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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Gold (GLD) Calls

Wed. 8/3/2016 (12:48:22 pm, PT)  FP

sold -10 Sept 2016  $135 calls at $1.04

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in overbought region (SEE CHART)
  • 77% probability of success
  • 44 days 'til expiration (DTE)

Tue. 8/9/2016 (9:50:50 am, PT)

bought back calls at $0.47

PROFIT:  $570 (in 6 days!)

SUCCESS!

Friday, July 29, 2016

Gold (GLD) Put Options

Thu. 7/21/2016 (8:57:37 am, PT)  FP

sold -5 Aug 2016  $124 puts at $1.11

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 79% probability of success

Fri. 7/29/2016 (9:08:53 am, PT)

buy back all puts at $0.31

NET PROFIT:  $384.74 (in 1 week)

Success!


Energy ETF (XLE) Put Options

Thursday, 7/28/2016 (9:37:05 am, PT)  RD

sell (to open) -2 Sept 2016  $64 puts at $1.23

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 65% probability of success

Friday, 7/29/2016 (12:11:17 pm, PT)

buy back both puts at $0.92

Why did I close my position?
  • take profits
  • I changed my mind about the trade

NET PROFIT:  $55.89 (in ONE DAY)

Success!


Gold (GLD) Custom Ratio Spread

Wed. 7/20/2016 (11:58:07 am, PT)  RD

sell to open -3 Aug 2016  $123 puts at $1.14667 (31% prob ITM)
buy to open +1 Aug 2016  $120 put at $0.48
  • net credit received:  $2.96 (or $296)

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 69% probability of success
  • long put is "insurance"

Fri. 7/29/2016 (12:04:39 pm, PT)

buy to close the 3 short puts at $0.18
sell to close the 1 long put at $0.06
  • net debit spent:  $0.48 (or $48)

PROFIT:  $248 (in 9 days)

Success!

Gold (GLD) Put Options

Fri. 7/22/2016 (9:26:45 am, PT)  FP

sold -2 Aug 2016  $123 puts at $1.08

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 70% probability of success

Fri. 7/29/2016 (11:26:55 am, PT)

buy back all puts at $0.19

NET PROFIT:  $171.89 (in 1 week)

Success!


Gold (GLD) Put Options

Friday, 7/22/2016 (11:14:55 am, PT)  RD

sold -1 Aug 2016  $123 put at $1.03

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 71% probability of success

Friday, 7/29/2016 (8:58:14 am, PT)

buy back put at $0.23

NET PROFIT:  $76.93 (in 1 week)

Success!

Expedia (EXPE) Earnings Play

Thu. 7/28/2016 (12:47:53 pm, PT)

sold -1 July 29, 2016  $110 put at $1.20

Why did I place this trade?
  • earnings announcement at 1 pm (PT)
  • "expected move" = up or down $8.82 (EXPE closed at $119.27 right before the earnings announcement)

Fri.  7/29/2016 (10:43:19 am, PT) (expiration)

bought back put at $0.02 to remove the risk

NET PROFIT:  $116.44 (in ONE DAY)

Success!


Gold (GLD) Put Options

Thursday, 7/28/2016 (10:11:04 am, PT)  FP

sold -5 Aug 2016  $123.50 puts at $0.56

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 79% probability of success

Friday, 7/29/2016 (9:09:47 am, PT)

buy back all puts at $0.26

NET PROFIT:  $134.75 (in ONE day)

Success!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Gold (GLD) Put Options

Thursday, 7/21/2016 (11:27:41 am, PT)

sell to open -10 July 29, 2016  $123.50 puts at $0.28

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • 84% probability of success (high)
  • 8 days 'til expiration
  • weekly income


Thursday, 7/28/2016 (10:48:42 am, PT)

buy to close all 10 puts at $0.01

PROFIT:  $270 (in 7 days)

Success!


Friday, July 8, 2016

Spiders (SPY) Custom Ratio Put Spread

Tuesday, 7/5/2016 (10:12:40 am, PT)  RD For my friend ....

sell -3 August 2016  $201 puts at $2.11 (30% prob ITM)
buy +1 August 2016  $199 put at $1.77

credit received:  $4.56 x 1 x 100 = $456.00

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in overbought region
  • 7/5/2016 was a "down" day
  • 45 days 'til expiration
  • high probability of success

Friday, 7/8/2016 (10:34:12 am, PT)

bought back entire spread for $2.16 (debit)

PROFIT:  $240 (in FOUR days!)


SUCCESS!


Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Spiders (SPY) Put Options

6/15/2016 (12:37:42 pm, PT)  FP

For my friend's mother ...

sold -8 July 2016  $194 puts at $1.01

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • FOMC announcement at 11 am (SPY rose initially, then dropped)
  • 85% probability of success

6/29/2016 (9:31:15 am, PT)

buy back all 8 puts at $0.27

NET PROFIT:  $567.60

SUCCESS!


Spiders (SPY) Put Options

6/15/2016 (12:07:04 pm, PT)  RD

For my friend ...

sold -7 July 2016  $197 puts at $1.29

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • FOMC announcement at 11 am (SPY rose initially, then dropped)
  • 80% probability of success

6/29/2016 (9:32:37 am, PT)

buy back all 7 puts at $0.47

NET PROFIT:  $552.64

SUCCESS!

Spiders (SPY) Put Options

6/15/2016 (11:39:04 am, PT)  FP

For my friend's mother ....

sold -10 August 2016  $180 puts at $1.05

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • FOMC announcement at 11 am (SPY initially rose, then dropped)
  • 89% probability of success


6/29/2016 (9:08:53 am, PT)

buy back all 10 puts at $0.50

NET PROFIT:  $519.46 (in 2 weeks)

SUCCESS!


Spiders (SPY) Put Options

6/15/2016 (12:43:30 pm, PT)  RD

For my friend ...

sold -4 July 2016  $201 puts at $2.08

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in oversold region
  • FOMC announcement at 11 am (SPY rose initially, then dropped)
  • 70% probability of success


6/29/2016 (9:30:40 am, PT)

bought back all 4 puts at $0.95

NET PROFIT:  $439.78

SUCCESS!


Spiders (SPY) Put Options

6/15/2016 (12:02:05 pm, PT)  RD

For my friend .....

sold -4 July 2016  $202 puts at $2.12

Why did I place this trade?

  • stochastics in oversold region
  • FOMC announcement at 11 am (SPY rose initially, then dropped)
  • 70% probability of success


6/29/2016 (9:31:51 am, PT)

buy back all 4 puts at $1.15

Why did I close this trade?

  • take profits!

NET PROFIT:  $375.77

SUCCESS!



Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Gold (GLD) Call Options

Friday, 6/24/2016 (12:58:23 pm, PT)

sold -10 June 30, 2016  $129 calls at $0.91

Why did I place this trade?
  • "BREXIT" results were announced in the middle of the night and gold jumped 5%
  • when GLD rises, its implied volatility also rises which results in very attractive call premiums
  • 73% probability of success
  • stochastics in overbought region

Tuesday, 6/28/2016 (10:53:58 am, PT)

bought back all 10 calls at $0.19

Why did I place this trade?
  • GLD dropped today (6/28)
  • when GLD drops, its implied volatility also drops which results in cheaper call premiums
  • TAKE PROFITS

Comments:

It's VERY tempting to hold my position for TWO more days in order to keep the max credit of $910, but it's good practice to always TAKE YOUR PROFITS

PROFIT:  $720 (in 3 trading days)

SUCCESS!



Friday, June 24, 2016

Gold (GLD) Call Options

Friday, 6/24/2016 (7:16:24 am, PT)

sold (to open) -10 June 24, 2016  $126.50 calls at $0.22

Why did I place this trade?
  • GLD shot up over 5% this morning after the "BREXIT" results were announced in the middle of the night (i.e., after 11:59 pm of Thursday, June 23)
  • when GLD shoots up like this, its "implied volatility" (IV) also goes up
  • a higher IV means higher call premiums (OPPORTUNITY to make some quick $$$)
  • 76% probability of success

Comments:

  • GLD was extremely "choppy" all day long on 6/24, so my call's premium remained high throughout the day (even though it was expiration Friday)
  • GLD hovered below my strike price of $126.50 all day long (good thing!)
  • I placed a limit order to buy back my short calls at $0.01 and waited and waited ....
  • at 12:58 pm (with 2 minutes left), the bid was $0.01 and the ask was $0.07 even though my short calls were OTM (those darn market makers!)
  • at 1:00 pm (closing bell), the ask was still at $0.05, so my limit order never filled!  I couldn't believe it!
  • GLD closed at $126, so my short calls expired "worthless"

PROFIT:  $220 (in 6 hours)

SUCCESS!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Gold (GLD) June Call Option

5/11/2016 (11:44:47 am, PT)  (RD)

sold -1 June 2016  $127 call at $1.11

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in overbought region
  • 75.63% probability of success


5/20/2016 (9:20:24 am, PT)

buy back call option at $0.35 (68% of max credit)

PROFIT:  $76 (in 9 days)


SUCCESS!


Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Facebook (FB) Call Options

5/12/2016 (9:43:24 am, PT)  (FP)

sell -2 June 24, 2016  $127 calls at $1.18

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in overbought region
  • 80% probability of success
  • 43 days 'til expiration (DTE)

5/18/2016 (7:08:49 am, PT)

buy back both calls at $0.60

NET PROFIT:  $116
Return on capital:  3.15% in 6 days

SUCCESS!

Friday, May 6, 2016

Consumer Discretionary ETF (XLY) Call Options

Friday, 4/29/2016 (11:20:39 am, PT)

sold -10 May 20, 2016  $79.50 calls at $0.83

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics in overbought region
  • 60% probability of success

Friday, 5/6/2016 (7:37:01 am, PT)

buy back all 10 calls at $0.50

Why did I place this trade?
  • stochastics near oversold region
  • I was aiming for a $330 profit

PROFIT:  $330 (in 1 week)

SUCCESS!


Note:  Walt Disney Company (DIS) is one of the holdings in XLY