Weekend Portfolio Analysis (04-27-2013)

SPX went from 1555.25 to 1582.24 this week for a very decent +1.74% and boy oh boy, the market proves once again how much it loves to go against what the majority thinks.

June 2013 SPX Iron Condor

With 8 weeks to expiration, an SPX 1430/1435/1660/1665 Iron Condor was sold yesterday (Friday April 26) for 0.80 credit as follows:

BUY 4 SPX 1430 Put @4.70
SELL 4 SPX 1435 Put @5.00
SELL 4 SPX 1660 Call @3.10
BUY 4 SPX 1665 Call @2.60

Closed May 2013 RUT 855/850 Bull Put Spread

The Put side of the May RUT 850/855/1000/1005 Iron Condor was closed today.

Just closed Rut 855/850 bull put spread for .20 debit. Balancing portfolio risk.wouldn't have closed if it was the only trade in portfolio
— The Lazy Trader (@lazytrading) April 24, 2013

Weekend Portfolio Analysis (04-21-2013)

April expiration is now in the past and it resulted in a decent month for the model portfolio (+4.09% before commissions). The two remaining positions (SPX 1445/1450/1610/1615 Iron Condor and the SPX 1440/1445 Bull Put spread expired worthless for full profit on Friday morning and the focus now shifts to May expiration.

May 2013 $SPX Credit Put Spread

Today I entered an SPX 1445/1440 Bull Put Spread for 0.50 using May expiration options

Sold $Spx May 1445/1440 Credit put spread for 0.50. 29 days to expiraton
— The Lazy Trader (@lazytrading) April 18, 2013

Weekend Portfolio Analysis (04-13-2013)

The markets (SPX) went from 1553.26 to 1588.85 this week for a solid +2.29%. We're back around the top of the range, and the market is still defying skeptics. Me among them, although I stopped selling close to at the money Bear Call Spreads back in February for good.

TastyTrade - truly changing financial education

Note: This article was written in April 2013 when I had been watching the show for less than a month. For a more in depth review describing and analyzing both good and bad points please visit tastytrade - an unbiased review, my comprehensive article after watching the show for two years.

If you haven't watched an episode of TastyTrade, take your time and take a peek. TastyTrade runs a live show everyday during market hours and they have become something like a permanent radio station I listen to while I work. Because I can't watch the show, as I work in an open office concept, at least I get to listen to the show on my head phones all day long and boy oh boy do they make my day better.

Update: You may also want to read my second review of TastyTrade two years after this first one

Weekend Portfolio Analysis (04-07-2013)

SPX went from 1569.18 to 1553.28 this week for a small loss of -1.01%. There was a decent downside move on Friday that bounced off of the lower end of the up trend channel beautifully. It would have been a nice opportunity to sell a Bull Put Spread and I had 1430 in my mind as the short strike, but as many others, didn't enter expecting more downside.

New auto-trade platform for Forex traders provided by myfxbook.com

Today, myfxbook announced the release of a new auto trade service where Forex traders can follow other traders' strategies and mimic their trades. According to the article the service looks very promising and seems to really deal with most problems that other similar services have had over the years.

May 2013 $RUT Iron Condor

The first trade of the May 2013 expiration cycle was entered today during afternoon hours

$Rut 850/855/1000/1005 iron condor entered for 0.85 credit. May 2013 expiration
— The Lazy Trader (@lazytrading) April 1, 2013