Options Trade Example: Start to Finish
A full options trade example: one real AAPL call from entry to expiration, with the chain, the premium, every fee, the breakeven, and both exit paths.
#expiration
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When Do NDX Options Expire?
NDX options expire on the third Friday, AM settled from the opening prints, and stop trading the Thursday before. Every remaining 2026 date is listed.
Which Options Expire on Each Weekday
A weekday by weekday map of options expirations: what expires Monday through Friday, and how to check any chain yourself for a weekday you do not see listed.
When Do VIX Futures Expire? 2026 Dates
VIX futures expire on the Wednesday 30 days before the next month's third-Friday SPX expiry. Every 2026 settlement date, plus the walk-back arithmetic.
When a Spread Expires Between the Strikes
When a spread expires between the strikes, the short leg is exercised and the long leg dies worthless. How often that happens on SPY, and the fix by 4 p.m.
Does an Expired Option Count as a Day Trade?
Does an expired option count as a day trade? Expiration is not a transaction you place, so it does not add to the count. The cases that do, explained.
DAX Options Settlement Price: ODAX vs ODAP
How the DAX options settlement price is fixed: the 13:00 CET Xetra auction for ODAX, the 17:30 close for ODAP, and why the chart price does not decide.
Which Stocks Have Weekly Options? How to Tell
Most large caps and major ETFs have weekly options with Friday expirations. Most small caps are monthly only. How to tell from a chain, plus a live count.
Option Expiration Cycles Explained
Option expiration cycles decide which months appear on a stock's option chain. See how the three cycle groups work and why LEAPS always land in January.
Options Expiration Calendar 2026: All 12 Dates
The full 2026 options expiration calendar: twelve monthly third Fridays, the four quarterly dates, and the holiday rule that can shift one to a Thursday.
What Happens If an Option Expires In the Money
If an option expires in the money by at least $0.01, the OCC exercises it automatically. See what the long and short sides owe, and what pin risk costs.
AM vs PM Settled Index Options Explained
AM settled index options settle off Friday's opening quotation and stop trading Thursday. PM settled options run to the close. The gap between them, measured.
What Is Max Pain in Options? The Real Math
Max pain is the strike where option holders collect the least at expiry. See the calculation on a real SPY chain and how close settlement actually landed.
Which Stocks Have Daily Options?
SPY, QQQ and IWM list a new options expiration every trading day, and the index roots go deeper. See which tickers carry dailies and which only get Fridays.
Triple Witching 2026 Dates and Volume Data
Triple witching 2026 falls on March 20, June 18, September 18 and December 18. See how market-wide dollar volume moved on the last witching session.
What Is Triple Witching? Volume & Volatility
Triple witching is the quarterly session when index futures, index options and stock options expire together. Volume and volatility, measured on the real tape.
DTE Meaning in Options: Days to Expiration
DTE stands for days to expiration: calendar days, not trading days, until an option expires, and expiry day counts as zero. How to count it on a real chain.
When Do Options Expire? Friday 4 PM ET & Daily
Most options stop trading at the 4:00 PM ET close on expiration Friday; weeklies expire Fridays, monthlies the third Friday, and SPY and QQQ expire daily.
What Is 0DTE? Zero Days to Expiry Options
0DTE options expire the same day they trade, zero days to expiry. What DTE means, how traders build a 0DTE trade, and one real contract traced to the bell.