Easily Retrieve the Earliest Option Expiration for a Symbol

The “fn_00984” function (internally named QM_GetOptionExpireMinimum) is designed to help you quickly retrieve the earliest (minimum) option expiration date available for a given symbol, starting from a specified date. It pulls relevant options data directly into Excel, placing it in a neatly structured format beginning at your active cell. With this powerful function, you avoid hunting through multiple expiration dates and can easily see option quotes that meet your date requirements.

Why Use This Function?

• Quickly find the earliest option expiration date for your chosen symbol.
• Filter out older (or already passed) expiration dates by specifying a date.
• Top-notch convenience for scanning for time-sensitive strategies, such as short-term covered calls or near-term expiry trades.
• Ideal for analyzing how upcoming expiration cycles compare across multiple symbols, especially when you have a specific start date in mind.
• Automatically prints the retrieved data in Excel below your active cell, helping you keep your workspace organized.

How to Use in Excel

=fn_00984("Symbol", OnDate)

• "Symbol": The ticker symbol for which you want the earliest option expiration.
• "OnDate": A valid Excel date (e.g., "1/1/2024") representing the minimum expiration cutoff.

1. In an empty cell, type the formula with your desired symbol and date.
2. Press Enter.
3. MarketXLS will retrieve and display the relevant option data starting in the cell where you entered the formula and expanding downwards.

Note: Because this function automatically places data below the active cell, you may be prompted to allow overwriting of cells. Confirm when prompted, or position your active cell accordingly to avoid overwriting important data.

Parameters Explained

Example Usage

Basic Examples

1. Retrieve the earliest expiration for Apple options starting from January 1, 2024:
   =fn_00984("AAPL", "1/1/2024")
   • This returns option quotes for AAPL whose expiration occurs on or after January 1, 2024.
   • The function prints all relevant data (including Greeks) into the spreadsheet cells below your formula.

2. Retrieve data for Microsoft options starting from today:
   =fn_00984("MSFT", TODAY())
   • Dynamically uses the current date as the cutoff, so only upcoming expirations are shown.
   • Updates automatically each time Excel recalculates.

Advanced Scenarios

• Using a far-future date to filter long-term options (LEAPS):
=fn_00984("GOOGL", "12/31/2027")
If GOOGL has LEAPS or any long-dated options beyond 2027, you’ll see them; otherwise, you’ll get either no data or partial results.

• Comparing short-term expirations for multiple symbols in separate cells:

• In cell A1: =fn_00984("TSLA", "6/1/2024")
• In cell A20: =fn_00984("NFLX", "6/1/2024")
  This workflow helps you quickly see each symbol’s earliest available expirations for the same date cutoff and compare side by side.

• Integrating with other Excel functions:

• Combine with MATCH/INDEX or VLOOKUP to map the earliest expiration data into a summary table of upcoming expirations.
• Use conditional formatting to highlight symbols whose earliest expiration is within a certain time window, perfect for time-sensitive trading strategies.

Common Questions and Troubleshooting

1. “Why am I not seeing any data returned?”

   • Ensure the symbol is valid and spelled correctly.
   • Check if your chosen date is too far in the future and there are no available options beyond that date.

2. “Why is my data overwriting other cells?”

   • This function dynamically expands downward. Move your formula to a location with enough space, or confirm the overwrite prompt when it appears.

3. “My greeks aren’t appearing. What’s wrong?”

   • By default, the function requests greeks ("greeks" parameter set to "True"). If your data provider or license doesn’t include greeks, they may remain blank or cause an error.

4. “I see an error that my license is not valid.”

   • The function checks MarketXLS licensing. Make sure you have an active, valid subscription to access these data features.

By leveraging the fn_00984 function, or QM_GetOptionExpireMinimum, you’ll quickly uncover the earliest option expiration date for virtually any US market symbol, helping you efficiently research, analyze, and execute strategies around time-sensitive options. Stay ahead of expirations using this streamlined Excel-based workflow!