Options Bootcamp 27: Calendar Spreads, the Sequel
Mail Call: So many questions, so many answers.
- Question from Alpha_Dog - Let's say I buy the Ford August Week 1 17 call, and then sell the July Week 4 17 call for a $.07 debit. How does that position make money? I don't get it. Don't both calls make/lose money as the stock goes up and down?
- Question from Nevin Pierce - What is more important when trading time spreads - gamma or vega? Is vega the source of profit and gamma the source of risk, or vise-versa? How do I profit of vega without a corresponding large move that ends up costing me more with the gamma? Please help options drill instructors! I'm in over my head!
- Question from Tim Nettles - I am confused about time spreads. I don't really get how they work and how I'm supposed to view them. For example, in the XYZ July/Aug 50 call example cited my Mark Longo - what do I do after the July leg expires? Should I consider that or should I close out the whole position prior to July expiration? What if I was using the short leg to finance a longer term speculative play? Wouldn't it make sense then to leave the second leg on beyond the expiration of the first leg?
- Question from Ron Yueravich - On July 22, in FB, I will buy one Aug 23 put for $.32 and sell one weekly Week 1 July 26 call for $.16. I plan to sell the following after the short side expires - sell two Aug next week puts and then nine Aug 23 puts again. What do you think about this plan on Facebook? I feel there will be a little weakness in the stock before it climbs any higher. Thanks.
- Question from Mikos V - For John Critchley on Options Boot Camp - Does SOGO have any plans to alter the way they handle the margin for short time spread, to avoid the issue you cited where they are margined the same as naked short positions? This seems to waste a lot of capital and provide a disincentive to traders to take on these positions. Is there any way to provide better margin treatment, at least while the first leg of the trade is still active, or is that limited to portfolio margin clients only?
- Question from Emily Duncan, Fairfax, VA - So let me see if I have this straight - If I buy the Facebook Aug 26 call for $1.25, and I sell the July Week 4 26 call for $1.05. I've net paid a $.20 debit for a one month calendar spread. If Facebook rallies to 28 by expiration this week, I will have lost roughly $1 on my July calls and made about $.80 on my Aug calls. So I pretty much would have broken even, or am I completely off-base with my understanding of how this spread works?
- Question from Tim Anders - So if I have no bias and expect no movement, I should buy a time spread to profit from decay in the first month. Why not just short front month instead and save the hassle?
