Swing trading with Butterflies

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

  1. Opened a directional position on GBPUSD on Monday.

    Trade date: 05 June 2023
    Security: GBP
    Price at opening: 1.2394
    Direction: ItM/AtM Call Debit Spread
    Expiry date: 03 July 2023
    Strikes: 1.2325 / 1.2425
    Opening Spread: 0.0059
     
    #381     Jun 8, 2023
  2. traider

    traider

    Which exchange is this?
     
    #382     Jun 8, 2023
  3. CME
     
    #383     Jun 8, 2023
  4. Closing orders for the GBPUSD trade filled towards the end of yesterday's session.

    Trade date: 05 June 2023
    Security: GBP
    Price at opening: 1.2394
    Direction: ItM/AtM Call Debit Spread
    Expiry date: 03 July 2023
    Strikes: 1.2325 / 1.2425
    Opening Spread: 0.0059
    Close date: 08 June 2023
    Trade duration: 3
    Closing spread: 0.008
    Profit / (Loss) 0.0021
    Profit / (Loss) 35.6%

    Introducing a couple of non-directional trades to capture anticipated fall in volatility on US Treasuries in case anyone is interested:
    Opened 23/06/2023 124/127.50/131 Iron Fly for 2.27 credit on 30/05/2023 and closed 07/06/23 for 1.95, or 25.3% profit on VaR
    Opened 30/06/2023 124.50/127/129.50 Iron Fly for 1.77 credit yesterday.
     
    #384     Jun 9, 2023
    qwerty11 likes this.
  5. Do you have an overview of success rate and/or profitability of each spread type you use? I have a general impression that butterflies were most sucessfull in your journal.
     
    #385     Jun 11, 2023
    Ironplates likes this.
  6. I don't have info for the flies to hand @Perspective , but the other stuff is:

    upload_2023-6-12_13-20-47.png

    ...so Calendars are arguably my most profitable strategy, but I don't get many set-ups / opportunities that meet my conditions / requirements. Monthly equivalent rate isn't compounded in the table btw.

    The downside with butterflies vs vertical spreads is that with flies I need to be right with both direction and magnitude.

    As you can see in this journal, there were plenty of OtM flies where the underlying moved sufficiently beyond the body of the fly, that the trade didn't make a (satisfactory) profit. c.f. Vertical debit spreads (short leg AtM) that provide upside as long as direction doesn't move too far against me.

    I have been using Iron Flies to attept to capture theta decay and drop in vol, which seems to complement the directional stuff quite well. The 1DtE stuff is exploratory with small positions but is included for context.
     
    #386     Jun 12, 2023
    Ironplates, Adam777 and qwerty11 like this.
  7. I was about to post a short directional trade on oil that was opened on Friday, and realised that closing orders had already filled this morning, so an unexpected nice quick profit on that one.

    Trade date: 09 June 2023
    Security: CL
    Price at opening: 71.20
    Structure: ItM/AtM Put Debit Spread
    Expiry date: 23 June 2023
    Strikes: 71 / 72.75
    Opening Spread: 0.96
    Close date: 12 June 2023
    Trade duration: 3
    Closing spread: 1.38
    Profit / (Loss): 0.42
    Profit / (Loss): 43.8%

    with hindsight, I probably should have pushed closing orders out more aggressively rather than leave upside in the market.
     
    #387     Jun 12, 2023
  8. I have changed approach for GBP slightly, and expect that duration of swing positions will be shorter than for the other securities traded. Opened this yesterday and looking to close in less than a week.

    Trade date: 14 June 2023
    Security: GBP
    Price at opening: 1.2711
    Direction: ItM/AtM Put Debit Spread
    Expiry date: 21 June 2023
    Strikes: 1.27 / 1.275
    Opening Spread: 0.0028
     
    #388     Jun 15, 2023
  9. Closed the cable trade at a loss. It went the wrong way almost imeediately and showed no sign of turning around.

    Trade date: 14 June 2023
    Security: GBP
    Price at opening: 1.2711
    Direction: ItM/AtM Put Debit Spread
    Expiry date: 21 June 2023
    Strikes: 1.27 / 1.275
    Opening Spread: 0.0028
    Close date: 16 June 2023
    Trade duration: 2
    Closing spread: 0.0021
    Profit / (Loss) -0.0018
    Profit / (Loss) -64.3%
     
    #389     Jun 16, 2023
  10. Closing orders filled for the IronFlies on ZB Treasuries (#384) at 1 37 (or 1.58 in decimal), or 25.5% profit after 8 days.
     
    #390     Jun 16, 2023