Chris Johnson's Winning Edge
by Chris Johnson 08/19/09The Winning Edge is an options trading service that helps you to profit from corporate earnings announcements and other market events that make stocks move.
As a stock investor, seeing your shares move up a few dollars a year is a victory. But in hot stocks that are being traded thousands of times a day -- heck, even that many times a minute -- shares can move anywhere from five to 10 points in a matter of days or even minutes in a fast-paced market.
Corporate earnings "season" comes around in earnest four times a year, but with nearly 10,000 publicly traded companies having to share their successes (and failures) every three months, well, that's a lot of information out there.
And while those announcements are heavily concentrated in mid-January, April, July and October, not all companies run on the same fiscal calendar. In fact, many sectors as a whole report outside of the "traditional" calendar quarters. And that means BIG opportunities for us trade around earnings exist ALL YEAR!
Sure, you could get into the earnings game by buying the stocks that are poised to pop. But what about those that are positioned to plummet? That's where playing the options game comes in.
You could short stocks directly, of course, when the shares are set to take a tumble. But you could also lose your shirt if the trade goes against you. So, that's why we recommend buying put options when pathetic earnings are on the horizon.
But there's more to the story to options. Not JUST because they let you play stocks, sectors and the market itself in both directions. But also because of the LEVERAGE that they afford you.
You could pay $100 to buy one share of Apple. Or you could pay $100 to control 100 shares of this or any other stock simply by buying one option contract.
If you've never used options before, don't worry. We use them in a very straightforward, simple way that anyone can follow. We walk you through each trade, step by step. Once you've bagged your first double (it may take as much as 21 days, or as little as 2) you'll be a master and an addict!
We are living through some crazy markets. But there are some crazy profits to be made -- in a short amount of time -- for those who are on board when a stock starts moving (up or down). So, your timing is perfect!
More By This Expert
Use a Strangle to Profit From Starbucks' Earnings
Starbucks has been a big mover -- up and down -- after earnings, and the company is schedule to report today after the close A strangle creates a win-win for traders.
The earnings projections for Starwood Hotels (HOT) are ridiculously low. Get in before they blow expectations out of the water.
Bullish call activity in YHOO is hitting highs for the year ahead of earnings -- but when they announce it will be a wake, not a party.
XOM may hit earnings estimates, but a big, positive reaction is not likely to materialize, and the newbies will fall over themselves to dump the stock.
McDonald's reports before the bell on Wednesday, and options traders appear to be betting against a good earnings report. Find out why you'll be 'lovin' it' if you bet against them.
- Options News: STT, ADM November 6, 2009
- What's Hot: CVS, DPS November 5, 2009
- Sidewinder: CVS, VIA, XL November 5, 2009
- Options News: CTSH November 5, 2009
- Sidewinder: CSCO, SPY, SPLS November 4, 2009



