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technical analysis for covered call writing

Covered Call Writing with a Biotech Company: A Real-Life Example with Argenx (NASDAQ: ARGX)

Covered call writing (as well as put-selling) premiums are directly related to the implied volatility of the underlying stock or exchange-traded fund (ETF). Biotech stocks are particularly volatile due to the success (or lack thereof) of the pharmaceuticals they are developing. Highly volatile underlyings represent the good news of higher premiums and the bad news […]

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mean analyst ratings on yahoo Finance site

Mean Analyst Ratings (MAR)

The screening process for option-selling watchlists includes fundamental analysis, technical analysis and common-sense screens. The BCI team recently added a new screen, the mean analyst rating (MAR), to replace the Scouter Rating (risk/reward) which we had been using for years. This will add an “institutional” component to our analysis.   What is MAR? An investment […]

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Mean Analyst Rating (MAR): A New Addition to Our Premium Reports

The screening process for option-selling watchlists include fundamental analysis, technical analysis and common-sense screens. The BCI team is now adding a new screen the mean analyst rating (MAR) to replace the Scouter Rating we have been using for years. This will add an “institutional” component to our analysis.   What is MAR? An investment analyst […]

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bond yields and the stock market

Treasury Bond Yields and the Stock Market

Treasury bond yields are followed by stock investors and changes in yield can impact the success of our trades. In particular, the 10-year treasury yield is used as a yardstick for critical financial issues like mortgages.   What is bond yield? This is the interest rate paid by the US government for borrowing money when […]

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covered call writing and technical analysis

Position Management in the Final Week of a Contract: A Real-Life Example with FIVE

Exit strategy preparation and implementation is one of the 3 required skills for successful covered call writing and put-selling. Because of the time value erosion of our options (Theta), there are limitations regarding the exit strategy opportunities as our contracts near expiration. In January 2018, Duminda contacted me about a trade he executed with Five […]

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dividend capture and covered call writing

Combining Dividend Capture with Covered Call Writing: Pros and Cons

Why not use covered call writing with only dividend-bearing stocks to generate three income streams; option premium, share appreciation to the (out-of-the-money) call  strike plus the dividend itself? This article will explore the pros and cons of this approach to covered call writing.   Strategy theory We screen for stocks that have ex-dividend  dates  (also […]

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broker levels of trading approval

Writing Naked Calls on Poorly-Performing Stocks

Selling covered calls and cash-secured puts are the main strategies highlighted in our BCI community. Much of the information disseminated on the Blue Collar site, books and DVDs is based on member feedback, inquiries and comments. In September 2017, Marc sent me an email question about selling naked (without owning the underlying security before selling […]

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bear market strategies

Inverse Exchange-Traded Funds versus Shorting Stocks

In bear markets, one of the tools we can benefit from with our covered call writing and put-selling strategies is inverse exchange-traded funds (ETFs). An inverse ETF is also known as a short ETF or a bear ETF. These securities are constructed to return the exact opposite performance of a certain benchmark or index. Many […]

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Russell Rebalancing Day: A Cause for Concern?

Covered call writers and put-sellers are aware of the value to avoiding risky events like earnings announcements. An impending FDA announcement regarding the efficacy of a new drug being tested is another example. This article will define and explore the potential concerns of trading on or though Russell Rebalancing Day.   What is Russell Rebalancing Day? […]

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covered call writing calculations

Mitigating Losses After a Disappointing Earnings Pre-Announcement

A critical BCI rule for covered call writing is never to sell an option if there is an upcoming earnings report prior to contract expiration. Earnings reports are risky events we want to avoid. From time-to-time a company will pre-announce earnings especially if there will be a negative story to tell its shareholders when the […]

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