Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sold MAXY, bought ROIC
Bought ROIC for $10.88
Sold MAXY for $5.10
Remember, MAXY spun off CDXS, which I sold.
Sold MAXY for $5.10
Remember, MAXY spun off CDXS, which I sold.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Risk vs. volatility
I consider "risk" to be the possibility of losing capital. Volatility is fluctuation in value. Risk should be avoided; volatility can bring opportunities.
Bought HEK calls
Bought HEK Sep 17 $2.50 calls for $3.83. The stock is currently trading for $6.28. If exercised, these calls would make HEK 4% of my portfolio at a net buy price of $6.33. The net buy price is about the same as it would be if I bought it now, but my investing has a more defensive posture right now and this strategy reduces my risk exposure. That is, is HEK drops to zero I will have lost "only" $3.83 per share rather than $6.28.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Hedging with a put spread on IWM
I bought Aug3011 $81 strike puts on IWM for $5.81, then sold twice as many Aug2011 $72 puts on IWM for $2.93. That is, I bought the right to sell IWM for $81, and sold my promise to buy twice as much IWM for $72. The two dollar amounts cancel one another; this position was started as a hedge against a drop in IWM.
IWM is the Russell 2000 index. It was at $82 when I made this trade.
So, if IWM declines $10 per share (12%) I will be obliged to buy it at $72. At that point, the $81 puts I bought will be profitable.
If IWM rises above $81, the puts I bought will be worthless--but they would cost me nothing because the purchase of the $81 puts for $5.81 would be covered by the puts I sold for $5.86 (2 * $2.93).
If IWM ends between $81 and $72, the puts I sold will expire unexercised. The puts I bought will have a value which will vary according to the market price.
Keep in mind that I'm on the hook to buy IWM at $72. I initiated this position only because I'm willing to own this amount of IWM at this price. The purchase would also be subsidized by the value of the $81 puts I bought (if IWM drops enough that the $72 puts are exercised by the buyer, I will be able to sell half as many shares at $81 due to the puts I bought).
IWM is the Russell 2000 index. It was at $82 when I made this trade.
So, if IWM declines $10 per share (12%) I will be obliged to buy it at $72. At that point, the $81 puts I bought will be profitable.
If IWM rises above $81, the puts I bought will be worthless--but they would cost me nothing because the purchase of the $81 puts for $5.81 would be covered by the puts I sold for $5.86 (2 * $2.93).
If IWM ends between $81 and $72, the puts I sold will expire unexercised. The puts I bought will have a value which will vary according to the market price.
Keep in mind that I'm on the hook to buy IWM at $72. I initiated this position only because I'm willing to own this amount of IWM at this price. The purchase would also be subsidized by the value of the $81 puts I bought (if IWM drops enough that the $72 puts are exercised by the buyer, I will be able to sell half as many shares at $81 due to the puts I bought).
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
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