SPX Credit Spread Trader

Quote from momoneythansens:


I think the pertinent point is just to be aware of these mispricings.

Btw, how goes the journal?

The journal is ok. This month has been slow with relatively few positions for a few reasons.

1) I have been cautious about today's fed announcement. This might not be a good reason to hold off, but for some reason I found myself having a hard time pulling the trigger with that in the back of my mind.

2) That journal takes a back seat to my real account in terms of time spent, and I don't list all my trades on the journal as the strategy isn't the same. Until now though, I have actually made the trades from the journal in a real account. They haven't just been paper trades.

3) For the past couple weeks I have been moving to a new house. That is occupying a lot of my time.

In any case, after next week I'm hoping the journal account will show a return of >30% since inception. Not incredible, but not bad I guess.:)
 
Quote from rallymode:

I see what you are saying but to me it doesnt matter whether you view the vertical as a part of FLY's or any other combo. I am talking from a r/r perspective on that SPECIFIC spread. What i am saying is that you are less likely to get a fill on the 10 pointer vs the 5-pointer unless you give up some credit i.e. reduce your r/r. If you can manage to get a fill on a wider spread for the same r/r, you are in a better trade.

Example:

1340/1345 BCS for $1 credit r/r 1:4
1340/1350 BCS for $2 credit r/r 1:4



Now whether the first spread is really worth the quoted $1 when the 10 pointer is $2, i doubt it. But since things are only worth what you can buy/sell them for, the instant you place your trade if you can manage to get the 10 pointer for $2 when you can only get the 5-pointer for $1, you are in a better position. That's all i was saying.



RallyMode,

I have to disagree with you. Selling a 10 point spread for $2 is inferior to selling twice as many 5 point spreads for $1. You are giving up the value of the butterfly.

If a MM is willing to pay $1 for a 5 point spread and the butterfly is worth at least .05 he will be just as willing to pay $2.05 for the 10 point spread. Why offer to sell the 10 point spread for $2.00 when you know he will pay $2.05 for it? Of course this assumes the MM is willing to pay $1 for the 5 point spread to begin with.

Am I correct in assuming you mean rate of return when you say r/r? If so please know that the "Rate of return on a spread" is a a poor indicator of how options and option spreads are valued.

Thanks, Knucklehead
 
I had 2 shorts call 1340/1350 in May and sold for $0.90. I decided to buy them back for $1.8 before FOMC. Now the result is out and the market dropped. However, some of my 1345/1355 MAY short calls are still there so the profit on those should offset some lost on 1340/1350.

It was interesting to see the b/a very wide. I had to give up 35 cents from mid to get filled.

Before I bought the vertical back, I tried to roll by buying flies 1340/1350/1360. The mid was $0.9 and I gave up $0.5 ($1.4 debit) and still did not get filled. It was very difficult to trade before FOMC.
 
>30% YTD not to be sneezed at! I'll be checking in next week after expiration to see the results.

Quote from Cache Landing:
In any case, after next week I'm hoping the journal account will show a return of >30% since inception. Not incredible, but not bad I guess.:)
 
Bad luck Nick - that's the way the cookie crumbles. Just get another cookie from Maverick. You'll have to answer a question though. I recently found out he is in fact the cookie monster:

cookiemonster8ii.jpg



Quote from skanan:

I had 2 shorts call 1340/1350 in May and sold for $0.90. I decided to buy them back for $1.8 before FOMC. Now the result is out and the market dropped.
 
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