Opening (Margin): /ES September 29th 2100 Short Put... for a 3.00 credit.
Comments: Targeting the strike that is 50% of current price that is paying around 3.00 in credit. 1.50/$150 max (due to the multiplier) on buying power of 9.23/$923; 16.3% ROC as a function of buying power at max; 8.1% at 50% max.
A basic bet that we don't see 2100 by the end of September in the S&P 500; alternatively, a bet that my order to close this will hit 50% max before then.
Naturally, if we get higher volatility and weakness, I'll look to add in shorter duration/better strikes.
Premiumselling
Opening (Margin): /MCL August 17th 60.50/89 Short Strangle... for a 1.77 credit.
Comments: Selling the +14 delta put and the -12 delta call here as an additive delta adjustment trade to bring the entire position back to net delta flat.
Entire Position: 58P/59P/60.5P/88C/89C/89.5C
Total Credits Received: 5.13
Closing (Margin): /MCL August 17th 55.5/93 Short Strangle... for a 1.02 debit.
Comments: Mixing and matching profitable short call with profitable short put from the /MCL short strangles I put on in August (See Posts Below).
This leaves me with the 58P/59P/88C/89.5C with a cost basis of 4.38 - 1.02 or 3.36.
Opening (IRA): QQQ Sept 15th 265 Short Put... for a 2.97 credit.
Comments: I have remaining rungs on in July and August, so just rounding out third quarter rungs with one in September, targeting the <16 delta strike paying around 1% of the strike price in credit. I'll naturally look to add in shorter duration at strikes better than what I currently have on should we get further weakness and higher IV.
Opening (Margin): /MCL August 17th 55.5/89.5 Short Strangle... for a 1.39 credit.
Comments: Selling the 10 delta's here both sides. Will look to manage sides on approaching worthless or on side test.
1.39 on buying power effect of 3.51; 39.6% ROC as a function of buying power effect at max; 19.8% at 50% max.
Opening (Margin): /CL August 17th 35 Short Put... for a 1.20 credit.
Comments: Without much on here, doing one of my far out-of-the-money premium selling plays. A basic bet that /CL doesn't lose 50% of its current price per barrel by August opex. 1.20 ($120) max on buying power of around 8.10 ($810); 14.8% ROC as a function of buying power at max; 7.4% at 50% max.
Opening (Margin): /ES September 15th 2000 Short Put... for a 3.20 credit.
Comments: Akin to my /CL trade (See Post Below), a far out-of-the-money put in /ES that is a basic bet that it doesn't lose 50% of its value by September opex. 1.60 max on buying power effect of 10.74; 14.9% at max; 7.4% at 50% max.
Opening (IRA): QQQ August 18th 270 Short Put... for a 3.06 credit.
Comments: Just building out third quarter rungs here, targeting the <16 delta strike paying around 1% of the strike price in credit. I'd naturally prefer it on weakness, higher IV, but will look to add in shorter duration and/or better strikes should we get a sell-off/pop in IV.
Opening (IRA): SPY July 21st 370 Short Put... for a 3.80 credit.
Comments: Targeting the <16 delta strike in the shortest duration that is paying around 1% of the strike price in credit to emulate dollar cost averaging into the broad market. Going out to the third quarter, since shorter duration isn't paying here. This is the only rung I have on at the moment in SPY, so will look to add at intervals, particularly if shorter duration starts to pay again.
Opening (IRA): IWM July 21st 150 Short Put... for a 1.48 credit.
Comments: Targeting the <16 delta strike in the shortest duration paying around 1% of the strike price in credit to emulate dollar cost averaging into the broad market. IVR/IV isn't fabulous here at 1/22.7%, but will look to add in shorter duration and/or at better strikes in higher IV should we get it at some point.
Opening (IRA): IWM June 30th 157 Short Put... for a 1.61 credit.
Comments: Targeting the shortest duration <16 delta strike paying around 1% of the strike price in credit to emulate dollar cost averaging into small caps.
This, admittedly, isn't an ideal premium-selling environment here, with 30-day at the very low end of the 52-week range, but will look to add at intervals and in shorter duration if that starts to pay again.
Opening (IRA): QQQ June 30th 279 Short Put... for a 2.82 credit.
Comments: Targeting the shortest duration <16 strike paying around 1% of the strike price in credit to emulate dollar cost averaging into the Q's. As with my IWM and SPY trades, this isn't the best premium-selling environment, with 30-day IV near its 52-week low, but will look to add at intervals and in shorter duration if we can get some weakness and an uptick in IV at some point.
Opening (IRA): QQQ June 30th 277 Short Put... for a 2.77 credit.
Comments: Adding on weakness, which I'm fine with since I don't have a ton on here. Targeting the <16 delta strike in the shortest duration paying around 1% of the strike price in credit to emulate dollar cost averaging into the broad market.
The Week Ahead: ARKK, KRE, GDXJ; CFLT, COIN, DASH EarningsWith broad market implied volatility having crushed out mightily over the past couple of weeks, I'm left scrounging around in the exchange-traded fund and/or (ugh) single name space for premium. There aren't a lot of underlyings with ideal IVR/IV metrics to play, but there are a few things that still have decent IV in them, even if it isn't toward the top of its 52-week range.
There isn't anything in the exchange-traded fund space as of Friday close with an IVR >50%, but there are a few with 30-day IV >35% (which is the combination of metrics I like to see). Here there are, ranked by 30-day with stuff <$20/share weekend weeded out:
ARKK 41
KRE 41
KWEB 39
GDXJ 37
USO 36
XOP 35
Pictured here is a fairly plain Jane delta neutral short strangle in ARKK in the June expiry with the short legs camped out around the 16 delta, paying 1.00 at the mid price with break evens at 30 and 43.
The KRE June 16th 37/48 short strangle (16 delta) is paying around 1.25.
The KWEB June 16th 28 short straddle is paying around 1.95. (Going 16 delta short strangle didn't end up paying much; the 26/30.5 was paying .55).
The GDXJ June 16th 35/46 short strangle (17 delta) is paying 1.04 at the mid.
The USO June 16th 60.76 short strangle (17 delta) is paying 1.65 at the mid.
The XOP June 16th 112/143 short strangle (17 delta) is paying 3.04 at the mid.
Broad Market
Ugh. Why even go here ... . Broad market exchange-traded funds, ranked by 30-day IV:
IWM 21.3%
QQQ 20.6%
EFA 16.2%
SPY 16.1%
DIA 14.3%
Bond Funds
My only observation here is to note that TLT premium is better than SPY's (as is EMB's).
EMB 20.9%
TLT 17.0%
HYG 9.5%
AGG 7.4%
And, of course, there are earnings ... . I've screened and ranked these by >50% 30-day IV, as well as for options liquidity and thrown out underlyings that are trading at <$20/share:
COIN 111.2 (Thursday after market close)
W 107
RUN 92.9
CFLT 80.9 (Wednesday after market close)
PPL 73.4 (Thursday before market open)
FOUR 72.0
DASH 70.2 (Thursday after market close)
The drawbacks to W, RUN, and FOUR involve strike to strike granularity, which is why I haven't bothered to look up their announcement days and times. W and RUN have 1 1/2 wides; FOUR, has 5-wides. Not having 1-wides can not only make setting up delta neutral a pain; it can making rolling out a pain if you have to do that to manage the trade, so I generally avoid underlyings with weak strike granularity for earnings plays that are generally just made to take advantage of the ensuing volatility contraction. I would consequently lean toward plays in COIN, CFLT, PPL, and DASH for volatility contraction plays, looking to get into
CFLT, Wednesday before market close (since it announces Wednesday after market close).
PPL, Wednesday before market close (since it announces Thursday before market open).
COIN, Thursday, before market close.
DASH, Thursday, before market close.
Preliminary Setups:
CFLT May 19th 22.5 Short Straddle, 3.60 credit, 18.90/26.10 break evens
PPL: May 19th 29 Short Straddle, 1.03 credit. (Well, that's ... weak sauce. It's possible that the platform is misreporting 30-day, so this will have to be checked during the NY session).
COIN: May 19th 45/67 Short Strangle, 3.29 credit. (A smidge pesky, since I'd want to set up my put side tent somewhere between the 45 and the 40 strike, where there aren't any strikes at the moment.)
DASH: May 19th 52/73 Short Strangle, 1.95 credit.