Posted in
Options Trading
By: Tom Gentile
on June 11th, 2025
Is it Too Late to Get Into an Options Trade?
This is a question I get a lot.
There are times when I send a trade alert out to my subscribers and by the time they look at the alert the price is different than the alert price to ‘Buy to Open.’
If the price to open now is lower than the alert price they usually don’t ask. I can only take that as an indication maybe they feel like they are getting a better price than me and feel confident in taking it themselves. Or maybe the opposite in that they feel if the security for the option has gone the opposite direction of what is needed for the option to get profitable, they might feel the expected/needed move isn’t going to happen and pass on it.
When a Trade Alert Option Price is Higher Now
It is when a trade alert goes out and is now at a higher price to get into it than the original alert price that the question of ‘Am I too late?,’ Is it too late to get in?’ or ‘Can I still take it?’ comes my way.
I am not a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). I can’t tell you what to do in your own personal trading accounts. My trade alerts are for educational purposes only. I show you what I can do, and you discuss with your broker if that is what you want to do.
From an educational standpoint here is something to consider when one is wondering if they can still take a trade if it is seen ‘opened’ at a lower price than it is now.
A recent Money Calendar pattern on Invesco QQQ Trust presented itself.
It showed a 48-day pattern of trading on average 5.52% higher over the range of days analyzed.
A trade alert was highlighted for Buying to Open an August 15, 2025, $530/$540 Call Debit Spread for a limit of $5.50.
A subscriber saw the option trading for $6 or so and asked if they were too late or could they still get in.
Once again we are not RIA’s so we couldn’t and did not tell them yes or no.
The education in this situation is this. I like to shoot for a 50% ROI on my options trades for an ETF, which the Q’s is.
If I get 50% on a trade opened at $5.50 I would be looking for a profit of $2.25 making the price I’d like to Sell to Close this spread for is $7.75.
The question to anyone that asks if it is too late to get in is, is it too late for them?
Look at the price one can get now and if Tom’s/my target is $7.75 to Sell to Close and one uses that same target price, is what I am paying now going to show enough of a profit at that $7.75 price to make getting in now worth it?
Example: If it is now $6.00 to get in and if one uses Toms/my target of $7.75 is the potential profit target, should the trade work, of $1.75 worth it?
Another Bus coming Along Shortly
There are times when a trade has passed you by. What I hear from people learning from me from my publications is ‘I wish I would have gotten in the trade’ or ‘Tom is it too late to get in or can we still take this trade?’
I like to tell folks, trades are like public transportation buses, there will be another coming along shortly you can go for.
Money Calendar May Provide Another Opportunity on the Same Security
A security may show up more than once. Not for the same start date, but a day or more later.
Consider this Money Calendar sending another public transportation bus your way.
Run your new analysis. If you aren’t in an options trade on it, the decision isn’t that difficult. If you like the projection and profit potential make what you deem as an appropriate decision.
If you already have an options trade on the underlying stick to your trade plan you put in place for that pattern set up, or close the trade win or loss then consider a new trade with your new current data for the new set up, OR keep the original trade open and manage to the original trade plan and consider a new option trade on this new setup
You and your broker decide.
Remember this – It’s likely one will run out of money before one runs out of trade opportunities.
Don’t feel like you need to chase trades. Be patient and your opportunities will be plenty.
Patterns & Profits
I teach options education, I run multiple videos each week, where I give my overall market view, my sector specific insights and discuss potential stocks and ETF’s and crypto currencies.
I then break down for everyone where I see the security (stock , ETF or crypto) going in price and by when and if you want to learn from me a great place to start is my site Patterns and Profits.
To your success,
— Tom Gentile
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