Quant Research on Futures Options The OptionWorks Daily Strategy Report provides unique trading ideas available nowhere else. For each of ten major futures contracts, the OptionWorks Report outlines a futures trade based on medium term futures trend, as well as an option strategy based on trend, volatility and skew.
The Indicator Page shows a listing of all markets with closing price, levels of the OptionWorks Indicators, the Trend vs. Volatility correlation, and resulting futures and options trades. Indicators are briefly explained and the strongest combination of indicators (best trade today) is highlighted.
The Trades Page identifies trending futures markets, outlines viable trade ideas, and sets position target and risk levels based on trend and market volatility. Futures Trading The Target column shows how much profit to take with the futures trade. Consider liquidating when the trade profits this much or the owti reverses. The Risk column shows how much loss to take with the futures trade. Consider liquidating when the trade loses this much or the owti reverses. The Trade column shows the futures trade corresponding to the level of the OptionWorks Trend Indicator (owti). There are seven possible Trade Indicators: OB OverBought market (no futures trade) Buy! Strong Buy Buy Moderate Buy Wait Sideways Trend (no futures trade) Sell Moderate Sell Sell! Strong Sell OS OverSold market (no futures trade) The Trend column shows the level of the OptionWorks Trend Indicator (owti). The Close column shows the closing price from the previous trading session. The Exp (expiration) column shows the futures contract and expiration.
The Trades Page also identifies an appropriate option strategy based on option expiration, futures trend, market volatility levels (historical vs. implied), and the shape of the implied volatility skew. Option Strategies The Volatility column shows the level of the OptionWorks Volatility (owvi) and Skew (owsi) Indicators. The Exp (expiration) column shows the option contract and expiration. The Option Trade column shows the option trading strategy that best takes advantage of the current trend, volatility levels and implied volatility skew pattern. A indicates the best trade for today. The Puts and Calls columns show the option strikes to Buy or Sell to form the Option Trade strategy. The Entry Price column shows an approximate trade price based on the previous closing prices and implied volatility and skew levels. S the option strikes to Buy or Sell to The Risk and Target columns show complete the Option Trade. loss and profit for the Option Trade.
For each market, the Option Strategy Page displays underlying market and volatility information. Three Month Daily Futures Chart Closing futures price from most recent session Compare changes in futures with changes in volatility Three Month Daily Volatility Chart At-the-Money Implied Volatility (AtM IV) The OptionWorks Historical Volatility Indicator (owhv) is a measure of the volatility of the underlying futures market. It is calculated as a quarterly, linearlyweighted, non-centered moving standard deviation of the daily return. Skew Comparison Chart Current implied volatility skew vs. the one-year average against option delta. Calls are cheaper than average Puts are more expensive than average
The Profit & Loss chart shows how the trade performs with changes in futures price and over time. Option Strategy Expiration Today Closing Futures Price
The Trade Engine Page shows how trades are determined based on OptionWorks Indicators.
About OptionWorks OptionWorks reports are produced by The Applied Research Company, a Commodity Trading Advisor registered with the National Futures Association. They are the product of 20+ years of research and development done into option pricing and modeling. Consulting clients include exchanges, proprietary trading firms, and vendors throughout the world. John C. Nelson is president of The Applied Research Company and the designer of all OptionWorks products. In addition to engagement in a variety of consulting projects, he has written and presented on trading and technology worldwide. He is a member of the Professional Risk Managers International Association and the International Association for Quantitative Finance. He serves on multiple Advisory Boards for the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University, and participates in academic programs at Kansas State University and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Mr. Nelson graduated Pi Mu Epsilon with a B.S. in Mathematics and a M.S. in Statistics from Kansas State University where he also played varsity tennis. He also holds a Masters in Engineering Management from Northwestern University. The Applied Research Company 53 West Jackson Boulevard Suite #337 Chicago, IL 60604-3608 USA Monadnock Building www.appliedresearch.com info@appliedresearch.com