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.

NikTam

CML TradeMachine Trade Ideas

1,717 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

I just got stop-lossed out of SQM for 16% loss.  You said it moved around a lot!  I thought I had my S-L set for 25% but obviously not....

I may get back in if I see a reversal.  But I can see this likely to be a very short-term kind of relationship!

Edited by NikTam

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
54 minutes ago, NikTam said:

I just got stop-lossed out of SQM for 16Stocks are like people% loss.  You said it moved around a lot!  I thought I had my S-L set for 25% but obviously not....

I may get back in if I see a reversal.  But I can see this likely to be a very short-term kind of relationship!

I apologize. I wish your first experience with this had turned out with a profit. You can see what happened.

I caught a big fish early on, so I obviously have fond feelings for it, because those are very easy to work with.

But, I did warn you that , as you can see from the bigger picture, that runaway part of the bull mkt had stopped a few weeks ago.

This is always the tough time because you don't know if it is a pause, before  a resumption....or, is this a top.

I also got chopped up many times during these past few weeks.

But, even during this non ideal period, it is especially important to never chase this particular stock.

It has a strong tendency to have large spikes, in both directions, that are immediately reversed, at nearly some point everyday.....especially in the first 5-10 minutes of the day.

You did the right thing when you bought on a big enough pullback, and you didn't chase the market....but , it pulled back just enough more to stop you out.

Stocks are like people...they have very unique personalities, and you have to develop a longer term relationship with them to be able to know (as best as you can) how they will be most likely to behave in different conditions.

I dumped all of my Nov stuff today.

Then bought some Dec on the way down.

I'm still holding  those, plus the Jan that I already had.

K was a happy surprise for me today.

 

  • Upvote 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 minutes ago, siddharth310584 said:

Wasn’t the entry for tomorrow ?

Yes, the entry is for tomorrow at the close. I believe it is 7 days before earnings... 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
14 minutes ago, NikTam said:

BOT CSCO 35/36.5 (40/20 delta) vertical @.34  This is 7 day pre-earnings momentum trade.

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109154321_1k1RoF28IxKYQUK7

 

Also looking to get into AMAT --same as above

 

In CSCO as a long 35 long call at .47. We can use this as an A/B test of sorts. 

 

Are you still in NVDA?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, Sirion said:

In CSCO as a long 35 long call at .47. We can use this as an A/B test of sorts. ?

 

Are you still in NVDA?

What do you mean by A/B

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Just now, cuegis said:

What do you mean by A/B

A/B testing is running two different options simultaneously in order to see which one performs better. It's often used in marketing, such as presenting a two different versions of a website randomly to 50% of the population in order to see which one gets better desired results (ad clicks, longer stay, purchases).

 

Just now, NikTam said:

@Sirion I exited NVDA yesterday morning at about BE.  

 

2017-11-09_9-56-19.jpg

Good choice. :|

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
33 minutes ago, NikTam said:

Yes very glad to be out -- with NVDA the lack of enthusiasm so close to earnings made me nervous. 

Good stock for day trading :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, NikTam said:

AMAT 57/59.5 vertical filled at .75 -- expected move fits this spread

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109150809_ClqyXzTempJRiV8i   This is the long call, I went with vertical.  Results are similar.

I made the decision today that, for at least now, SQM has topped out.

I'm out until I see what develops. If that even , ever happens.

But, they do hold most of the lithium of anyone major players in the market so, that should be kept in the back of ones mind.

But, it offers no help with regard to timing!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, NikTam said:

AMAT 57/59.5 vertical filled at .75 -- expected move fits this spread

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109150809_ClqyXzTempJRiV8i   This is the long call, I went with vertical.  Results are similar.

I believe the basic premise that Opheir offered for the bullish earnings trades was that the overall market is bullish and some of these stocks noticeably exhibit bullish behavior running up to the earnings. However, this week has been filled with corrections and that is showing up on the the various bullish positions that had perfect records over the last couple of years. I am on the fence on whether to get long calls for AMAT or not... anyway, I have till just before end of trading today... which is really the official entry point for the cmlviz trades. 

Thank you again for starting this thread and sharing your ideas.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I took the bait... a very small allocation for Nov 17 57 Calls at 1.15... I waited to see the MACD crossover in the intraday charts and rolled the dice... 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree - it's obvious that this is a bull market strategy.  What is needed is a short-term bear market hedge position that's not too expensive.  Short the QQQ?  the SPY?  (Buy puts)  Would have to match up long call positions with appropriate index.

Edited by NikTam

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
26 minutes ago, NikTam said:

I agree - it's obvious that this is a bull market strategy.  What is needed is a short-term bear market hedge position that's not too expensive.  Short the QQQ?  the SPY?  (Buy puts)  Would have to match up long call positions with appropriate index.

The few straddles I have are a hedge but I am net delta positive. If you consider my IRA and 401K, I am almost 100 positive delta... as is most of the investing public :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

 

So this hedge would cost $295 to recover a maximum of $1215.  Assuming the QQQ would accurately inversely track a portfolio of long calls and long call verticals -- naturally it would need to be a NQ portfolio of long calls and long call verticals.  This could be a week-long position and covers a 2% bear move (153 - 150 = 3   3/153 = 2%)

Looking back over past 6 months, 2% down-moves over 5 day periods are very common.

 

 

Edited by NikTam

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, NikTam said:

 

So this hedge would cost $295 to recover a maximum of $1215.  Assuming the QQQ would accurately inversely track a portfolio of long calls and long call verticals -- naturally it would need to be a NQ portfolio of long calls and long call verticals.  This could be a week-long position and covers a 2% bear move (153 - 150 = 3   3/153 = 2%)

You might want to black out your account number and buying power just to be on the safe side.

Edited by Djtux
  • Upvote 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
26 minutes ago, NikTam said:

So this hedge would cost $295 to recover a maximum of $1215.  Assuming the QQQ would accurately inversely track a portfolio of long calls and long call verticals -- naturally it would need to be a NQ portfolio of long calls and long call verticals.  This could be a week-long position and covers a 2% bear move (153 - 150 = 3   3/153 = 2%)

Looking back over past 6 months, 2% down-moves over 5 day periods are very common.

@NikTam  Is it your real account, or paper trading?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is a different strategy -- Selling a put spread and holding for about 30 days.  Entry would be tomorrow.  Very high success rate in all time frames.  Still a bullish strategy, but more of a just-hold-it's-own expectation and let theta work for you.  Definitely a longer commitment.  

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109225714_A1YyLM7i2G6feJt6

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

And here's another example:  AAPL.  I tweaked the entry to 8 days after earnings (instead of standard 2 days) which would be tomorrow, and results still very good.

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109231832_0gp061q4Iu1WQeUY

You could reinforce this trade -- or manage it if adverse conditions persist -- by buying shorter term (weekly) puts.  Right?  

 

MRK -- just took a huge tumble.  http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109232535_gEVZqHqUqFvL6uKj  Entering 14 days after earnings.

 

INCY -- 100% across the board. http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109233739_h6DjZ9s66gJ3B2bx  Entering 10 days after earnings (tomorrow).

 

 

 

Edited by NikTam

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@NikTam Thank you for highlighting those put credit spreads done post earnings... If one is bullish in the medium term, then these corrections provide a great opportunity to enter those bullish put credits at better prices. 

A few more for possible entry tomorrow...

HUM 11-0

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=s_0_20171108181514_65Qx9zgBHv8o4lB8

LVNTA 10-1

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=s_0_20171108094135_RPoHsjCzwyGkaJqY

SYY 10 -1 (Changed entry 3 days after earnings, and it still works)

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109235953_AK2aeYiEih0iIeTs

TM 10 -1 ( I changed the entry and exit days, and it still works)

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171110000253_80Gwmc7NZjQG8zF7

 

Even look at NVDA... even though it PE call trade was a bust... (entry a couple of days later)

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109000648_cfX53QgCvNwGEkAf

 

I am tempted... 

Edited by Maji

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, NikTam said:

And here's another example:  AAPL.  I tweaked the entry to 8 days after earnings (instead of standard 2 days) which would be tomorrow, and results still very good.

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109231832_0gp061q4Iu1WQeUY

You could reinforce this trade -- or manage it if adverse conditions persist -- by buying shorter term (weekly) puts.  Right?  

 

MRK -- just took a huge tumble.  http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109232535_gEVZqHqUqFvL6uKj  Entering 14 days after earnings.

 

INCY -- 100% across the board. http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109233739_h6DjZ9s66gJ3B2bx  Entering 10 days after earnings (tomorrow).

@NikTamAll these trades are selling 30 delta puts and buying 10 delta puts, and they have great win-loss percentages over the last few years.    But..... they are all quite bad from a risk/reward perspective with many of the trade iterations showing losses of 6x the credit received on a big gap downward.   So, if you were to have one big loss due to a big market drop it would take many winning trades to make up for one losing trade.   Selling low delta credit spreads does look enticing because of the high win-loss percentage, but you just have to experience on big loser on a big gap downward to realize that these great win-loss percentages don't matter so much when you have a huge loss and it will take many winning trade to make up for that one loss.    I experienced this first hand many years ago when I first started trading options, and I learned the risk vs reward lesson the hard way.  IMO, when selling credit spreads, better to do so with a better risk/reward setup even if it means having more losses.   Remember the SO RIC earnings trades of last year with a risk/reward setup similar, but not quite a bad as these?   There were more winning trades than losing trades, but one or two big losers dwarfed all the smaller% winning trades and made the sum of these trades a big loser.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@Yowster  I certainly see your point.  The risk reward is typically 2:1 on these -- not great.  What if we bought a front month put to hedge a bearish downtrend?  Now the risk reward is closer to a 1:1 -- with upside on both extremes.  This is a 4:1 ratio of 8 short PCS verticals to 2 long puts,  but the long puts would expire along the way.  And buying more than one would further erode the premium of the longer term PCS.

Put Credit Spread + Long Put in front month.PNG

Edited by NikTam

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The main assumption to the CML trades in general is that a bull market continues -- because a 3 year (or even 5 year) period is based on that recent history.  That's not so crazy for shorter term strategies, but to tie up money for a month on that assumption -- maybe not such a good idea?  I'm cooling off on the put credit spread strategy.  (However, some of these back-test very well even for two week period).  But the party could end tomorrow if the tax reform act goes down in flames -- or NK goes up in flames.

Bottom line:  I really like the 1-2 day profitable trades.  And the Pre-Earnings Momentum trades have gone that way fairly often according to my spreadsheet.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@NikTamMy comment had nothing to do with bull market or bear market, it was purely based on risk vs reward.  When I followed your CML backtest links, I see trade iterations collecting credits of 1.00 on spreads of width 7.00 - so risking $6.00 to make $1.00.   Or collecting credits of 1.50 on spreads of width 10.00 - so risking $8.50 to make $1.50.  So the risk vs reward is somewhere between 5:1 and 6:1 (I'm not sure where you are getting the 2:1 that you mentioned).   Multiple things can cause big gaps down in stock price, overall market big downturn, analyst downgrade, etc - and a big gap down will cause you to lose a lot more than the credit you collected.   My point is that you cannot look simply a win-loss percentages on these low delta credit spreads trades because one significant loser can wipeout gains of many winning trades.

 

Regarding the 1-2 day profitable trades - these are great if they perform as planned and we certainly have been in a long term bull market that should help them.  For myself personally, I try to avoid being too delta positive on my options trades - with a lot of money in 401k being long the market, I don't want my options trading account to be more of the same.  I want to be non-directional with options trades and give them a chance to make money in both up and down markets, knowing that they can make money when other long market accounts decline.   This is not a knock against making these directional trades, its just my preference to stay non-directional with my options trades (and I think many people were drawn to Steady Options because of the non-directional aspect).

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
24 minutes ago, Yowster said:

@NikTamMy comment had nothing to do with bull market or bear market, it was purely based on risk vs reward.  When I followed your CML backtest links, I see trade iterations collecting credits of 1.00 on spreads of width 7.00 - so risking $6.00 to make $1.00.   Or collecting credits of 1.50 on spreads of width 10.00 - so risking $8.50 to make $1.50.  So the risk vs reward is somewhere between 5:1 and 6:1 (I'm not sure where you are getting the 2:1 that you mentioned).   Multiple things can cause big gaps down in stock price, overall market big downturn, analyst downgrade, etc - and a big gap down will cause you to lose a lot more than the credit you collected.   My point is that you cannot look simply a win-loss percentages on these low delta credit spreads trades because one significant loser can wipeout gains of many winning trades.

 

Regarding the 1-2 day profitable trades - these are great if they perform as planned and we certainly have been in a long term bull market that should help them.  For myself personally, I try to avoid being too delta positive on my options trades - with a lot of money in 401k being long the market, I don't want my options trading account to be more of the same.  I want to be non-directional with options trades and give them a chance to make money in both up and down markets, knowing that they can make money when other long market accounts decline.   This is not a knock against making these directional trades, its just my preference to stay non-directional with my options trades (and I think many people were drawn to Steady Options because of the non-directional aspect).

Always remember, the market always factors, into it's pricing, everything that is happening now.

Of course having a potential, theoretical, risk of $8.00, on a $10 wide spread, when the maximum possible gain , could only be $2.00, is being priced that way, based on where the full picture is at, right now.

Anyone would agree that to risk , for example, $8.00, to make,no more than $2.00 is a terrible bet.

But, where we are at now, because of where the market (options pricing) is,the numbers do make sense, if there is a 90% probability of making $2.00, and a 10% probability of losing $8.00.

This is how options pricing has always evolved into where it stands, at any given moment.

This is THE reason for the "extent" of the "contango" pricing in volatility products, as it has stretched itself to at this point.

The market will not allow you to inventory 9.5% VIX in you portfolio, for 1 year, for example.

Because, if you could, it would be a risk free trade.

Because,as we all know, if you could buy 9.5% VIX for 1 year, there absolutely would be many opportunties (even though they may only last 1-4 days), to sell it offat 15%++ at some point....or many times. But, that is the "known/unknown", and that is why there is not only contango but, the contango width, stretches wider, as the market continues to climb.

Edited by cuegis

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I always learn a lot on this site; and yet not quite enough to give me confidence in a particular strategy -- which means I'm just not at that level of competence yet.  And it's not just the strategies but also the access and functionality needed.  Volatility trading is the hallmark of this forum, but I have found it difficult to get competitive fills on multi-legged strategies, especially those with wide spreads - calendars and hedged straddles are often not exactly nimble.  I am not a full-time trader, and I can't be at this point in my life.  So I look for simpler solutions.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
7 hours ago, NikTam said:

This is a different strategy -- Selling a put spread and holding for about 30 days.  Entry would be tomorrow.  Very high success rate in all time frames.  Still a bullish strategy, but more of a just-hold-it's-own expectation and let theta work for you.  Definitely a longer commitment.  

http://tm.cmlviz.com/index.php?share_key=20171109225714_A1YyLM7i2G6feJt6

 

A little while back when I mentioned my trading stats on these CML-based trades, there were several put credit spreads included. Some of the early trades I made were as much as $4 risk for $1 potential gain, but most were closer to $1-$2 risk for each $1 of potential gain. Even the better risk/reward setups didn't seem to do well in real trading. The way I have them compiled, I just don't have time to dig deeper than the summary that my spreadsheet is automatically showing me already. But in case it is of interest: I've traded 14 CML-based post-earnings put credit spreads with 8 winners and 6 losers (backtested results were 10 winners/2 losers or better on all trades), an average loss of 4.8% and avg holding period of 21 days. On the other hand, I've traded 21 pre-earnings calls with 14 winners and 7 losers, an average gain of 9.6% and avg holding period of 5 days. I've also had really poor results with post-earnings Iron Condors (4 / -30.3% / 23) and really good results with both pre- and post-earnings straddles (11 / +18.3% / 12). I'm somewhat inclined at this point to avoid the put credit spreads, but I'm sticking with them at least until the end of the year to get a better idea.

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@greenspan76   Very interesting results - thank you for sharing.  I find it encouraging that your stats on Pre Earnings momentum trades are very similar to my own.  I will update my spreadsheet this weekend and share on this forum.  The results on pre- and post-earnings straddles are great; and I haven't done those yet.  So while the bullish bias persists, I will certainly add those to my trading plan.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, NikTam said:

@greenspan76   Very interesting results - thank you for sharing.  I find it encouraging that your stats on Pre Earnings momentum trades are very similar to my own.  I will update my spreadsheet this weekend and share on this forum.  The results on pre- and post-earnings straddles are great; and I haven't done those yet.  So while the bullish bias persists, I will certainly add those to my trading plan.

Do you find your candidates first, strictly from CML,based entirely on "their" parameters, and then look at the charts of each one first to "weed" out, for example, the ones that the charts indicate to have a more bullish pattern when you choose the pre earnings, long delta trades....or any of their trades for that matter?

I have found that the CML machine is very good as a starting point. Just to bring things to my attention that I would otherwise never have found on my own.

Then, I do my own , additional analysis from there, to see if there are any (IMO) jewels, that are really worth doing.

Maybe , only following CML completely on it's own, is not the best way to use it.

Maybe it can be improved upon by further screening from you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@cuegis like you I use CML as a starting point.  I find candidates using the Trade Machine then screen them using my own charts and indicators.  With an eye on liquidity, spreads, open interest, etc. and past experience with a stock, if any.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 minutes ago, NikTam said:

@cuegis like you I use CML as a starting point.  I find candidates using the Trade Machine then screen them using my own charts and indicators.  With an eye on liquidity, spreads, open interest, etc. and past experience with a stock, if any.

Some options that appear, at first glance,to be very illiquid (crazy bid/ask), upon further examination, and testing, on your own, with 1 lot orders, end up being very easy markets to consistently get good fills in.

Then there are others, that appear to be illiquid,and really are.

Don't alway's immediately assume that something is illiquid because, at first glance, you are seeing crazy wide bid/asks.

There are so many pre earnings calandars, that we have done here, for example, where the spread was like $1.10/$2.30, and then you bid $1.15 and are instantly filled.

You have to do further examination, with 1 lot orders to see which are the good ones.

A good starting point, obviously, would be if the underlying is very liquid.

  • Upvote 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 10/31/2017 at 2:13 PM, krisbee said:

iteration 2: closed for appx 15% profit in less than 1 day. worked as mentioned in above link.

 

 

 

Edited by krisbee

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Is that IB's TWS you are using?

It's what I use but, your's looks slightly different......

Hey, maybe it's a good idea to keep your account number blacked out.

I think someone else did this yesterday.

With IB's stealth security measures, I don't even know if anyone could do anything, even if they did get hold of your acct. number.

Edited by cuegis

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 minutes ago, cuegis said:

Is that IB's TWS you are using?

It's what I use but, your's looks slightly different......

Hey, maybe it's a good idea to keep your account number blacked out.

I think someone else did this yesterday.

With IB's stealth security measures, I don't even know if anyone could do anything, even if they did get hold of your acct. number.

Yes, I'm using IB TWS. It's Trade log window. we can see last 7 days of trade in it, quick way to check P/L than thru website.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 minutes ago, krisbee said:

Yes, I'm using IB TWS. It's Trade log window. we can see last 7 days of trade in it, quick way to check P/L than thru website.

That's interesting,because I look at the "Trade Log" section many times everyday, and mine looks very different than yours.

I almost thought you were using TOS!

Edited by cuegis

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

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

  • Similar Content

    • By Kim
      Before ever entering a trade, we need a plan. For example, we want to know whether we should avoid earnings, or trade with earnings. Knowing where to place a stop loss, and even a limit gain. Knowing which strike to trade. Knowing whether to trade the monthly or weekly options.

      But it even goes further – even if we know which direction we think the stock will go – do we sell puts or sell a put spread? Do we buy calls or a call spread? Should we be net owners or sellers of volatility? Has there been measurable edge in the trade in the past, or not?

      This is how people profit from the option market — it’s preparation, not luck.

      All of these questions were designed to be answered with the CMLviz Trade Machine, which is an option back-tester created by Capital Market Laboratories (CML). I have been in the same circle as this company’s founder for years.

      CML is in fact a member of the famed Thomson First Call roster. Their research sits side-by-side with Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Barclays and the rest of the bulge bracket banks, but they have a different goal: To break the information asymmetry that exists between the top 0.1% and the rest.

      To learn more about the product, you can tap on the link below. You will see a 4- minute video demonstration. I think, for many of you, it will become a valuable tool to supplement your trading and the analysis that Steady Options provides.

      Tap Here to Watch the Video and Sign Up

      P.S. Our members know that I rarely promote other products. But this one really got me excited. I encourage you to give it a try. They plan tons of additional functionality in the upcoming months, including custom strategies to trade around earnings which can be a great benefit for us.
       
      CMLviz Trade Machine is constantly adding new features, and the price will be increasing as new features are added. Those who sign up are grandfathered at the price they signed up even as the prices increase.
    • By Kim
      Couple of weeks ago, the CML published an article The Volatility Option Trade After Earnings in PayPal Holdings Inc.

      The setup was:

      "The week following PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) has had one fairly consistent pattern -- volatility. If we take a myopic view after looking at the last three-years and focus on the last six-months, that pattern is yet more decisive. Irrespective of whether the earnings move was large or small, if we tested waiting one-day after earnings and then holding a long out of the money (40 delta) strangle for one-week (using two-week options), the results were quite strong. This trade opens one-day after earnings were announced to try to find a stock that moves a lot after the earnings announcement."

      If we bought the out-of-the-money strangle in PayPal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PYPL) over the last three-years but only held it after earnings we get these results: 
       
      PYPL
      Long out-of-the-money strangle   % Wins: 64%   Wins: 7   Losses: 4   % Return:  174%  Tap Here to See the Back-test

      The backtest also defines very clear rules for the trade:

      * Open the long out-of-the-money (40 delta) strangle one-calendar day after earnings.
      * Close the strangle 7 calendar days after earnings. 
      * Use the options closest to 14 days from expiration (but more than 7 days). 
       
      On July 25, I posted the link to the PYPL potential trade on the forum:
       


      On the next day I posted my entry:



      Please note that this trade didn't make it into the official model portfolio due to higher potential risk - hence I mentioned "small allocation only".

      The next day, some of the members started posting their exit prices:





      I was out a day later for 27% gain:



      Some members did even better:



      And finally an interesting comment from another member:



      Those are real trades, from real traders, posted in real time. 

      Attention tastytrade: Buying premium does work - you just need to know how to do it.

      This is how people profit from the option market. It's not guessing or speculation. Take a reasonable idea or hypothesis, use a rationale system to help overcome cognitive biases, and test it. Tap the link below to learn more: 

      Tap Here to See the Tools at Work 

      When you combine the best options trading community with the best backtester, the results are unbeatable.

      Related articles:
      Lessons From Facebook Earnings Disaster The Incredible Option Trade In VXX Post Earnings Option Trade In Facebook Why We Sell Our Straddles Before Earnings Earnings Momentum Trading In Google
    • By Ophir Gottlieb
      How to Trade Options Before Earnings in Fabrinet (NYSE:FN)
       
        How to Trade Options Before Earnings in Fabrinet (NYSE:FN)
      Date Published: 2017-06-28 

      This article can be seen in a video or as a full written article below the video. 
       

      PREFACE 
      Trading options in Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) using a short window before earnings are released has been a staggering winner over the last several years. 

      This is it -- this is how people profit from the option market. Identifying strategies that are tightly risk controlled, take no stock direction risk and no earnings risk. Strategies that are immune from a bull or bear market. 

      STORY 
      Everyone knows that the day of an earnings announcement is a risky event for a stock. But the question every option trader, whether professional or amateur, has long asked is if there is a way to profit from this known implied volatility rise. It turns out, that over the long-run, for stocks with certain tendencies, the answer is actually, yes. 
        Yes, there is a systematic way to trade this repeating phenomenon, without making a bet on earnings or stock direction.

      THE SET UP 
      What a trader wants to do is to see the results of buying an at the money straddle a couple of weeks before earnings, and then sell that straddle just before earnings. Here is the setup: 
       

      We are testing opening the position 14 days before earnings and then closing the position 1 day before earnings. This is not making any earnings bet. This is not making any stock direction bet. 

      Once we apply that simple rule to our back-test, we run it on an at-the-money straddle: 

      RETURNS 
      If we did this long at-the-money straddle in Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) over the last three-years but only held it before earnings we get these results: 
         
      Click here to see the back-test live

      That's a 162% return over the last three-years, with 9 winning trades and 3 losing trades. But, let's take a step toward risk reduction before we move forward. 

      While we are looking at this same trade, let's also set a rule that if at any point in the two-week period the straddle loses 25% of its value, we just close it and wait for the next pre-earnings cycle. While we're at it, we will do the same with the upside -- that is, if at any time during the two-weeks the straddle goes up 25%, we take the profits and close the trade. 

      For clarity, this is what we test: 
       

      And now we can see the results over the same three-year period: 
         
      Click here to see the back-test live

      While we are taking 75% less risk, we are seeing about the same results -- we will continue down this risk adjusted path for the rest of this dossier. 

      Digging Deeper 
      Now we can see the results over the last two-years: 
         
      Click here to see the back-test live

      That's a 126% return and 7 winning trades with 1 losing trade. Remember, this trade takes no stock direction risk and no earnings risk -- this is completely agnostic to a bull or bear market. 

      Even further, that 126% actually came on just 16 weeks of trading (2-weeks per earnings cycle, 8 earnings cycles), which is over 400% annualized returns. 

      Now we look at the last year: 
         
      Click here to see the back-test live

      We see a 65.2% percent return on 3 winning trade and 1 losing trade. 

      Finally, we can look at the last six-months: 
         
      Click here to see the back-test live

      That's 40.1%, winning both of the last two pre-earnings trades. 

      WHAT HAPPENED 
      This is it -- this is how people profit from the option market. Identifying strategies that are tightly risk controlled, take no stock direction bets or earnings risk. It's preparation, not luck. 

      To see how to do this for any stock we welcome you to watch this quick demonstration video: 
      Tap Here to See the Tools at Work 

      Thanks for reading. 

      Risk Disclosure 
      You should read the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. 

      Past performance is not an indication of future results. 

      Trading futures and options involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation. Only risk capital should be used when trading futures or options. Investors could lose more than their initial investment. 

      Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The risk of loss in trading can be substantial, carefully consider the inherent risks of such an investment in light of your financial condition.
    • By Ophir Gottlieb
      How to Profit from Trading Options in Autodesk Inc Right After Earnings
       


      Date Published: 2017-05-18 
      Written by Ophir Gottlieb 

      LEDE 
      While Autodesk Inc (NASDAQ:ADSK) just crushed earnings again, sending shares soaring in the after hours trade, one option trade after earnings has been a consistent winner. It takes no earnings risk, little stock direction risk and over the last year has never lost while returning over 160% annualized returns. 

      The Trade After the Excitement 
      While most of the focus is on the actual earnings move for a stock, that's the distraction when it comes to the option market. For Autodesk Inc, irrespective of whether the earnings move was up or down, if we waited one-day after the stock move from earnings, and then sold an out of the money put spread, the results were very strong. 

      We can examine this, objectively, with a custom option back-test. Here is our earnings set-up: 
       


      Rules 
      * Open short put spread 1 day after earnings 
      * Close short put spread 29 days later 
      * Use the option that is closest to but greater than 30-days away from expiration 

      Here are the results over the last year: 
       


      That's a 47.3% return, with 4 winning trades and 0 losing trades. The total holding period was less than 4 full months, meaning the annualized return was over 160%. No earnings risk was taken -- this is not a coin flip over earnings. 

      The Logic 
      This strategy works beautifully in many companies where heavy stock volume follows the earnings release. The logic behind this trade follows a narrative that even after a bad earnings release, if we wait a day after, we find the stock at a point of equilibrium. 

      If it gapped down -- that gap is over. If it beat earnings, the downside move is already likely muted. Here's how this strategy has done over the last 6-months: 
       


      That's a 21.3% return, on 2 winning trades and 0 losing trades. Since this is a total of a two-month holding period, that 21.3% is actually over 120% annualized. 

      If you're curious, yes, this also produced positive returns over the last 3-years. Here are those results. 
       


      Now we can find some comfort in this approach where is shows 9 winning trades and just 2 losing trades over the last three-years. 

      WHAT HAPPENED 
      There are patterns to stock behaviors before and after earnings and those patterns reveal opportunities in the option market, without taking the actual risk of earnings. You can find them, stock by stock, Apple, Google, Netflix and of course Autodesk Inc are just a handful of examples. There has been edge here with this strategy. 

      To see how to do this for any stock and for any strategy with just the click of a few buttons, we welcome you to watch this quick demonstration video: 
      Tap Here to See the Tools at Work 

      Thanks for reading. 

      Risk Disclosure 
      You should read the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. 

      Past performance is not an indication of future results. 

      Trading futures and options involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation. Only risk capital should be used when trading futures or options. Investors could lose more than their initial investment. 

      Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The risk of loss in trading can be substantial, carefully consider the inherent risks of such an investment in light of your financial condition. 

      The author has no position in Autodesk Inc (NASDAQ:ADSK) as of this writing. 

      Back-test Link
       
       
       
       
       
    • By Ophir Gottlieb
      How to Trade Options Before Earnings in Broadcom Limited (NASDAQ:AVGO)

       
      How to Trade Options Before Earnings in Broadcom Limited (NASDAQ:AVGO)
      Date Published: 2017-05-15 

      PREFACE 
      Trading options in a short window before earnings are released benefits from the rising implied volatility but avoids the risk into the actual earnings release and also avoids any kind of stock direction risk. 

      This approach has returned a annualized rate of 198%. Now that's worth looking into. 

      STORY 
      Everyone knows that the day of an earnings announcement is a risky event for a stock. This can be explicitly seen in the option market, where the implied volatility (the expected stock move) rises into the earnings event. 

      The question every option trader, whether professional or amateur, has long asked is if there is a way to profit from this known volatility rise. It turns out, that over the long-run, for stocks with certain tendencies like Broadcom Limited (NASDAQ:AVGO) the answer is actually, yes. 
       
      Yes, there is a systematic way to trade this repeating phenomenon, without making a bet on earnings or stock direction.

      THE SET UP 
      What a trader wants to do is to see the results of buying an at the money straddle a few days before earnings, and then sell that straddle just before earnings. The goal, is two-fold: (i) to benefit from that known implied volatility rise, and (ii) to own the straddle for a very short period of time when the stock might move 'a lot,' but taking no earnings bets. 

      If either of those two phenomena occur, there's a very good chance this wins, if neither occur, the amount risked is normally quite small. Here is the setup: 
       


      We are testing opening the position 6 days before earnings and then closing the position 1 day before earnings. This is not making any earnings bet. This is not making any stock direction bet. 

      Once we apply that simple rule to our back-test, we run it on an at-the-money straddle: 

      RETURNS 
      If we did this long at-the-money (also called '50-delta') straddle in Broadcom Limited (NASDAQ:AVGO) over the last three-years but only held it before earnings we get these results: 
       
      Long At-the-Money Straddle * Monthly Options * Back-test length: three-years * Open 6-days Before Earnings * Close 1-day Before Earnings * Holding Period: 5-Days per Earnings   Winning Trades: 5 Losing Trades: 7 Pre-Earnings Straddle Return:  17.1%  Annualized Return:  102% 
      We see a 17.1% return, testing this over the last 12 earnings dates in Broadcom Limited. That's a total of just 60 days (5 days for each earnings date, over 12 earnings dates). That's a annualized rate of 102%. 

      We can also see that this strategy hasn't been a winner all the time, rather it has won 5 times and lost 7 times, but here's the key -- it wins about half of the time, but the average gain per winning trade is substantially larger than the average loss on a losing trade: 
       


      Consistently Successful 
      This idea has also been a successful approach over the last two-years:
      Long At-the-Money Straddle * Monthly Options * Back-test length: two-years * Open 6-days Before Earnings * Close 1-day Before Earnings * Holding Period: 5-Days per Earnings   Winning Trades: 4 Losing Trades: 4 Pre-Earnings Straddle Return:  22%  Annualized Return:  198% 
      Now we see a 22% return, testing this over the last 8 earnings dates which is a annualized rate of 198%. 

      Yet again, we see a trade that wins about half the time, but the average win is much larger than the average loss: 
       


      If you really want to see how we found this, and how to do it for other stocks like Apple, Google and Amazon, here is a 1-minute and 34-second video that every professional option trader would rather that you don't see. 

      Learn more here: Try the Back-tester Yourself

      WHAT HAPPENED 
      There are patterns to stock behaviors before and after earnings and those patterns reveal opportunities in the option market, without taking the actual risk of earnings. You can find them, stock by stock. This is how people profit from the option market -- it's preparation, not luck. 

      To see how to do this for any stock we welcome you to watch this quick demonstration video: 
      Tap Here to See the Tools at Work

      Thanks for reading. 

      Risk Disclosure 
      You should read the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. 

      Past performance is not an indication of future results. 

      Trading futures and options involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation. Only risk capital should be used when trading futures or options. Investors could lose more than their initial investment. 

      Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The risk of loss in trading can be substantial, carefully consider the inherent risks of such an investment in light of your financial condition. 

      Back-test Link
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
       
    • By Ophir Gottlieb
      The Secret Behind Options Pre-Earnings Trading in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC)
       
       
      Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC): The Wonderful Secret Behind Options Pre-Earnings Trading
      Date Published: 2017-05-4

      PREFACE 
      There is a wonderful secret to trading options right before earnings announcements in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) , and really many stocks, that benefits from the rising implied volatility but avoids the risk into the actual earnings release and also avoids any kind of stock direction risk. 

      THE WONDERFUL SECRET 
      What a trader wants to do is to see the results of buying an at the money straddle a few days before earnings, and then sell that straddle just before earnings. 

      The goal, is two-fold: (i) to benefit from that known implied volatility rise, and (ii) to own the straddle for a very short period of time when the stock might move 'a lot,' but never take the risk of actually owning options during the earnings release. 

      If either of those two phenomena occur, there's a very good chance this wins, if neither occur, the amount risked is normally quite small. Here is the setup: 
       


      We are testing opening the position in Intel Corporation 6 days before earnings and then closing the position right before earnings. This is not making any earnings bet. This is notmaking any stock direction bet. 

      Once we apply that simple rule to our back-test, we run it on an at-the-money straddle: 

      RETURNS 
      If we did this long at-the-money (also called '50-delta') straddle in Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) over the last three-years but only held it before earnings we get these results: 
       


      We see a 47.8% return, testing this over the last 12 earnings dates in Intel Corporation. That's a total of just 72 days (6 days for each earnings date, over 12 earnings dates). That's a annualized rate of 242%. 

      We can also see that the win/loss rate is split with 6-wins and 6-losses, yet the return is enormous. That means the winning trades are much larger than the losing trades, which is exactly what a successful trading strategy attempts to do. No magic bullets -- rather smart methodologies for wealth creation. 

      MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE 
      While this strategy is benefiting from the implied volatility rise into earnings for Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC), what it's really doing is far more intelligent. 

      The ideal stocks for this strategy have a couple of common characteristics: 

      (i) The companies rarely pre-announce earnings -- this is an investment that does not look to make an earnings bet, so an earnings pre-announcement is the opposite of what we're hoping for. 

      (ii) The underlying stock price of these companies tend to move a lot (or some) as earnings approach and various institutions and traders shuffle the stock price around in anticipation of the earnings result. The more one sided the outside world starts betting on direction -- up or down, the better it is to own the straddle. 

      WHAT HAPPENED 
      This is it -- this is how people profit from the option market -- it's preparation, not luck. 

      Test the results on Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc, and the results are staggering. 

      To see how to do this for any stock and for any strategy with just the click of a few buttons, we welcome you to watch this quick demonstration video: 
      Tap Here to See the Tools at Work 

      Thanks for reading. 

      Risk Disclosure 
      You should read the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options. 

      Past performance is not an indication of future results. 

      Trading futures and options involves the risk of loss. Please consider carefully whether futures or options are appropriate to your financial situation. Only risk capital should be used when trading futures or options. Investors could lose more than their initial investment. 

      Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The risk of loss in trading can be substantial, carefully consider the inherent risks of such an investment in light of your financial condition. 

      The author has no position in Intel Corporation Inc (NASDAQ:INTC) as of this writing. 

      Back-test Link (does require custom earnings settings).
       
       
       
       
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.