rice movements in the options market result from the decisions of millions of traders. But there are a number of useful statistics besides price movements that tell you what those other market participants are doing. Here we take a closer look at two factors you should consider when trading options: daily trading volume and open interest.
Daily Trading Volume
Trading volume gives you important insight into the strength of the current market direction for the option's underlying stock. The volume, or market breadth, is measured in shares and tells you how meaningful the price movement in the market is.
Keep in mind that trading volume is relative and needs to be compared to the average daily volume of the stock in question. A large percentage change in price accompanied by larger than normal volume is a solid indication of market strength in the direction of the change. But large percentage increases in price accompanied by small trading volumes are less likely to indicate a market direction. In fact, they may indicate that a reversal is likely in the near term.
The Importance of Open Interest
Open interest is a concept all option traders need to understand. Although it is always one of the data fields on most option quote displays - along with bid price, ask price, volume and implied volatility - many traders ignore open interest. But while it may be less important than the option's price, or even current volume, open interest provides useful information that should be considered when entering an option position.
