Trading dilemma - what to do with a big winning position

Discussion in 'Trading' started by Cutten, Jan 24, 2008.

  1. Cutten

    Cutten

    I bought a crapload of Feb out-the-money bond puts (expiring in 6 trading days) on Tuesday & Wednesday for 1-3 ticks each. They were 1-2 handles out of the money at the time, now they are slightly in the money. They are up about 10-20 fold and now represent about 7% of my total trading capital.

    My dilemma is how much of the position to hold, how long, and when to take a profit and on what size.

    I am still bearish on bonds and think there is a great chance they are down 2-3 handles more by expiration. However, I recognise there is a chance I may be wrong, and if I hold till expiry then the puts could easily be worthless.

    So effectively I am asking, what would your plan be in this situation? My logical side says book half on the open tomorrow, sell another 1/4 if bonds have a selling panic and trade down big in the next few days, and hold 1/4 of them to expiry. However, another part of me wants to hold the whole position, and risk losing the entire value in return for the chance to run these puts from 2 ticks and cash them out at 200 ticks on big size.

    What would you do?
     
  2. LOL
     
  3. ?......Sell 2, sell 1, then sell the last one! But seriously, sell the position down to your comfort level. Sell enough of them to reduce your principal risk to zero so you're trading the "market's money" and not your own at this point.
     
  4. No guts...no glory.
     
  5. Sell Half . . . and HOPE that you are wrong!

    :cool:
     
  6. mokwit

    mokwit

    To make huge profits you have to pass on lots of small profits, but with 6 days to go and markets being driven either way by "news" I would take out my equity and let the remainder ride.
     
  7. What a terrible dilemma! Being a citizen of the world, I have pm'd you wire instructions. Draw that position down so you're comfortable.

    Remember. I'm here for you.
     
  8. take profits. pat urself on the back and sleep well.

    losing on the extras for not having the guts is alot smarter and easier to blame than losing what u already have for being too greedy