Best Stocks To Sell Put Options Right Now

You don't need a stock tip. You need a process.

Right now, immediately—before reading further—you can use this exact checklist to find the best stocks for selling puts in whatever conditions the market is displaying today. Not tomorrow. Right now.

The 60-Second Scan

Step 1: Check market volatility (2 seconds)

• Open your broker
• Look at VIX
• Note it down: _____ (write the number)

Guidance:

• VIX < 12: Low volatility environment. Expect 0.5–1% premiums. Stick to mega-caps (SPY, QQQ, AAPL, MSFT).
• VIX 12–16: Calm, normal. 1–2% premiums available. Run the usual wheel.
• VIX 16–20: Elevated. Higher premiums. Defensive rotations working. Sell on quality names.
• VIX > 20: Crisis territory. Rich premiums but high gamma risk. Advanced sellers only.

Right now: The VIX tells you whether premiums are cheap or expensive relative to normal. Adjust position size accordingly.

Step 2: Find 5–10 stocks worth considering (30 seconds)

• Open your broker's screener
• Filter for: Market cap > $30B, Options volume > 50,000/day
• Sort by: IV Rank descending (highest IV = best premiums)
• Write down the top 10 tickers

Example screen: (Market cap > $30B, Daily volume > 50,000 contracts)

1. NVDA
2. AAPL
3. TSLA
4. MSFT
5. JPM
6. VZ
7. JNJ
8. KO
9. XOM
10. SPY

Right now: You've narrowed down 6,000+ stocks to the 10 best candidates based on objective criteria.

Step 3: IV Rank check (20 seconds)

• For each of your 10 tickers, click on the option chain
• Look at IV Rank (or IV Percentile on your broker)
• Score: IV Rank > 60% = A+, 40–60% = A, 20–40% = B, < 20% = C

Right now: You've identified which stocks have elevated volatility (good for premium collection).

Step 4: Premium check (10 seconds)

• For each stock, select 45 DTE expiration
• Look at the put with 0.20–0.25 delta
• Note the premium

What to expect:

• $50+ stock, IV Rank > 50%: Premium should be 1–3% of strike
• $100+ stock, IV Rank 30–50%: Premium should be 0.8–1.5% of strike
• Index ETF (SPY, QQQ): Premium should be 0.3–0.8% of strike (lower due to lower price movements)

Red flags:

• Premium < 0.3% of strike: Too small; skip this stock
• Bid-Ask spread > $0.20: Too wide; illiquid; skip

Right now: You've filtered down to stocks with adequate premium and liquid options.

The Framework: Which Stocks to Actually Pick

You now have a shortlist. But which 2–3 should you actually trade right now?

Rule 1: Fundamentals Are Gating

You will own this stock if assigned. No exceptions. Before selling a put, answer:

Yes to all three?

• Would I buy this stock at the put strike for long-term holding?
• Is the business profitable (not losing money)?
• Has the company not announced major bad news? (Lawsuits, accounting fraud, restructuring, CEO departures)

If no to any one: Skip that stock, even if premium is attractive.

Example:

• TSLA: High IV, rich premiums. But very leveraged, faces competition from legacy automakers and China EVs. Only sell puts if you're bullish TSLA long-term and understand the risk.
• AAPL: Moderate IV, decent premium. Boring, predictable business. Easy sell, good for beginners.
• SPY: Index, no business risk. Safest option.

Rule 2: Match Premium to Probability

One rule for picking the right strike:

Premium collected ≥ strike price × 0.02 (approximately)

If you're selling a $50 put, you should collect at least $1.00 (2% of strike). If you're selling a $100 put, you should collect at least $2.00 (2% of strike).

Why 2%? That's the minimum to make the trade worth your time and risk.

Right now: Check your best 3–5 candidates. Which ones meet this 2% threshold?

Rule 3: Avoid Earnings in Your Window

Check earnings dates immediately:

• Open SEC.gov or your broker's calendar
• For each stock, note when earnings are
• If earnings are within 45 days from today, either:
  • Skip the stock entirely
  • Sell puts at a strike where a negative surprise won't hurt you (lower strike = safer)

Example:

• JPM just reported earnings → safe to sell puts now (next earnings in ~3 months)
• AAPL reported earnings 1 week ago → safe for 45 days
• XOM reports earnings Feb 5 → skip this week, come back next week

Right now: Eliminate any candidate with earnings in the next 45 days (unless you're experienced).

Rule 4: The "Would I Own This?" Test

Close your eyes for 5 seconds. Imagine the stock you're about to sell puts on drops 20% and you get assigned.

Honest answer:

• "Meh, I'd own this for 1–2 years even if it dropped" → Good candidate
• "Oh no, I'd be upset" → Skip it
• "Wait, what does this company even do?" → Skip it, know your holdings

This isn't theoretical. This emotion check predicts whether you'll make rational decisions when the stock drops.

Right now: Apply this filter to your shortlist.

Right Now: The Action

You have your shortlist. Pick the top 2.

If you have:

• $10,000: Sell 1 put on SPY or a stable mega-cap (AAPL, MSFT)
• $25,000: Sell 1 put on JPM or JNJ, plus 1 on a growth name (NVDA, MSFT)
• $50,000: Sell 3 puts: 1 on an index (SPY or QQQ), 1 on a dividend stock (JPM, JNJ), 1 on growth (AAPL, MSFT)

Execution (5 minutes):

1. Open your broker
2. Select "Sell to Open"
3. Pick stock, 45 DTE expiration, 0.20–0.25 delta put strike
4. Enter limit order 5–10 cents below mid-price
5. Hit submit

Estimated fill: 70–90% chance to fill in the first hour. If not filled within 3 hours, cancel and re-enter at a better price.

Adjustments Based on Market Conditions Right Now

If VIX < 12 (very calm):

• Expect lower % premiums
• Sell LONGER dated puts (60+ DTE) to compensate
• Or accept 0.5% returns per 45 days and repeat

If VIX 16–20 (elevated):

• Premiums are rich
• Be selective: only sell on your favorite names (the ones you'd be happiest to own)
• Use some proceeds to close existing positions early

If VIX > 20 (crisis):

• Unless you're experienced, don't sell puts right now
• Volatility will crush you if the stock gaps down
• Wait for VIX to drop back below 16, or sell at much lower strikes (way out of the money)

The Questions to Ask Yourself Right Now

Before you place an order, answer these:

1. Is premium at least 2% of the strike? Yes / No
2. Would I own this stock at the put strike? Yes / No
3. Are there earnings in the next 45 days? Yes / No (if yes, skip)
4. Is the bid-ask spread < $0.10? Yes / No (if no, skip)
5. Do I have capital to cover assignment? Yes / No (if no, reduce size)

4–5 yes answers: Execute the trade. < 4 yes: Wait for a better opportunity. Better to sit in cash than take a bad trade.

Historical Context: How This Works Right Now

You're reading this on a specific date in a specific market condition. Here's how the process translates to your reality:

• If market is rallying: IV is low. Sell only on quality mega-caps you'd own long-term.
• If market is falling: IV is elevated. Sell on anything in your watchlist; premiums are rich.
• If earnings season: IV is high. Sell on stocks that already reported.
• If summer doldrums: IV is low. Sell broader positions (indices) or dividend stocks for income.

The process doesn't change. The market conditions change. Adapt accordingly.

Common Mistakes Made Right Now

Mistake 1: "I'll Just Take the Highest Premium"

• You find a stock with a $10 premium on a $30 strike
• Sounds amazing! 33% potential return!
• You don't notice: bid-ask spread is $0.30 wide; the stock has bankruptcy rumors; earnings are in 3 weeks
• Fix: Stick to your fundamentals filter. High premium doesn't overcome bad fundamentals.

Mistake 2: "I'll Wait for a Better Entry"

• Perfect setup, premium is $2.00
• You wait, thinking maybe it'll be $2.50
• Market moves, IV drops, premium is now $1.40
• You missed the trade
• Fix: Execute when conditions are good. Perfect is the enemy of good.

Mistake 3: "I'll Just Sell a Huge Position Since Premium Is Low"

• VIX is at 11, premiums are tiny
• You sell 5 puts to make up for it
• Market gaps down 5% overnight
• You're underwater on all 5
• Fix: Size matches market conditions. Low IV = sell smaller. High IV = sell bigger.

Right Now: The Next Step

This article walks you through the framework. But execution is on you.

Your job:

1. Open your broker
2. Scan for the 5–10 best candidates (2 minutes)
3. Apply the fundamentals filter (3 minutes)
4. Check if premium meets your threshold (2 minutes)
5. Pick your top 2 (1 minute)
6. Execute (5 minutes)

Total time: 15 minutes

That's it. Then you wait 45 days for theta to work.

The Truth About Timing

The "best stocks to sell puts on right now" isn't some secret. It's always:

1. Stocks you'd want to own
2. With adequate premium (> 2% of strike)
3. With liquid options (tight spreads)
4. Without imminent catalysts (earnings, FDA decisions, lawsuits)

This is true today, will be true tomorrow, will be true in five years.

The market changes. Your process doesn't.

Execute today. Repeat next month. Compound over years.

That's all there is.