Steven M. Sears

The environment is simply too uncertain for anyone to conclude that they must buy stocks based on fear of missing out.

President Trump posted on Monday that his representatives were negotiating to end the war. Iran posted back that it was a lie. What should investors do?

The risk is that the war lasts longer than expected and the shipping industry takes even longer to recover. The recent weakness in financial markets could be an amuse-bouche before a bearish feast.

Rather than trying to buy stocks at the apex of fear based off volatility signals, consider integrating gasoline prices into your decision-making.

Aggressive investors who can handle extreme uncertainty can establish exposure to whatever rally erupts should a detente emerge.

Our “time arbitrage” strategy, which monetizes short-term volatility for long-term gain, provides a simple framework for making decisions amid uncertainty.

Most investors stink at hedging—even the pros. They mostly buy puts near a stock’s current price, thinking they will make lots of money if it declines even more.

Options trading is a way of thinking and acting that provides a solid framework for decision-making.

Anyone who agrees the S&P 500 could cross that landmark can mimic the private-market trades by trading call options on the State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF.

Financial markets have a new attitude, exemplified by innovations like prediction markets and zero-dated options. Many people view the markets as a casino.

The new CEO could enhance the company’s returns on its massive cash position with a simple options strategy: cash-secured put sales.

Few people can trade options for the sake of options, but anyone can use options to be a better stock investor.

By selling a bearish put to buy a bullish call option on a silver exchange-traded fund, investors can edge into one of the hottest trades in global markets.

Lululemon’s management is under pressure. It is reasonable to expect they will use January to tidy up their affairs and reset investor expectations.

The Cboe Volatility Index’s long-term average is around 19, so the present level of 14 suggests peace in markets and goodwill toward investors. At least for a month.

There is nothing wrong with big banks stuffing marketing channels with 2026 predictions—it’s a fun, useful exercise—but there is little reason to do much more than read and reflect.

The expected appointment of a Trump-friendly Federal Reserve chair in May could drive stocks higher—but it could also introduce some nasty risks.

Aggressive investors who want to wager that fear turns to greed can focus on Strategy and Coinbase Global, either by buying the stocks or turning to the options market.

Let overconfident investors make hasty decisions. Let them wager on a day’s move with short-dated options—Wall Street’s equivalent of scratch-off lottery tickets.

Investors concerned about volatility tied to the Dec. 10 Fed rate-cut decision can stake out a position with options on the small-cap iShares Russell 2000 ETF.