Swing trading with Butterflies

Discussion in 'Journals' started by Global OptionsTrades, Jul 30, 2021.

  1. Slightly uncharacteristic but added a credit vertical spread today on oil for expiry on Friday:

    Trade date: 08 December 2021
    Security: CL
    Price at opening: 71.60
    Direction: Call
    Expiry date: 10 December 2021
    Strikes: 73.5 / 74
    Opening Spread: 0.14

    The expected return for this is lower than I usually like, but was higher than for the flies usually traded here.
     
    #101     Dec 8, 2021
  2. RUT and NQ Put Flies (#97 and #98) expired worthless with 100% loss.

    Of the the last 22 trades (most of which are on here, and including these two losses):
    Win rate was 82%.
    Average profit was 34%.
    Average loss was 85%.
    Net / aggregate profit was 13%.
    Average duration was 1 day.
     
    #102     Dec 9, 2021
  3. traider

    traider

    Have you tried calculating your annual returns and sharpe ratio after costs?
     
    #103     Dec 9, 2021
    Global OptionsTrades likes this.
  4. Sharpe ratio after commission dropped from 55% (before those two losing trades) to 19% (including them)

    Annual return is a little complicated.

    CAGR of 13% per day is astronomical and misleading.

    22 trades since 26 October 2021 approximates to c187 trades pa pro rata, but I have been adjusting portfolio constituents etc so closer to 240 trades pa is probably more representative.

    Position size is something I am looking at. 1%/2%/3% of account balance per trade is often recommended. Kelly Criterion suggests 6% (which reduced following those two losing trades).

    Clearly, annualised returns at account level will change if VaR moves between 1% and 6% allocation.

    Also, ideally, I place several orders to close. Where opening spread is small, position size is sufficiently large to place (and hopefully fill) these. Without infinite funds, I can't always prudently open at a position size sufficient to place multiple orders to close. As funds increase, position size should increase, and performance should increase.

    I would welcome your thoughts @traider and those of others.
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2021
    #104     Dec 9, 2021
  5. After typing that, I noticed the credit spread on oil (#101) closed in profit:

    Trade date: 08 December 2021
    Security: CL
    Price at opening: 71.60
    Direction: Call
    Expiry date: 10 December 2021
    Strikes: 73.50 / 74.00
    Opening Spread: 0.15
    Close date: 09 December 2021
    Trade duration: 1
    Closing spread: 0.09
    Profit / (Loss): 0.06
    Profit / (Loss): 15.8%

    Also, there was a typo / rounding error in the opening post. This is corrected.
     
    #105     Dec 9, 2021
  6. Added a Put Fly on Nasdaq.

    Trade date: 09 December 2021
    Security: NQ
    Price at opening: 16333
    Direction: Put
    Expiry date: 13 December 2021
    Strikes: 16020 / 16150 / 16280
    Structure: 1 / 2 / 1
    Opening Spread: 13.25
     
    #106     Dec 9, 2021
  7. easymon1

    easymon1

    Would you say your swing trading with butterflies equity curve is sloping upwards overall?
     
    #107     Dec 9, 2021
    Global OptionsTrades likes this.
  8. Good question @easymon1

    upload_2021-12-10_12-2-30.png

    Those two losing trades this week knocked it back a bit, but still upwards!

    nb the chart uses performance net of commission; the figures used throughout the journal to report trades exclude commission for simplicity.
     
    #108     Dec 10, 2021
    easymon1 likes this.
  9. Just realised this had closed yesterday in profit.

    Trade date: 09 December 2021
    Security: NQ
    Price at opening: 16333
    Direction: Put
    Expiry date: 13 December 2021
    Strikes: 16020 / 16150 / 16280
    Structure: 1 / 2 / 1
    Opening Spread: 13.25
    Close date: 09 December 2021
    Trade duration: 0
    Closing spread: 17.50
    Profit / (Loss): 4.25
    Profit / (Loss): 32.1%
     
    #109     Dec 10, 2021
  10. MrMuppet

    MrMuppet

    Just chimed in.
    I was wondering: Your main driver of P/L is vol and skew delta. i.e. you want spot to trade towards your short strike that loses vol through skew and level.
    May I ask why you leave the unwanted greeks open?

    You could hedge gamma with shorter maturity teenies to avoid these nuking losses. It would decrease your edge but I'm sure your sharp will improve.
     
    #110     Dec 10, 2021
    Global OptionsTrades likes this.