Very interesting ITM put spread will be interested in seeing how you manage it. Not really sure tho how you calculated the risk. so at sep expiration you will close it? assuming we are of course under 1325?
Placed on 9/1: IWM sep5/sep 70/71 put @20 diagonal QQQQ sep/oct 39 put @ 40 (could not fill at 35) calendar. Currently have SP sep/oct 1260/1240 put diag. still at breakeven, despite drop in vix and market moving up. The IWM sep quarterly was an error, but still looks good.
Looking at NEM for 52.5 oct/dec calendar and RAI for double diag, oct 65 straddle and jan one strike away.
Thanks. My experience is mostly futures, so a newbie question: how does x-div date in Sep affect a short Oct straddle? I was watching for earnings but don't know how the dividend affects options.
C thanks for sharing and keep us posted. I decided to throw one out. On Friday..looking for a good put calendar candidate came up with GS...reasons. http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75995 however no one responded to my question. Anyway It just seemed pretty nice. STO OCT 145P @ 3.5 BTO Jan 145P @6.5. Then this weekend Barron's comes out with an article that read "Now might be a good time to ring up that Broker" basically stating that most of the BD's are overbought and with a slowdown in the economy could see a slowdown in stock. Not that Barron's is always right but it is nice to see a little confirmation of your own view point after the fact. Anyway total risk is 3.00 with a chance to roll a couple of times and if the stock does move higher can do a bull put spread in Jan.
It may not have much of an impact on OCT as the div is already priced in...my issue with RAI is the lack of volume and interest. For spreads, especially calendar spreads in order to roll you need good level of interest and volume otherwise it becomes a pain in the ass to roll. Even TLT which I just do a CC on I have problems rolling without getting shafted.
if u r short an Oct ITM call into ex-div, there is a good chance u find yourself assigned, thus having to pay that hefty div ($75 per contract). a painful experience, i might add, from a personal point of view/ (been there, ouch).
Havent gone thru this whole thread,but every begginging option trader as well as many advanced traders make this assumption and they are correct in their thought process,but confuse percent of spot with put vs call Remember,Volatility on the put side = the vol on the call side..That is what is called put call parity..If the put traded at a differnt volatility than the call at the same strike,a riskless arbitrage could be set up.There are exceptions,but it has to do with how difficult a stock is to borrow.. As an example,if a stock is trading at 100,and only has 3 strike prices..100,105 and the 95.If there is a downside volatilty skew,the options at the 95 strike will be higher than the 105.But NOT just the put!!!!!.The call will be higher as well.Remeber at the same strike,put vol = call vol... If you want to sound like a pro,and communicate properly,you would say the 95% of spot strike trades at a higher vol than the ATM.... Perecent of spot is simply Option strike/asset price..
dan is right hadn't seen that the call side is ITM...you might do the strangle instead...again very low volume and interest...I'd take a pass