Showing posts with label SPX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SPX. Show all posts

Thursday, July 31, 2014

SPX drop almost 40 points (2%)

S&P 500 (SPX) dropped almost 40 points (39.40), 2% on 31-July.  There are only 4 such big drop in 2014:

  1. 24-Jan (38.17 points)
  2. 3-Feb (40.70)
  3. 10-Apr (39.35)
  4. 31-Jul (39.40)

Monday, March 24, 2014

Money Management Rules

I took the below Money Management Rules from Options Trading IQ Sample Iron Condor Trading Plan.  You need to register/sign up to get the access to the Free Tools/Resource page.

I have made some modification, to be bit aggressive in utilizing the capital for trading.  Not as aggressive as Karen the super trader (she uses up to 70%).


I have not found the VIX equivalent for N225 and K200.  As most of the indices are affected by the SPX (most of the time), I will use VIX as a guide for the time being.


Friday, March 21, 2014

SPX Settlement Risk

SPX close at 1872.01 on Thursday, 20-Mar-14.










If you have a Short Call at 1885 or 1890 with ProbITM of 5.68% and 2.23% respectively (Delta of 0.06 and 0.02 respectively), you would have thought it was quite safe that your Short Call will not be hit or exercised.



However, SPX Settlement Value (SET) is 1893.30 on Friday, 21-Mar-14, despite SPX close at 1866.52.



Both Calls Strike price of 1885 and 1890 are all hit!  Your Call option contracts didn't expire worthless as expected.  They will be exercised!

This is a good real life illustration of Settlement Risk.  To avoid such Settlement Risk, we need to have 50+ points cushion between SPX price and short options's strikes.  Or simply close the position before expiration.  The last few pennies is just not worth the risk.




SPX Contract Spec

Expiration Date:
Saturday immediately following the third Friday of the expiration month until February 15, 2015. On and after February 15, 2015, the expiration date will be the third Friday of the expiration month.

Last Trading Day:
Trading in SPX options will ordinarily cease on the business day (usually a Thursday) preceding the day on which the exercise-settlement value is calculated.

Settlement Value:
Exercise will result in delivery of cash on the business day following expiration. The exercise-settlement value, SET, is calculated using the opening sales price in the primary market of each component security on the last business day (usually a Friday) before the expiration date. The exercise-settlement amount is equal to the difference between the exercise-settlement value and the exercise price of the option, multiplied by $100.