Hi To date my options trading has been to construct positions based on my broker's newsletter's stock buy/sells/holds etc. Positions have included long calls/puts, strangles and spreads. Success has been positive and by taking the stock selection out of the equation and concentrating on risk management, the educational aspect has been tremendous. However, my broker covers a limited number of stocks. I am now in the unique position of having legal unlimited access to real time stock and options data for the entire market. Therefore I'd like to expand my range of potential positions and I can write VB/C++ to extract data. Though I am not looking for or am in a position to day-trade. Also by reading the forum I recognise that looking for mispriced options or arbitrages is most likely a waste of time. Therefore what should be my best approach? Should I scan looking for the best risk/reward outcomes as per McMillan's first book, buy/sell volatility based on volatility cones or volatility deciles? I guess I'm trying to focus on probability and volatility, rather than T/A or stocks earnings outlook, company announcements etc Am I on the right track as a retail investor with a lot of data? Thanks and apologies for the long question.
Matt12347; That does seem unique; starting with broker's recommendations,probably not many do that in USA. But having ''legal access to all real time stock & options data'' is not unique, in USA anyway. So carry on with your profitable strategy. Myself, like the wisdom of stocks moving nicely down a hill like a kangaroo, or up hill like a kangaroo, as a starting point.