14 Minute Read

Options Theory: Derivatives and the 3D’s

September 3, 2017

By | 6 Comments

Options 101. Essential for beginners. FREE as part of the PRO Membership. click on the image to try it free for 15 days.

Last Update: July 2021

Traders born in the equities market are obsessive about one principal question: up or down? Theirs is a game of directional betting and directional betting only. It’s not very sophisticated when you think about it. Like two cavemen communicating with grunts and hand gestures, it’s a language of very few expressions.

And there’s certainly a beauty to the simplicity. Just ask any new trader how they feel about stock trading’s binary nature. They love it. No matter how you dissect the chart of Apple the potential takeaways are limited to buy or sell, long or short. And to a starry-eyed novice bombarded with information, knowing that they ultimately are deciding between one of two roads makes a challenging task seem, well, less so.

But simple doesn’t mean easy. As the mass graveyard brimming with the bones of once promising traders will attest, predicting direction can be a tricky feat.

Fortunately, there are multiple dimensions to the game of trading, at least, if you’re willing to venture into the enticing den of derivatives.

Since this may be the first time some of you have come across the term “derivatives”, a brief description is in order. On Wall Street, a derivative is simply a security that derives its value from something else, some underlying asset. The analogy I’m fond of is that of a pizza coupon which is a derivative of sorts. The only reason a pizza coupon has value is because the underlying asset – that is, pizza – has value. As the price of pizza rises, the value of the derivative (the pizza coupon) rises. And vice versa for a fall in pizza prices.

The most popular type of derivative product for retail traders like us is an options contract. You will often hear individuals use the terms interchangeably. You say you trade options; I say you trade derivatives. Tomayto, tomahto. Only the word derivatives sounds infinitely cooler.

The single dimension of stock trading, the perpetual “which direction?” question is also relevant to options traders. But how relevant the query depends in large part on how you structure your position. Some strategies care very much about which direction the stock travels while others don’t care much at all.

This is where the other two dimensions come in: time and velocity. Collectively, direction, time, and velocity make up the three dimensions of derivatives trading.

If we were to express “time” as a question, it would be “how long?”

If we were to express “velocity” as a question, it would be “how far?”

Both queries matter little to stock traders, but much to options traders. For example, say you purchase shares of AAPL stock for $100. If the stock rises, you win. Simple as that. But what if it takes three months to rise? Well, you still win. What if it only rises $1 over that three months? Again, you still win. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how far it rises. If it climbs at all, you win.

Derivatives aren’t so straightforward. Suppose instead of purchasing stock for $100, you bought a three month 100 strike call option for $4. To win – that is, to capture a profit – AAPL doesn’t just have to advance, it has to advance far enough, fast enough. If it climbs far enough but takes too long, you will lose. If it rises quickly, but not far enough, you lose. Again, we need all three variables to work in tandem.

And that makes options trading quite a bit more complicated than stock trading. But here’s the beautiful thing. With these two extra dimensions, the doors to volatility and time-based trades are opened. No longer are you relegated to directional betting only. Now, you can bet how far a stock will or won’t move. Or how long it will take to run. And that introduces a whole new world of speculation, one teeming with possibilities, especially for stock traders tiring of the difficulty gambit that is guessing market direction.


Options Trading for Beginners

Continue learning the basics of Options trading with this additional freemium content from Tackle Trading.

Options 101 [Free Content]

Access more free high-quality articles to improve your knowledge of Options Trading.


The Options Heuristic Series [Free Content]

How can we explain the basics of Options so that our students can really learn, without getting confused with so many concepts, terminologies, and strategies? That’s the idea behind the series.


Options Greeks Guide [Free Content]

The Options Greek Guide is a simple, powerful resource to help you better understand how to use the Greek’s.
As you build, enter, and manage Options Trades, it’s helpful to understand the math behind the Black Scholes Option Pricing Model. Using the Options Greek Guide will give you the information and training on how time, volatility and asset price changes impact options values.


Options 101 Course [Premium Content]

The Options 101 Course is exclusive to PRO members. Try it for free for 15 days by clicking on the button below.


Options Report [Premium Content]

The Options Report is a weekly briefing delivered to Pro members of Tackle Trading. In this report, you will receive information and education that will help you develop as a trader. We will also highlight attractive trade setups for the coming week that you can add to your watchlist.


Tackle Trading: Financial Freedom is a Journey. Sign up now for a 15-day free trial.

Financial freedom is a journey

Sign up now and gain unfettered access to all of the quality content and powerful Scouting Reports that our Pro Members enjoy for 15-days absolutely free with no strings attached and let us show you what your trading has been missing.


Legal Disclaimer

Tackle Trading LLC (“Tackle Trading”) is providing this website and any related materials, including newsletters, blog posts, videos, social media postings and any other communications (collectively, the “Materials”) on an “as-is” basis. This means that although Tackle Trading strives to make the information accurate, thorough and current, neither Tackle Trading nor the author(s) of the Materials or the moderators guarantee or warrant the Materials or accept liability for any damage, loss or expense arising from the use of the Materials, whether based in tort, contract, or otherwise. Tackle Trading is providing the Materials for educational purposes only. We are not providing legal, accounting, or financial advisory services, and this is not a solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any stocks, options, or other financial instruments or investments. Examples that address specific assets, stocks, options or other financial instrument transactions are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to represent specific trades or transactions that we have conducted. In fact, for the purpose of illustration, we may use examples that are different from or contrary to transactions we have conducted or positions we hold. Furthermore, this website and any information or training herein are not intended as a solicitation for any future relationship, business or otherwise, between the users and the moderators. No express or implied warranties are being made with respect to these services and products. By using the Materials, each user agrees to indemnify and hold Tackle Trading harmless from all losses, expenses and costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising out of or resulting from user’s use of the Materials. In no event shall Tackle Trading or the author(s) or moderators be liable for any direct, special, consequential or incidental damages arising out of or related to the Materials. If this limitation on damages is not enforceable in some states, the total amount of Tackle Trading’s liability to the user or others shall not exceed the amount paid by the user for such Materials.

All investing and trading in the securities market involves a high degree of risk. Any decisions to place trades in the financial markets, including trading in stocks, options or other financial instruments, is a personal decision that should only be made after conducting thorough independent research, including a personal risk and financial assessment, and prior consultation with the user’s investment, legal, tax and accounting advisers, to determine whether such trading or investment is appropriate for that user.

6 Replies to “Options Theory: Derivatives and the 3D’s”

  1. KENNETHLAWRENCE says:

    Straightforward, clear and helpful. Thanks!

  2. TylerCraig says:

    You bet, Kenneth. Thanks for reading!

  3. CHUCKHAUGER says:

    This helps jog some memories of option 1 class. Plus it helps when people ask what are we doing.
    Thanks Tyler

  4. ThiagoMalena says:

    Great explanation Tyler. Thanks a lot!

  5. ASHISHVAIDYA says:

    Awesome article. Loved the simplicity yet sufficient detail.

  6. ASHISHVAIDYA says:

    Awesome article. Loved it.

Comments are closed.

Chart Modal

Tackle Trading

Book a FREE Consultation

Sign up for a free consultation to build your Educational Plan.