When you trade options, you're essentially placing a bet on if a stock will decrease, increase or remain the same in value; how much it will deviate from its current price; and in what time those changes will occur. Based on those parameters, you can choose to enter into a contract to buy or sell a company's stock.
Trading options offers a number of benefits for an active trader: Options can offer high returns and do so over a short period, allowing you to multiply your money quickly if your wager is right. With options, it can cost less to get the same exposure to a stock's price movement than it does to buy the stock directly.