Every week, Benzinga conducts a survey to collect sentiment on what traders are most excited about, interested in or thinking about when they manage and build their personal portfolios.
Q2 2020 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
This week we asked:
During the pandemic, have you purchased options?
- Yes, I have purchased call options.
- Yes, I have purchased put options.
- Yes, I have purchased both call and put options.
- No, I haven’t purchased options.
What Are Options?
According to our options experts: An option is a contract to buy or sell a stock, usually 100 shares of the stock per contract, at a pre-negotiated price (also called the “strike price”) and by a certain date (also called the “exercise date”).
While learning how to trade options can be a great tool in diversifying the ways you trade, like any investment vehicle it’s important to understand the risks involved.
Options Trading During The Pandemic
Overall, 37.1% told us said they’ve traded options contracts during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Among the 37.1% who’ve made options trading part of their investment plan: 18.7% respondents said they’ve only purchased call options, 3.2% said they’ve only purchased put options and 15.2% have purchased both call and put options.
Meanwhile, a majority of those surveyed, 62.9% to be exact, said they haven’t purchased options whatsoever since the onset of the pandemic.
Here’s the full list of results from this week’s study:
During the pandemic, have you purchased options?
- 7%: Yes, I have purchased call options
- 2%: Yes, I have purchased put options
- 2%: Yes, I have purchased both call and put options
- 9%: No, I haven’t purchased options
This study was conducted by Benzinga in September 2020 and included the responses of a diverse population of adults 18 or older. Opting into the survey was completely voluntary, with no incentives offered to potential respondents. The study reflects results from 300 adults.
