"Learn and profit from Jeff Augen's book: It clearly explains how to take advantage of market inefficiencies in collapsing implied volatility, effects of strike price, and time decay. A must-read for individuals who are options oriented." --Ralph J. Acampora, CMT, Director of Technical Analysis Studies, New York Institute of Finance "A fantastic, insightful book full of meticulously compiled statistics about anomalies that surround option expiration. Not only does Augen present a set of effective trading strategies to capitalize on these anomalies, he walks through the performance of each across several expirations. His advice is practical and readily applicable: He outlines common pitfalls, gives guidance on timing your executions, and even includes code that can be used to perform the same calculations he does in the text. A thoroughly enjoyable read that will give you a true edge in your option trading." --Alexis Goldstein, Vice President, Equity Derivatives Business Analyst "Mr. Augen makes a careful and systematic study of option prices at expiration. His translation of price behavior into trading strategy is intriguing work, and the level of detail is impressive." --Dr. Robert Jennings, Professor of Finance, Indiana University Kelly School of Business "This book fills a gap in the vast amount of literature on derivatives trading and stands out for being extremely well written, clear, concise, and very low on jargon--perfect for traders looking to evolve their equity option strategies." --Nazzaro Angelini, Principal, Spearpoint Capital "Instead of considering macro-time strategies that take weeks to unfold, Jeff Augen is thinking micro here--hours or days--specifically the days or hours right before expiration, and harnessing grinding, remorseless options decay for profit. He builds a compelling case for the strategy here. The concept of using ratio spreads plus risk management for as brief a period as one day--open to close--to capture expiring premium is worth the price of admission alone. A superb follow-up to his first book. Must-read for the serious options student." --John A. Sarkett, Option Wizard software Equity and index options expire on the third Friday of each month. As that moment approaches, unusual market forces create option price distortions, rarely understood by most investors. These distortions give rise to outstanding trading opportunities with enormous profit potential. In Trading Options at Expiration, leading options trader Jeff Augen explores this extraordinary opportunity with never-before published statistical models, minute-by-minute pricing analysis, and optimized trading strategies that regularly deliver returns of 40%-300% per trade. You'll learn how to structure positions that profit from end-of-contract price distortions with remarkably low risk. These strategies don't rely on your ability to pick stocks or predict market direction and they only require one or two days of market exposure per month. If you're looking for an innovative new way to reignite your returns no matter where the markets move, you've found it in Trading Options at Expiration. *Why traditional option pricing calculations always break down in the final days before expiration Three powerful end-of-cycle effects not comprehended by contemporary pricing models* Reducing your risk by reducing your market exposure Trading only one or two days each month and avoiding overnight exposure*Structuring trades that reflect true expiration-day behavior Leveraging the surprising power of expiration-day pricing dynamics...

"Jeff's analysis is unique, at least among academic derivatives textbooks. I would definitely use this material in my derivatives class, as I believe students would benefit from analyzing the many dimensions of Jeff's trading strategies. I especially found the material on trading the earnings cycle and discussion of how to insure against price jumps at known events very worthwhile." --DR. ROBERT JENNINGS, Professor of Finance, Indiana University Kelley School of Business "This is not just another book about options trading. The author shares a plethora of knowledge based on 20 years of trading experience and study of the financial markets. Jeff explains the myriad of complexities about options in a manner that is insightful and easy to understand. Given the growth in the options and derivatives markets over the past five years, this book is required reading for any serious investor or anyone in the financial service industries." --MICHAEL P. O'HARE, Head of Mergers & Acquisitions, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. "Those in the know will find this book to be an excellent resource and practical guide with exciting new insights into investing and hedging with options." --JIM MEYER, Managing Director, Sasqua Field Capital Partners LLC "Jeff has focused everything I knew about options pricing and more through a hyper-insightful lens! This book provides a unique and practical perspective about options trading that should be required reading for professional and individual investors." --ARTHUR TISI, Founder and CEO, EXA Infosystems; private investor and options trader In The Volatility Edge in Options Trading, leading options trader Jeff Augen introduces breakthrough strategies for identifying subtle price distortions that arise from changes in market volatility. Drawing on more than a decade of never-before-published research, Augen provides new analytical techniques that every experienced options trader can use to study historical price changes, mitigate risk, limit market exposure, and structure mathematically sound high-return options positions. Augen bridges the gap between pricing theory mathematics and market realities, covering topics addressed in no other options trading book. He introduces new ways to exploit the rising volatility that precedes earnings releases; trade the monthly options expiration cycle; leverage put:call price parity disruptions; understand weekend and month-end effects on bid-ask spreads; and use options on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) as a portfolio hedge. Unlike conventional guides, The Volatility Edge in Options Trading doesn't rely on oversimplified positional analyses: it fully reflects ongoing changes in the prices of underlying securities, market volatility, and time decay. What's more, Augen shows how to build your own customized analytical toolset using low-cost desktop software and data sources: tools that can transform his state-of-the-art strategies into practical buy/sell guidance. An options investment strategy that reflects the markets' fundamental mathematical properties Presents strategies for achieving superior returns in widely diverse market conditions Adaptive trading: how to dynamically manage option positions, and why you must Includes precise, proven metrics and rules for adjusting complex positions Effectively trading the earnings and expiration cycles Leverage price distortions related to earnings and impending options expirations Building a state-of-the-art analytical infrastructure Use standard desktop software and data sources to build world-class decision-making tools...

"As a veteran reader of some 500+ trading and investing books and having interviewed hundreds of authors, I never take the approach that you can believe what you read or hear about how to make money in the market, so I try their theory, system, or ideas. Jeff Augen's book lays down clear guidelines to his intraday options strategy that I can report were profitable in the style I trade." --Vincent M. Rowe, President, Online Trading Academy, Texas "Augen's book breaks new ground with an indispensable and unique approach to evaluating option prices in different time frames. It also presents a new charting technique for evaluating very short-term trends lasting just a few minutes--a valuable technique for anyone who follows intraday markets. The statistical analysis and associated discussions around high-frequency trading are especially relevant in the modern financial world, which has come to be dominated by supercomputers and algorithmic trading. No serious stock or option trader should be without this book." --Sean Sztern, Alternative Strategies Group, Desjardins Securities, Montreal, Quebec "Jeff Augen's work on day trading options pulls the curtain back and reveals insights from the world of very short-term options trading. In doing so, he reveals insights beneficial even for the longer-term option trader. Specifically, Chapter 3 on trading volatility distortions introduces the idea of 3-D implied volatility surfaces. Far from being too advanced, this chapter addresses complex volatility issues in plain English that every option trader can understand. I wholly recommend this book." --Steve Lentz, DiscoverOptions Minimize Your Exposure to Market Risk and Increase Profits by Trading in Very Brief Time Frames In today's turbulent markets, traditional trading strategies have failed to provide protection from the rapid and violent changes that have swung the Dow down 330 points one day, up 280 points the next, and down 250 points at the open on the next. Fundamental analysis based on company performance and financial predictions has proven meaningless. Technical traders must now compete with institutional trading programs utilizing supercomputers that analyze and execute trades in millisecond time frames. So, how can a private investor compete in this environment? In Day Trading Options, expert option trader Jeff Augen shows you how to continue to profit even in these chaotic times. You'll learn to structure short-term trades that exploit well characterized price distortions and anomalies. You'll discover a breakthrough technique for utilizing volatility to identify the beginning and end of short-lived trends. And, you'll gain the knowledge to use this innovative technique to take advantage of financial news and planned events, rather than being at their mercy. *Abandon outdated trading strategies and conventional "wisdom" Minimize your exposure to market risk and increase your profits by trading in very brief time frames and structuring positions that are direction neutral*Understand why your once-reliable technical analysis and charting techniques are failing Explore new statistical evidence to discern how new advances in institutional program trading affect the private investor*Discover new models for analyzing volatility in different time frames Learn to evaluate option prices by comparing overnight, intraday, and traditional measures of volatility*Learn to identify and exploit short-lived volatility changes Use a newly defined charting technique to correctly time trades by identifying the beginning and end of short-term trends...

"Unlike most books that oversimplify trading situations, Augen's approach forces you to learn by solving real-world problems where stock prices spike up and down and volatility changes constantly. Learning by doing is a distinct advantage for both novice and expert." --Sean Sztern, Alternative Strategies Group, Desjardins Securities "This workbook represents a unique and effective learning tool. It will broaden your understanding of options and raise your trading skills to a higher level." --Dr. W. Edward Olmstead, Northwestern University, author of Options for the Beginner and Beyond "Serious options trading requires skills that can only be learned through practice. Augen's progressively more challenging problems definitely provide that real-world practice. There are lessons here for everyone, from beginner to sophisticated professional." --James Marcus, Partner, CMG Holdings, LLC Most options books offer theory and strategies but don't give you what you really need: hands-on practice that prepares you for real-world trading, where subtle decisions make the difference between winning and losing. Now, there's a solution: The Option Trader's Workbook. Using a question and answer format, this innovative workbook covers key scenarios you'll encounter as an option trader. Expert trader Jeff Augen explains the challenges they present, reveals the potential pitfalls, and walks you through each example to help you understand how to maximize your success. You'll master trades designed to profit from rising or falling stock prices, rising or falling volatility, time decay, rapid price spikes, and many other market dynamics. Each section helps you build your skills one trade at a time---whether you're new to options or you've been trading for years. *Learn by doing--not by reading or memorizing Practice real decision-making in real trading situations*Gain a detailed, intuitive understanding of pricing Understand exactly what must happen for your trade to be profitable*Learn to identify efficient trade structures Avoid errors that cause losses even when you've correctly predicted a stock's direction*Learn how to manage risk effectively Optimize profits by choosing the right option strategy for a particular situation*Use complex trading strategies with confidence Master highly profitable techniques used by professionals...