Options Bootcamp 6: Complex Spreads

Options Bootcamp 6: Complex Spreads

Basic Training: Today we're going to dive into complex spreads. What are complex spreads? We're usually talking multi-leg spreads. Calendars are when you buy and sell a call/put at the same strike price, but in a different month. Diagonals, a combination of a vertical and horizontal spread, can be a proxy to a covered call. The concept of the ratio, 1-to-1 on a simple spread, but you can play with the ratio. A stock repair strategy using diagonals, ratio risk reversals and collars.Roll Call: Mark and Dan sit down with Craig Pinkston, Senior Director of Operations at Zecco.Mail Call: Does the Theta decay occur just at open/close or is it a gradual decay throughout the day?

read more

Options Bootcamp 6: Complex Spreads

Basic Training: Today we're going to dive into complex spreads. What are complex spreads? We're usually talking multi-leg spreads. Calendars are when you buy and sell a call/put at the same strike price, but in a different month. Diagonals, a combination of a vertical and horizontal spread, can be a proxy to a covered call. The concept of the ratio, 1-to-1 on a simple spread, but you can play with the ratio. A stock repair strategy using diagonals, ratio risk reversals and collars.Roll Call: Mark and Dan sit down with Craig Pinkston, Senior Director of Operations at Zecco.Mail Call: Does the Theta decay occur just at open/close or is it a gradual decay throughout the day?

read more

Option Block 160: Blue Horeshoe Loves Option Block

Trading Block: Greek pro-bailout ruling was not exactly the boon the markets expected. Spanish load concerns still weighing on the market. Almost like a post-earnings throughout the market with vol coming in across the board. NAHB housing index of homebuilder sentiment highest in five years, but still below 50. The Supreme Court may rule whether Congress has the power to require people to buy health insurance. According to the bets, there’s a 68 percent probability that the law’s individual mandate will be ruled unconstitutional in 2012. Facebook reversed the trend of past week and finally closed upsize. Microsoft's secret Window 8 tablet – the new iPad killer? Odd Block: Interesting and unusual activity in Harman International Industries (HAR), Molina Healthcare Inc. (MOH), and W.R Grace (GRA).Listener Question: The dying breed of floor traders.Around the Block: With Greece in the rear view window, and Facebook rallying, we're watching S&P and gold. The VIX may be headed to 17 or lower.

read more
Volatility Views 58: Cracking the Bond Code

Volatility Views 58: Cracking the Bond Code

Volatility Review: NASDAQ realized volatility makes a slight upward move, and until we get any evidence to the contrary, this action will likely continue.Volatility Viewpoint: Today's guest is Dr. Madhu Kalimipalli, Associate Professor of Finance and Director of the Financial Services Research Center at the School of Business at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Crystal Ball: Greek elections on Sunday. Could send us off in any direction. The movement of volatility will creep back up to normal levels again.

read more
Volatility Views 58: Cracking the Bond Code

Volatility Views 58: Cracking the Bond Code

Volatility Review: NASDAQ realized volatility makes a slight upward move, and until we get any evidence to the contrary, this action will likely continue.Volatility Viewpoint: Today's guest is Dr. Madhu Kalimipalli, Associate Professor of Finance and Director of the Financial Services Research Center at the School of Business at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Crystal Ball: Greek elections on Sunday. Could send us off in any direction. The movement of volatility will creep back up to normal levels again.

read more

Option Block 159: The 1-3.5-6 Ratio Condor Swap

Trading Block: News is out that the central banks are trying to make a coordinated effort to help out Greece after the elections. Commodity rundown – open quota unchanged. Fallout for Apple after WWDC. Nokia down 15% on news of slashing 10,000 more jobs – down 50% since April. Is this the beginning of the end for Nokia? Will Microsoft buy them? Is this another Motorola? Odd Block: Interesting and unusual activity in Tenet Healthcare Corp. (THC) and Safeway, Inc. (SWY). Xpress Block: John Grigus is back at sits down in the OX hot seat to discuss a Nasdaq/OMX memo about starting a Facebook member accommodation program. Tomorrow is expiration. Around the Block: Remember, this is expiration week! We'll have to see what happens to Nokia. Greece, Spain, Greece, etc.

read more
Volatility Views 57: Turning the Tables on Mark Sebastian

Volatility Views 57: Turning the Tables on Mark Sebastian

Volatility Review: VIX is back this week, after it ended unchanged at 0.0 before last week's Option Block episodes. Time will tell as we see what happens in Europe. NASDAQ one- and three-month realized volatility has had almost no movement at all, but the trend is surely upward.Crystal Ball: We'll have to keep an eye on Europe, but expect little change in realized volatility. There will be a break in S&P in one direction or the other. Volatility Viewpoint: Long-time panelist Mark Sebastian gets the chance to sit in the guest's seat and discusses what Option Pit is and the world of options education. Mail Bag: Answering listener questions.

read more