strategies. Here's a listing of options trading strategies for novice and seasoned options traders.

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In addition to risk, time decay, and overly aggressive positions, there are a few other common mistakes that option traders make. Avoid these Options Mistakes.

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By understanding options risk, you can become a better and more profitable options trader. While big returns are achievable savvy traders understand the risk.

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How to read options quotes and make sense of open interest, volume and expiration cycles.

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The price of an option is influenced by the stock price, time left until the option expires, and the volatility of the stock. Learn how to price options.

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All options symbols are 21 characters long. While this seems like it would make the symbology difficult to understand, the uniform options symbol format is easy to understand.

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Strike price is an important part of the options contract and the only static variable that contributes to option’s pricing. Learn which factors impact the price of options.

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Target turns 50 this year, and may be getting too big to grow further. Here are four ways the chain hopes to attract new customers without expanding.

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Short-term calls and puts ignite with activity as CEO leaves the building.

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First-quarter earnings growth is expected to be stagnant, but we should be thankful for these low expectations.

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An early Easter and warm weather keep the happy streak going (for some), including upside surprises at Target, Macy’s and others.

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Disney shares are trading lower Wednesday, providing an entry point for bullish option traders using both call and put options.

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A look at the 10 optionable U.S. stocks that currently have the highest beta rankings, and bullish option strategy ideas on three high-volatility names.

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Option traders take an aggressive stance with a conservative strategy: Bull call spread bets on Gap moving up to 13% higher in next six weeks.

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The options-trading community saw a silver lining to Groupon’s recent stock decline and industrious put sellers took a chance.

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Amazon is threatening Wal-Mart as the No. 1 shopping destination. But Wal-Mart succeeds in some areas where Amazon fails. Take a look.

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The all-male Augusta National Golf Club typically has offered membership to its corporate sponsors -- but now one of these sponsors is a woman, making for a sticky situation.

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Six stories caught the market off guard in early 2012. Here's a review of those headlines that surprised investors over the last three months.

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Can the infamous insurer rise 50% in the next 10 months? Heavy call activity in the January series shows that some traders are betting big that it will.

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Tapping lucrative international markets is a necessity for growth, but that's not so easy without major improvements to e-commerce software.

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Here's why an investor might buy a long stock position and a long put position at the same time.

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A new deal ensures that Starbucks' K-Cups will be usable in Green Mountain's new, enhanced machines even as Starbucks preps its own machines for a fall launch.

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Nike and Lululemon report earnings Thursday. Who'll win with investors as both of these stocks sit near all-time highs?

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Sears has multiple strikes against a continued uptrend. Here's why it might be time to bow out of SHLD.

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Option bulls expect big box-office receipts to lift Lion’s Gate shares.

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Wendy’s ekes past Burger King to take the No. 2 spot -- but it’s a hollow victory. It can never go beyond that.

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Options traders are bullish on Michael Kors, but bearish on Ralph Lauren. Both saw unusually heavy action on Monday.

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Flush with cash -- and with a solid history of raising dividends, Target says it's aiming to pay a $3 annual dividend by 2017.

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Option players buy long-dated call options in hopes of a prolonged rally in Staples shares.

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Expiring drug patents can cost pharma stocks billions of dollars, but companies and investors alike can prepare themselves well in advance.

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Apple's ascent leaves even most technical analysis gasping. Its very high RSI might hint at near-term consolidation, but that's hardly a sure thing.

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Option traders bet on Office Depot’s long-term upside potential, with unusually heavy volumes of long calls and long straddles.

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Retailing performed across the board in February, slightly exceeding analysts’ estimates, with vehicle and apparel sales particularly strong.

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They're betting that the home builder's stock will topple in the next few weeks even amid tentative signs of improvement in housing.

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Options activity shows confidence in AEO shares post earnings.

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YUM Brands' new Taco Bell Dorito taco is one more thing the fast-food chain has going for it. And here's a low-cost way to play YUM.

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Option traders bought SBUX call options and traded a bearish options spread in Green Mountain Coffee ahead of Starbucks' new-product reveal.

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Homebuilder DR Horton shares were higher Thursday, providing put buyers with a trade opportunity. And they jumped on it big-time.

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Hot Topic, Buckle, and others surprise to the upside, while Stein Mart slips.

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Will Yahoo drop 18% in the next four months? Some option traders seem to think so.

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Why was Tuesday's put volume for Williams-Sonoma nine times the average one-month volume?

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Put traders have been notably active on these rallying stocks. Is that a sign of trouble? Turns out, it's not so clear-cut.

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Call buying and put selling continues in LIZ as traders expect further upside following a S&P debt rating upgrade.

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