When our covered call writing strikes are expiring in-the-money (ITM), and we want to retain the underlying shares for the next contract period, we can roll the option forward. This involves buying back the current short call(s) and selling the next month (or week etc.) strike. If we roll-out, we always roll-out to an ITM […]
Determining Our Goal Before Unwinding Both Legs of a Covered Call Trade: A Real-Life Example with Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) + Trade Management Calculator Discount Coupon Expiring Soon
When share price accelerates exponentially with our covered call writing stocks, the strike moves deeper in-the-money. Although the intrinsic-value component of the option premium rises, the time-value component approaches zero. This creates an opportunity to consider our mid-contract unwind exit strategy. Before implementing this, or any others in our exit strategy arsenal, we must identify […]
Market Volatility and Our Option-Selling Trades: Using the VIX to Achieve Higher Returns
Options trading basics teaches us that the VIX or CBOE Volatility Index reflects the market’s expectation of the upcoming 30-day volatility. It measures market risk and is also known as the investor fear gauge. With this in mind, option-sellers are faced with a dilemma. Increased market volatility will translate into higher option premiums because the […]
Buyers Have Rights, Sellers Have Obligations: Covered Call Writing in a Nutshell
Covered call writers get paid cash when selling call options. Call buyers pay cash to own the options. This article will highlight the reasons options are bought and sold as it relates to covered call writing. We will use a real-life example with CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), a stock on our Premium Stock Report on […]
REITS: Good Covered Call Writing Candidates? A Real-Life Example with PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust (NYSE: PMT)
REITs (real estate investment trusts) invest directly in income-producing real estate and is traded like a stock. In September 2019, Clifton wrote to me about PMT inquiring if it would make a viable covered call writing candidate. He pointed out that this security offered an 8.5% annualized dividend yield. To evaluate, we will examine the […]
Comparing ITM Calls and OTM Puts in Bear Markets
Covered call writing and selling cash-secured puts are both outstanding low-risk strategies that can outperform the overall market on a consistent basis. I am on record as favoring covered call writing in normal to bull markets and include put-selling in bear markets. In normal to bull markets, covered call writing gives us the flexibility to […]
Making Money with Technology Stocks: Investing with QQQ
The exchange-traded fund (ETF) that has appeared most frequently in our premium member ETF reports is Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ). This fund consists of 100 of the largest non-financial companies (predominantly technology companies) that trade on the NASDAQ exchange. As of June 2019, the top 3 holdings in QQQ are Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN) […]
Delta as the Sole Criteria for Covered Call Writing Strike Selection
Strike selection is the second required skill when writing covered call options or selling cash-secured puts. Over the years I have been asked to suggest a specific Delta for strike selection implying that this statistic would be the sole criterion to determine strike determination. This article will make a case why Delta, although important, should […]
Rolling Deep OTM Puts to a Higher Strike: A Viable Mid-Contract Strategy?
After selling an out-of-the-money (OTM) cash-secured put and then stock price accelerates substantially, the put value will decline. Share price and put value are inversely-related. This allows us to take advantage of our 20%/10% put-selling guidelines exit strategy discussed on pages 141 – 143 of my book, Selling Cash-Secured Puts. With this exit strategy, if […]
Can We Manage Our In-The-Money Strikes to Create a No-Risk Investment Strategy?
Covered call writing is a low-risk cash-generating strategy. It is not a no-risk strategy. As we become educated and master the 3-required skills (stock selection, option selection and position management), it is understandable why BCI members try to figure out strategies that can convert low-risk to no-risk. Here is a common inquiry I receive from […]
Podcast
- 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
- 94. Covered Call Writing Net Debit Limit Orders
- 93. WHEN CALL STRIKES MOVE DEEP ITM EARLY IN A CONTRACT
- 92. Selling Deep OTM Cash-Secured Puts to Create High-Probability Returns
- 91. Portfolio Overwriting Analyzed
- 90. Entering a Collar Trade
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