Several months ago I purchased Gilead Sciences (GILD) in my married put Fusion account. This is an investor war story about this position and some lessons I’ve learned as a result of doing a regular quarterly review of my holdings. But before I get into the lessons learned, I need to share some background information that led up to the purchase in the first place. During the December 2015 to January 2016 time period the entire Biotechnology sector was under pressure and most stocks in the sector declined. But February 2016 brought some stability and consolidation. During the February to March period, volatility declined, Bollinger Bands narrowed, and MACD turned positive. I thought, It was clearly time to consider
Tag: trading plan
5 Keys to a Successful Option Spread Trading Plan
The key is likely to first develop a trading plan for your spread positions in conjunction with the tools on PowerOptions. A trading plan may consist of: What are my goals for monthly or annual income? What exposure am I willing to risk in the market? Should I look for lower probability trades with a higher return, or higher probability trades with a lower return and higher risk vs. reward ratio? What is most important in your trade selection: The underlying security? Minimum option premium? Volatility? % Return or % Annualized Return? % Probability? Difference in strike prices (risk on the trade) Time frame for an open position (weeklies vs. standard expiration). Detailed Exit Strategy, including what is an acceptable loss vs. management techniques in various situations. This may sound like a lot to cover but once you map out a trading plan the pieces will fit together regarding: What…