Always a pleasure to run into another dumb-ass.. Was looking for any cheap alternative (with whatever risk added) to just buying call options⦠to a generic questing⦠So why in the world start to look at option-chains.
I would always use the underlying, not the option, to determine stop loss on an option play. Imagine that you held the underlying short. at what underlying price would you exit your position? That's where you should exit your option position.
Exit the position now and take the existing loss. Thus current unrealized loss = realized loss = maximum realized loss. Since you are convinced that the stock with whipsaw back from 150 to 100, buy an ATM or OTM put. But it's converting that unrealized loss to a realized loss that hurts, eh? This. Is the core psychological problem. Just ask Nick Leeson at Barings. Write the words "Negative Gamma" on a large dildo and shove it up you-know-where till it hurts. Problem solved.
I would think you need to bring it back to a delta-gamma-neutral position and buy the call options. You never mentioned what the delta was? For large price changes, the delta hedge will fail because gamma is not zero. More options are needed as Christian mentioned. Dynamic Hedging must be continually monitored and is not perfect.
The above part of your question is where I think a lot of people get into trouble. It doesn't matter if you do not "want" to take a loss, you actually have a loss. TigerBalm has it right IMO though I wouldn't have put it exactly in his words. :eek: Joe.
Before selling anything naked you must have years of experience in trading options and you must understand all the Greeks especially volatility. If I was in your position I would read bunch of books on selling options and maybe even take some classes, and then maybe sell some calls. Below is a short description on selling calls. SELLING CALLS When implied volatility is high, some investors will sell options. This is where the popular selling naked term comes in. In this case selling calls, so called because, an investor does not own the underlying shares as a hedge in case he or she is assigned. The market price should be below the strike of the call that is sold, so that it expires worthless. When an investor buyers options he or she have rights, but the investor who sell an option has the obligations. Therefore if an investor is selling calls, the he or she is obligating himself (herself) to selling the stock at the strike price when he or she is assigned. What investor must be careful with is that if he or she does not own the shares of the stock when assigned because, he or she will have to come up with them. This is the reason that brokerages require a margin account for individuals who wish to sell naked calls. It is also the reason that selling calls is considered the options strategy with the highest risk. Since stocks can go up infinitely, that means that the risk of a naked call can go up infinitely. For that same reason naked calls are the strategy that gives options a bad name, when it comes to investors particular about risk taking. SHORT CALL Selling Calls is a high risk strategy that can be used when the option trader is very bearish on the underlying asset. Be advised that your broker will not permit you to start selling naked calls until you have been deemed to have sufficient knowledge, trading experience and financial resources. Option buyers have rights, but option sellers have obligations. By selling calls, you are obligating yourself to selling the stock at the strike price when you are assigned. Assignment is the other side of an option being exercised. If a call buyer decides to exercise the long call, that exercise is put out randomly to a seller -any seller - of that call, and the individual is obligated to sell stock, bond, commodity and futures to the call buyer. If you do not own the shares of the stock when assigned, then you will have to come up with them. This is the reason that brokerages require a margin account for individuals who wish to sell naked calls. For example, the writer of an XYZ August 100 call option has the obligation to sell 100 shares of XYZ stock at $100 per share if assigned at any time until August expiration
Lol...u do have a sense of humour, TigerBalm should know, in the East there is an ointment called tigerbalm.. When it comes to short selling options , there are 2 things to remember... Maximum profit is the premium received / whereas maximum loss is Unlimited . There are 2 ways to tackle this . Buy back ( CLOSE ) the call at breakeven , or buy futures.
my thought would be to use a buy stop on stock above. i'll refrain from commenting on the poor trading decisions.
I hope it comes back and erases your loss! For what it's worth : one of the Market Wizards (Stuart Walton, I think) had to go the brink, too, before changing his tactics and becoming successful.