Weekly options trading only works if you can spot what’s actually moving this week — not someday. That’s why tools that surface real catalysts in real time are so valuable. Before we get into the manual workflow, it’s worth saying this plainly: an AI event scanner like LevelFields can shortcut a big chunk of this process by telling you, “Here are the stocks with news that has historically moved prices.” From there, you just pick the options structure. Easy. Now let’s walk through the full system in order.

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1. Start With Event Signals (Fast Source of Ideas)

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If you want to find weekly options trades quickly, start where fresh catalysts live. LevelFields does this by scanning filings, buybacks, CEO changes, contracts, activist moves, and other “market-moving” events — the exact stuff that makes stocks jump in the next 1–5 days. That’s perfect timing for weeklies.
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Why lead with this?
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• Weekly options need timing. Event → short window → option.
  
  
• You get only relevant names, not a giant dump of tickers.
  
  
• You can decide right away: “Is this a sell-premium setup (high IV, likely crush) or a buy-premium setup (news could extend)?”
  
  

Think of LevelFields as the “what’s worth trading this week?” step. Then your normal workflow takes over.

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2. Run Your Regular Scans to Add More Candidates

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After grabbing the obvious event names, you can widen the net:
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• Unusual options activity (Barchart, Market Chameleon, OptionStrat): shows you where big money is opening new positions.
  
  
• Most active options / volume leaders: good for liquid weeklies.
  
  
• Stock movers & news lists: earnings this week, FDA, investor days, analyst days.
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The goal of this step is to build a small watchlist of things that:
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1. have a catalyst (LevelFields or news), or
   
   
2. have real options flow today.
   
   

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3. Filter Out the Stuff That’ll Cost You Money

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Not every name with flow is tradable on a weekly. Cut ruthlessly.
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Keep it if:
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• Options are liquid: front-week contracts with tight bid–ask, decent open interest.
  
  
• IV makes sense:
  
  
  
  • high IV / high IV rank → better to sell (credit spreads, iron condors)
    
    
  • low IV → better to buy (debit spreads, calls/puts)
    
    
• Something is actually happening this week: earnings, rating change, sector news.
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If it’s illiquid, super wide, or has no real reason to move — skip it. Weekly options don’t forgive slippage.

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4. Match Setup → Strategy (This Is Where You Make the Money)

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You’ve got 3–8 good tickers now. Pick the option structure that fits the situation:
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• Range / after-news calm / high IV → sell credit spreads or iron condors
  
  
• Clean directional catalyst (earnings beat, CEO return, big contract) → debit spread for the week
  
  
• You want to own it → cash-secured put for this Friday
  
  
• You already own it → weekly covered call for income
  
  
• Massive surprise possible, direction unknown → occasional straddle/strangle (use sparingly)
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Rule of thumb: sell when options are fat, buy when options are cheap.

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5. Monitor Midweek — New Stuff Pops Up

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Don’t treat Monday as the only idea day.
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• Check live flow once or twice a day.
  
  
• Watch earnings as they drop — post-earnings plays on Wed/Thu are often cleaner.
  
  
• Take profits early on credit spreads (30–50%) — weeklies decay fast.
  
  
• Adjust or exit if news invalidates your idea.
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This is where having an event feed (like LevelFields) running in the background helps — if a new catalyst hits Wednesday, you don’t miss it.

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6. Why Put LevelFields at the Front?

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Because weekly options are catalyst trades and LevelFields is a catalyst engine.
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• It surfaces the exact events traders try to hunt manually across 5–6 sites.
  
  
• It shows how similar events moved stocks before — so you know if it’s a “sell premium” or “ride the move” setup.
  
  
• It lets you stay in idea-generation mode all week, not just Sunday night.
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So the cleanest workflow is:
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1. Pull this week’s event-based opportunities from LevelFields
   
   
2. Add anything from unusual options scanners
   
   
3. Filter for liquidity/IV
   
   
4. Pick the right weekly options structure
   
   
5. Monitor for new events
   
   

That way you’re not guessing — you’re trading the news that actually moves stocks on the exact expiration that pays you fastest.

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Frequently Asked Questions (Options Trading)

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What is the best strategy for option trading?

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There is no single “best” option strategy for all traders. The most effective strategies depend on market conditions, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Consistently used approaches include:
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• Event-driven options trades around earnings, buybacks, FDA decisions, or mergers
• Directional strategies (calls or puts) when volatility is expected to expand
• Defined-risk spreads (verticals, calendars) to control downside
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Professional traders focus less on strategy names and more on timing, volatility, and risk management. Options work best when there is a clear reason for movement within a defined timeframe.

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What is the 3-5-7 rule in trading?

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The 3-5-7 rule is a risk-management framework:
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• 3% maximum risk on a single trade
• 5% maximum loss in a week
• 7% maximum loss in a month
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The goal is capital preservation. Once a limit is hit, trading stops. This rule is especially useful for options traders, where losses can compound quickly without strict controls.

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What is the most profitable option trade?

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The most profitable option trades historically occur when volatility is mispriced and a strong catalyst follows. Examples include:
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• Buying calls or puts before major events that cause large, rapid moves
• Using spreads when direction is clear but risk needs to be capped
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There is no permanently profitable option setup. The edge comes from selectivity, not frequency—waiting for situations where options have historically performed well under similar conditions.

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Are trade ideas worth it?

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Trade ideas can be worth using if they fit your strategy and risk rules. They are most effective when:
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• Used as inputs, not instructions
• Paired with independent analysis
• Supported by historical context
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Many traders use tools like LevelFields to surface event-based trade ideas, then decide whether to act based on prior outcomes, volatility, and timing—rather than blindly following alerts.

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Can I make $1,000 per day from trading?

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Making $1,000 per day consistently from trading is not realistic for most traders. While some professionals may achieve this occasionally, doing so regularly requires:
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• Significant capital
• Institutional-grade execution
• Strict risk controls
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Retail traders who pursue daily income targets often take excessive risk, which typically leads to drawdowns. Sustainable trading focuses on process and long-term expectancy, not daily income goals.

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How did one trader make $2.4 million in 28 minutes?

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Stories like this usually involve extreme leverage, rare market conditions, and luck. These outcomes often come from:
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• Concentrated option bets
• Unexpected news or volatility spikes
• Situations where downside risk was enormous
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Such trades are not repeatable strategies. For every widely publicized windfall, there are many unreported losses. Professional traders do not model their approach on outliers—they focus on setups they can execute repeatedly with controlled risk.