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发表于 2011-4-16 12:47 AM
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How to Sell Covered Call?
Someone ask me how to sell covered call. As this question has general meaning, many people may have same question, so I post here with more detail answers, Hope this will help.
Q:
Ask a dumb question: how to apply "covered call"? from where broker? Thanks in advance.
A:
1. First you need to apply option trading capability in your account from your broker or trading firm. Sell covered call is the lowest level in option trading and has the least risk comparing other option tradings.
2. Option is the proxy of stock, it is a right to buy/sell certain stock in certain time period at fixed price. ( Strick Price)
To sell covered one call you should have at least 100 shrs underline stock. One call contact represents 100 shrs stock. One call contract means you have the right to buy 100 shrs of the stock in certain time frame at fixed price.
Sell covered call is just opposite of buying call.
By selling a call contract to a buyer, you have the obligation to provide 100 shrs of underline stock in certain period of time at fixed price. Since you already have underline stock, so your sold call is "covered" by your stock.
If you do not have stock, you still can sell call, but the call you sell is "naked" meaning the call does not has underline stock to cover. If buyer want to use his/her call contract to buy stock, you have to buy stock from market and provide these shares to the buyer at pre-defined price. ( or contact price.) For example. You sell a $50 August call of ABC stock at $2 and stock price is also $50 at the time. 10 days after you sell the call, the stock price went up to $60, the buyer has the right to buy 100shrs ABC stock from you at $50 regardless current stock price. You have to buy 100 shrs of ABC from market and deliver those shrs to the buyer at $50/shr That is dangerous if you are not seasonal trader.
3. After you done 1 and 2, you are ready to sell covered call. There are two parts to decide call price: 1)Intrinsic value 2) Time value which also related to Implied Volatility (IV) of the stock.
1) Intrinsic value: example: stock price is $50, for $45 call has $5 intrinsic value. (50-45=5)
2) Time value: The longer time period of contract contain, the higher time value of contract will have. Example: stock price is $50, For $50 call, there is no intinsic value but only the time value. August $50 call price is $2, so the time value from now to 8/15/08 (OE day) is $2. For Sep. $50 call it cost $3.
You can sell 1 August $50 call and get $2. By 8/15/08, if stock still has price $50 or under, you get $2 as the call contract expired worthlessly. Since you still own the stock, you can sell next month call again.
The IV plays important role in option price. High IV means stock price moving very quick in either direction. High IV generate high time value of the stock option.
For the covered call seller, the best time you sell the covered call is when IV has spike and option become very expensive. Seller has good chance to get profit. For the buyer, just do opposite of it, buy option when IV is low.
Normally, sell next month covered call is the best interest of seller. Because option time value decay within 30 days increase exponentially.
To calculate option price is rather complex, Fortunately there is a Option Price Calculator which can help you to get estimate option price. (Check end of this post.)
SKF August 170 Call this Morning when stock price at $147
4. Something you should know about selling covered call.
Selling covered call is not risk free operation, in general there are two risks involved in this strategy:
1) If stock fall sharply after you sell covered call, you can not cut loss by selling the underline stock.
2) If stock up significantly after you sell covered call, you can not sell the stock before OE to lock in the profit.
It is not suitable for downside protection, since the premium is limited. For those stocks which has singnificant down side risk, this strategy is not suitable.
It is also not suitable for the stock which has significant upside potential in near term, become it locked up underline stock until OE. Share holders could miss good profit opportunities.
This strategy is suitable most for those stocks which moving in a range and having a positive slop in general.
附：
Option Price Calculator:
http://www.hoadley.net/options/optiongraphs.aspx?divs=Y |
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发表于 2011-4-16 12:38 AM
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