Quote from kiefer:
You can't deny that bear raids are a problem for the average long-term investor. Since the uptick was removed, I've seen plenty of instances where a stock was pushed down 10% - 20% over the course of 30 minutes, and then proceeded to rally all the way back up over the next 30 minutes to an hour. All of this on no news.
"Stocks pushed down 10% to 20% in 30 minutes" ... ? ? ?
Which stocks?
I can tell you which stocks you ARE NOT talking about ...
We'll make this basic:
List (A) = The stocks where no one has any doubts about the companies ability to survive.
List (B) = The stocks where there are serious doubts about the companies ability to survive.
List (A) companies are stocks like - XOM, GE, MSFT, WMT.
These stocks have not been "pushed down 10% or 20 % in a half an hour ..."
In fact, XOM has traded plus or minus 10% of its July 6, 2007 (the day the uptick rule was removed) settlement price.
That is +/- 10% over 8 MONTHS !!!
You will find that these stocks have something in common.
No one thinks they are going out of business. They are expected to have positive annual EPS. In turn, they have relatively low implied vols
(All implied vol numbers are approximate)
XOM = 30% , GE = 27%, WMT = 26%, MSFT = 34%
Now, these "B" List stocks are stocks where either there are concerns about the firm's ability to survive or absolutey no reasonable clarity about the annual EPS, other than it is likely to be negative.
These are stocks like - MBI, MER, LEH, BSC, WM
You will find that these stocks have something else in common.
Their implied vols are sky high.
MBI = 111%, MER = 108%, LEH = 131%, BSC = 94%, WM = 133%
You asking stocks with triple digit implied vols to trade like some of the safest holdings on the street.
That is beyond delusional.
You are being a motherfucking brat.
To your "long-term investor" issue - the long-term investor's kindly registered rep should have been keeping track of the escalation in the implied vol and should have informed Mr. and Mrs. Long-Term that these holdings were becoming increasing risky ...
Something having to do with a "subprime crisis" ...
The "self-directed" long term investor who held on while these holdings became more and more risky, well, is now "self-fucked."
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It has been a long time since I have read Sheldon Natenberg. Some of you everyday options guys can pick it up from here, if you want.
From what I remember,
1. an implied vol of 100% or more means that the market seriously thinks there is a chance that the stock can be worthless over the next 52 weeks ... True? ... False?
2. Natenberg had a calc for the estimating what a 1 or 2 standard deviation move would look like over a single trading session, given an implied vol #.
"Option Heads" - What would a single session 1 and 2 standard deviation move look like on a stock with 108% implied vol?
Maybe you can use MER as an example ...
It wouldn't surprise me if it looks like exactly what this guy is complainig about.
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Anyway, for you "permabulls" and "long side only traders" - if you are going to be that way, just trade strong companies.
No one says you have to trade these butt-fucked financials.
And if you trade them anyway, don't blame the absence of an "uptick" rule when you get creamed going long a stock that is in a seriously strong downtrend and moving with 100% (or higher) implied volatility.
You and your long side only buddies are basically going for a jog up and down the runways of JFK airport. Don't get mad at the plane for coming down and squishing your head.
It is coming down anyway, whether you are there are not.
And you are not supposed to be there.