Investors have several ways to gain exposure to a stock’s price movement, with the most popular being to simply buy shares. However, there's also a method that can limit downside risk and significantly boost profit potential—if a few key conditions are met. Specifically, getting both the direction and timing right. Stock options can increase upside and limit downside, but their value depends on choosing the correct direction and acting within the option’s expiration date. Knowing this, you can see how unusu ...