Options Trading Overview & Strategies Options really shine when the markets are volatile. You can use them to leverage the movements of stocks or other tradable assets as they swing both up and down. And right now — with uncertainty rife in economies and governments all over the globe — is a perfect time to play the options game as the markets experience wild mood swings . But what exactly are options… and how can you use them to your investing advantage? In this primer, we’re going to give you the basic rundown on what options investments are and how to place a very basic trade. Basic Forms of Options Contracts Call Options We call the right to buy a stock a call option . These are bullish bets — you believe that the price of the underlying asset will rise by a specified time. With these options, money is made when the price of the underlying asset increases in value. Put Options We call the right to sell a stock a put option , and it’s exactly the opposite...