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 […]
Protecting Unrealized Profits When Share Price Accelerates
Covered call writing dilemmas can frequently result from positive circumstances. In August 2017, Vincent shared a trade he executed where an out-of-the-money strike was sold and share price had moved up significantly and was approaching the strike price. This means that Vincent realized an initial option premium return plus had an unrealized share appreciation component […]
Volume Versus “Deliverable Volume” Explained and Analyzed
Trading volume is the number of trades for a security in a given time frame. On a chart volume is typically represented as a histogram (vertical bars) and represents a confirmation or lack thereof of the other technical indicators. For example, if a moving average breaks below support on high volume, it is more significant […]
Price Gaps and the Need for Exit Strategy Execution
Position management is one of the 3 required skills needed for covered call writing and put-selling. When share price gaps up or down there is a strong possibility that an exit strategy opportunity will present itself. There are times, however, when no action is the best action. On June 26th, 2017, Luis contacted me about […]
Writing Covered Call Options to Compensate for Share Depreciation
Covered call writing generates monthly (or weekly) cash flow but it also reduces our cost basis. The latter result is the reason why covered call writing increases our chances of a successful trade more so than simply owning the stock. Historical data tells us that in the long haul the stock market increases in value. […]
Special 1-Time Cash Dividends for Stocks with Improving Technicals
Covered call writing and put-selling candidates must pass a series of fundamental, technical and common-sense screens in order to be considered eligible for our portfolios. In early January 2017, one of our members, Jim W, asked about using Ford Motor Corp. (F), a stock that does not pass our BCI screens but has several positive […]
Using Technical Indicators to Assist with Strike Selection
When selling covered call or put options, strike price selection is one of the three required skills. Here are the main factors we evaluate when determining which strike price to select: Overall market assessment Personal risk tolerance Return goals Technical price chart In this article, we will focus in on the technical parameters that will […]
When Do We Keep a Stock that has Declined in Value?
The BCI methodology requires fundamental analysis, technical analysis and common sense screening (like minimum trading volume and avoiding earnings reports). One of the most difficult decisions retail investors face is when to sell a stock that has depreciated in value. We all deal with such decisions every contract month no matter how rigorous a screening process we […]
Technical Analysis Indicators for Long and Short-Term Portfolios
Technical analysis represents one third of the stock screening process in the BCI methodology. The other two are common sense principles (referred to as “descriptive terms for long-term investing) and fundamental analysis. Reading price charts is as much an art as it is a science and there is no one right way to technically analyze […]
Comparing Implied Volatility and Historical Volatility During Earnings Season
When selecting stocks and options for covered call writing and put-selling we factor in volatility, both implied and historical. Historical Volatility (HV) is the actual volatility of a security over a given time period. HV is calculated by determining the average deviation from the average price based on one standard deviation (expected to be accurate 67% of the time). Implied volatility (IV) is […]
Podcast
- 104. Special 1 Time Dividends and Contract Adjustments
- 103. The Collar Strategy Using Long-Term Put Expirations
- 102. Analyzing Market Assessment Based on Portfolio Setup
- 101. Covered Call Writing: "Hitting a Double" on the Last day of a Contract
- 100. Analyzing LEAPS for The Poor Man's Covered call Strategy (PMCC)
- 99. Anatomy of a Reverse Stock Split
- 98. Analyzing LEAPS Options for the Poor Man's Covered Call
- 97. Managing Our Poor Man's Covered Call Trades When Share Price Drops Substantially
- 96. Protecting Our Covered Call Trades: Protective Puts and In-the-Money Strikes
- 95. Covered Call Writing to Generate Premium and Dividend Income
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