I'm trading more volatile options lately, not just SPY ... TSLA returns up to 25% ... in about 3 weeks!
More results as they become available ...
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Today's result: up 12.4% since July
I had to pull $2500 out of the account before I got started, so revised basis is $4000. Today's Net liq is $4497.24, which is up 12.4% ....
I'm trading more volatile options lately, not just SPY ... TSLA returns up to 25% ... in about 3 weeks!
More results as they become available ...
I'm trading more volatile options lately, not just SPY ... TSLA returns up to 25% ... in about 3 weeks!
More results as they become available ...
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Going live with a small account
I funded a Tastyworks account two weeks ago and am going to just post its profit/loss data here ... I think I've proven the neutral trade sufficiently for myself, and I hope for you readers.
I started with $6500 on July 13, and so far the "net liq" in the account is ... $6512.23. As you'll recall, the trade has more room to the downside, so the market lately hasn't been optimal:
But by putting only 1/4 of the stake in every week, this keeps a big chunk from being whipsawed to a Trump-inspired loss all at once.
Also note: this is net of commissions. Tastyworks commissions are so low, this is very helpful in trying to keep trading profitably.
More soon ...
Also note: this is net of commissions. Tastyworks commissions are so low, this is very helpful in trying to keep trading profitably.
More soon ...
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Bumping along the top!
Well, the S&P 500 didn't go down, but it has started just bumping along the top:
This is ideal for our neutral trade, except for volatility being so low. But this pattern allows us to swing back to a profit on the futures trade, just selling a put every week for another $300 or $400 (at this volatility level) ...
Result charts are like this:
The neutral trade:
This is ideal for our neutral trade, except for volatility being so low. But this pattern allows us to swing back to a profit on the futures trade, just selling a put every week for another $300 or $400 (at this volatility level) ...
Result charts are like this:
The neutral trade:
| Trade Date | Symbol | Result | Profit/Loss | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2017 | SPY | Lost | -18% | |
| 02/13/2017 | SPY | Lost | -16% | |
| 02/21/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.4% | |
| 02/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +17% | |
| 03/06/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.3% | |
| 03/13/2017 | SPY | Won | +12.9% | |
| 03/20/2017 | TLT | Lost | -1.4% | Dumb! |
| 03/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +9.6% | |
| 04/03/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.6% | 18 days long |
| 04/10/2017 | SPY | Won | +11.1% | only 14 days! |
| 04/17/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.7% | |
| 04/25/2017 | SPY | Won | +8.9% | |
| 05/01/2017 | SPY | Lost | -5.0% | |
| 05/08/2017 | SPY | Won | +5.0% | |
| 05/15/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.1% | |
| 05/22/2017 | SPY | Won | +2.0% | |
| 05/30/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 06/5/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 06/12/2017 | SPY | Open |
The short /ES futures trade:
| Trade Date | What | Qty | Credit Received | Net Liq Change Since Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/25/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $362.50 | $0 |
| 05/03/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $487.50 | +$70.00 |
| 05/12/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $337.50 | +$1250.00 |
| 05/17/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $500.00 | +$1250.00 |
| 05/26/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $262.50 | -$100.00 |
| 06/02/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $325.00 | -$312.50 |
| 06/09/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $450.00 | +$150.00 |
| 06/15/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $325.00 | +$350.00 |
Another neutral trade is going on tomorrow morning ...
Sunday, June 4, 2017
What goes up must eventually come down ...
Something in the news last week sent the market further up to hit more record highs:
This hurt both sides of our trades; the short futures position got hammered ... as I write this the S&P futures price is 2435.50, which is 51.75 points above where I sold it short ... at $50 per point, that's $2587.50.
But! I sold another put for a credit on Friday: a $325 credit, so I'm down only $312 or so on the futures trade. And I'll sell another put every week, forever, and eventually the market will stop going up and even ... go down!
I had to take a 5% loss in one of the neutral trades to meet a margin call on the futures position; the other neutral trades I have on are hurting but not dead yet. Charts below:
But! I sold another put for a credit on Friday: a $325 credit, so I'm down only $312 or so on the futures trade. And I'll sell another put every week, forever, and eventually the market will stop going up and even ... go down!
I had to take a 5% loss in one of the neutral trades to meet a margin call on the futures position; the other neutral trades I have on are hurting but not dead yet. Charts below:
| Trade Date | Symbol | Result | Profit/Loss | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2017 | SPY | Lost | -18% | |
| 02/13/2017 | SPY | Lost | -16% | |
| 02/21/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.4% | |
| 02/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +17% | |
| 03/06/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.3% | |
| 03/13/2017 | SPY | Won | +12.9% | |
| 03/20/2017 | TLT | Lost | -1.4% | Dumb! |
| 03/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +9.6% | |
| 04/03/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.6% | 18 days long |
| 04/10/2017 | SPY | Won | +11.1% | only 14 days! |
| 04/17/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.7% | |
| 04/25/2017 | SPY | Won | +8.9% | |
| 05/01/2017 | SPY | Lost | -5.0% | |
| 05/08/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/15/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/22/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/30/2017 | SPY | Open |
| Trade Date | What | Qty | Credit Received | Net Liq Change Since Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/25/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $362.50 | $0 |
| 05/03/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $487.50 | +$70.00 |
| 05/12/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $337.50 | +$1250.00 |
| 05/17/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $500.00 | +$1250.00 |
| 05/26/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $262.50 | -$100.00 |
| 06/02/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $325.00 | -$312.50 |
Friday, May 26, 2017
Trump rally reboots ... but can't last forever!
I cashed out the another trade for a profit this morning: 8.9%. But the "Trump Rally" is hurting results a bit:
If not for the up move of the last few days this trade would've made up to 17% or so.
Also, the short futures segment has suffered under this move ... though the credit received in selling puts has it still just below breakeven. And we get to sell another put every week!
Charts below ... The main trade is now 9 for 12: 75%.
Futures:
Also, the short futures segment has suffered under this move ... though the credit received in selling puts has it still just below breakeven. And we get to sell another put every week!
Charts below ... The main trade is now 9 for 12: 75%.
| Trade Date | Symbol | Result | Profit/Loss | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2017 | SPY | Lost | -18% | |
| 02/13/2017 | SPY | Lost | -16% | |
| 02/21/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.4% | |
| 02/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +17% | |
| 03/06/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.3% | |
| 03/13/2017 | SPY | Won | +12.9% | |
| 03/20/2017 | TLT | Lost | -1.4% | Dumb! |
| 03/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +9.6% | |
| 04/03/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.6% | 18 days long |
| 04/10/2017 | SPY | Won | +11.1% | only 14 days! |
| 04/17/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.7% | |
| 04/25/2017 | SPY | Won | +8.9% | |
| 05/01/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/08/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/15/2017 | SPY | Open |
Futures:
| Trade Date | What | Qty | Credit Received | Net Liq Change Since Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/25/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $362.50 | $0 |
| 05/03/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $487.50 | +$70.00 |
| 05/12/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $337.50 | +$1250.00 |
| 05/17/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $500.00 | +$1250.00 |
| 05/26/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $262.50 | -$100.00 |
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Finally a down tick lets us cash out the oldest trade ...
It looks like the Trump vs. Comey story is finally affecting the market:
It was down enough this a.m. early for me to finally get the April 17 trade off for a 6.7% profit.
Once again, the trade characteristics are such that there's more room on the downside than the upside. The market was somewhat down on April 17 when I put this trade on and the market's flirting with 2400 the past few days kept it just barely unprofitable. Normally I would have taken it off last Friday, 21 days until expiration (June 2 expiration for these particular options), but I wanted to give it a few days to see if there would be this profitable down move ... and it worked!
The charts are now like this:
More details as they become available!
It was down enough this a.m. early for me to finally get the April 17 trade off for a 6.7% profit.
Once again, the trade characteristics are such that there's more room on the downside than the upside. The market was somewhat down on April 17 when I put this trade on and the market's flirting with 2400 the past few days kept it just barely unprofitable. Normally I would have taken it off last Friday, 21 days until expiration (June 2 expiration for these particular options), but I wanted to give it a few days to see if there would be this profitable down move ... and it worked!
The charts are now like this:
| Trade Date | Symbol | Result | Profit/Loss | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2017 | SPY | Lost | -18% | |
| 02/13/2017 | SPY | Lost | -16% | |
| 02/21/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.4% | |
| 02/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +17% | |
| 03/06/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.3% | |
| 03/13/2017 | SPY | Won | +12.9% | |
| 03/20/2017 | TLT | Lost | -1.4% | Dumb! |
| 03/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +9.6% | |
| 04/03/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.6% | 18 days long |
| 04/10/2017 | SPY | Won | +11.1% | only 14 days! |
| 04/17/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.7% | |
| 04/25/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/01/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/08/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/15/2017 | SPY | Open |
That's a 72% win rate on these, finally.
The futures trade is doing well also:
| Trade Date | What | Qty | Credit Received | Net Liq Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/25/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $362.50 | $0 |
| 05/03/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $487.50 | +$70.00 |
| 05/12/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $337.50 | +$1250.00 |
More details as they become available!
Saturday, May 6, 2017
Short /ES and "reducing basis": an illustration
The S&P futures market went straight up yesterday after the jobs report:
If you'll remember from my first post on this subject 10 days or so ago, I sold the futures contract at 2383.75. It gains or loses $50 per point, so at yesterday's close of 2399.25 it's lost 15.5 points: $775.
But! I've also sold two puts, the first for $362.50 (I closed it out for $5) and the other for $487.50. So that's $845 total, giving me a small profit even after this move against the position.
This latest put expires next Friday, at which point I will sell another on for another $300 or $400 ... following the market up if necessary (though I hope not!)
The charts:
If you'll remember from my first post on this subject 10 days or so ago, I sold the futures contract at 2383.75. It gains or loses $50 per point, so at yesterday's close of 2399.25 it's lost 15.5 points: $775.
But! I've also sold two puts, the first for $362.50 (I closed it out for $5) and the other for $487.50. So that's $845 total, giving me a small profit even after this move against the position.
This latest put expires next Friday, at which point I will sell another on for another $300 or $400 ... following the market up if necessary (though I hope not!)
The charts:
| Trade Date | Symbol | Result | Profit/Loss | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2017 | SPY | Lost | -18% | |
| 02/13/2017 | SPY | Lost | -16% | |
| 02/21/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.4% | |
| 02/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +17% | |
| 03/06/2017 | SPY | Won | +15.3% | |
| 03/13/2017 | SPY | Won | +12.9% | |
| 03/20/2017 | TLT | Lost | -1.4% | Dumb! |
| 03/27/2017 | SPY | Won | +9.6% | |
| 04/03/2017 | SPY | Won | +6.6% | 18 days long |
| 04/10/2017 | SPY | Open | +11.1% | only 14 days! |
| 04/17/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 04/25/2017 | SPY | Open | ||
| 05/01/2071 | SPY | Open |
| Trade Date | What | Qty | Credit Received | Net Liq Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/25/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $362.50 | $0 |
| 05/01/2017 | /ES Put | -1 | $487.50 | +$70.00 |
More next week ...
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