Trades for May 9, 2017

$SBUX shares got called away this morning at $57.5 strike ($SBUX closed at $60.98 and ex-dividend today).  I was previously assigned 100 share @ $55.5.  I made 3.6% on this trade.  

Earning Release Gamble: $NVDA opened a risk reversal combo
+1 May12 114 CALL
-1 May12 94 PUT
Paid debit of 0.07

Set limit order for $CBRL @ $165.  Got filled today.  I made 2.5% on this trade.  

Buy to close $LVS 
+1 May19 56.5 PUT
Received credit of 0.60 less debit of 0.29.  I made 51.6% on this trade.

Trades for May 8, 2017

$AMZN Bear Call Spread

-10 May12 970 CALL
+10 May12 975 CALL
Received credit $220. 
*Quick trade, 4 days to expiry.  Do not want $AMZN over $970.  $AMZN closed @ $949.04.  I'm already down $155 on this trade at day's end.  I will have to monitor this closely and cut my losses if $AMZN spikes upwards.

$BMY Covered Call
-1 May12 56 CALL
Received credit $28.  
*Got assigned at $55 on Sept 30, 2016.  Cost basis is $53.30 after selling puts/covered calls previously.  Looking to exit to lower margin use.

$GILD Covered Call
-1 May19 68 CALL
Received credit $48.  
*Got assigned at $70 on March 17th.  Cost basis is $67.89 after selling puts/covered calls previously.  Looking to exit to lower margin use.

$FB Bull Put Spread 
-10 May12 148 PUT
+10 May12 145 PUT
Received credit $220. 
*Quick trade, 4 days to expiry.  Do not want $FB under $148.  $FB closed @ $151.06.  I'm up $65 on this trade at day's end.

$V Bull Put Spread
-10 May19 90 PUT
+10 May19 87.5 PUT
Received credit $220.
 *11 days to expiry.  Do not want $V under $90.  $V closed @ $91.92.  I'm down $18 on this trade at day's end.

Expiring Options for May 5, 2017

Option	Accounts (Position)
AAPL 05MAY2017 135 PUT	(2)
AAPL 05MAY2017 140 PUT	(-2)
GILD 05MAY2017 72 CALL	(-1)

My options expired worthless.  

$AAPL traded well above $140 per share after their earning report.  I chickened out and cancelled my 3x2 other contracts last Friday when they did not fill.  I left off $210 from that trade, but I collected $146 in premiums minus $5.14 in commission.

$GILD traded well below $72 after their earning miss.  I was hoping to get rid of my shares, but $GILD lives another day in my portfolio.  I collected $42 in premium minus $1.10 in commission.

The commission per contract were higher than usual.  I can never tell... it all depends on the route of the bid/ask.  

Credit Spreads

Credit spread, involves a purchase of one option and a sale of another option in the same class and expiration but different strike prices. Investors receive a net credit for entering the position, and want the spreads to narrow or expire for profit.

$MA and $NFLX were opened on April 27th.  $AAPL was opened on April 28th.  

$NFLX, this is my first time trading Iron Condor.  In order for me to keep my premiums, $NFLX has to be in the range of $140-165.  Currently it is trading at $152.20 as of April 29th.  

$MA, this is a bull put spread.  In order for me to keep my premiums, $MA has to be trading above $100.  Currently it is trading at $116.32 as of April 29th.  

$AAPL, this is a bull put spread.  The range is tighter than what I like it to be at, but I'm looking for a quick trade here with time decay accelerating fast into next week.  In order for me to keep my premiums, $AAPL has to be trading above $140.  Currently it is trading at $143.65 as of April 29th.  

Q1 Update of Stock Additions

2017 has been a more active year than last for sure.  Here is my quarter one update on my stock additions throughout my accounts:

Account	Ticker	Q1 Gain/Loss %
RRSP	SRU.UN	1.59%
TFSA	EMA.TO	3.73%
TFSA	FTS.TO	7.74%
TFSA	RPI.UN	19.28%
MARGIN	PTM.TO	-17.20%
MARGIN	CBRL	-0.50%
MARGIN	GILD	-2.07%	ASSIGNED @ $70
MARGIN	KR	-4.35%	ASSIGNED @ $31
MARGIN	SBUX	8.22%	ASSIGNED @ $55.50
MARGIN	SKT	-5.46%
MARGIN	TEVA	-9.77%	ASSIGNED @ $35

Over the past few months, I've been selling a lot of puts for extra income on the side in my margin account.  However, if the stock price goes below your strike price, you will get assigned 100 shares of each contract you sell.  I've been assigned on four stocks thus far.  When I get assigned shares, I usually sell cover calls to try to get rid of the stock.  

Current short options on assigned stocks (multiple of 100):

GILD May5 CALL @ $72 - Collected $0.41

KR May19 CALL @ $32 - Collected $0.20

SBUX May19 PUT @ $52.50 - Collected $0.74

SBUX May19 CALL $57.50 - Collected $0.49

TEVA May19 PUT $32.50 - Collected $1.33

TEVA May19 CALL $35 - Collected $0.22

Since, I've been assigned shares, my USD cash is in the negative of $12.5k.  $SBUX will most likely be called away by May19.  $GILD is climbing closer, but they are due to report earnings on May 2nd.  This can go either way.  I am hoping $GILD will beat so I can lower my margin and risk factor.

Expiring Options for April 21, 2017

All of my options for April 21, 2017 expired 'worthless', that's great since I sold calls and puts.  Mid morning, $IMO was trading just below my strike price of $40 and I did not want to get assigned shares, so I closed it early.  Later half of the day, $IMO soared back up above $40.  Doh, I could have made $10 more on that trade, but I had to head out on Friday for lunch and shopping and didn't have time to monitor the trade close to end of trading day.

Realized $342 CAD and $74 USD in premiums for April 21, 2017.

Option	Accounts (Position)
BMY 21APR2017 59.5 C	(-1)
CGX 21APR2017 48 P	(-1)
DOL 21APR2017 98 P	As always, I just watch it go up and up. (-1)
GILD 21APR2017 70 C	(-1)
IMO 21APR2017 40 P	(-1)
PEY 21APR2017 25 P	(-1)
RCI.B 21APR2017 54 P	(-1)

Canada's Big Three Telecom Comparison

Tax season is upon us.  This forces me sift through my trades for the year.  There were a few stocks that were bought in previous tax years, so I have to go back and find my average cost.  Over the years, I've traded brokerages like I have done so with my stocks.  I have lost track of my initial investments.

I used to buy bigger blocks than I do now.  I was fearless... then somewhere along the line, I got scared and started doing smaller trades as time went on.  I held a lot of good stocks back in the day and yet, my lack of patience got the better of me.  

Anyways, let's do a comparison on Canada's big three telecoms.  I used to own $RCI.B (200 shares) many years ago, but I sold them out for a few hundred bucks in profit.  If I only kept it, I'd be in much better shape than holding $T.TO (100 shares) that I currently hold in my RRSP for the past 1 year+.  Who are the leaders in each industry?  Who are best at retaining customers?  How are they growing their revenues?  

RCI.B +13.24%- 1yr 
T.TO +2.92%- 1yr
BCE.TO -0.35- 1yr

But when you compare them all in the five years time span, they all were pretty much on par with each other growing approximately 49%.  Patience wins over short term trading, unless you can pick winning trades after another.

Over trading can sure damper your gains.  If I had just held all the quality stocks I had bought over the years, I'd be in much better shape.  

We have had a great bull run for the past 8 years.  People have been calling for a market crash for a while now... it has yet to materialize.  But I would be cautious in adding positions at this level in case of an upcoming correction.  Take your profits and wait for the dips.