As a rule of thumb, anytime you place a trade in the options market, you should assume that you’re at a disadvantage. After all, the derivatives arena tends to be where the smart money congregates — and these folks stand upstream of the informational space. In other words, by the time you get a juicy tip, the opportunity may have already been filtered several times over.
That’s not to say that retail traders can’t enjoy a leg up on the competition — and I believe Marathon Petroleum (MPC) provides a rare case where regular folks may have the advantage over Wall Street elites.
