Shorting cash-secured put options on Micron Technology (MU) can yield huge returns. A 2-month away MU put option yields 9.6% for a strike price 9% lower. And a one-month expiry MU put 9% lower has a 5.8% yield. MU is down 7% today at $383.43. That has pushed up its put option premium in near-term expiry periods. Value investors can short out-of-the-money (OTM) put options to set a potentially lower buy-in point. More News from Barchart MU stock - last 3 months - Barchart - March 3, 2026 Shorting OTM Pu ...

Core Viewpoint - ConocoPhillips (COP) stock has increased by over 3.0% due to turmoil related to the Iran war, presenting potential opportunities for shareholders to sell out-of-the-money covered call options for a yield of 2.48% with higher strike prices [1]. Stock Performance - COP stock is currently priced at $117.03, reflecting an increase of $3.54 (+3.2%) today and a total rise of $15.24 (+15%) from $101.79 since February 2 [1]. - The annual dividend yield for COP stock stands at 2.87% [1]. Cash Flow and Dividends - ConocoPhillips reported strong cash flow on February 5, committing to return 45% of its cash flow to shareholders through dividends and buybacks [3]. - The annual dividend per share (DPS) is $3.36, which can be supported by the company's cash flow [3]. - Analysts' price targets for COP stock range from $116.48 to $136.16, indicating potential upside [3]. Options Strategies - Shorting out-of-the-money (OTM) put options has been a successful strategy, with a previous short-put play yielding 2.60% and the premium now significantly reduced [5]. - Selling a new one-month put option at a $111.00 strike price, which is 5.30% lower than the current price, offers a yield of 2.13% [6]. - Selling covered call options, such as the $123 call option with a midpoint premium of $3.64, provides a one-month yield of 3.11% [8].

I recently described in a Barchart article why Microsoft Corp (MSFT) stock looks cheap here, despite the market's concerns about its free cash flow (FCF). My price target is $521, or 23% higher over the next year. One play for value investors is to sell short at-the-money and out-of-the-money put options with one-month expiration periods. MSFT is down today at $424.53 per share, well off its recent Jan. 28 peak of $481.63, before its market close release of fiscal Q2 earnings on the same day. This is a n ...

Alphabet, Inc. (GOOGL) is set to announce earnings early next month. Whether GOOGL stock rises or stays flat, investors can make a 2.0% income yield by shorting one-month out-of-the-money put options. GOOGL is at $313.02 in morning trading on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. It's still below $323.44, where it peaked on Nov. 25, but could still be worth considerably more. More News from Barchart GOOGL stock - last 3 months - Barchart - Jan. 2, 2026 I discussed this in several recent Barchart articles, including on ...