SteadyOptions is an options trading forum where you can find solutions from top options traders. Join Us!

We’ve all been there… researching options strategies and unable to find the answers we’re looking for. SteadyOptions has your solution.

Managing Risk For More Than One Position


Delta (positive or negative) tells us which way we want the underlying to go to make money. Delta applies to single positions but also to the whole portfolio. When Managing our portfolio from a macro perspective, Delta is probably our main risk exposure. It is important to manage the portfolio delta to limit directional risk.

This trader is short two put spreads. One in YHOO (Jul 23/24) and the other in RUT (Jul 920/925). These positions began as iron condors and the calls were covered at a cheap price. "I’m not sure of what I should do. When adding these two positions together, the ‘portfolio’ is too delta long for my comfort zone."

=== RUT ===
I could offset the positive delta of the put-spread by shorting another call-spread. But that is somewhat inconsistent with my belief that I should initiate positions with at least two-months expiry. What would be more consistent is if I closed the put-spread and opened another Iron-Condor with a later expiry. The only thing is that in order to exit at break-even… This is somewhat expected as the volatility conditions for this trade were less than favorable.

Another option would be to roll-down the put-spread. This would reduce the amount of positive-delta, but still leave the portfolio with positive delta. I guess I will be looking to exit the RUT put-spread today. [Note: Position was closed @ 1.20]

My response:

 

Be careful about measuring portfolio delta. One RUT deltas is much more significant than one YHOO.
 

a) Delta is the change in value for an option when the underlying moves ONE POINT. One point for YHOO is a big move. One point for RUT is insignificant.


b) The YHOO spread is only one point wide and the max price for the spread is $100


c) The RUT spread is 5 points wide and the max loss is $500 (less credit collected)


d) Delta is a good guide for current (imminent risk), and the risk graph shows how bad things can get when such and such happens. But as to your comfort zone, the RUT position is far more ‘dangerous’ because more cash is at risk and RUT will move many more points than YHOO on almost every trading day.


e) Also consider that RUT is 40 points OTM. I am not suggesting that this is ‘safe’ but the question is: how do you feel about it? If this makes you nervous, yes, do exit. Especially today with a small market bump and a small IV decrease (RVX is -.77 as I write this).

Image result for delta options

Adjustments

Yes, selling another call spread is a viable adjustment. It is one way to maintain delta neutrality. However, when a trader looks at the current market, it is very difficult to sell call spread now that the DJIA has declined by more than 500 points in the past two days. The ‘best’ time to sell that call spread is immediately after covering your previous short spread. But selling another call spread is not for everyone. This is a difficult decision and I cannot offer guidance. For my trading, I do occasionally sell another spread after covering, but most of the time I do as you did: nothing.
 

There is a world of difference between initiating positions and adjusting positions.

  • When initiating a new trade, you have the ability to wait until conditions suit your needs. There is no urgency. You can easily satisfy that need for a minimum of two months.
     
  • Adjusting requires a very different mindset. Your objective when adjusting is to reduce risk. NOW. It is not to make more money from the trade. It has nothing to do with future profits. It is only about one thing: recognizing that this trade has gone awry and you want to give yourself the best opportunity to stop the bleeding. Primary goal: make the position less risky, reducing the immediate cash at risk. Secondary goal: Create a position that you want to own (do not blindly adjust and hope for the best) and which gives you a good (this is where your judgement comes into play) chance to make money from THIS POINT. Do not worry about past losses. Do not trade to recover those losses. Trading to get back to even is a losing mindset. Traders make plenty of poor decisions trying to recover losses.
     
  • Closing the put spread and opening another iron condor is a good idea. But ONLY when
     
  1. You do not allow the idea of ‘break even’ to be part of the decision. Please take my word for this. I know what it is like to roll the old position into a new one, choosing the new position based on its price (in other words, paying zero debit or collecting a cash credit for the roll), giving myself the chance to earn my original profit target – if only the new spread would expire worthless. When the market is trending this style of trading is financial suicide. Be willing to take the loss and independently find a suitable new position.
     
  2. You want to exit the current position because it is not one you want to own.
     
  3. The new iron condor is one that fits your trading criteria. Far too often traders make this ‘roll’ just to do something. Do not fall into that trap.
     
  4. You understand that doing this is two separate decisions. Close when you believe that is best. Open a new trade when you find a good one. Do not feel you must open that new trade at the same time the old one is closed. Yes – I know the need to get a new position so you can recover losses. Nothing wrong with wanting that new trade. Just make it a good one and do not allow the thought of getting back your money be part of the decision process.

Yes, rolling down the put spread is viable, when two conditions are met.

  1. The cash debit required is not more than you are willing to pay
  2. The new position is one that you want to own.

The important point of this post is that one YHOO delta is not the same as one RUT delta.

What Is SteadyOptions?

Full Trading Plan

Complete Portfolio Approach

Real-time trade sharing: entry, exit, and adjustments

Diversified Options Strategies

Exclusive Community Forum

Steady And Consistent Gains

High Quality Education

Risk Management, Portfolio Size

Performance based on real fills

Subscribe to SteadyOptions now and experience the full power of options trading!
Subscribe

Non-directional Options Strategies

10-15 trade Ideas Per Month

Targets 5-7% Monthly Net Return

Visit our Education Center

Recent Articles

Articles

  • Retirement Strategies for Senior Citizens to Grow and Protect Their Wealth

    Retirement is a time of life that many people look forward to, but it requires careful planning and preparation. One of the most important aspects of preparing for retirement is calculating your retirement needs and starting to save early. In this section, we will discuss some key points to consider when planning for your retirement.

     

    By Kim,

    • 0 comments
    • 443 views
  • Seagull Spreads

    A seagull spread involves adding an additional short option to a vertical debit spread to reduce the net debit paid, often enabling you to enter a trade for zero cost. The name is derived from the fact that the payoff diagram has a body and two wings, imitating a seagull.

    By Pat Crawley,

    • 0 comments
    • 4,749 views
  • The Options Wheel Strategy: Wheel Trade Explained

    The “wheel” trade is variously described as a beginner’s strategy, a combination to exploit features of both calls and puts, and as “perfect” solution to the well-known risks of shorting calls, even when covered. The options wheel strategy is an income-generating options trading strategy that both beginners and experienced traders can leverage for profit.

    By Pat Crawley,

    • 0 comments
    • 4,234 views
  • Covered Calls Options Strategy Guide

    Covered calls have always been a popular options strategy. Indeed for many traders, their introduction to options trading is a covered call used to augment income on an existing stock portfolio. But this strategy is more complicated, and riskier, than it looks.

    By Chris Young,

    • 0 comments
    • 514 views
  • How Options Work: Trading Put And Call Options

    Learning how options work is a key skill for any trader or investor wanting to add this to their arsenal of trading weapons. It’s really not possible to trade options well without having a thorough grounding of the mechanics of what these derivatives are and how they work.

    By Chris Young,

    • 0 comments
    • 703 views
  • Protective Put: Defensive Option Strategy Explained

    The protective put (sometimes called a married put) strategy is one of the simplest, but most, popular, ways options are used in the market. Here we look at this defensive strategy and when and how to put it in place. Options provide investors and traders with an extremely versatile tool that can be used under many different scenarios.

    By Chris Young,

    • 0 comments
    • 926 views
  • The Surprising Secret to Proper Portfolio Diversification Revealed

    During a discussion about my trading system, the question arose regarding the ability to exit positions entirely and mitigate substantial drawdowns during a crash-style event. This particular circumstance has caused concern about the effectiveness of the trading method. The common response to such concerns is often centered around the concept of maintaining a properly diversified portfolio.

    By Karl Domm,

    • 0 comments
    • 1,712 views
  • Options Trading Strategy: Bear Put Spread

    Options can be an extremely useful tool for short-term traders as well as long-term investors. Options can provide investors with a vehicle to bet on market direction or volatility, and may also be used to collect premiums. A long options position is simple to use, and has defined risk parameters.

    By Chris Young,

    • 0 comments
    • 1,654 views
  • Market Chameleon Trial Offer

    We are pleased to announce that Market Chameleon is offering SteadyOptions members a 2 week free trial for their premium tools. Market Chameleon is a premier provider of options information, using both stock fundamentals data as well as options analytics to provide better insight for those who wish to make informed investment decisions.

     

    By Kim,

    • 0 comments
    • 1,792 views
  • Where Should You Be Investing Your Money?

    Everyone should be investing. After all, there’s no better way to increase your retirement savings and boost your spending power than by putting your money to work. Many people believe that investing is something that only wealthy people or financial experts can do, but that’s not the case.

    By Kim,

    • 0 comments
    • 1,648 views

  Report Article

We want to hear from you!


There are no comments to display.



Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account. It's easy and free!


Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.


Sign In Now

Options Trading Blogs Expertido