OPENING: /CL OCT 17TH 46/47/60/61 IRON CONDOR ... for a 2.30/contract credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $230/contract
50% Max: $115/contract
Max Loss: $770/contract
Break Evens: 46.77/60/23
Notes: A little premium selling in /CL on this OVX pop. Shorties camped out at the 15 deltas. Will look to manage at 50% max, side test, and or side approaching worthless ... .
Ironcondor
Boeing Neutral Position - Iron CondorI'm going to run an Iron Condor on BA because its fading toward support and it may hold at this level for some time. IV is pretty high so the trade will be a rather wide IC and quick price target.
300/305/360/365 Spot price is at $341 at this time. Exp will be July 19th.
140/360 Reward to Risk ratio.
Price target is $110/220 Evaluation date will be July 1st.
52-Week (HV): 30, 30-Day IV: 28.2 +1.5
IV Pct Rank: 57%
This is a journal entry and not trade advice.
NFLX Iron Condor TradeI'm putting on an iron condor trade due to fading trend sideways movement may lead to a lower price.
SPY is sinking slowly due to trade tensions.
310/315/375/380 EXP June 21 145/355 Profit/Loss
Max profit I want to take out of this trade is $80 and max loss is $160 as per guidelines drawn.
This is a journal entry and not trading advice.
OPENING: RUT OCT 18TH 1330/1345/1685/1700 IRON CONDOR... for a 2.21 credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $221/contract
50 Max: $110/contract
Max Loss/Buying Power Effect: $1279/contract
ROC: 17.3% at Max/8.6% at 50 Max
Break Evens: 1342.79/1687.21
Delta/Theta: -1.31/3.07
Notes: A small, defined, high POP%-age engagement trade. This particular trade isn't very "tasty," since it goes out beyond that 45 days 'til expiry wheelhouse, sells strikes that are farther out of the money (the 10 deltas), doesn't collect nearly one-third the width of the strikes on fill, and isn't put on in an "ideal" premium selling environment. The trade-offs of doing things this way is a higher probability of profit (this one's around 74%), more room to be wrong relative to current price, and a slightly higher implied volatility metric in the back month relative to shorter duration.
I'm choosing RUT here over SPX, NDX, and IWM due to better liquidity relative to the other indices, as well as the lack of assignment risk versus IWM.
Will look to take profit at 50% max and manage intratrade on side test and/or side approaching worthless.
OPENING: RUT SEPT 20TH 1330/1340/1680/1690 IRON CONDOR... for a 1.64/contract credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $164/contract
Max Loss: $836/contract
Break Evens: 1338.36/1681.64
Delta/Theta: -.70/2.20
Notes: Granted, this is not a very TT setup, which ordinarily looks to collect one-third the width of the strikes in credit in the expiry nearest 45 days 'til expiration, which generally requires selling the 20-30 delta strikes. As always, there is a trade-off: going wider gives you more room to be wrong and therefore gives you a higher probability of profit (it's 77% here). However, less credit collected means max loss is greater on setup.
Still, a potential 19.6% return on capital (assuming max profit) over a 90-day period is nothing to frown at nor is 9.8% at 50% max, which is what I'll shoot for here.
Citigroup Short July Iron Condor w/ sideways channelCitibank has been trading within a horizontal range and sideways channel between 65.50 and 69 for the past fourteen trading days. Because of this, we are shorting the iron condor by writing the 69 calls and 65.5 puts for the initial strangle, and going half a dollar out on each side to acquire the protection (longing the 69.5 calls and 65 puts), thus turning the strangle into an iron condor. Being slightly below the money, it is somewhat bearish but created such that it aligns with the historical channel. By using the July 5th options, which are eight trading days away, we expect Citi to stay within the channel. This trade is done for a max profit of 30 and a max loss of 20 because the credit is .30/contract. This gives us break-evens of 65.2 and 69.3, and a better risk reward ratio (30/20) is received when the trade is done with calls instead of puts (29/21). This maximizes profit potential.
$OIH Iron Condor OpportunityInstead of selling a short strangle, it's better to buy some OTM contracts at next to nothing to make the trade efficient in terms of buying power. The breakeven points on the trade aren't GREAT, but, the trade is pretty low risk. If it works, great and if not, hey, we'll get 'em next time.
$MCD 7/5 Short Iron Condor: profit [201.03, 206.47], LIMIT RISKThis nearly ATM July 5th IC on McDonald's is technically driven. For the past 10 trading days, MCD's open and closes have both stayed within the parallel channel range of 203.73 and 206.16. With a great risk/reward ratio, we are entering into a short iron condor on the July 5th contracts, 8 trading days away, with a maximum profit of 147 with a mere, limited max loss of 103, per contract. This spread is constructed by taking a long position in the 207.5 calls and 200 puts, while simultaneously writing the 205 calls and 202.5 puts. Being an iron condor, we will collect the theta premium as maturity nears. This trade is done for a credit of 1.47, so there is a profit between 201.03 and 206.47.
Technical indicators buttress our neutral sentiment, as the MACD has been extremely close to zero over the past two weeks, the DI+ and DI- components of the DMI are very close to each other (within 26.5 and 27, respectively), the ADX reads an extremely low 14, the Stochastics read 50.5 and the RSI and MFI are both within the range of .
AMD channel testAMD is moving sideways had a very powerful move recently and now it's moving sideways could not break it's previous high so now it will do a congestion test sideways and may move higher. Watching to see if it breaks channel if it does may put on an iron condor or a call spread(maybe)
OPENING: RUT JULY 19TH 1415/1420/1600/1605 IRON CONDOR... for a 1.78/contract credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $178/contract
Max Loss: $328/contract
Break Evens: 1418.25/1601.75
Delta/Theta: -.73/2.21
Notes: Squeezing in a little more RUT in the July cycle and collecting greater than one-third the width of the wings. Will look to roll in untested side on approaching worthless or on side test and take profit at 50% max. And now that I've got more than one setup on, can look to mix and match profitable call side with profitable put side to take off risk should that present itself.
* Strikes in idea title are correct; text on horizontals is not ... .
OPENING: RUT SEPT 20TH 1350/1360/1640/1650 IRON CONDOR... for a 2.90 credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $290/contract
Max Loss: $710/contract
Break Evens: 1357.10/1642.90
Delta/Theta: -1.01/2.20
Notes: A wider, longer-dated setup camped out at the 16 delta strikes for the expiry for the (ordinarily) sleepy summer months. I'm collecting a little less than my usual one-third the width of the strikes, but wanted more room to be wrong given the duration. Here, I'll look to roll in sides to delta balance as I would with any shorter duration setup, collect additional credit in the process, and shoot for bailing at 50% max.
OPENING: TSLA JULY 19TH 145/150/215/220 IRON CONDOR... for a 1.75/contract credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $175/contract ($88)
Max Loss: $325/contract
Break Evens: 148.25/216.75
Delta/Theta: -.81/2.11
Notes: Back into TSLA (54/76) (high rank/high implied). Sticking with the July monthly and getting greater than one-third the width of the wings in credit. Will look to roll in untested on approaching worthless or on side test. Look to take profit at 50% max.
OPENING: TSLA JULY 19TH 140/145/225/230 IRON CONDOR... for a 1.75/contract credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $175/contract
Max Loss/Buying Power Effect: $225/contract
Break Evens: 143.25/226.75
Delta/Theta: -1.53/1.81
Notes: With the highest rank/implied on the board (67/83), dipping my toe into TSLA, although I'll probably regret it later. Markets are wider that I'd like ... . Will look to roll in on side approaching worthless and/or side test and take profit at 50% max.
OPENING: QQQ JULY 19TH 165/168/192/195 IRON CONDOR... for a .98 credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $98/contract
Max Loss: $202/contract
Break Evens: 167.02/192.98
Delta/Theta: -3.59/1.24
Notes: Keeping things simple ... . Rotating into broad market in the July cycle and selling premium in the underlying with the highest background implied out of SPY, IWM, QQQ, and DIA. Collecting nearly one-third the width of the wings and will look to manage intratrade by rolling the untested side toward current price on side approaching worthless with a profit target of 50% of max (one-half of .98 or .49/$49).
Would've gone with a weekly nearest 45 days 'til expiration, but only the June quarterly (38 days) and the July monthly (59 days) were available, so went with the monthly.
OPENING: SPY JUNE 28TH 271/274/296/299 IC; 274/296 STRANGLE... for a 1.02/contract credit (the short strangle -- for 3.43).
Metrics (Iron Condor):
Max Profit: $102/contract
Max Loss: $198/contract
Break Evens: 272.98/297.02
Delta/Theta: -3.86/1.61
Notes: A late post, as these were opened on Friday -- the iron condor in a smaller account where buying power is limited; the short strangle in an account where that is less of a concern. I used the quarterlies, since the June monthly was a bit closer in time than I would ordinarily like and wanted to add in some Plain Jane broad market short premium without scrounging around for plays in less liquid underlyings or in the exchange-traded funds that had high implied but in which I already have plays (XOP, SMH, EWZ, XBI). As usual, will look to manage intra-trade on side test with untested side approaching worthless via rolling in of the untested and look to take profit at 50% max. Admittedly, the rank and background implied (24/16) isn't as high as I would like ... .
AAPL 21-Jun-19 Short Iron CondorAAPL 21-Jun-19 Short Iron Condor
30-Day IV: 30.0 -2.2
IV Pct Rank: 73% Elevated
Long 1 Call: 200 Strike @ $0.43
Short 1 Call: 195 Strike @ $0.92
Long 1 Put: 160 Strike @ $1.12
Short 1 Put: 165 Strike @ $1.74
Credit: $1.11
AAPL 21-Jun-19 Open Interest Last 30 Days | Puts: 50% | Calls: 50%
OPENING: RUT JULY 19TH 1440/1445/1625/1630 IRON CONDOR... for a 1.81/contract credit.
Metrics:
Max Profit: $181/contract
Max Loss: $319/contract
Break Evens: 1443.19/1626.81
Delta/Theta: -.81/1.82
Notes: Been a while since I've done any RUT. Collecting more than one-third the width of the wings with the shorties camped out around the 20 delta strike. Will roll the untested side on approaching worthless intratrade to bring in additional credit, improve break evens, and/or reduce max loss potential. Looking to take profit at 50% max (.90/$90).
TSLA Iron Condor ContinuationTSLA looks to be trending lower as it continues toward its destination I plan to capture some profits using an iron condor.
IV is really high at around 50
180/185/240/245 $150/350 Profit/Risk June 21 EXP
Profit Target to be expected by June 10-14
Profit Target is $80 max loss is $160
This is a journal entry and not trading advice.
OPENING: EWZ JUNE 21ST 34.5/37.5/44/47 IRON CONDOR... for a 1.04/contract credit.
With implied volatility fairly low across the board, going small, defined in the exchange-traded fund with the highest background implied volatility on the board (30.9%) to keep powder dry for something sexier to come along ... . Shorts nearest the 25 delta strike, longs nearest the 10 with slightly more than one-third the width of the wings collected. Shooting for that ol' 50% max. Go 37.5/44 short strange in June, and you'll collect 1.60 or so.
Metrics:
Max Profit: 1.04 ($104)/contract
Max Loss: 1.96 ($196/contract)
Break Evens: 36.46/45.04
Delta/Theta: -2.36/1.18