Two powerful tools in the bearish (pessimistic) investor's arsenal are short selling and put options. These techniques, both aimed at capitalizing on downward price moves, are based on ...

The short put spread -- or "bull put spread," as it's also described -- is a relatively conservative option strategy, since the profit potential is strictly capped. In execution, it bears a strong ...

A short put vertical spread is a bullish position involving a short and long put with different strike prices in the same expiration. When setting up a short put spread, the short put is more ...

Stella Osoba is the Senior Editor of trading and investing at Investopedia. She co-founded and chaired Women in Technical Analysis. She has 15+ years of experience as a financial writer and ...