I trade on options markets and need a short cut way to combine a Stock Symbol, Option expiration, and Strike Price in an addition-like fashion. E.g. I have a list of symbols, expiration dates, and strikes that I want to obtain quotes on. In order to get the quotes, I need to enter the option symbol, the expiration, option type and the strike as follows: IBM210507C135. This is for an option on IBM, expiring on 5-7-21, (C =call; P=put), then the strike price.
In Excel, I tried to enter the stock symbol (e.g. IBM) in a column, then the common expiration in the next column (with either the “C” or “P “code) and the strikes in the next column. Then tried combining them, but I cannot figure out how to do this. Is there a way?? It would save me typing repetitive data.
Also, while I am asking, is there a way to deconstruct the Option Symbol (e.g. IBM210507C135) to extract the expiration date and/or the strike price? This would save time when I am recording a position in my records keeping?
