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The bid/ask spread on options

 
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flopbucket
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:52 am    Post subject: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

Hi,

If I want to buy an option that is price at, for example, 3.20 x 3.50,
if I place an order to Buy to Open at 3.30, does the market have to
reflect that? i.e. will the quote change to 3.30 x 3.50 as it would
on equity orders? I notice this does not seem to happen for me (I am
currently using ETrade). Is this something with the way ETrade
handles the orders or just the way it is (like equities use to be)?

Thanks
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es330td
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:08 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

On Mar 12, 5:57 pm, arthur <trash.all.s...@xoxy.net> wrote:
Quote:
that would become a bid but might not be the best bid at the open.

personally I would not use non option brokers when dealing with
options.

Can you elaborate on this? I use Scotttrade for handling my

investment account and I know they do options (rather cheaply.) If I
cam going to get more into options should I not be using them?

TIA
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arthur
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:57 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

that would become a bid but might not be the best bid at the open.

personally I would not use non option brokers when dealing with
options.

a


On 12 Mar 2007 12:52:40 -0700, "flopbucket" <flopbucket@hotmail.com>
wrote:
Quote:

If I want to buy an option that is price at, for example, 3.20 x 3.50,
if I place an order to Buy to Open at 3.30, does the market have to
reflect that? i.e. will the quote change to 3.30 x 3.50 as it would
on equity orders? I notice this does not seem to happen for me (I am
currently using ETrade). Is this something with the way ETrade
handles the orders or just the way it is (like equities use to be)?
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arthur
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 5:00 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

thinking commissions wrt options is to buy shoes based on the price of
shoelaces. Try computing youroption cost based on the bid ask spread.

scottrade and the rest of the mainstream online brokers are moronic
choices for options. imo OX runs circles around ST even for equity. i
have no personal experience with TOS or IB but many like them for
various reasons.

a





On 12 Mar 2007 14:08:26 -0700, "es330td" <es330td@gmail.com> wrote:

Quote:
On Mar 12, 5:57 pm, arthur <trash.all.s...@xoxy.net> wrote:
that would become a bid but might not be the best bid at the open.

personally I would not use non option brokers when dealing with
options.

Can you elaborate on this? I use Scotttrade for handling my
investment account and I know they do options (rather cheaply.) If I
cam going to get more into options should I not be using them?

TIA
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Dr Tormento
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 3:04 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

"flopbucket" <flopbucket@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:1173729160.633790.257130@q40g2000cwq.googlegroups.com:

Quote:
Hi,

If I want to buy an option that is price at, for example, 3.20 x 3.50,
if I place an order to Buy to Open at 3.30, does the market have to
reflect that? i.e. will the quote change to 3.30 x 3.50 as it would
on equity orders? I notice this does not seem to happen for me (I am
currently using ETrade). Is this something with the way ETrade
handles the orders or just the way it is (like equities use to be)?

Some quote sources require bid sizes of at least 10 contracts before they
will display them. I use IB as my broker and their software displays even 1
contract orders. Regardless of what your quote source displays, your bid at
3.30 will have priority over all lower bids.
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es330td
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 9:40 pm    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

On Mar 12, 8:00 pm, arthur <trash.all.s...@xoxy.net> wrote:
Quote:
Try computing your option cost based on the bid ask spread.


Can you explain this? The extent of my options experience is covered
calls so for me the commission was key, especially since I started out
doing just one contract at a time. A $7 vs a $28 commission is a HUGE
difference when you sell a call at $1.00.
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es330td
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:33 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

On Mar 14, 5:02 pm, arthur <trash.all.s...@xoxy.net> wrote:
Quote:
ouch. move to OX, TOS, or IB

I think you missed what I was saying (or maybe not.) On a $25-30

stock I'd sell a slightly OTM call at around 1.00, netting me $100 -
$8.25. At numbers that small it made a huge difference. Since I was
OTM the strike was high enough to cover commissions if it did go up
and this was in an IRA so I didn't care about cap gains.

Quote:
a 5cent bid ask spread is $50 if 10 contracts and that is a cheap
spread.

I don't think you got my question. I understand bid/ask spread. I

don't understand how that comes into play in picking a broker. Here's
an example: the Apr MSFT 27.50 bid ask on quote.yahoo.com is
$0.69/$0.72. On OX under the virtual trader the spread is .67/.69,
one cent smaller. What does the difference in spreads mean to me an
an investor in the context of your statement?
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arthur
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 2:02 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

ouch. move to OX, TOS, or IB

a 5cent bid ask spread is $50 if 10 contracts and that is a cheap
spread.


On 14 Mar 2007 09:40:15 -0700, "es330td" <es330td@gmail.com> wrote:

Quote:
On Mar 12, 8:00 pm, arthur <trash.all.s...@xoxy.net> wrote:
Try computing your option cost based on the bid ask spread.


Can you explain this? The extent of my options experience is covered
calls so for me the commission was key, especially since I started out
doing just one contract at a time. A $7 vs a $28 commission is a HUGE
difference when you sell a call at $1.00.

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arthur
Guest





PostPosted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:58 am    Post subject: Re: The bid/ask spread on options Reply with quote

On option at a time is costly when the broker has a flat minimum
charge. On very active options, option prices have moved to what is
now called the "pennies". On all the rest it is 5cents.

My point was that commissions can be a small part of the cost. Brokers
specializing in options do it all.

I do not have a clue re etrade and do not have the problem of which
you are asking.
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