Update (IRA): IWM Sept 30th 177/Nov 18th 200 Long Put DiagonalComments: Just updating my short delta hedge (See Post Below) in IWM so that it appears more toward the top of my ideas queue ... . As of the last short leg roll: Cost basis of 22.58 with a 177.42 break even on a 23 wide.
As you can see, price has pushed up quite a bit into the long leg of the setup, but I'll keep rolling the short leg out to reduce cost basis and look to roll the long leg up and out if I run out of time and/or don't get the move I need (i.e., back through the short leg of the setup; this may be somewhat of a tall order at this point, that's 18 strikes below where IWM is currently trading). At the moment, doing this would cost me (and will probably cost me when I actually go ahead and do it). For example, rolling the November 18th 200 long to the December 16th 230 (90 delta), would cost 28.69 at the mid price, increasing my cost basis to 51.27 on a resulting 53 wide with a 178.73 break even (a slight improvement over my current 177.42 break even).
I've still got 7 potential rolling opportunities of the short leg from week to week, so will cross that bridge when I come to it ... .
Longputdiagonal
Opening (IRA): QQQ Sept 30th 278/Nov 18th 329 LPD* (Hedge)... for a 39.14 debit.
Comments: After closing out my previous QQQ short delta hedge for a profit, opening a new one. Selling the front week 30 delta; buying the back month 90, resulting in around a -60 delta metric.
Cost basis of 39.14 with a 289.86 break even on a 51 wide with a max profit potential of 11.86. Will look to take profit on the entire setup at 50% of max, rolling the short put out if needed to reduce cost basis and improve my break even.
* -- Long Put Diagonal.
Update (IRA): QQQ Sept 30th 315/Oct 21st 355 Long Put DiagonalComments: Update to my QQQ short delta hedge (See Post Below), which is in somewhat better shape than my IWM and SPY short delta hedges, since price has been hanging out around the short leg of the setup, which has allowed me to collect more cost basis reducing extrinsic value than for my small cap and S&P short option legs. The short option leg of this setup is at the 40 delta, while those of my SPY and IWM setups are at the 12 and 15 delta strikes respectively.
That being said, I'm running out of road sooner with this setup than in the other two, with only three potential rolls of the short leg to go before I hit the "back month long wall." As usual, I'll cross the bridge of having to roll out the long option leg for duration when I come to it ... .
In any event: Cost basis of 36.77 as of the last short leg roll on a 40 wide with a 318.23 break even.
Opening (IRA): QQQ June 17th 272/September 16th 355 LPD*... for a 60.78/contract debit.
Comments: Additional short delta hedge to a long delta portfolio. Here, selling the front month 30 delta, buying the back month 90 to provide me with a net -60 delta/contract. Paying 60.78 for an 83-wide with a 294.22 break even.
I generally don't like to add on weakness, but my other broad market short delta hedge is converging on max profit (See Post Below) and doesn't have much short delta left in it.
* -- Long Put Diagonal.
Opening (IRA): IWM July 15th 165/November 18th 200 LPD*... for a 29.95/contract debit.
Comments: Erecting a short delta hedge specifically against my IWM longs here, tailored to my specific delta needs, so I've gone with selling the front month 50 and buying the back month 90 for -40 or so delta per contract. (The math just worked out better with multiples of -40 versus multiples of -60; call me delta anal). I've already done a little bit of portfolio-wide SPY beta-weighted delta hedging here using SPY, but wanted to flatten out net delta a smidge further, particularly in my IWM position.
170.05 break even, paying 29.95 on a 35 wide with a max profit potential of 5.05 ($505)/contract.
Generally speaking, you want to address delta imbalances on an instrument by instrument basis first and then look at your portfolio-wide net delta to see if anything additional needs to be done (usually via a broad market, SPY beta-weighted short delta hedge). To a certain extent, this is why you always want to keep some dry powder around -- to adjust your delta on either a per-position or a portfolio-wide basis, some of which may or may not be buying power free.
* -- Long put diagonal.
Opening (IRA): SPY July 15th 351/November 18th 430 LPD*... for a 60.76/contract debit.
Comments: Re-erecting my short delta hedge here after taking profit on my previous one. Buying the back month 90 and selling the front month 30 delta strikes to provide me with -60 delta/contract.
369.24 break even, paying 60.76 for a 79 wide with a max profit potential of 18.24 ($1824) assuming a finish sub-351.
I would note that this probably isn't the best place to erect a short delta hedge, which you want to do on strength, so this is most likely not a good (or even mediocre) standalone trade. This is more about what my personal portfolio needs to remain "net delta happy."
Opening (IRA): SPY June 17th 378/September 16th 459 LPD*... for a 61.68/contract debit.
Comments: After having taken profit on my existing SPY short delta hedge (See Post Below), opening a new one, paying 61.68 for an 81 wide with a 397.32 break even. Selling the front month 30's and buying the back month 90 deltas to provide me with net -60 delta of hedge/contract. I've had to go with "a few" additional units here due to price pushing into my short puts (thereby increasing their delta).
The basic goal here is to keep portfolio net delta "flattish" throughout these market gyrations.
* -- Long put diagonal.
Opened (IRA): SPY May 20th 406/September 16th 486 LPD*... for a 58.84 debit.
Comments: Opened this yesterday with my other short delta hedge convergent on max profit and with little short delta left in it, (See Post Below), such that it was no longer functioning as much of a hedge.
Bought the back month 90, sold the front month 30, paying 58.84 for an 80 wide with a 427.16 break even and a max profit potential of 21.16 ($2116) (36.0% ROC at max).
* -- Long put diagonal.
Closed (IRA): SPY May 27th 447/September 16th 520 LPD*... for a 72.50 credit.
Comments: Cost basis in this was 69.47. (See Post Below). With the short put deep in the money and the diagonal converging on max (73.00), it's served its purpose. I've also already replaced it with a new hedge. 3.03 ($303) profit per contract.
* -- Long Put Diagonal.
Opening (IRA): SPY April 14th 426/Sept 520 Long Put Diagonal... for an 81.05 debit/contract.
Comments: Adding in a short delta hedge here to flatten net delta in my portfolio, buying the back month 90 delta and selling the front month 50. It has -41.53 worth of short delta/contract associated with it and a break even of 438.95. I'll look to work it like a covered put, rolling the short option aspect out for duration on extrinsic approaching worthless or look to take profit if it converges on max (which would be 94.00 here).
Granted, this isn't an ideal place to erect a short hedge, which you'd ordinarily want to do on strength. However, this weakness appears to be hanging in there, and you never know how far it will go or how long it will last. Net delta in the portfolio remains long.
Closing (IRA): SPY March 25th 437/June 520 Long Put Diagonal... for a 79.15 credit.
Comments: Having erected a new short delta hedge in my IRA that I don't want "step on" with potential rolls of the short leg aspect of this setup, taking profit on this hedge here. My cost basis was a 63.58 debit (See Post Below). Closing it out here results in a realized gain of 15.57 ($1557)/contract.
Rolling (IRA): SPY February 25th 443 Short Put to March 4th... for a 1.31 credit.
Comments: The short leg aspect of a long put diagonal that is acting as a short delta hedge against the rest of my long delta portfolio, the back month of which is in June at the 520 strike. (See Post Below). Cost basis in the diagonal is now 65.76 with an upside break even of 454.24, delta -46.51. Portfolio net delta remains long.
Opening (IRA): SPY February 18th 443/June 17th 520... long put diagonal for a 68.09 debit.
Comments: Re-erecting my short delta hedge in SPY to cut delta in a net delta long portfolio after closing out my previous setup which had converged on nearly flat delta. Here, selling the 50 delta strike in the front month and buying the 90 delta in the back month. Paying 68.09 for a 77 wide, -41.73 delta with a 451.91 break even.
As before, I will roll out the short put aspect weekly to collect credit and reduce my cost basis in the hedge and keep it on as long as I continue to need the short delta.
Closed (IRA): SPY Feb 4th 468/June 17th 570 Long Put Diagonal... for a 101.55 credit.
Comments: Closing here .45 short of max, since both strikes have converged at around 95 delta (the short put +94 delta, the long put -95 delta) so that it's no longer a net delta short hedge. My cost basis was 95.96 (See Post Below), so closing out here results in a profit of 5.59 ($559). Will re-erect a broad market hedge here shortly.
Rolling (IRA): SPY January 28th 468 Short Put to February 4th... for a 1.11 credit.
Comments: The short put aspect of a long put diagonal, the back month long of which is out in June at the 570 strike (See Post Below). Cost basis in the setup is now 95.96 with a 474.04 break even.
The entire setup (i.e., the February 4th 468 short put/June 570 long put) is intended as a short delta hedge against a long delta portfolio, so -- standing alone -- it's less of a statement on where I think the market goes from here and more of statement about my comfort level with being so directional in the current environment. Currently, its short delta metric is -32 or so per contract, so it's not hedging off a ton of long delta at the moment, but I can always add additional setups if I feel the need.
Rolling (IRA): SPY January 21st 468 Short Put to January 28th... for a 1.43 credit.
Comments: The short put aspect of a long put diagonal, the back month of which is in the June monthly at the 570 strike. I originally paid 98.50 to put this on, (See Post Below), so my cost basis is now 98.50 - 1.43 = 97.07 with an upside break even of the long put strike (570) - 97.07 or 472.93. I'm using this as a short delta hedge against a long delta portfolio, but could also be done as a standalone trade if your assumption is bearish.
Opening (IRA): SPY January 21st 468/June 17th 570* LPD**... for a 98.50 debit.
Comments: A short delta hedge against a perennially long delta IRA, which remains net delta long after the addition of this setup, just less long than it was.
The back month isn't that liquid, so I no doubt gave up some to the liquidity gods getting this filled. Buying the 90 delta back month, selling the 50 delta front. Paying 98.50 for a 102-wide, it currently has a max profit metric of the difference between what I paid (98.50) and the width of the spread (102) or 3.50 ($350), but its primary purpose is to hedge off or flatten long delta in the rest of the portfolio with its delta/theta metric of -42/8.67.
I'll work it like a covered put, rolling the short put up or out on approaching worthless or look to take profit on the entire diagonal on approaching max.
* -- The long put is shown below its actual strike in order to fit it on the chart without squeezing.
** -- Long put diagonal.
UPDATE: QQQ SEPTEMBER 16TH/NOVEMBER 20TH 255/295 PUT DIAGONAL... with a scratch point of 36.99 and a 258.01 break even.
Notes: To say that this setup hasn't worked out as a standalone trade so far is kind of an understatement (See Post Below). However, it still is short delta, so I'm keeping it on as a hedge against long delta positions.
OPENING: QQQ JULY/NOVEMBER 234/290 LONG PUT DIAGONAL... for a 48.23 debit
Metrics:
Max Loss: $4823 on setup
Max Profit: $1277 on setup (26.5% ROC)
Break Even on Setup: 246.77 vs. 243.72 spot
Debit Paid to Spread Width Ratio: 79.1%
Notes: Either a standalone short with the Q's at all-time-highs or a broad market short delta hedge against a long stock portfolio with the back month set up in the expiry nearest the November general elections.
OPENING (IRA): QQQ NOV 15TH 182/JUNE 19TH 218 LONG PUT DIAGONAL... for a 26.47 debit.
Metrics:
Max Profit on Setup: 9.53 ($953)
Max Loss on Setup: 26.47 ($2647)
Break Even: 191.43
Debit Paid to Spread Width Ratio: 73.5%
Delta/Theta: -62.91/4.51
Notes: While I'd like to wait for QQQ to revisit all time highs to put this on, I'm pulling the trigger on this delta cutter here in the IRA (See Post Below), buying the 90 in the back month, and selling the 30 in the front one. I'll work this puppy like a covered put ... .