Get more S&P500 insights at https://www.AlphaCrunching.com/blog

Economic events, options positioning, and technical indicators to get your ready for the week.

Join me next week as we navigate the stock market focusing on the S&P500.

Want to connect? Find me on X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

Get more S&P500 insights at https://www.AlphaCrunching.com/blog

Economic events, options positioning, and technical indicators to get your ready for the week.

Join me next week as we navigate the stock market focusing on the S&P500.

Want to connect? Find me on X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

10 Major Differences Between SPY and SPX Options

SPY and SPX give you exposure to the S&P 500, but these options have key differences you should know before getting started.

Paying Dividends

SPX does not pay a dividend, but SPY does. Dividends may not seem relevant because someone buying options does not own shares. You only receive the dividend if you own the shares before the ex-dividend date.

But the dividend is relevant for options traders. Some traders may exercise SPY options early to be on time for the dividend. An ex-dividend also lowers the stock price, which will affect your option’s value. If SPY offers a $1.60 dividend this quarter, SPY’s share price will decrease by $1.60 on the ex-dividend date. Options do not get adjusted downward proportionally to the ex-dividend, but a decrease in share price hurts calls and helps puts.

Trading Style

Traders can use two approaches for their options trading. SPY options use the American style of option trading, while SPX options use the European trading style.

Investment Cost

Several factors influence an option’s cost, including the underlying asset’s price. Because the S&P 500 is roughly 10 times the price of SPY, the options for SPX require a higher investment. An investor would have to purchase 10 SPY calls with $400 strike prices to get the same exposure as one SPX call with a $4,000 strike price.

Settlement Price

If a SPY option gets exercised, shares exchange hands. A call holder will receive 100 shares, while someone with a put can sell their 100 shares. Instead of letting traders exchange shares, SPX options involve cash. SPX options give traders the cash equivalent of their in-the-money profits plus the initial investment. If the option expires worthless, the trader gets nothing back.

Expiration

SPY options follow the American trading style, which means options expire on Fridays at 4 p.m. Eastern. Some ETFs like SPY have multiple expiration dates each week, but most stocks expire after Friday’s close.

SPX options follow a different model, the European trading style. Most European options also expire on Friday’s close, but the third Friday of each month presents an exception. Options that expire on the third Friday don’t benefit from Friday’s price movements. These options stop trading after Thursday’s close. You cannot exercise a SPX option and have to wait for the settlement date to receive cash (SPX options do not involve shares changing hands), but you can exercise a SPY option at any time.

Contract

Options traders can only get involved with two types of contracts: calls and puts. These derivatives enable various options trading strategies you can use for SPY and SPX options. Both options let you engage in calls and puts.

Value

SPX options hold a higher value than SPY options because of the difference in share prices. A trader needs 10 SPY options to have the same value as one SPX option. While SPX options hold more value per contract, they both produce similar returns. If the S&P 500 increases by 1%, the SPY will also increase by roughly 1%. A 1% increase in the underlying asset’s price will produce nearly identical percentage gains for SPX and SPY options.

Liquidity

SPX and SPY both have great liquidity. They are among the most in-demand options, with generous bid-ask spreads. Other options with less liquidity have wider spreads, which makes it more difficult to realize profits. If you want to quickly enter and exit options within seconds without getting burned by the spread, SPY and SPX options are great choices.

Tax Treatment

SPX options are better for taxes and can help you save money because of how capital gains work. Sixty percent of your gains from SPX options get treated as long-term capital gains, while the remaining 40% of gains are treated as short-term gains. SPY options do not have the same luxury because all of their gains get treated as short-term gains. Short-term gains get taxed at a higher level than long-term gains, so you can end up with a higher tax bill if you trade SPY options.

Flexibility

SPY and SPX both have more flexibility than other options. While many options only expire on Fridays, you can trade SPY and SPX options that expire on any weekday. You can trade days to expiration (DTE) and zero days to expiration (0DTE) options on any day of the week if you desire. While each options trader has their own risk tolerance, SPY and SPX options offer the greatest flexibility to meet your needs.

Want to connect? Find me on LinkedIn or X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

In this special Thanksgiving episode of the SMOT podcast, I want to take a moment to say thank you for being a dedicated listener. Wishing you and your family the very best this holiday season!

Today, we’re diving into a case study on options position sizing. I recently posted a video on YouTube where I compared the same trading strategy across different account sizes and allocations to see how position sizing can dramatically impact performance. In this episode, you’ll hear the audio from that video.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/ThDgXklMG40

If you’re a visual learner, I’ve included a link to the YouTube video so you can check out the performance metrics in detail—it’s only 12 minutes long!

Before we jump in, a quick ask: If you’re enjoying the SMOT podcast, I’d be thrilled if you left a review on Apple or Spotify. It takes just 30 seconds, and it means the world.

Now, let’s get into this case study on optimizing your options position sizing!

Want to connect? Find me on LinkedIn or X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

In this episode, we'll cover some thoughts at what to think about the market here has we're hitting new all time highs post US Election. We've got several key economic reports coming this week too around inflation and the labor market.

Want to connect? Find me on LinkedIn or X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

In this episode, I walk through my recent GOOGL earning trade in which I held shares into the earnings event but added a risk free collar trade for protection. As you'll hear, the collar trade caps my upside but gives some downside protection in case the stock were to rollover.

At the time of this posting, GOOGL was up a little over 5% on an earnings pop and I've since exited most of the trade for profit.

Feel free to reach out to your host Eric O'Rourke on Twitter for any follow up questions, comments, or feedback.

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

In this episode, we'll dive into an options strategy and compare backtest results of holding the trades to expiration, aka HTE, versus taking profits at 50% of the max gain. We'll discuss some of the less discussed nuances of a strategy like this that may get you thinking about which is best for you and your trading style and risk tolerance.

Here's the link to the video discussed in the episode that explains the strategy:

https://youtu.be/2sM-6QTWWz8

Check out the Alpha Crunching Blog for more strategies like the one in today's episode:

https://www.alphacrunching.com/blog

Use code SPX50 for 50% off your first month of Alpha Crunching for backtested trade ideas posted each week before the trading week begins.

Feel free to reach out to your host Eric O'Rourke on Twitter for any follow up questions, comments, or feedback.

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

In this episode, we have Brent Kachuba from Spot Gamma on to discuss their newly released game changing indicator called TRACE.

The TRACE indicator is expertly designed to show options positioning from a dealer's perspective in a heat map form making it so much easier to structure various types of trades.

If you are an SPX weekly options trader, pay close attention to this episode and use this link to learn more:

https://spotgamma.com/trace-the-market-vertical-spread-academy/?aff=VSacademy

Be sure to follow Spot Gamma on X at: https://twitter.com/spotgamma

Also follow Eric O'Rourke there too: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

Greats discussion this week around the psychology of automated trading with Co-Founder Mike Christensen of TradersPost.io.

Traders Post allows you to automate trades using buy and sell signals from platforms like Trading View and Trend Spider.

Even though automated trading can reduce human execution errors, the psychology of automated trading is still something traders have to grapple with despite offloading some of the work to an algo rhythm.

Feel free to reach out to Mike or Eric on Twitter for any following questions, comments, or feedback.

Mike Christensen: https://twitter.com/Mik3Christ3ns3n

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

Patience and discipline are a big part of trading and when you are executing on a strategy, its important to understand that being in cash and not in a particular trade is part of that strategy.

Want to connect? Find me on LinkedIn or X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.

PS:

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

Updated options trading research now available in the SPX Income Masterclass geared towards beginners with small accounts and for those who don't want to watch the market all day. The strategies included in this Lifetime Access and Updates course are mechanical in nature and lend themselves to automated trading which is also discussed in the course.

Here's the link to the SPX Income Masterclass:

https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/4688450

In this episode, I discuss something about vertical spreads that options education books typically don't include. We'll explore comparing buying a single call option vs. buying a long call spread aka. bull put spread through the lens of trading strategy.

The primary point is that there is a level of consistency with vertical spreads over single options in that the cost of the spread is relatively the same over time whereas the cost of the call can vary due to volatility. This can make it harder to allocate a consistent amount of capital to a strategy.

The downside with vertical debit spreads of course is that you gaining consistency but at the cost of capping your upside gains if the market moves heavily in your favor.

Want to connect with myself? Find me on LinkedIn or X:

Eric O'Rourke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jericorourke/

Eric O'Rourke: https://twitter.com/OptionAssassin

After that, join other listeners at https://StockMarketOptionsTrading.net and join the community for free right now where there are daily posts with clues to the where the market may be headed next.

Also on the website, Alpha Traders Club is where I host my SPX Live Chat each day for trading SPX weekly options. We focus on the premarket data and levels, technical analysis, and options flow for trading high probability trades for weekly income.

Here's the link: https://www.stockmarketoptionstrading.net/spaces/12282222

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice.