Straddle Strategy

What is the straddle strategy?

There are several types of strategies used to trade Binary Options, the most commonly used being the straddle strategy. Straddling can be a very useful tool to capitalize on particularly volatile markets and also to cushion potential losses on a trade that is looking like it may be expiring out of the money.

Using the straddle strategy can be challenging but explained simply, it is based on opening a call and put option on the same asset. The straddle is a good trading strategy to adopt if you believe that the price of an underlying asset will fluctuate significantly but are unsure as to the direction of the fluctuation.

The fundamental plan therefore, is to be on both ends of a trade so that you can get profits from either way. There are two types of straddles; long and short.

The long straddle results in profit when the strike price and market price of the asset have a large difference. This strategy requires you to purchase an asset in both the put and call forms. By doing this, you are able to straddle each side of the trade. When the price of the asset moves in a specific direction, you can choose to use a put or call based on which provides more benefits.

Typically when an increase is observed, the put option is used on the asset. However, if a decline is observed, the call option would be used. This positions the binary options trader on each side. The advantage of the long straddle strategy is that the risk factor is low since the return value is reaped by the trader no matter how the market price of the asset moves. The downside would be that this strategy usually only works well under volatile market conditions. In more stable market conditions it is not as effective.

The short straddle binary options strategy is used when selling an asset, especially where the market is not moving and the prices of the assets don’t vary much. The asset will be sold using both the call and put options at a selected strike price. Profits can be made when the marketplace value of the asset does not vary much from the strike price. The short straddle strategy is of the non-directional variety since the value should remain the same or differ only slightly in order for the strategy to be effective unlike the long straddle where movement is needed. Profits will be based on the premium asset amount with the loss amount being dependent on how much the asset value has varied.

Profits may also be earned using this strategy in parallel conditions. Parallel, or side-to-side movement, is often seen in cases where investors are waiting for news or analysis information to be released before making investment decisions. When the market is slow, the value of assets will not change drastically. You do however need to be aware that when using this strategy, in case the market starts moving or becomes volatile, you will have to undergo huge losses that cannot be measured prior to the investment.

The straddle strategy does require a degree of practice to master so as with any binary options strategy testing, you are advised to use a demo account first, only moving on after a comfort level with the strategy has been reached. Once you feel confident in using this strategy, you can start by applying the technique to your trading activities with a broker such as Banc De Binary. Though the straddle strategy is generally a technique more experienced traders, if used wisely, it is a means to making excellent profits.