Our #1 Stock Printing Record Profits

Dear WallStreetZen Member,

This week, our Smart Leverage Alert centers on International Seaways (INSW).

International Seaways is one of the world's largest tanker operators, running a fleet of roughly 80 crude and product carriers across global trade routes. It's a pure play on one thing: the price shippers can charge to haul crude — and right now that price is on fire.

Tanker rates have spiked to some of the highest levels in years as shipping routes tighten and voyages lengthen. That flows straight to Seaways' bottom line thanks to enormous operating leverage — the company covers its costs at roughly $14,500 a day, while recent bookings have run many times higher. The result was a record second quarter: earnings of $5.91 per share versus $1.25 a year earlier, on revenue up nearly 140%. This is a business capturing a powerful cycle at full stride.

Wall Street is firmly on board. Every analyst covering the stock rates it a Strong Buy.

Our Zen Ratings model agrees. INSW earns an A rating — the equivalent of a Strong Buy — placing it in the top 3% of more than 4,600 stocks, and it's the #5-ranked name in the A-rated Oil & Gas Midstream industry.

Looking at the Component Grades behind that score, INSW ranks in the top 11% for Value, the top 1% for Momentum, and the top 1% for our Financials factor — reasonably priced, riding a powerful trend, and backed by exceptionally strong financials.

Our Logic

With Zen Options Essentials, we use "Smart Leverage" — Deep-In-The-Money options that let you control shares for a fraction of the cost, with your maximum risk strictly defined from day one.

The "Smart Leverage" Setup: INSW Long Call

Given the record earnings and the powerful tanker-rate cycle behind INSW, here's how we're structuring the trade using Smart Leverage — Deep-In-The-Money calls that move nearly dollar-for-dollar with the stock, but with strictly defined risk from day one.

Instead of committing about $10,395 to own 100 shares outright, a Deep-In-The-Money Call lets you control those same shares for about $2,672.

• The Play: $90 Strike Call (Expiring Mar 19, 2027)
• Delta: 0.8687 — Right in our sweet spot. This option moves nearly dollar-for-dollar with the stock. You get the upside with significantly less capital at risk.
• Intrinsic Value: ~87% — Nearly all of what you pay is real value, not time decay. This is what separates a Smart Leverage setup from the kind of speculative options trades that blow up amateur accounts.
• Leverage Multiple: 2.68x — Every dollar moves 2.7x harder than the stock, while the deep ITM strike still keeps meaningful downside protection versus a naked speculative call.
• The Target: For this position to double (+100%), INSW only needs to reach approximately $141.62 — a roughly 25% move in the stock that produces a 100% return on the option premium.

Why Options Over Shares?

A roughly 25% move in INSW stock would be a solid return for shareholders. In this Deep-In-The-Money option, that same move has the potential to double your investment while putting only about $2,672 at risk instead of $10,395. 

That's the power of Smart Leverage: stock-like upside with a fraction of the capital and strictly defined risk from day one.

What To Do Next?

INSW is just one of the setups our Zen Options Essentials TradeFinder identified this week.

And the best part? You don't need to spend hours doing research to find these trades. The TradeFinder does the heavy lifting — scanning for Deep-In-The-Money options with the optimal Delta, the right Intrinsic Value, and the right Leverage Multiple — so you can evaluate a trade like this in minutes.

How is that possible?

Because the best options trades aren't about picking exotic strategies or timing the market perfectly. They're about finding great stocks…and using Smart Leverage to control your risk while amplifying your upside.

EXACTLY what the Zen Ratings model is built to find.

EXACTLY what this methodology has been delivering.

If you'd like to see how this entire methodology works, start by watching our presentation, "Options Trading with the Zen Ratings." It walks through the Smart Leverage framework, the TradeFinder, and how we identify these opportunities step by step.

Options Trading with the Zen Ratings >

Or, perhaps you are ready to start using Smart Leverage by becoming a Zen Options Essentials member. Click below to join: 

Zen Options Essentials >

Happy Investing,

Mijusko Sibalic

Senior Writer, Zen Options Essentials

What to Do Next?

• 77 Best Stocks NOW! >
• Options Trading with the Zen Ratings >
• 2 New Stocks to Buy from Steve Reitmeister >

Want to get in touch? Email us at news@wallstreetzen.com.