Friday, November 29, 2013

First Live Trade

After about two months of testing in demo/paper account, I finally executed my first live trade using real money.  Instead of Equity/Stock Option, I traded Futures Option instead, specifically E-mini S&P 500 Futures Options (Symbol: ES)

There are many reasons why I choose ES over Stock Option.  Firstly, this is the Futures that I am trading daily.  I am looking at the chart, the numbers, everyday.  I am familiar with ES characteristic: what is the usual range, what is the support and resistance, etc.

Secondly, ES is traded almost 24 hours.  This solve the problem I have with US Stock Option.  To execute a trade for US Stock Option, I need to start trading at 9.30pm.  With Daylight saving now, it is 10.30pm.  I am not a night person.  Trading at that late hours didn't get my full attention, focus or energy.

Thirdly, ES has high liquidity, thus spread is narrow.  It also has both End-of-month and Weekly options.  There are many expiration dates you can choose.

Let me start with some guideline for Selling Put Spread first:

1. Expiration : up to one month
- as a seller of Put Spread, time decay is helpful to my position
- i want to give the party on the other side of this trade (buyer) as little time to be right as possible

2. Strike Price : OTM at support/resistance
- for a Short Put Spread to make maximum gain (the full credit received), I need the price to stay above the higher Strike price.
- the current price can go down a bit as long as it stay above the higher Strike price at expiration, we get to keep the full credit.
- so, I need to give the underlying asset some room to move up & down, but not below the higher Strike price
- therefore, the higher Strike price will be at strong support level.

3. Premium/Yield : 10%-20%
- for a 10 points (ES is price in points instead of dollars.  Each point is $50) spread, I need to get at least 1 point in premium
- I got this guideline/idea from a book, "Options made Easy" by Guy Cohen
- I will need to revisit this guideline as this is very different from Futures/Forex trading Risk:Reward ratio.  For 10% premium yield, it is basically risking 10 points ($500) for 1 point ($50) reward.  Risk:Reward ratio is 10:1.  This is really bad for Futures/Forex trading.  We would normally want to risk $1 to get $2 or $3 reward.

Let's look at some charts to help determine what Put Spread to sell.

This is ES monthly chart as at 1-Nov.  It is a clear uptrend since 2009 bottom.  It is up all time high.


This is ES weekly chart as at 1-Nov.  Again, a very clear uptrend.  The range of each week movement is about 40 points in the middle, with a high of about 80 points.



This is ES daily chart when I open my First Option position on 1-Nov.









Strike Price : OTM at support/resistance
- As you can see from the chart, the first support is 1726.75, that is about 28 points away from the current 1754.75.  It is too close for me to consider.  A weekly movement of 40 points could easily hit pass this first support.
- I wanted a safer support at 1640, which is >110 points away.
- Or at least at the support at 1700, which is 54 points away.  It is a second last swing which I think it should hold.

Expiration : up to one month And Premium/Yield : 10%-20%
- At 1640, I cannot find a premium that meet the guideline above.  That is to say, I cannot even get 10% yield with up to one month expiration.  Not attractive at all.
- I found one at 1700/1690, with expiration on 22-Nov, less than 1 month.  1 point premium with 10 point spread.




This is my trade on 1-Nov.







This is the daily chart as at 22-Nov.  Price didn't even fall below the first support line 1726.76.  It went all the way to 1736.50 before bouncing off.  This will add lots of stress for me if I really sell the Put Spread at 1725.  So, 1700/1690 Put Spread is easier to manage, at least for first trade.  But, of course, I will get a higher premium if I sold the 1725/1715 Put Spread.





This is at Expiration on 22-Nov.  So, no commission.



This is the Profit & Loss on 22-Nov.  $471.60, after commission.








Biweekly Review

Missed last week review.  This is more a Biweekly Review

Trade 1 : Buying Put Option - KO NOV2013 40 Put and KO DEC2013 40 Put

Didn't stay up to close the position on Monday.  Instead close the position on Tuesday.





















Unrealized P&L ($):
As at 04-Oct : 355 (Nov: 240; Dec: 115)
As at 11-Oct : 157 (Nov: 134; Dec: 64)
As at 18-Oct : -100 (Nov: -70; Dec: -30)
As at 25-Oct : -56 (Dec: -56)
As at 08-Nov : -128 (Dec: -128)

Realized P&L ($):
KO 16NOV13 40.0 Put : $236.46 - $343.13 = $-106.67
KO 21DEC13 40.0 Put : $92 - $212.07 = $-121.13


On hindsight, it was a poor trade management that turn profit into a loss.


Trade 2 : Selling Naked Put Option - ASML DEC2013 87.5 Put and ASML Vertical Spread DEC2013 87.5/85 Put

Naked Put was close on the same Tuesday, taking a loss of $-191.96.  





I continue to keep the Vertical Spead.  It has a little profit now as the price bounced off from the support at 86.96.







Monday, November 11, 2013

Weekly Review

Missed last week review.

Trade 1 : Buying Put Option - KO NOV2013 40 Put and KO DEC2013 40 Put

For the past 2 weeks, KO has been ranging around 40.00.  And it seems that 40.00 will hold.  As such, I will close the remaining Dec position when market opens on Monday.



























Unrealized P&L ($):
As at 04-Oct : 355 (Nov: 240; Dec: 115)
As at 11-Oct : 157 (Nov: 134; Dec: 64)
As at 18-Oct : -100 (Nov: -70; Dec: -30)
As at 25-Oct : -56 (Dec: -56)
As at 08-Nov : -128 (Dec: -128)

Realized P&L ($):
KO 16NOV13 40.0 Put : $236.46 - $343.13 = $-106.67


Trade 2 : Selling Naked Put Option - ASML DEC2013 87.5 Put and ASML Vertical Spread DEC2013 87.5/85 Put

The Pin Bar didn't work out.  ASML after 1 week of failing to move above 95.00, fell sharply to 87.37, near support of 87.00.  Will close out the Naked Put Option when market open on Monday.  

Will hold the Vertical Spread to test out the effect of maximum loss of Vertical Spread if ASML falls below 85.