atticus' "ship it" vol trading journal

Discussion in 'Journals' started by atticus, Sep 5, 2012.

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  1. I've traded a lot of boxes with rates >5%, but your stating to trade the verticals with the trend, and cover by day's end to go home flat (back in the box)? To what end? Why not simply trade in/out of an individual vert?

    Just curious as I think I may have misunderstood.
     
    #651     Oct 9, 2012
  2. newwurldmn

    newwurldmn

    And if you are trading delta, why even trade a vertical? Why not just trade spot or the one leg of the option?
     
    #652     Oct 9, 2012
  3. ammo

    ammo

    when i posted the original the call vert was 36,it's now 33, aapl was 655 area,thats the gist, going on memory ... 600 call trading at 53,low was 44, today
     
    #653     Oct 9, 2012
  4. Not referring to any "verticality" of vol, only that the entire strip will fall. Not a skew trade. If it were I would be neutral to say 600 and long underlying.

    [​IMG]
     
    #654     Oct 9, 2012
  5. Sure, the bear call spread worked. I am wondering why you would want to carry the box. IOW, why not just go home completely flat and traded into the vertical as you see fit. If you're in the box and you cover the bull puts you're left with the bear calls. You win on the bear calls and convert BACK to the box by the close...

    Why trade the box at all? Why not start with zero position and trade verticals intraday? I realize it doesn't hurt beyond the initial edge loss on the box, but I am wondering if you're stating there is an advantage to holding the box.

    I know you're busy trading so I don't want to belabor the point, but it's akin to holding long EURUSD in one account and short in another. A "grid" trade as it were.
     
    #655     Oct 9, 2012
  6. ammo

    ammo

    yes, with a simple in out rule,stick your toe in, if the water's cold,pull it out, if the waters warm go for a swim,with the 3 legs you are always close to shore,if you had a target,20-22 on a chart i posted somewhere on et you could have legged out of the long call and short put and closed at target,advantage is you are already in, no thinking or missing the trade,just lift a leg,if wrong put it back on
     
    #656     Oct 9, 2012
  7. ammo

    ammo

    again on memory but i think cave asked how to play the volatility pop if we were going to get one..
     
    #657     Oct 9, 2012
  8. taowave

    taowave

    Same question I have.Why trade the box??



     
    #658     Oct 9, 2012
  9. I am not coming down on ammo, who's a good guy. This talk about arbs is all good from the newbs point of view even if OT.
     
    #659     Oct 9, 2012
  10. ammo

    ammo

    I havent used it in years but back when you could trade options for 7-9 cents commish,you could put on a huge position for a margin credit and trade in and out of it,going home again with no margin ,again theoretically but 22 was the mid target in aapl, the goal target was 600-605,aapl at 655 roughly when 1st posted, hence the 660/600 box
     
    #660     Oct 9, 2012
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