When it comes to trading options, investors need to select the right option and the right trading strategy to take advantage of a view about an underlying stock. In fact, one could say that your choice of the right option can be more important than your choice of the right stock. Join Richard as he guides you through the selection of the optimal trading strategy.

While the concept of volatility might seem mysterious or perplexing to many investors, even experienced ones, it has significant influence in the price behaviour of any options position. Joe will cut through the complexities of volatility and clarify any misconceptions you might have about this important topic.

This workshop will present you a new world of investing opportunities by introducing you to options. It will cover the terminology related to options trading and the essential concepts to get you started. Patrick will provide you with an overview of the basic option strategies available to investors and present their respective risk/reward profile. The option pricing variables along with the components of the options premium will also be explored.

This workshop is designed to provide you with an introduction to the futures market in Canada. In addition to drawing a distinction between the options market and the futures market, Patrick will teach you how the S&P/TSX 60 Mini Futures can complement your investing strategy and ultimately refine your portfolio management techniques.

The purchase of a call and a put option simultaneously on the same underlying security allows the investor to take advantage of a volatile move in share price in either direction. Learn what market conditions favour these strategies and which strike prices and expiration months are most effective for these strategies.

Calendar spreads involve combining options with the same strike prices but different expiries. The philosophy behind calendar spreads is that time erosion will have a greater impact on the value of the near-term option than it will for the far-term option—allowing to profit if this happens. This video will show you how to implement this strategy depending on your objectives.

This video will show you how to implement bullish spreads using calls and puts. Learn how a bullish call spread (combining the purchase and the sale of call options) can help you take advantage of a rise in an underlying stock to a certain degree while limiting the maximum loss. Similar to the bull call spread, you will also learn about the bullish put spread (combining the purchase and the sale of put options) to generate income.

USX options allow investors to trade their views on the U.S. dollar against the Canadian dollar. Learn the contract specifications and trading characteristics of these options while Jason presents you relevant market examples. Whether your objective is to take advantage of a directional move, hedge the currency risk of a portfolio consisting of U.S. securities or offset currency risk as a Canadian company doing business in the U.S., this session will focus on important trading considerations necessary for proper strategy and contract selection.

Options are about risk and reward. To be a successful trader, you must know your goals and risk tolerances. This session will help you consider learning to trade in your own "correct" risk/reward balances – not someone else's. Some of the topics include determining an appropriate time period, taking probability into consideration and remembering your initial forecast. You'll discuss how to actively manage your trades when things are going well—and, when they're not.

Join Richard Croft as he introduces volatility as another arrow in your investing quiver. This session will teach you the importance of understanding sentiment. Traders driven by fear and greed run the gauntlet between excessive optimism and despair, usually making exactly the wrong decision at exactly the wrong time. You will learn to think of implied volatility as another asset class like stocks, bonds and cash. When used properly, Richard will show you that volatility can smooth out the fluctuations in your portfolio. Dare we say it, using volatility to reduce volatility...

Learn how USX options can be used to hedge the currency risk associated with a US dollar portfolio. This video will show you how a decrease or increase in the US dollar can affect the portfolio value using various examples.

Learn about the foreign exchange market and currency options. This video will focus on the characteristics of USX options and how to calculate the settlement value at expiration.

Learn about the nature of indices and index options. This video will focus on the S&P/TSX 60™, the characteristics of SXO options and how to calculate the settlement value at expiration.

Learn about the different strategies associated with the sale of put options. This video will teach you how selling put options can help you achieve the following objectives: generate income, profit from range-bound or bullish stocks and to average down the cost base of an existing stock position. This video will also explain how selling put options can be used as a method of entering a stock position.

Learn about the different strategies associated with the sale of call options. This video will teach you how selling call options can help you achieve the following objectives: generate income, profit from range-bound or bearish stocks and hedge the downside risk associated with a stock. This video will also explain how selling call options can be used as a method of exiting a stock position.

Learn about the different components that influence option premiums and the impact of variations of certain components on the value of options.

In this session Richard Croft introduces volatility as another arrow in our investing quiver. This seminar teaches you the importance of understanding sentiment. Traders driven by fear and greed run the gauntlet between excessive optimism and despair, usually making exactly the wrong decision at exactly the wrong time. Richard also teaches you how to think of implied volatility as another asset class like stocks, bonds and cash. Finally, Richard shows you that volatility can smooth out the fluctuations in your portfolio. Dare we say it, using volatility to reduce volatility...

In this session, Patrick discusses options writing. This seminar takes you beyond the conventional covered call methodology. This session shows how options writing can enhance the return and yield of a portfolio. Patrick also explores the rationale behind strike price selection, position repair and lowering your securities average cost base.

Learn the concepts of exercise and assignment of options. This video will also explore the different exercise styles and types of settlement.

In this session, you will learn about foreseeing possible outcomes, understanding your risks versus your rewards and when to utilize long and short options. Bo will also explain when to do nothing and when to double up, or buy more, when stock prices decline as well as how to exit with a long call or put position at or near expiration.

Meet the managers who use Canadian listed derivatives

Themes include:

• Strategy overview
• Fund performance
• Experiences in the Canadian market

A timely update on derivatives market regulation:

• What’s happening in Canada, the United States and abroad
• What it means for Canadian markets and market participants

On-Exchange Index Futures vs. Total Return Swaps

The significant shift of many pension plans towards indexing and the growth of overlay strategies for both hedging and alpha generation has led to an increased demand for synthetic exposure to global equity markets. Total return swaps and on-exchange index futures are the main vehicles through which most participants acquire synthetic exposure to these markets. This presentation will provide an overview of how these fi nancial instruments can be used in this context and their respective advantages and disadvantages.

Meet the managers who allocate funds to alternative strategies

Themes include:

• Benefits of allocating to strategies that use listed derivatives
• Selection and allocation criteria
• Implementation

Meet the managers who allocate funds to alternative strategies

Themes include:

• Benefits of allocating to strategies that use listed derivatives
• Selection and allocation criteria
• Implementation

Primary use for trading equity derivatives: hedging, indexing, alpha generation

• Preference for listed products vs. OTC products
• Biggest hurdle for your organization when it comes to implementing and managing derivatives mandates
• Advantages, disadvantages American dealers have over Canadian dealers
• How can MX (or other exchanges) be more competitive in the future?

This video first defines the concept of arbitrage. Concrete examples are used to show how investors can first identify an arbitrage opportunity and how they can establish a position in order to profit from the arbitrage opportunity using SXM futures.

This video will teach you how SXM futures contracts can be used to trade your directional views on the S&P/TSX 60™ Index. Jason will compare the SXM futures with an index tracking ETF through bullish and bearish examples. A brief overview of the advantages of the SXM futures is also provided.

Learn the dynamics of the Canadian futures market and how the S&P/TSX Composite™ Index Mini Futures can be integrated into a portfolio. This seminar will teach investors how futures can be used to create a leveraged position with a directional view or for portfolio hedging purposes.