SPX Credit Spread Trader

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

  1. ryank

    ryank

    Wish I could say the same. I couldn't get filled on the dip this morning. What strikes did you get filled at?

    ryan
     
    #4611     Mar 24, 2006
  2. Well we had a rising triagnle breakout and pullback to support, followed by bounce higher. We are still above the support line and therefore poised for sideways/higher movement. Fed meeting next week could be the catalyst for the continued move higher or breakdown through support. We will go pretty much no where until then. Monitor your positions if your calls are getting within arms reach, close if you have some nice profits so far.

    When you are in a breakout phase with continued upside movement very likely and no specific resistance points to skeap of, then the upside risk becomes greater for calls. I do not see us really closing above 1335 in the next 2 weeks since a breakout higher from here will also have a pullback.

    Do not fly to close to the sun here on the call side so just be careful and alert. No need to panic, just plan out some partial hedges, adjustment or follow up strategies now with no pressure and implement them if needed.

    [​IMG]
     
    #4612     Mar 24, 2006
  3. I'm playing this one a little bit more aggressive, because I already had some plays that will hedge in the event of a big run.

    On the jump this morning I got filled on 1340/1350 bear call. Then during the dip this afternoon I got filled on 1240/1250 bull put.
     
    #4613     Mar 24, 2006
  4. Hybone

    Hybone

    Ouch.... looks like they are ahead of the game, hope mine doesn't follow. Maybe you can google a similar service to see if that is blocked too. Good luck.


     
    #4614     Mar 24, 2006
  5. ryank

    ryank

    I've already got a 1345/1355 position, I was trying to get in a 1230/1240 position today but couldn't get it done. Will have to look at things this weekend and see how much higher I might be willing to go on the short strike.

    ryan
     
    #4615     Mar 24, 2006
  6. Basically I take a quick look at XSP to get a good idea of what I could get if I traded it instead of SPX. In my experience I can almost always get filled at the mid with both XSP and SPY. This gives me a good idea of what the MMs will be willing to give up. I actually like to base my r/r analysis on the XSP mid. Then I take advantage of better increments on SPX to squeeze a little bit more premium then I could have gotten with XSP.

    For example, XSP 134/135 mid was 0.10 today (same as SPX 1340/1350 @ 1.00). My r/r strategy is then based on $1.00 premium and getting filled at $1.15 is just a bonus.
     
    #4616     Mar 24, 2006
  7. It's what comes with a huge corp. A large IT department with enough resources to stay ahead of the game.
     
    #4617     Mar 24, 2006
  8. Are you saying you are getting filled on the sale of a spread above the mid-point? Maybe I misunderstood...
     
    #4618     Mar 24, 2006
  9. No. The mid on the SPX is always higher than the equivalent mid on XSP. But (expecially the last 4 weeks before expiry) the SPX mids jump around a lot. So when doing a r/r analysis it becomes very difficult to determine what you might get filled at. For example yesterday I had a spread limit order that was 0.25 under the mid at one point because the bid/ask was moving all over the place but still no fill.

    So when I am doing a r/r analysis, rather than using the SPX mid, I will use the XSP mid (multiplied by 10) which I could almost definitely get filled at. Of course SPX has the advantage of better increments (XSP has 0.05 increments, equivalent to 0.50 increments on SPX) and lower commissions.

    Yesterday, when I had an order that was 0.25 under the SPX mid. The XSP equivalent mid was still another 0.10 under that, which was suggesting to me that the SPX mid might be a bit high. If I based my r/r on that mid I would be sorely disappointed when I couldn't get filled until I had given up 0.35. Using the XSP mid ( X 10) which is much more stable allows me to get a feel for what kind of fill I would get immediately. If that is what my r/r is based on, then anything above that number is more than I had anticipated.

    [edit] I should have said that the SPX mid is generally higher than the equivalent spread on XSP. Another example was today. I was setting up a put spread order and getting quoted that the mid was 0.40. I looked at equivalent XSP spread and was quoted the equivalent of 0.50 so I entered the SPX order at 0.55 and was filled within a few minutes. Had I entered the order at the original quote I would have given up 0.15 while during that time the underlying didn't really move at all.

    Of course this couldn't be done with your style of trading because you are getting filled at 0.35 credits. At those strikes there is no spread on XSP.
     
    #4619     Mar 24, 2006
  10. rdemyan

    rdemyan

    This is an interesting strategy for setting credits. I've been having trouble getting filled on SPX APR bull puts and, as you say, the mid has just been jumping around.

    I'm gonna start using this idea to see if it helps. When I post a filled order, I'll try to remember to include where the XSP mid was when I placed my order.

    Thanks for sharing that strategy.



     
    #4620     Mar 24, 2006