Weekly options

 We love them especially in todays tariffs mined markets

πŸ“šSponsor of todays blog post:πŸ“š


Weekly options are short-term options contracts that expire every week, typically on Fridays. They are used for quick trades, income generation, hedging, or speculative bets on short-term price movements.

Let’s break this down using a popular ETF example:

πŸ“Œ SPY — the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust — tracks the S&P 500 Index and is the most actively traded ETF with a robust weekly options market.


πŸ” What Are Weekly Options?

🧠 Definition:

Weekly options are listed options contracts that have one-week lifespans, expiring every Friday (except holidays). They work exactly like monthly options but with shorter time horizons.

πŸ”„ Compared to Monthly Options:

FeatureWeekly OptionsMonthly Options
⏳ ExpirationEvery Friday3rd Friday of the month
🧾 Duration5–7 days~30 days
🎯 StrategyShort-termMedium/long-term
⚠️ RiskHigherLower (generally)

🎯 Why Traders Use Weekly Options on ETFs like SPY

1. Speculation πŸ“ˆ

  • Expecting the S&P 500 to rise after a strong earnings season?

  • Buy a SPY call option expiring this Friday.

  • Short-term bets with high leverage.

2. Hedging πŸ›‘️

  • Concerned about market drop this week?

  • Buy SPY put options to protect portfolio downside.

3. Income Generation πŸ’°

  • Own SPY shares? Sell covered calls weekly to collect premium every Friday.

4. Event-Based Trading πŸ—“️

  • Great for playing:

    • Fed meetings

    • Jobs reports

    • CPI releases

    • Earnings seasons (especially on sector ETFs)


πŸ”§ Example Trade: Weekly SPY Option

Suppose it's Monday, and SPY is trading at $430.

OptionTypeStrikeExpiryPremium (est)
SPY 430 CallBuy$430Friday$2.10
SPY 425 PutBuy$425Friday$1.60
  • Buying the 430 Call gives you the right to buy SPY at $430 by Friday.

  • Your break-even is $432.10.

  • If SPY hits $435 by Friday, your profit is:
    (435 - 430 - 2.10) x 100 = $290


πŸ”₯ Pros of Weekly Options:

  • πŸ“‰ Lower upfront cost (shorter duration = cheaper premium)

  • 🧩 More flexibility (tailor strategies to weekly news/events)

  • πŸ“† Frequent opportunities (52 expiration cycles per year)

⚠️ Cons:

  • ⌛ Rapid time decay (theta kills value quickly)

  • πŸ”₯ High risk (especially naked options)

  • πŸ“ˆ Need precise timing and price predictions


🧠 Summary:

Weekly options, especially on ETFs like SPY, offer traders speed, precision, and flexibility. But they demand sharp timing and risk control.

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