SPX Credit Spread Trader

Discussion in 'Journals' started by El OchoCinco, May 17, 2005.

  1. I really wish I knew how to do these oscillators...thats next on my learning agenda because they seem to be very helpful in my legging into the spx (especially)...again not pinpoint accuracy but helpful. I subscribe to Realmoney.com to read Helene Meisler's take and she is the one that does them...I've been following her oscillators now for abt 2 yrs and while I don't make them my only buy or sell...for me they've been helpful in the timing.
     
    #4521     Mar 21, 2006
  2. Your are making some vary valid points...this 1st quarter we could have done just about anything and looked good...my concerns as well what if/when vol rises can you get whipsawed out of position. My guess is you would just close one side or the other at small loss or gain rather than try to adjust too much...but don't know. I think you have to do this over a long period of time to find what works and doesn't. Also yes...Murray said it IS very margin intensive.
     
    #4522     Mar 21, 2006
  3. edit: I'm giving her credit for doing them...but I think they are generic and she uses them
     
    #4523     Mar 21, 2006
  4. wow...this is very interesting..do you see any use of this as hedge to cboe options that expire 3rd fri...or playing them off each other?...otoh we could do our IC's twice a month!
     
    #4524     Mar 21, 2006
  5. ChrisM

    ChrisM


    Donna,

    our basic problem (Option CTAs) is, that we have to report our results monthly. As you know, opening positions usually makes your equity (depends on fills) somewhat dipped, so to keep numbers smooth we open new ones after 1st day of the month.

    I am not sure if there will be so many series, I`d rather say that monthly expirations might be our future, depending on market acceptance.
     
    #4525     Mar 21, 2006
  6. Thanks Chris I can certainly see how it benefits MManagers...I wonder how it will affect the CBOE's spx series will it just be retail..anyway it will be interesting.

    I'm currently trying to close my Apr 1200/1210 puts at .20...bought 1215 april puts to do another spread in the next few days (or even today..legging in). Right now see very little real opportunity in the market so will put cash to use on more spx spreads.
     
    #4526     Mar 21, 2006
  7. Just to clarify, I believe the end of the month options are on ES futures fro the CME, no? Not the SPX. That is what I remember reading.

    If that is the case, then it will add another layer of credit spreads for me :)
     
    #4527     Mar 21, 2006
  8. ChrisM

    ChrisM

    Not sure if I understand clearly - you bought 1215p first to build spread on it ?

    1200/1215 - it is always easier to get out of such position if market makes little reverse north. You have a lot of space to hedge if this correction would be brutal.
     
    #4528     Mar 21, 2006
  9. ChrisM

    ChrisM


    Coach, looks like both, see yourself:

    HICAGO, March 15, 2006 – CME, the world’s largest and most diverse financial exchange, announced today that it will launch end-of-month options, where the expiration date falls on last trading day of the month, for its CME S&P® 500 and CME E-mini S&P® 500 index futures in May 2006 using a European-style expiration. This is the first time CME is offering end-of-month options for its equity index line of products.
     
    #4529     Mar 21, 2006
  10. MTE

    MTE

    SPX is a cash index so options on it are index options that trade on CBOE. These are not the same as options on S&P 500 futures that trade on CME. So we got end-of-month options on futures NOT index options.
     
    #4530     Mar 21, 2006