Long Iron Butterfly, Long Iron Condor, Wrangles and their Synthetics: Risk, Reward, G

Quote from CPTrader:

Let's say you came in on May 1 and expected the SPX OR ESM4 to trade between 1025 and 1145 for the month of May. Esm4 opend on may 1 around 1106.

You want to create a position that will profit if your market view of this range is right, while being as much as possible delta and vol neutral. You also want to be out of the position some time during May or by the end of the month at the latest. The position should also be a "limited risk position". What would be the ideal position?

Long or short gamma? Where is the peak of the P&L distribution? That's an impossible task for short gamma/+expectation. If you were to sell deep otm call and put spreads the credit received would be miniscule.
 
Quote from riskarb:

Long or short gamma? Where is the peak of the P&L distribution? That's an impossible task for short gamma/+expectation. If you were to sell deep otm call and put spreads the credit received would be miniscule.


That is precisely the issue with deep OTM put/call spreads, you receive negligible credit.

As per being long or short gamma, preferably long gamma, but indiffireent as long as the position does not have an unlimited loss profile. The P & L distribution should roughly peak in the middle of 60% of the range
 
Quote from CPTrader:

That is precisely the issue with deep OTM put/call spreads, you receive negligible credit.

As per being long or short gamma, preferably long gamma, but indiffireent as long as the position does not have an unlimited loss profile. The P & L distribution should roughly peak in the middle of 60% of the range

With no risk comes no reward. I'm sorry, but this is the reality of option trading.
 
Quote from Maverick74:

With no risk comes no reward. I'm sorry, but this is the reality of option trading.

No risk, no rewrad, that's traidng, atht;s life.

do I take this to mean that it is impossible to create the position I desire. If so, is there an approximate option position that would meet the previously stated specs?
 
Quote from CPTrader:

No risk, no rewrad, that's traidng, atht;s life.

do I take this to mean that it is impossible to create the position I desire. If so, is there an approximate option position that would meet the previously stated specs?

The position would need to resemble a wrangle or backspread, but you're talking a -expectation. If you're ok with that then a call/put backspread(wrangle) would be the best fit. Limited gamma/vega risk; far less than a long straddle or strangle.

There is no +expectation trade that satisfies your req.
 
Quote from riskarb:

The position would need to resemble a wrangle or backspread, but you're talking a -expectation. If you're ok with that then a call/put backspread(wrangle) would be the best fit. Limited gamma/vega risk; far less than a long straddle or strangle.

There is no +expectation trade that satisfies your req.

when you say +expectation, I presume you mean high probability of being profitable/short gamma?? In that vein, wouldn't a long straddle/starngle, have a -expectaion, or do I misunderstand you?

With a wrangle, using my example of a 1025/1145 range and undeRLying at 1106 what strikes would you consider appropriate to construct the wrangle position. Thanks a lot.
 
Quote from CPTrader:

when you say +expectation, I presume you mean high probability of being profitable/short gamma?? In that vein, wouldn't a long straddle/starngle, have a -expectaion. or do I misunderstand you?

With a wrangle, using my example of a 1025/1145 range and undelrying at 1106 what strikes would you consider appropriate to construct the wrangle position. Thanks a lot.

right, a long straddle has a -expectation. I was contrasting the risks of one -expectation trade with another(wrangle vs. straddle)
 
Back
Top