$SVXY – knowing that I’m going to have to roll some of this week’s short puts tomorrow, I’m not taking any new positions with strike prices above 50 until I unwind the near term puts with higher strike prices.
Author Archives: Option Iceman
$UVXY – My plan going…
$UVXY – My plan going forward until VIX futures go back into contango.
I will continue selling UVXY Calls but only the pre-split contracts at the top of the chain.
There are a few available, both shorter term and longer term. The only exception will be calls expiring tomorrow.
UVXY Aug 11 2017 63.0 Calls – sold some today @ 0.23.
UVXY 25/100 Aug 25 2017 20.0 Calls – Stock price breakeven at 80.0
UVXY 25/100 Sep 15 2017 60.0 Calls – Stock price breakeven at 240
UVXY 25/100 Dec 15 2017 37.0 Calls – Stock price breakeven at 148 – Sold today at 2.01
UVXY 25/100 Jan 19 2018 60.0 Calls – Stock price breakeven at 240 – Sold today at 1.71
UVXY 25/100 Jan 18 2019 60.0 Calls – Stock price breakeven at 240 – Sold today at 3.55
$UVXY #ShortCalls #NonStandard – Sold…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #NonStandard – Sold 25/100 UVXY Jan 19 2018 60.0 Calls @ 1.71.
Breakeven is above 240 on the stock.
$SVXY #ShortPuts #OptionLadder – After…
$SVXY #ShortPuts #OptionLadder – After hours fills coming in bunches as the stock gives up 3 more points after hours.
Sold 1 SVXY Aug 18 2017 64.0 Put @ 2.03 with the stock at 72
Sold SVXY Aug 18 2017 55.0 Puts @ 0.69
Sold 1 SVXY(Weekly) Sep 1 2017 50.0 Put @ 1.24
Sold SVXY(Weekly) Sep 8 2017 40.0 Puts @ .80
Sold 1 SVXY(Weekly) Sep 8 2017 45.0 Put @ 1.09
Sold 1 SVXY Sep 15 2017 42.5 Put @ 1.29
Sold 1 SVXY Sep 15 2017 41.0 Put @ 1.09
Sold 1 SVXY Sep 15 2017 40.0 Put @ 1.09
Sold 1 SVXY(Weekly) Sep 22 2017 45.0 Put @ 1.67
$UVXY #ShortCalls #Nonstandard #ClassicVXXGame –…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #Nonstandard #ClassicVXXGame – Got two more orders off just after the closing bell. Either margin calls or anxious buyers in an illiquid contract.
Sold 1 UVXY 25/100 Jan 18 2019 60.0 Call @ 3.35.
Sold 1 UVXY 25/100 Jan 18 2019 60.0 Call @ 3.55.
Strike price breakeven is 240.0 with the stock at 40.60
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – I…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – I will be adding to these …. slowly, until even higher strike prices are available.
So far today, the stock has topped out at 39.54
Sold 1 UVXY AUG 18 2017 68.0 Call @ 1.35
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 1 2017 64.0 Call @ 2.82
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 8 2017 64.0 Call @ 4.09
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 15 2017 68.0 Call @ 4.00
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 22 2017 64.0 Call @ 5.10
$UVXY #ShortCalls #Nonstandard #ClassicVXXGame -…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #Nonstandard #ClassicVXXGame – Sold 1 UVXY 25/100 Jan 18 2019 60.0 Call @ 3.15.
TOS says the breakeven stock price is 252.60
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold 1…
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold 1 SVXY SEP 15 2017 42.5 Put @ 1.09 with the stock at 78.60
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – you…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – you know UVXY is on the move when they start adding higher strike prices.
Sold 1 UVXY AUG 18 2017 68.0 Call @ 1.05
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 1 2017 64.0 Call @ 2.62
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 8 2017 64.0 Call @ 3.29
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 15 2017 68.0 Call @ 3.67
Sold 1 UVXY SEP 22 2017 64.0 Call @ 4.79
I will be adding to these …. slowly
$SVXY #ShortPuts #OptionLadder – staying…
$SVXY #ShortPuts #OptionLadder – staying way out of the money and small with the stock at 82
Sold SVXY AUG 25 2017 50.0 Puts @ 0.46
Sold SVXY SEP 1 2017 50.0 Puts @ 0.50
Sold SVXY SEP 8 2017 50.0 Puts @ 0.87
#Markets –
#Markets –

$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold 1…
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold 1 SVXY Aug 18 2017 74.0 Put @ 1.45 with the stock at 84.46.
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold 1…
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold 1 SVXY Aug 11 2017 80.0 Put @ 0.97 to add to my existing position.
This expires in 2 more days.
$MYL #ShortCalls – Bought to…
$MYL #ShortCalls – Bought to close MYL Oct 20 2017 47.5 Calls @ 0.01.
Originally sold @ 0.40 in May.
$UAA #ShortCalls – Bought to…
$UAA #ShortCalls – Bought to close UAA Jan 19 2018 35.0 Calls @ 0.01. They won’t trade any lower and there are still 163 days until expiration.
Originally sold @ 0.45 in February.
$UVXY #ShortCalls – a second…
$UVXY #ShortCalls – a second spike today to 34 – Selling at the highest strikes
Sold UVXY Aug 18 2017 65.0 Calls @ 0.67
Sold UVXY Aug 25 2017 60.0 Calls @ 1.33
Sold UVXY Sep 1 2017 60.0 Calls @ 1.80
Sold UVXY Sep 8 2017 60.0 Calls @ 2.23
Sold UVXY Sep 15 2017 65.0 Calls @ 2.61
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold SVXY…
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold SVXY Sep 15 2017 55.0 Puts @ 1.25 with the stock at 86.10
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold SVXY…
$SVXY #ShortPuts – Sold SVXY AUG 18 2017 52.0 Puts @ 0.23 with the stock at 86.07
$TRIP #CoveredCalls – Sold TRIP…
$TRIP #CoveredCalls – Sold TRIP SEP 15 2017 40.0 Calls @ 1.25
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame #Scalptrade -…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame #Scalptrade – these expire Friday
Sold UVXY Aug 11 2017 52.0 Calls @ 0.28
Sold UVXY Aug 11 2017 63.0 Calls @ 0.11 – highest strike
$UVXY #ShortCalls – staying small…
$UVXY #ShortCalls – staying small but getting higher prices than the last VIX move
Sold 1 UVXY Jan 19 2018 65.0 Call @ 8.00
Sold 1 UVXY Dec 15 2017 65.0 Call @ 7.00
$SVXY #ShortPuts – small positions…
$SVXY #ShortPuts – small positions for next week
Sold SVXY Aug 18 2017 74.0 Puts @ 1.24
Sold SVXY Aug 18 2017 73.0 Puts @ 1.16
Sold SVXY Aug 18 2017 72.0 Puts @ 1.09
$SVXY #ShortPuts #IRA #Scalptrade -…
$SVXY #ShortPuts #IRA #Scalptrade – using up some IRA buying power
Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 75.0 Puts @ 0.49
Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 73.5 Puts @ 0.31
Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 72.0 Puts @ 0.30
These expire Friday
$VIX $UVXY $SVXY
$VIX $UVXY $SVXY – just to get perspective on the magnitude of these potential moves.
7/6/2017 VIX=13 UVXY=45 SVXY=75 (approximately)
7/12/2017 VIX=10.85(on it’s way down to 8.84 on 7/26) UVXY=38.48 SVXY=80.83
Today(premarket) VIX=12.63 UVXY=32.80 SVXY=86.22
$NFLX – Disney to pull…
$NFLX – Disney to pull their films from Netflix. $NFLX getting hit hard
$TRIP #ShortPuts #Earnings – Turned…
$TRIP #ShortPuts #Earnings – Turned my earlier sale of 44.0 Calls into a #Strangle by selling the TRIP Aug 11 2017 33.0 Puts @ 0.25 right at the closing bell.
$UVXY #ShortCalls #ScalpTrade – Sold…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #ScalpTrade – Sold UVXY AUG 11 2017 46.0 Calls @ 0.23 with the stock at 30.83.
These expire Friday.
$SVXY #ShortPuts #ScalpTrade – I…
$SVXY #ShortPuts #ScalpTrade – I was early on my earlier trades and I might be early on these.
Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 81.0 Puts @ 0.42 with the stock at 90.65.
Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 80.75 Puts @ 0.37 with the stock at 90.65.
Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 80.5 Puts @ 0.41 with the stock at 90.65.
$SVXY #ShortPuts #ScalpTrade – Sold…
$SVXY #ShortPuts #ScalpTrade – Sold SVXY Aug 11 2017 80.0 Puts @ 0.23 with the stock at 91.65.
These expire 3 days and are 10 points OTM
$TRIP #ShortCalls #Earnings – Sold…
$TRIP #ShortCalls #Earnings – Sold TRIP Aug 11 2017 44.0 Calls @ 0.70 with the stock at 39.63
$FOSL #CoveredCalls – Sold FOSL…
$FOSL #CoveredCalls – Sold FOSL DEC 15 2017 21.0 Calls @ 0.35 with the stock at 12.50
$MAT #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$MAT #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold MAT JAN 19 2018 18.0 Puts @ 1.25
$HP #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$HP #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold HP MAR 16 2018 37.5 Puts @ 2.05 with the stock at 46.93
$SVXY #ShortCall – Sold 1…
$SVXY #ShortCalls – Sold 1 SVXY Jan 18 2019 165.0 Call @ 6.90 with the stock at 93.08 and the VIX index at 9.52.
$CMG $HES $HP $NOV $RRC…
$CMG $HES $HP $NOV $RRC – some very short term speculative trades –
Sold CMG Aug 11 2017 315.0 Puts @ 0.65
Sold HES Aug 18 2017 41.5 Puts @ 0.58
Sold HP Aug 18 2017 45.0 Puts @ 0.65
Sold NOV Aug 18 2017 31.0 Puts @ 0.45
Sold HES Aug 18 2017 17.0 Puts @ 0.45
$TRIP #ShortStrangles #Earnings – sold…
$TRIP #ShortStrangles #Earnings – sold some of these. Trying for better prices.
Sold TRIP Aug 11 2017 35.0 Puts/44.5 Calls @ 1.00.
Earnings after the close tomorrow and these expire Friday.
$UHS #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$UHS #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 UHS Jan 19 2018 90.0 Put @ 1.70 with the stock 107.49
$VIX #CNBC – I keep…
$VIX #CNBC – I keep beating this dead horse ….
The S&P 500 is on pace for its 72nd straight trading session without a gain of 1 percent or more — its longest such streak since early 2007.
The implications of this kind of historical market calm that’s been the subject of much debate across Wall Street this year are concerning to some strategists who believe low volatility (while the market grinds to all-time highs) is the so-called calm before the storm.
The last time the S&P posted a gain larger than 1 percent in a single trading session was on April 24, with a gain of 1.08 percent.
edit: SPX hasn’t closed up or down 0.3% for 12 consecutive days. 10 in a row in ’66 and ’61 were the previous records.
Edit2: Looking at SVXY, the range for the last 6 trading days is only 3 points 89.81 – 92.85
$FLR #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$FLR #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 FLR JAN 19 2018 35.0 Put @ 1.25 with the stock at 39.38
$MYL #ShortPuts #Fallingknife – Sold…
$MYL #ShortPuts #Fallingknife – Sold 1 MYL Jan 19 2018 27.5 Put @ 1.15 with the stock at 31.55
$MOS #ShortPuts #Fallingknife – Sold…
$MOS #ShortPuts #Fallingknife – Sold 1 MOS Jan 19 2018 20.0 Put @ 1.09 with the stock at 21.88
$AAOI #ShortPuts – a couple…
$AAOI #ShortPuts – a couple of random shorter term trades on this name.
Sold 1 Sep 15 2017 55.0 Put @ 2.20 with the stock at 63.63
Sold 1 (Weekly) Sep 22 2017 50.0 Put @ 1.40 with the stock at 63.35
$SVXY – previous bounce point…
$SVXY – previous bounce points are pretty clearly defined on the chart
http://www.finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=SVXY&ty=c&ta=0&p=d
75, then 65, then 60.
Target zones for short term, medium term and longer term puts once a decline begins
$VIX – Anticipating “VIX Shock”,…
$VIX – Anticipating “VIX Shock”, Interactive Brokers Raises Vol Product Margins
“policy will be to consider market outcome scenarios under which VIX might rise to …18”
$VIAB #ShortPut #FallingKnife – Sold…
$VIAB #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 VIAB JAN 19 2018 27.5 Put @ 1.50 with the stock at 30.33.
The stock is very near the 3-year low at 30.11.
#OptionsExpiration #Weeklys #Aug4 – Some…
#OptionsExpiration #Weeklys #Aug4 – Some nice #Earnings trades this week in $CMG $GRMN $TSLA and $UAA.
Also the standard Volatility trades.
Those are becoming harder to find without taking big risks as the $VIX index is hovering near 10.
No assignments this week.
— Expirations —
CMG Weekly Aug 4 2017 300 Puts
GRMN Weekly Aug 4 2017 45.5 Puts
NUGT Weekly Aug 4 2017 36 Calls (Covered)
SVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 40 Puts
SVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 42.5 Puts
SVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 45 Puts
TSLA Weekly Aug 4 2017 250 Puts
TSLA Weekly Aug 4 2017 255 Puts
UAA Weekly Aug 4 2017 23.5 Calls
UAA Weekly Aug 4 2017 24.5 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 35 Calls (Covered)
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 35.5 Calls (Covered)
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 36 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 54 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 55 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 56 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 57 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 58 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 59 Calls
UVXY Weekly Aug 4 2017 60 Calls
UVXY 25/100 Weekly Aug 4 2017 14 Calls
UVXY 25/100 Weekly Aug 4 2017 20 Calls
$DUST 29.60 $NUGT 29.92 -…
$DUST 29.60 $NUGT 29.92 – the stocks are trading at roughly the same price again, but over time the crossovers are at lower and lower levels as the tracking error from $GDX takes a toll on both stocks.
The best way to take advantage of this is to be short calls on both, adding Theta decay to the equation.
Just be prepared for occasional big swings.
$MYL #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$MYL #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 MYL Jan 30.0 Put @ 1.65 with the stock at 32.91
$PRGO #ShortPuts #FallingKnife #OptionLadder –…
$PRGO #ShortPuts #FallingKnife #OptionLadder – sold these this morning.
Sold 1 PRGO NOV 17 2017 55.0 Put @ 1.30 with the stock at 67.09.
Sold 1 PRGO Jan 19 2018 50.0 Put @ 1.15 with the stock at 67.13.
The three year low is 65.47 from this past April.
$NBL #ShortPut #FallingKnife – Sold…
$NBL #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 NBL FEB 16 2018 22.5 Put @ 1.20 with the stock at 25.55.
The 3-year low is 23.77
$ABC #ShortPuts #FallingKnife #OptionLadder -…
$ABC #ShortPuts #FallingKnife #OptionLadder – sold these this morning.
Sold 1 ABC NOV 17 2017 70.0 Put @ 1.15 with the stock at 80.38
Sold 1 ABC Jan 19 2018 67.5 Put @ 1.25 with the stock at 80.72.
The three year low is 68.38
$AAOI #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$AAOI #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 AAOI Sep 15 2017 55.0 Put @ 1.40 with the stock at 69.10
Staying very small on this stock
$SVXY #ShortCall – Sold 1…
$SVXY #ShortCalls – Sold 1 SVXY JAN 19 2018 132.5 Call @ 2.47 with the stock at 91.29.
The clock is ticking on these with only about 5 months to expiration and the VIX index at 9.68.
$PXD #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$PXD #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 PXD JAN 19 2018 90.0 Put @ 1.20 with the stock at 134.21
The 3-year low on the stock is 103.50.
$TRIP #CoveredCalls #Rollout #Earnings Bought…
$TRIP #CoveredCalls #Rollout #Earnings
Bought to close 1 TRIP AUG 4 2017 40.5 Call @ 0.01
Sold to Open 1 TRIP AUG 11 2017 42.0 Call @ 1.06
$DUST #ShortPuts #Rollout – I…
$DUST #ShortPuts #Rollout – I rolled the last of this week’s Puts out and down 2 points.
Bought to close DUST Aug 4 2017 33.0 Puts/Sold DUST Sep 22 2017 31.0 Puts @ 0.28 Credit.
This one was tougher to roll because it was farther in the money with the stock at 28.0
$PXD #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$PXD #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 PXD Jan 19 2018 95.0 Put @ 1.25 with the stock at 135.12.
I should be able to do better tomorrow.
$DUST #ShortPuts – with the…
$DUST #ShortPuts – with the stock at 27.65 I rolled some more of this weeks Puts
Bought to close DUST Aug 4 2017 32.0 Puts/Sold DUST Sep 15 2017 30.0 Puts @ 0.20 Credit.
$AZO #ShortCalls – Sold 1…
$AZO #ShortCalls – Sold 1 AZO AUG 25 2017 620.0 Call @ 1.20, turning one of my short put positions into a strangle. Only a few weeks until expiration with the strike price at the top of the trading range since the earnings gap in May.
The stock has rallied from 491 to 554 in less than a month. I don’t think it has another 66 points in it.
$CAH #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$CAH #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 CAH JAN 19 2018 60.0 Put @ 1.15.
Thanks @ramie
$MOS #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$MOS #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 MOS Dec 15 2017 21.0 Put @ 1.25 with the stock at 22.20
$HES #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$HES #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold HES Jan 19 2018 35.0 Puts @ 1.35 with the stock at 42.37
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – Sold…
$UVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – Sold UVXY Aug 4 2017 36 Calls @ 0.28 with the stock at 29.97.
20% OTM and expires Friday
$ULTI #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$ULTI #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold ULTI JAN 19 2018 135.0 Put @ 1.40 with the stock at 202.
Lowest available strike. Not far from the 3-year low of 125.74
$GRMN #ShortPuts – Sold GRMN…
$GRMN #ShortPuts – Sold GRMN AUG 4 2017 45.5 Puts @ 0.25 with the stock at 50.05
These expire Friday.
The 1 year low on the stock is 46.05 set during earnings season in September 2016
$HP #ShortPuts – Sold 1…
$HP #ShortPuts – Sold 1 HP MAR 16 2018 37.5 Put @ 1.70.
Strike is well below the 3 year low on the stock.
$UAA #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$UAA #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold 1 UAA Jan 19 2018 17.5 Put @ 1.69.
I overloaded this account with short (partially covered) Calls yesterday, so I’m balancing the books a bit now.
$SVXY #ShortCalls – Sold 1…
$SVXY #ShortCalls – Sold 1 SVXY JAN 18 2019 165.0 Call @ 6.30 with the stock at 91.84
$TSLA #ShortPuts – Sold TSLA…
$TSLA #ShortPuts – Sold TSLA AUG 4 2017 250.0 Puts @ 0.26. with the stock at 323.44.
These expire Friday
$HP #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold…
$HP #ShortPuts #FallingKnife – Sold a couple more this morning with the stock at 49.81.
Sold 1 HP Dec 15 2017 42.5 Put @ 1.80
Sold 1 HP Dec 15 2017 40.0 Put @ 1.30
Sold HP Jan 19 2018 40.0 Puts @ 1.60
$NUGT #ShortCalls – Bought to…
$NUGT #ShortCalls – Bought to close NUGT 25/100 Sep 15 2017 18.0 Calls @ 0.01. They won’t trade any lower and still have 45 days until expiration.
These are the old pre-split contracts.
Originally sold in early April @ 1.08 and 1.28.
$UVXY #ShortCalls – Sold UVXY…
$UVXY #ShortCalls – Sold UVXY Aug 11 2017 61.0 Calls @ 0.11.
New strike prices up to 63 in the Aug 11 weekly cycle.
$TSLA #ShortPuts – Sold TSLA…
$TSLA #ShortPuts – Sold TSLA AUG 18 2017 235.0 Puts @ 0.60 with the stock at 323.49
$TSLA #FallingKnife today
$TSLA #FallingKnife today
Sold TSLA AUG 4 2017 255.0 Puts @ 0.23 with the stock at 324.16.
Recent support levels not already broken are at 313 and 303.
$SVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – Sold…
$SVXY #ShortCalls #VXXGame – Sold 1 SVXY JAN 18 2019 165.0 Call @ 6.00 with the stock at 91.20.
Along with all the UVXY calls I sold last week, I’m comfortable with this position.