The S&P 500 broke through the recent down trend line this morning, surprising many, including moi, who thought it had reached an overbought resistance point: So is this a breakout or a fakeout? While only time, and the price action, will tell for sure, I took the opportunity to put on a small VIX option […]
I just finished my first full year of trading on this site by closing out my April VIX put spread on the March expiration day. At the time I took the spread off (a little after 1 PM EDT), the VIX was about 23.75: I sold my 10 VIX April $25 puts for $3.60, and […]
The VIX spiked up to 31 at one point today: as the stock markets gave up the remainder of their calendar year 2011 gains: I used this period of turmoil — much of it seemingly rooted in Japan’s nuclear problems following Friday’s earthquake — as the time to switch course yet again, and bet on calmer times […]
With the S & P 500 descending to 1300 this morning (a level right above its 50 day moving average), and then battling to stay there: and the VIX temporarily spiking up near 22: I got what I was looking for and I took the opportunity to close out my open positions in VIX options. […]
Since returning from Tampa, I’ve decided to buy some more time with my conviction that a rise in the VIX is imminent. So I dumped my March $22.50 calls for a break-even trade as soon as I got back, and today I cashed in the April $20 calls for a modest $500 profit. There is […]
Well, I didn’t exactly double a short position, technically put another $1000 into VIX calls. This time I bought 5 of the April 20 calls for $2.00 each. The VIX closed at a low 16.07 today. Previously I picked up some VIX calls expiring in March, so that’s why I consider it doubling up. I […]
So there is rioting in the streets in Northern Africa, and the US market is soaring back to its post-crash highs, and volatility is again shrinking, with the VIX back down to 17.50 today: This is a good opportunity to bet that something — don’t ask me what — will be brewing to spike that […]
Following up on yesterday’s post, I just put on a modest $725 put spread on Baidu, which announces Q4 earnings after the bell today. I am envisioning this as a quicky up or down trade on the Chinese internet search company. I elected to go with the $105-$100 spread, which was executed as follows: Purchased […]
The news that A T & T issued disappointing guidance sent it gapping lower at the open this morning. I didn’t waste any time closing out my put spread for a quick $900 profit. Woulda, coulda, shoulda: I might have done better with a Febraury $29-$28 put spread on Telephone. But I’m not complaining.
Fresh from last week’s options score with AAPL, I decided to put a little bet in the AT&T earnings announcement, before the bell tomorrow morning. With the endless drift-up of the market as a whole, it might be a little crazy, but this is a bearish bet, the T February 28-27 put spread. T closed […]
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