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Chapter 12: Options Contracts

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    79444
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    At a very exclusive party, a high-class, finely clad woman slinked up to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and said, “I will do anything – anything you want.” The CEO flatly responded, “Reprice my options.” ‒ Attributed to Warren Buffett

    Learning Objectives

    In this chapter, you will

    By the end of this chapter, you should be able to

    We now embark upon a very unusual part of our journey. In the next several modules, we will explore various instruments that the vast majority of us should stay far, far away from. “That's a bit odd,” you say? "Why are we learning about products that we should stay far, far away from?" The reason we are learning about options is that we can protect ourselves, our family members, our friends, and our colleagues from them. Instruction about syphilis is not an instruction to get syphilis! And the same is true of options, futures, buying on margin, shorting, etc. However, since this is an Introduction to Investments class, we need to learn how these exotic and dangerous vehicles work, if only to protect ourselves and our loved ones from succumbing to their “get-rich-quick” siren calls. Before you start, please have the Options Notes Sheet handy. Get ready to be bedazzled, dazed, and confused by stock options!

    Presentation file - Study guide

    • 12.1: What are Options Contracts?
      What are options contracts? They are securities that we should stay far, far away from. However, since this is an Introduction to Investments class and textbook, we need to become familiar with these gambles, ooops!, sorry, I mean, speculations, if only to know how to protect ourselves and our family members, friends, and colleagues from succumbing to their siren song of "get rich quick."
    • 12.2: Options Characteristics and the Breakeven Point
      Options contracts have various characteristics that set them apart from other securities. Let's explore them and specifically, let's learn how difficult it is to actually make money gambling, uh, oh, there I go again!, sorry, speculating with options.
    • 12.3: Options Strategies; Covered Calls and Naked Puts
      Oh, boy! Just wait until we regale you with all the ways you can lose a lot of money and make your broker rich, ooops!, I am so sorry, I meant get fabulously wealthy in no time at all with these sure-fire, fail-safe, gotta'-us-'em, options strategies. (Ah, Folks. This is called irony. I am being sarcastic. Got it? Good!)
    • 12.4: Employee Stock Options and Some Final Topics about Options
      Finally, let's take a look a type of option that is popular with high-tech companies, Employee Stock Options, often abbreviated as ESOs. We will also discuss a few other types of options and make some final comments about why you should stay far away from them.
    • 12.S: Summary
      Congratulations ‒ You Have Finished Chapter 12 ‒ Options Contracts

    "Spin" by conorwithonen is licensed under CC BY 2.0


    This page titled Chapter 12: Options Contracts is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Frank Paiano.

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