Options: OEX, SPX or SPY?...QQQQ or NDX?...best to daytrade?

Discussion in 'Options' started by increasenow, Jan 12, 2010.

  1. akivak

    akivak

    I noticed that there are options expiring every week - which ones do you usually choose? What fills are you getting - buying spread that has 10.0/11.0 bid/ask, what is a realistic fill?
     
    #11     Jan 13, 2010
  2. sugar

    sugar

    I only trade serial and quarterly options (ES) Occasionally I can take an EOM trade (EW) but it's harder take a good fill. Weekly options (EW1, EW2,..) are not for me.

    With ES and 10/11 bid/ask 10.50 it's not so strange, but it depends of market swings.

    Summarizing, I've accomplished better trades with ES options than with the SPY ones.

    Regards
     
    #12     Jan 13, 2010
  3. akivak

    akivak

    How did you get the screen that you attached?
    Thanks again for your help.
     
    #13     Jan 13, 2010
  4. You plan on trading ANYTHING anytime soon? :)

     
    #14     Jan 13, 2010
  5. sugar

    sugar

    Few seconds ago screenshot... you'll see.
     
    #15     Jan 13, 2010
  6. akivak

    akivak

    How do you track those trades? I'm using MSNStockQuote in excel for tracking, but I wasn't able to find those options in MSN Money.
     
    #16     Jan 13, 2010
  7. sugar

    sugar

    IB's TWS
     
    #17     Jan 13, 2010
  8. akivak

    akivak

    So basically trading those spreads is similar to RUT or SPX? You prefer them for better liquidity?

    One technical question: in IB, ES pop-up window gives three choices for Combinations: Futures Spreads (SMART), Futures Spreads (Directed) and Future Option Combos (Directed). Which one do you choose? It’s different from RUT, so I’m a bit confused.
     
    #18     Jan 13, 2010
  9. sugar

    sugar

    Yes, but don't forget electronic trading.

    Future Option Combos (Directed)

    Too late, good night from Spain.
     
    #19     Jan 13, 2010
  10. akivak

    akivak

    I understand that ES option multiplier is 50, correct? So I would need twice as many contracts compared to SPX. Since it is direct routing, the commissions are $1.81 compared to $0.7 for SPY or SPX.

    If ATM calendar spread is around $10, to invest $1,000 I would have a choice of:
    10 SPY contracts - $7 commissions.
    1 SPX contract - $1 commissions.
    2 ES contracts - $3.6 commissions.

    The commissions savings in ES are much less compared to SPX.
     
    #20     Jan 13, 2010