What does this even mean? Well, it involves trading options from the S&P 500 index. It’s one of the most liquid types of trading, and so, it’s quite popular.
Below, we’ll explore how to day trade SPY stock and the best strategies to be successful at it. We’ll even cover the best days to trade SPY options. With all this information, you’ll have the right resources to get started on this lucrative day trading type.
What is the SPY?
Before figuring out: can you day trade SPY?, you need to know what the SPY is. To start SPY is an acronym for Standard and Poor’s Depository Receipts (SPDR). This is an e ETF or exchange-traded fund which keeps track of the price movements of the S&P 500 Index, one of the biggest in the world.
The S&P 500 index tracks the stock performance of the 500 biggest companies listed in the United States stock exchanges. This is an important note because SPY options give traders a lot of options.
That aside, SPY ETF replicates the performance of the S&P 500 with a portfolio of stocks that matches the index’s holdings. So, the SPY is seen as a representation of what’s happening on major stock exchanges around the USA.
Therefore, traders keep a close eye on the SPY ETF. There’s a lot happening there, but it gives a great indication of the state of the markets in the United States. Day traders can, thus, plan their strategies accordingly.
So, in summary, the day trade SPY ETF tracks the performance of the S&P 500 index for intraday trading purposes.
The Pros & Cons Of Trading The SPY
Based on the above, the SPY can be seen as an attractive option for day traders. But, it’s important to be aware of both the positives and the negatives of day trade SPY options.
Below, we’ll look at both sides of this coin, so that you’re fully aware of how lucrative it could be for you.
Pros Of Trading The SPY:
- Liquidity: SPY options rank as one of the most liquid on the trading market. Since the SPY is a singular trading space. So, instead of you scanning 100 different stocks to find movers, you can visit the SPY to see if there are any good daily moves. The SPY options have 3 expirations a week. This means you have more liquidity.
- Diverse options: With the SPY, you have access to a wide range of large-cap stocks. This helps to spread the risk of trading by giving you more diversification for your portfolio.
- Quick and efficient: Since it’s highly liquid, the SPY is easy to trade. Millions of shares are traded daily, so intra-day traders get to see a lot of action throughout the day.
- It’s cheap to get started: There’s a low expense ratio in the SPY ETF. That’s because of the many options available for traders to choose from. Anyone can get started at a lower cost compared to other trading types.
Cons Of Trading The SPY:
- Market volatility: There are no guarantees in stock trading, so, the SPY can fluctuate throughout the day.
- Limited potential: The main purpose of the SPY ETF is to track the performance of the S&P 500 index as a whole. This means that investors may miss out on opportunities to trade individual stocks for higher returns.
- Limited investment decision ability: When investing in the SPY ETF, investors have no control over the individual stocks in the portfolio. So, you don’t have the chance to make investment decisions based on your own research.
SPY Options Basics
Before you learn how to day trade spy options, you should get the basics down. So, we’ll start with what options trading is.
Options trading is the trading of options contracts. These contracts give the holder the right to buy or sell the underlying asset at a predetermined price before it expires.
With the above in mind, SPY options trading involves the contract holder buying or selling assets based on the S&P 500 ETF.
Now that we have the definitions out of the way, here are some basics you should know.
- There are two types of SPY options contracts. These are “call options” (which give the right to buy stocks) and put options (which give the right to sell the stocks).
- It’s important to take note of the expiration date of the SPY options contracts. The contract loses its worth when the contract expires. Therefore, the holder loses on their investment.
- Make sure you know the SPY options strike price. This is the price the asset can be bought or sold. It’s based on the price of the SPY ETF.
SPY Options Technical Analysis
To find out the best way to day trade SPY options, you need to conduct a technical analysis. You’ll have to examine statistical patterns gathered from trading activities on the SPY ETF. This will help you identify trends to help you predict market movements.
There are a number of technical indicators that are popular with day traders, these include moving averages, Fibonacci retracements, and others. When it comes to SPY options contracts, you need to identify potential resistance and support levels.
You also need to keep an eye on the trend and sentiments of the market. This helps traders to make informed decisions about buying or selling options.
Take a look at the video below on a great example of using our xBrat VWAP Predator for BUY Signals going into the close and carrying for the Gap up trade:
SPY Options Trading Strategy
Knowing how to day trade SPY ETF is one thing, but developing a successful strategy is another. Traders use a number of strategies to help them successfully trade SPY Options. One of these is the “covered call” strategy. This is when you own shares of SPY and then sell call options at a strike price above the current SPY price. This generates income for the investor. However, it also limits their potential profit if SPY prices were to increase significantly.
Another popular strategy is the “straddle strategy”. It involves an investor buying call and put options with the same expiration date and strike price. This allows you to profit regardless of whether the SPY moves up or down. However, this price movement needs to be significant if it’s to be profitable since you’d have spent a lot to buy both put and call options.
