Stock Options Videos

Mark is joined by Tony McCormick, the new CEO of the Boston Options Exchange. Mark and Tony discuss the revamped game plan for BOX. How can BOX survive with so many competitors targeting the options space? Will the exchange eventually become a dark pool? Can BOX even afford to compete in the institutional space? Tony answers these questions and many more...

(Video: Market coach Doug Hirschhorn, PhD, discusses why he believes traders are risk averse right now.)Here are 3 reasons I believe this week s trader temperature is risk averse:The data is already baked in the markets Despite a bullish outlook based on recent Fed statements, the feeling is that most of upside move is already baked into the markets. That means a slow and steady climb until the year's end. While that may be good for long-term investors, it's not so good for shorter-term traders.Pay day preoccuption Traders have families and need to lock in paychecks (they get paid at year end).Lack of New Catalysts A lot of the uncertainty we had before isn't so uncertain anymore. As a result, the risk/reward profile is not nearly as compelling.In short, staying patient right now is the best trade. Think better, invest smarter.

Market coach Doug Hirschhorn, PhD, tells viewers what really drives the markets.

In this episode, Mark is joined by Mike Tosaw, Financial Advisor, Know Your Options Inc. Mark and Mike explore several different ways to implement options into equity portfolios. They also discuss the common mistakes made by retail option investors and the rise of arrogant condor traders.

(Video: Market coach Doug Hirschhorn, PhD, discusses why earnings don't mean as much as we think they do.)We're smack dab in the middle of earnings season. Many investors get hung up on earnings -- they spend way too much time thinking about what the numbers really mean. But here are four good reasons why, if you're a typical investor, you might want to re-think an investment strategy based on earnings data. You snooze, you lose If you're waiting to find out the earnings before you make an investment in a company, you're already too late the party.Listen to what the market is saying by watching what it's DO-ing Successful trading is about watching the price action and reacting to it. It's far less about trying to outsmart the markets.TMI (Too Much Information) Earnings season is exciting to watch and fun to talk about, but so what? It just creates more confusion than clarity. My Advice: Pick a few companies in play and focus on them rather than spreading yourself too thin.Mix it up a bit Here s a news flash: Just because you have always traded US equities does not mean you should only trade them. In reality, there are lots of different ways to make lots of money, like metals, oil and currencies.Sometimes as a trader, the less comfortable you feel about a product, the more objective your decisions are. My advice, for Q4? Think outside the box.Think better, invest smarter.

(Video: Market coach Doug Hirschhorn, PhD, answers your questions.)From time to time, I get questions at my website, drdoug.com. Many people want to learn how to overcome the barriers they face as a trader. And I try to help them, focusing on the psychology of investing. Here are a few more recent inquiries:Q: What do you think are the most important characteristics for a trader?A: Hands down, the most important characteristic for a trader is self awareness. You have to have self awareness to know how you think, where your fears are, what the triggers are. And once you understand the barriers are around you and how they influence your decision-making process, you can modify your behavior to make better trades.Q: I ve been burned by the markets in the past and my confidence has been shattered. How can I re-engage in the process.A: Confidence is a very interesting thing. We feel like it comes and goes, but the reality is, it never really disappears. You always have it somewhere inside of you. What you need to do during times you're feeling low confidence is actually put together a solid game plan and make it as mechanical as possible. Follow the game plan so there s less thinking involved. If you follow the game plan, you can execute with confidence.Q: How can I learn to be more aggressive in my trades? I often find I have the right idea, but I miss out on opportunities where I think I should be making more money.A: Being able to see the right trade is really the first step to being a profitable trader. The next step is sizing up, getting more aggressive. The way to do that is to have a process in place where you identify your A-, B- and C-quality trades, which trades you feel the most confident and the least confident in. On the other side of the spectrum, you want to have sizing charts. In other words, if you feel you have A conviction in a trade, and you re feeling very confident, then rather than thinking about the right size, you just go to the chart and say, 'Well, if I have A conviction, I gotta go with A size. If I have B conviction, I go with B size. And if I have C conviction, I go with C size.'Think better, invest smarter.

During this episode, I go over some equity analysis, focusing primarily on the potential plays for earnings season. Plays include AAPL, YHOO, AXP, MCD and ISRG.