Short sellers get a bad rap. They are often villainized by the media for “ganging up” on troubled companies or even causing market crashes. There is little evidence to support the latter, though, and the truth is short sellers are a necessary part of the market. They help provide liquidity and keep overpriced stocks in check. #-ad_banner-#I don’t know about you, but I’m not content only making profits on the upside. There is an extraordinary amount of money to be made on the downside, especially in a market like this. But when you short a stock, you risk an unlimited… Read More
Short sellers get a bad rap. They are often villainized by the media for “ganging up” on troubled companies or even causing market crashes. There is little evidence to support the latter, though, and the truth is short sellers are a necessary part of the market. They help provide liquidity and keep overpriced stocks in check. #-ad_banner-#I don’t know about you, but I’m not content only making profits on the upside. There is an extraordinary amount of money to be made on the downside, especially in a market like this. But when you short a stock, you risk an unlimited loss for a limited gain. I’m a probability guy, and I don’t like those odds. Plus, there is a strategy for profiting when stocks fall that offers limited risk and substantial (though not quite unlimited) gains. Given that, I’m not sure why anyone would choose to short stocks. Now, my strategy involves options, another area of the market that gets a bad rap. But unlike short selling, options — when used properly — can actually help limit your risk. Today, I want to cover how to use basic put options to profit as stocks fall. To do so, I’m going… Read More