Advance Institutions Option Trading - Lecture 4

If you're looking for a simple options trading definition, it goes something like this: Options trading gives you the right or obligation to buy or sell a specific security on or by a specific date at a specific price. An option is a contract that's linked to an underlying asset, such as a stock or another security.

Options trading also involves two parties: the holder (buyer) and the writer (sometimes called the seller). Holders are investors who purchase contracts, while writers create them. The holder pays the writer a premium for the right to sell or buy a stock by a certain date.