When The Out Of The Money Covered Call Writing Strategy Fails Miserably
Many websites and e-books on investment training strategies promise you incredible things. Writing Covered call options on stock is one of the most popular trading strategies taught today. These websites promise that you can earn up to 10% monthly returns using that very strategy. Sound good? Read on.
I will be the first to admit that selling out-of-the-money covered calls can bring lucrative monthly returns under the right circumstances. This strategy has been successfully used by me. However, this strategy is not without its disadvantages. The public has not been properly educated by the website and e-book marketers. They market this strategy as conservative with little risk. They leave you holding the bag when it all goes wrong.
When the stock market is rising in value selling out of the money covered calls works well. Additionally, when the stock market is neutral (not going up or down by any meaningful amount), this strategy also works well. Please tell me when the last time was that the stock market remained neutral for any length of time?
The current market seems to be bouncing all over the place. The Dow frequently moves as much as 200 points either way in a single day. This is not an ideal market for an out of the money covered call writer. Your profits will start to evaporate once the stock you are holding starts to decline. Believe me, those profits can evaporate very quickly. I have seen the value of a stock drop from $10 to $1 over night! An option sale will never yield enough premium to cover that kind of a loss.
The key to out-of-the-money covered call writing is to select stocks that will get called. Too many advocates of this strategy do not want the stock to get called. They want you to keep the stock so you can sell a covered call option on it the next month. This is a flawed strategy. You need to select stocks that are trending up in value, hence, a rising market. Those are the stocks that will maximize your profit. If the stock gets called, I know I ended up making my maximum anticipated return.
What if the stock shoots way up in value? If the stock shoots up through the strike price and remains there at expiration, it simply gets called away. Isn't that what you wanted to begin with? You may think you left money on the table by not being able to participate in those gains. If that upsets you then just buy the stock outright and don't sell covered call options on that stock. Instead, let the stock get called away and take your profit for the month. Then look for another stock to buy and sell calls on for the next month.
Remember, you can create an excellent source of income selling out of the money covered calls in a rising stock market. However, the stock market we find ourselves in today is less than ideal for this strategy. There are other strategies, however, that offer significant protection in a declining or volatile stock market. - 23208
I will be the first to admit that selling out-of-the-money covered calls can bring lucrative monthly returns under the right circumstances. This strategy has been successfully used by me. However, this strategy is not without its disadvantages. The public has not been properly educated by the website and e-book marketers. They market this strategy as conservative with little risk. They leave you holding the bag when it all goes wrong.
When the stock market is rising in value selling out of the money covered calls works well. Additionally, when the stock market is neutral (not going up or down by any meaningful amount), this strategy also works well. Please tell me when the last time was that the stock market remained neutral for any length of time?
The current market seems to be bouncing all over the place. The Dow frequently moves as much as 200 points either way in a single day. This is not an ideal market for an out of the money covered call writer. Your profits will start to evaporate once the stock you are holding starts to decline. Believe me, those profits can evaporate very quickly. I have seen the value of a stock drop from $10 to $1 over night! An option sale will never yield enough premium to cover that kind of a loss.
The key to out-of-the-money covered call writing is to select stocks that will get called. Too many advocates of this strategy do not want the stock to get called. They want you to keep the stock so you can sell a covered call option on it the next month. This is a flawed strategy. You need to select stocks that are trending up in value, hence, a rising market. Those are the stocks that will maximize your profit. If the stock gets called, I know I ended up making my maximum anticipated return.
What if the stock shoots way up in value? If the stock shoots up through the strike price and remains there at expiration, it simply gets called away. Isn't that what you wanted to begin with? You may think you left money on the table by not being able to participate in those gains. If that upsets you then just buy the stock outright and don't sell covered call options on that stock. Instead, let the stock get called away and take your profit for the month. Then look for another stock to buy and sell calls on for the next month.
Remember, you can create an excellent source of income selling out of the money covered calls in a rising stock market. However, the stock market we find ourselves in today is less than ideal for this strategy. There are other strategies, however, that offer significant protection in a declining or volatile stock market. - 23208
About the Author:
Marc Abrams Is A Certified Public Accountant With Over 15 Years of Financial And Investing Experience. Visit Marc's Website at http://www.rebuildingmyfuture.com To Learn More About Writing Covered Calls In Today's Stock Market
posted by X - Men @ 3:44 AM
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