Long and Short Positions In the trading of assets, an investor can take two types of positions: long and short. An investor can either buy an asset (going long) or sell it (going short). Long and short positions are further complicated by the two types of options: the call and put. An investor may enter into a long put, a long call, a short put, or a short call. Furthermore, an investor can combine long and short positions into complex trading and hedging strategies.