Which of the following options strategies would be best for an investor interested in maintaining his long position in the market while getting maximum downside protection?

buying puts

Explanation:

A put option is a sale option. It gives the buyer the right (but not the obligation) to sell an asset in the future to the seller of the option at a previously determined price.

The owner or buyer of a put option benefits from the option if the underlying asset falls, that is, if when the put option expires, the asset (a share for example) has a price lower than the agreed price. In that case, the option buyer will exercise his right and sell the asset at the agreed price and then buy it at the current market price, earning the difference.

If the price turns out to be higher than the agreed price, known as the strike or strike price, the buyer will not exercise his right and will simply have lost the premium he paid to acquire the option. Therefore, your benefit may be unlimited, but your loss is limited to the premium you paid.