I think Ryan must have dropped $1300 on the 3 AAPL Mar 23 605 calls. Probably no chance he got out on that one.
The volatility is collapsing? I go take a knap on the verandah hammock. when I come back, my PUT is slightly lower, so the premium should be gaining. But the premium has shrunk? Got the direction right and still losing money. Go figure. Aahh well. Just hold. Don I´ve been trying to put on a credit spread. Even tried weeklies and first month. Just cannot get any premiums at a relatively safe strike. So much for SELLING. I´m scared after yesterdays fiasco, trying to do that Calendar. So never tried again today. I was going to sell the end of month weekly and buy the May PUT. Couldn´t get it to work in TOS and trying to learn it with my real cash account might have turned expensive with a mistake. I was even sweating at one point yesterday it was so frustrating. Anyway, in spirit I liked the idea, but right now the V is declining or something, that combined with my fear, I´m going to skip it. I hate to skip it, I need the money ( grin ) I think it was Jeff with his observation about my CALL closing. You are possibly right. I am getting the decline though, but the PUT is still not making any money. It was ahead enough for commissions at one point. Anyway the outlook is still bearish a bit. The weekly high for this week is past,so I´m looking for a retracement to half way thereabouts. Maybe Tuesday? I want a good signal and a chance to put on 10 contracts. AT this rate,I´m going to lose all my ready cash diddling with one contracts, that are not going anywhere.
First off don't be scared, just understand the risk. I'm not sure what trade you're referring to above, but I maintain that if you sell itm put and otm call, and the stock stays in between those prices, that both the put and call will decline to zero. Sure, one will move up or down in the interim, but every week that goes by, the premium is declining overall. Don
I posted this on the other thread, but thought Falcon et al might think about this: Let me suggest something, without being too technical or anything (not that you guys can't handle complex ideas or anything, just something simple my brother and I do every quarter or so, in many stocks). Search for stocks that you thing are "fairly priced" now, based on fundamentals. Two ways to go, one with no dividend to be concerned with, one way for dividend stocks only. Dividend stocks: You find a few stocks that would pay a great dividend return if only you could buy them cheaper, maybe $5.00 or more cheaper. If you sell that same strike price put, the worse thing that happens is that you are "put" the stock at that much lower price. Nice return, nice dividend. If you don't get put the stock, you made 100% of the put premium. This is so simple, and yet very few do it. Non Dividend stocks: Do the same homework, but this time find the stock that might be "paired off" against it, if you were to be put the stock, again at that much lower price. If you do get the stock, pair off for high percentage play. If not, you make 100% of the Premium. [ Tell me what you think. Don't tell my brother I told you, LOL. Don edit: If you want help with which fundamentals to look for, let me know, I'll share our criteria. Or is it "criterion" LOL __________________
Sorry, didn't address this one. Of course, if you buy something that must go to zero (or stock), then it will lose money. Please read my previous post about dividend stocks, read it twice. Have a plan, do not thing options are made for short term trading. Especially if you buy first. Think of it as an option on a house. You pay $10,000 for the right to pay $200K for the house, for one year. Is it worth the same with only a week to go? Of course not. So often, when you buy an option, and look 2 weeks later, EVEN IF the STOCK goes your way, you are still losing money due to time decay. Anyway, consider the dividend strategy, we do it every month lately. Don
Don Interesting! I didn´t get the PUT the stock business. You already own the stock? It wasn´´t too clear the way you described it.
Don I¨m thinking aloud here. Okay, you want a stock you think is a better buy for the dividend return, if you could buy it lower. So you sell the a stock PUT in options and if the stock price sinks, you buy the stock? Buy back your PUT? And if it doesn´t go down to a good dividend price return, you will cash in on collecting the premium you sold. I´m vaguely getting a bit of the idea here. I see where the if the stock doesnt go down, to a good dividend return, your sold PUTS will hold and decay. The other part ???
Let me see,betting around the fluctuations of dividend stocks, blue chips presumably? Buy PUTS or CALLS based on the dividend percentage, as it marks a fair return, or average return. The stock price would move up or down. Except you are SELLING. Hmnnnn! Sort of locks in THETA.