VLO Credit Spread.
BTO: Jan 52.50 Put
STO: Jan 55 Put
Credit: 1.30
# contracts: 10
I will update!
BTO: Jan 52.50 Put
STO: Jan 55 Put
Credit: 1.30
# contracts: 10
I will update!
My Options Play
- Thread starter Multioption
- Start date
- Status
Most likely! I'm not seeking maximum returns.
open interest is 64000 on Jan 52.50 and 55c - only 5500 on the Jan 55p - that sure doesn't "look" like a precursor to >55 on VLO
of course -- anything is possible.
but frankly - even though I am long 'some' stock here- 50 is more likely than 55 -
JMHO
p.s. I 'hope' you're correct
p.p.s. guys- take a look at PD - its ripe for a large fall in 2006 - just be patient - JMHO
iceman, i have been a silent reader of this thread for a little while and I have also gotten to take a look at some of your trading journal. I like the way that you generally evaluate a position and then develop strategies for short and intermediate term, allowing yourself to leg into spreads and trade around (to me) core positions, i.e., you are long VLO but have sold the above straddle and have some Feb puts, etc. and I know you were along for the ride up in Dec which was a great call, I traded the XLE options to some extent.
Hope you dont mind offering your rationale on entering and your thoughts on exiting the straddle. Are you saying that you see o/i on 52.5 c as overhead resistance and if you have a short term downside directional view why did you prefer to sell the straddle in this instance? If you sold @4.30 you are already looking at a gain of around 1 in a short amt of time so it looks like you are benefiting from a forecasted drop in IV? Seems like a pretty good trade to me being that both of these options are quiet as is the underlying and you've got good theta. Do you see a pin below 52.5 that will allow the call you sold to expire worthless and then sell to close the ITM put prior to expiry keeping almost all of the original premium collected? Or am I off?
I appreciate your reply when you get a chance, the whole position adjustment/closing of sides around these trades is foreign to me as the ideal close is nearly impossible.
- sd
I just put a credit spread on PD
My basic strategy is to look for new 52 week or 5 year highs, wait for a pullback then throw on a credit spread in the front month.
For PD
Jan 2006 140
Jan 2006 130
credit 115
I hope the fall that you are anticipating comes after OED in Jan!
I am interested in what you would recommend to do with PD? Would you just go long LEAPS puts and wait for the fall?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
My basic strategy is to look for new 52 week or 5 year highs, wait for a pullback then throw on a credit spread in the front month.
For PD
Jan 2006 140
Jan 2006 130
credit 115
I hope the fall that you are anticipating comes after OED in Jan!
I am interested in what you would recommend to do with PD? Would you just go long LEAPS puts and wait for the fall?
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
didn't it make a new high this morning-- but you mean closing high I presume?
Probably waiting for a 'key' reversal would maximizxe the timing of any entry-- for all of us -- perhaps we will get it today or Tuesday. Let's look for a lower low at the close. Don't expect to see it before the long Holdiay weekend - but who knows.
Hi Iceman:
The PD bull put spread was actually the 140/135 strikes and I put the trade on yesterday. I broke my rules a bit for this trade, because I am very impatient, and I didn't wait for the pullback. I can see a New Year's resolution in there somewhere.
I look for an intraday high, because the underlying usually closes a bit lower on those days, and most of my trading is done at the close.
The big paradox that I am trying to solve is the fact that the higher the stock goes, the lower the put premiums are for that particular day.
Usually, the deltas between the adjacent bought and sold strikes are pretty close, which minimizes the effect on the spread.
Did you get filled on your 80 AAPL Jan call? I see it is trading b/w 1.10 and 1.20.
The PD bull put spread was actually the 140/135 strikes and I put the trade on yesterday. I broke my rules a bit for this trade, because I am very impatient, and I didn't wait for the pullback. I can see a New Year's resolution in there somewhere.
I look for an intraday high, because the underlying usually closes a bit lower on those days, and most of my trading is done at the close.
The big paradox that I am trying to solve is the fact that the higher the stock goes, the lower the put premiums are for that particular day.
Usually, the deltas between the adjacent bought and sold strikes are pretty close, which minimizes the effect on the spread.
Did you get filled on your 80 AAPL Jan call? I see it is trading b/w 1.10 and 1.20.
Why is it difficult to wait for the market to meet the trader's criteria? Is it greed or what?
Welcome back Multi:
No, it is not greed that is causing this behaviour. I have paid too much tuition to the markets to allow myself to be seduced by the (false) promise of making a killing.
My past trading experiences were in short term momentum based swing trading of equities, so I am used to trading at the market with instant fills and very small bid/ask spreads. It is foolish to expect the same in the options world.
I remember reading something by Niederhoffer stating that he has never bought or sold at the market, over several million trades. I think that he also stated that his average trade nets somewhere between 50 and 70 dollars.
I am trying to put his advice into practice by using GTC limit orders, letting the market move to my price, a lot of sitting on my hands, and using good money management, so when I do ocassionally break the rules, it doesn't bite me too much.
No, it is not greed that is causing this behaviour. I have paid too much tuition to the markets to allow myself to be seduced by the (false) promise of making a killing.
My past trading experiences were in short term momentum based swing trading of equities, so I am used to trading at the market with instant fills and very small bid/ask spreads. It is foolish to expect the same in the options world.
I remember reading something by Niederhoffer stating that he has never bought or sold at the market, over several million trades. I think that he also stated that his average trade nets somewhere between 50 and 70 dollars.
I am trying to put his advice into practice by using GTC limit orders, letting the market move to my price, a lot of sitting on my hands, and using good money management, so when I do ocassionally break the rules, it doesn't bite me too much.
- Status