Been fighting with this ever since I put it on but chipping away at it.
Original trade was a Nov 57/60 strangle. I rolled the puts up to 60 to create a straddle, then rolled the whole position to Dec. I just rolled it again to a Jan 60 straddle for .36 credit. Premium taken in so for is 2.54 with XLK at 63.96. I’m comfortable keeping the short delta in tech for now.
Author Archives: Ramie
Getting out of the ring with $M
Well one position at least. Been wrestling with this one since March. Sold puts at the 27 strike with the stock around 31 at the time. Rolled it 5 times and was left with the 27 puts expiring this Friday. With today’s move I’m finally able to get out of this for a profit. So I’m taking it and running.
Bought to close $M Dec 15 27 puts @ 1.38. Overall profit on position is .87.
I’m also short the Jan 20 puts which are mostly profitable.
AAOI deep in the money roll
Rolled $AAOI Dec 15 75 puts out to Jan 19 for 1.20 credit with the stock at 39.11. With continued rolls, basis reduction on this so far is 11.09. After having quite a few positions on this stock since May I’m down to only 2–this problem child one and short March 22.50 puts. Stock has been profitable to trade this year. If I can’t stick the landing, I’m looking for at least a graceful dismount from this position soon.
Been messing around with EWW
For most of they year, rolling and adjusting a strangle that went wrong. I just rolled it again and was able to widen it by 1 point, this time recapturing a good portion of the loss and hopefully ending this thing by January if it can finish anywhere near the strikes, if not between them.
Rolled $EWW Dec 15 51/53 strangles out to Jan 50/53 strangles for .41 credit.
TEVA Covered Calls
Sold $TEVA Jan 19 17.50 calls @ .53
More DUST calls
Some new strikes have been added. Sold:
$DUST Mar 16 2018 45 calls @ 1.20 (new highest strike)
$DUST Jun 15 2018 45 call @ 2.80 (new highest strike)
$DUST Jan 18 2019 50 call @ 5.20 (adding at highest strike)
SWKS #FallingKnife adding Moving down…
SWKS #FallingKnife adding
Moving down a strike.
Sold $SWKS May 18 70 put @ 1.25
DUST call in June
Still waiting for higher strikes as we get more upside, but in the meantime throwing very small trades out there when the timing is good.
Sold $DUST Jun 15 2018 40 call @ 2.70. Highest strike.
/ES is about to go negative
Forgive the football reference but I think they started running before they actually caught the ball.
Some trades from earlier
Similar to @vxxkelly I was away from my desk during the crucial hour when the market was at its lows of the day. Of course that’s the only period of time I missed all day. Still was able to get a few trades off.
Sold:
$SVXY Mar 16 45 put @ 1.15
$SVXY Jan 19 65 put @ 1.19
$UVXY Jun 15 60 call @ 2.10 (highest strike)
$UVXY Mar 16 70 calls @ 1.00
So I’ll either be able to sell some more if the market fades again, or the market keeps moving up we’ll be seeing Iceman’s billboard. 🙂
SWKS #FallingKnife Sold $SWKS May…
SWKS #FallingKnife
Sold $SWKS May 18 75 puts @ 1.50
Taking a long position in $SQ
Via short puts.
Sold $SQ Jan 19 35 puts @ 1.10.
Delta 25. IVR is high at 78. Earnings not expected until Feb.
Would consider taking assignment at the breakeven, 33.90.
Extending ladder on WDC
Sold $WDC Jul 20 55 put @ 1.30
CMG Covered Call
Sold $CMG Jan 19 350 call @ 3.00
WDC #FallingKnife Sold $WDC Apr…
WDC #FallingKnife
Sold $WDC Apr 20 65 put @ 1.75. Adding to my put ladder.
AAOI closing a Dec position
Bought to close $AAOI Dec 15 30 puts @ .05. Sold for 1.60 on 9/25.
Slowly starting to sell DUST calls
Sold $DUST Jan 18 2019 50 call @ 4.10 (highest strike)
You’d think Rocket Man
Would have an affect for more than 30 minutes. But the honey badger market just keeps pushing on.
No expirations today
But I did execute a few rollouts:
Rolled $AAOI Nov 24 75 puts out to Dec 15 75 puts @ 1.13 credit
Rolled $AMZN Dec 22 1160 call (covered) up and out to Jan 19 1180 call @ 3.03 credit
Rolled $AMZN Jan 5 1165 call (covered) up and out to Feb 1220 call @ 5.34 credit
I had a meaningful Thanksgiving. I hope you all did as well. Have a great rest of your weekend.
AMZN covered call roll
Rolled $AMZN Dec 15 1150 call up and out to Jan 5 (weekly) 1165 call for 2.99 credit. Continuing to roll for credits but now if I get called away the gain gets pushed into next year.
Rolling SVXY
Another roll on the helium ETF.
$SVXY Jan 19 112.50 calls out to Mar 16 123 calls for 1.11 credit.
Rolling SVXY
Rolled $SVXY Jan 110 calls up and out to Mar 118 for 1.76 credit
Options Expiration for Nov 17
$ADBE Nov 17 175 puts
$CELG Nov 17 90 puts
$EXPE Nov 17 120 puts
$SVXY Nov 17 65 puts
$UVXY Nov 17 21.50 calls
$UVXY Nov 17 50 calls
$UVXY Nov 17 60 calls
$UVXY Nov 17 70 calls
Market is looking tired. Let’s see what happens over the next couple of weeks after it becomes apparent that there won’t be any tax reform this year.
Have a great weekend everyone.
$CMI #FallingKnife Sold $CMI Jun…
$CMI #FallingKnife
Sold $CMI Jun 15 2018 120 put @ 1.60 with the stock at 159.86 and right at the 200 day moving average.
EDIT: Added a Mar 16 2018 135 put @ 1.65
$NWL Adding
Sold $NWL Jun 15 2018 23 put @ 1.35.
Put ladder is now:
Mar 26
Jun 25
Jun 23
$EWY rollout
Been adjusting this position since I put it on in late September. Originally a Nov 62/71 strangle but with the move up I rolled the puts a couple of times and ended up going inverted into a 72 put/71 call strangle. I just rolled this position out a month to Dec and widened the strikes back to a normal strangle for a credit.
Rolled $EWY Nov 17 71/72 inverted strangle out to $EWY Dec 15 70/71 strangle @ .78 credit.
With EWY just under 75 there’s some room here if the South Korean markets get spooked.
$CAT #CoveredPuts Sold against my…
$CAT #CoveredPuts
Sold against my short stock position:
STO $CAT Dec 29 128 puts @ 1.41.
Strike price is below the 50 day moving average.
$SVXY adding slowly
Sold $SVXY Dec 29 70 put @ 2.10
$UVXY 2020
Dipping a toe into 2020 here to get something on the books at the highest strike. Will wait for more strikes to be added before selling more.
Sold $UVXY Jan 17 2020 33 call @ 10.00.
#VXXGame
SVXY Dec
Sold $SVXY Dec 15 70 put @ 1.30
UVXY for this week
Sold $UVXY Nov 17 21.50 calls @ .25
Starting a position in TTD
Never traded this one before. Stock has imploded but momentum seems to be slowing.
Sold $TTD Dec 15 45 puts @ 1.45 with the stock at 47.79.
Nov 10 Expiration
Just one today, with no assignments.
Expired: UVXY Nov 10 25 calls
Is there really less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving?
#VXXGame trades Sold: $UVXY Dec…
#VXXGame trades
Sold:
$UVXY Dec 22 30 call @ 1.10 (highest strike)
$SVXY Dec 22 65 put @ 1.20
Markets–a change in character?
Still 30 minutes to go, but is this finally a day where stocks aren’t being bought into the close? Hasn’t happened much recently.
Ready to GUSH?
Down a bit today, but as expected the recent run-up has opened up some new strikes (up to 45 in Nov, Dec and Jan, and 44 in Mar and Jun).
Looks like you could sell calls at the highest strike in June (44) for at least today’s high or more. I’m not jumping in yet–that is still more than 7 months away and if there’s a prolonged move up in oil that strike could be taken out quickly on a 3x ETF. If this move in oil turns out to be a big head fake then I will have missed the opportunity. I think I’d feel more comfortable waiting for something like Dec 45s to sell for more than 1.00.
As always, I reserve the right to change my mind. 🙂
$TRIPped Up
Sold $TRIP Mar 16 27 put @ 1.45.
#FallingKnife
Rolling AMZN
Rolled $AMZN Nov 17 1120 covered call up and out to Dec 22 1160 call @ 3.46 credit.
Options Expiration for 11/3
$AMZN Nov 3 1125 calls (covered)
$CMG Nov 3 260 puts
$STMP Nov 3 170 puts
$SVXY Nov 3 74 puts
$TSLA Nov 3 270 puts
$UVXY Nov 3 18 calls
No assignments this week.
Thanks to Iceman for the great trade ideas on CMG, STMP and TSLA.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Closing FB
Taking this earnings trade off for better than 70% of the profit instead of waiting another two weeks for expiration.
Bought to close $FB Nov 17 170 puts @ .47. Sold for 1.65 on 11/1.
AAPL beats
EPS $2.07 beats by $0.20.
Revenue $52.6B beats by $1.81B.
Stock is popping.
Some #FallingKnife trades Sold: $ABC…
Some #FallingKnife trades
Sold:
$ABC May 18 55 puts @ 1.10
$CAH Mar 16 52.50 put @ 1.30
$CAH Jun 15 50 put @ 1.50
$NWL Jun 15 25 puts @ 1.45
CYBR Covered Calls
Sold $CYBR Dec 15 45 calls @ 1.60.
Continuing to work basis down since taking assignment on this a little more than a year ago. With this sale, basis would be 44.80 if called away at 45.
Last of the DRIPs
Closed the last of my positions in this ticker at .05. Was a nice run starting in July, and now completely out of it. Not sure if we’ll get another shot at this one anytime soon.
Bought to close $DRIP Dec 15 35 calls @ .05. Sold for 3.58, 4.00 and 5.00 from 6/7-6/21.
$FB Earnings
Going outside the expected move and selling puts (in the Nov monthly series) at a level where I wouldn’t mind owning the stock. Basis would be 168.35.
Sold $FB Nov 17 170 puts @ 1.65.
Request of $SPX $DJI $NDX etc…
Would you stay down into the close this time please?
That is all.
Closing more DRIP
I have GTC orders for .05 on my remaining positions. This one got filled today.
Bought to close $DRIP Dec 15 40 call @ .05. Sold for 2.80 on 7/5.
AAOI using some strength
To thin the herd a bit before upcoming earnings.
Bought to close $AAOI Nov 30 puts @ .66. Sold for 1.20 on 9/20.
AMZN call
#CoveredCalls On the big move, sold $AMZN Dec 15 1150.00 call @ 5.50
AMZN double beat
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN): Q3 EPS of $0.52 beats by $0.49.
Revenue of $43.74B (+33.7% Y/Y) beats by $1.6B.
Stock hitting 1050 in the a/h.
Adding ALXN
Sold $ALXN May 18 2018 90 put @ 1.90
I’m also short Jan 85 and 60 puts.
ORLY up now
Helluva intraday reversal. After opening down over 12 points, at 190, it’s now around 209, with a bullish candle that is engulfing the last 3 trading days. I’m still short 220 puts in Nov from a rollout which are underwater but looking quite a bit better than a couple of hours ago.
GWW put hedge
Sold $GWW Nov 17 185 puts @ 2.00, against the short Nov 17 200 calls I’m holding that have gone back in the money with the stock looking strong again today.
CELG-On the big move down this morning
Sold:
$CELG Dec 15 90 puts @ 2.00
$CELG Apr 20 75 puts @ 1.55
Rolling $M
Been deep in the money for a while but I’m able to continue rolling this at the same strike, collecting a credit.
Rolled $M Nov 17 27 puts out to Dec 15 27 puts for .35 credit. Total premium taken in so far is 2.25 so my cost basis is down to 24.75.
SVXY sale
Going really slowly here.
Sold $SVXY Dec 1 60 put @ 1.30.
BA strangle
Sold $BA Nov 17 245/265 strangle @ 3.42 with the stock at 255.25. IVR is 57.
Adding to WHR
Sold $WHR Dec 15 145 puts @ 1.15
WHR puts
I love selling puts on big downdrafts in this stock.
Sold $WHR Apr 20 2018 120 puts @ 1.50 with the stock at 163.55.
#OptionsExpiration for Oct 20 Not…
#OptionsExpiration for Oct 20
Not many expirations this month–I’ve been much more aggressive taking positions off earlier with the market at these levels. I’ve been particularly focused on #VXXGame positions so I’m running out of them and itching to sell more. I won’t sing the same old song but What The World Needs Now Is Vol Sweet Vol….
Expiring:
$AMZN Oct 20 1020 calls
$CAT Oct 20 125 puts
$CMG Oct 20 275 puts
$IWM Oct 20 144 puts
$SNAP Oct 20 15 puts
$SVXY Oct 20 50 puts
$UVXY Oct 20 50 calls
$TEVA Oct 20 17.50 calls
Assignments:
$TEVA Oct 18.50 puts from an inverted strangle. I will reinitiate calls on this on Monday (provided the stock doesn’t tank in the am).
Have a great weekend.
Taking off some more tail risk
Bought to close:
$UVXY Jan 19 2018 82 call @ .72. Sold for 12.10 on 8/11.
$UVXY Jan 19 2018 91 call @ .64. Sold for 8.95 on 8/17.
$UVXY Mar 16 2018 82 call @ 1.39. Sold for 14.00 on 8/11.
$UVXY Mar 16 2018 91 call @ 1.24. Sold for 7.00 on 9/5.
$SVXY Dec 15 2017 25 puts @ .19. Sold for .70 on 6/29.
$SVXY Dec 15 2017 40 put @ .54. Sold for 2.10 on 8/10.
$SVXY Dec 15 2017 50 put @ .83. Sold for 3.30 on 8/9.
$SVXY Jan 19 2018 30 puts @ .61. Sold for 3.20 on 1/26.
SVXY closed at an all time high
After testing 100 this morning.
Un-be-****lievable.
UAL Dec
Taking advantage of the still high IV (IV rank is 63) to sell some Dec puts into this huge down move.
Sold $UAL Dec 15 55 puts @ 1.25.
Closing NVDA
Been battling this trade since I put it on. Originally a 175/195 strangle for tomorrow’s expiration. I rolled the put side up twice, ending up with a 195 straddle. With today’s down move I decided to take it off for an overall small profit (.27 per contract) and move on. Who knows what today will bring.
Bought to close $NVDA Oct 20 195 straddle @ 3.90.
Taking off GWW puts
With the stock finally starting to show some weakness, I closed the hedge (short Oct 200 puts) I originally sold against Oct 200 calls which I rolled to Nov earlier. Small profit.
Bought to close $GWW Oct 20 200 puts @ .45. Sold for .70 on 10/17.
AGN #FallingKnife Sold: $AGN Feb…
AGN #FallingKnife
Sold:
$AGN Feb 16 2018 150 put @ 1.50
$AGN Mar 16 2018 145 put @ 1.50
Rolling GWW
With the continued move up, I rolled the Oct 200 calls out to Nov for 2.72 credit. I’m leaving the Oct 200 put hedge to potentially expire on Friday.
GWW peaking?
Sold $GWW Oct 20 200 calls @ 1.40. Expires Friday.
NVDA roll
Continuing to adjust the position. Rolled $NVDA Oct 20 185 puts up to 195 for 1.28 credit, with the stock now at 197.86. This is paired with 195 calls from the original trade (175/195 strangle) which expires on Friday. With rollups, I’ve taken in 4.17 in premium so breakevens are 190.83 and 199.17.
Rolling AAOI
With most of the time value gone, I rolled my deep in the money $AAOI Oct 20 75 puts out to Nov 24 75 puts (weekly series) for 1.50.
This one is gonna be on the books for a while.
#OptionsExpiration for 10/13 $SVXY Oct…
#OptionsExpiration for 10/13
$SVXY Oct 13 50 puts
I was also assigned early on a portion of $TEVA short 18.50 puts (which I’ve been writing calls against). I’ll keep it (and likely the rest next week) and continue writing calls.
Have a great weekend.
UHS #FallingKnife Sold $UHS Apr…
UHS #FallingKnife
Sold $UHS Apr 20 80 put @ 1.40
UVXY: Closing one of my last Dec positions
Bought to close $UVXY Dec 15 91 call @ .54. Sold for 7.40 on 8/17. I was on vacation at the time and was lucky to get some #VXXGame trades on during the last relatively decent volatility spike. I’ll try to plan my vacation better next time 🙂
What’s left are Nov 60 and 70 calls, Dec 37 calls (pre-split so 148 equivalent), then starting in January nothing lower than 82 strike. Definitely need to get some volatility but I know I’m preaching to the converted.
Taking off another NUGT position
Bought to close $NUGT1 (pre-split strike) Dec 15 19.00 calls @ .04. Sold for .85 on 5/17.
Closed a Jan NUGT position
A total bonehead move. I was putting bids in to close a bunch of positions that were mostly profitable and I mistakenly closed this one that, had I waited 2 more weeks, would have become a long term capital gain. I was toying with the idea of leaving January positions on to defer taxes to 2018 but I changed my mind, and for some reason I wasn’t paying attention to this one. Of course none of my others got filled so I guess I deserved it 🙂
Bought to close $NUGT1 (pre 1:4 reverse split) Jan 19 2018 52 calls @ .04. Sold for 2.50 on 10/19/16.
I’ll still look to take positions off that are less than double the current price (i.e., with NUGT at 35, I will look to close Jan 58 calls, Jan 66 calls and Mar 60 calls). I’d like to clear those out to make room for potential sales if gold were to spike over the next couple of months. Quite a few potential stimuli out there for a gold rally.