Terry's Tips Stock Options Trading Blog

The 9 actual portfolios carried out by Terry’s Tips are having a great 2017 so far. Their composite value has increased 23.8% for the year, about 4 times as great as the overall market (SPY) has advanced.

The basic strategy employed by most of these portfolios is to bet on what the company won’t do rather than what it will do. Most of the time, that involves picking a blue chip company that you really like, especially one paying a large dividend, and betting that it won’t fall by very much. You don’t care if it goes up or stays flat. You just don’t want it to fall more than a few points while you hold your option positions.

Today, I would like to offer a different kind of a bet based on what a popular company might not do. The company is Tesla (TSLA), and what we think it will not do is to move much higher than it is right now, at least for the next few months.

Terry

How to Make 27% in 45 Days With a Bet on Tesla

Tesla is a company which has thousands of passionate supporters. They have bid up the . . .

One of my favorite option plays is to pick a company I like (or one that several people I respect like) and place a bet that it will at least stay flat for the next few months. Actually, most of the time, I can find a spread that will make a great gain even if the stock falls by a few dollars while I hold the spread.

Today, I would like to share an investment we placed in a Terry’s Tips portfolio just yesterday. By the way, this portfolio has similar spreads in four other companies we like, and it has gained over 20% in the first two months of 2017. We have already closed out two spreads early and reinvested the cash in new plays. The portfolio is on target to make over 100% for the year (and it is available for Auto-Trade at thinkorswim for anyone not interested in placing the trades themselves).

Terry

How to Make 50% in 5 Months With Options on Celgene

Not only is CELG on many analysts’ “Top Picks for 2017” list, but several recent Seeking Alpha contributors have extolled the company’s business and future. One article said “Few large-cap biotech concerns have a clearer earnings and revenue growth trajectory over the next 3-5 years than Celgene.”

Today I would like to share an idea that we are using in one of our Terry’s Tips’ portfolios. We started this portfolio on January 4, 2017, and in its first six weeks, the portfolio has gained 30% after commissions. That works out to about 250% for the whole year if we can maintain that average gain (we probably can’t keep it up, but it sure is a good start, and a positive endorsement for the basic idea).

Terry

Using Investors Business Daily to Create an Options Strategy

IBD publishes a list which it calls its Top 50. It consists of companies which have a positive momentum. Our idea is to check this list for companies that we particularly like for fundamental reasons besides the momentum factor. Once we have picked a few favorites, we make a bet using options that will make a nice gain if the stock stays at least flat for the next 45 – 60 days. In most cases, the stock can actually fall a little bit and we will still make our maximum gain.

The first 4 companies we selected from IBD’s Top50 list were . . .

About a month ago, I suggested an options spread on Aetna (AET) that made a profit of 23% after commissions in two weeks. It worked out as we had hoped. Then, two weeks ago, I suggested another play on AET which would make 40% in two weeks (ending last Friday) if AET ended up at any price between $113 and $131. The stock ended up at $122.50 on Friday, and those of us who made this trade are celebrating out 40% victory. (See the last blog post for the details on this trade.)

Today, I am suggesting a similar trade on Apple (AAPL). It offers a lower potential gain, but the stock can fall in price by about $9 and the gain will still come your way.

Terry

An Update on Our Last Trade and a New One on AAPL

This trade on APPL will only yield about 30% after commissions, and you have to wait six months to get it, but the stock can fall over $8 during that time, and you would still make your 30%.

Ten days ago, I sent you a note showing how you could make 23% on an options spread on Aetna (AET) if the stock closed at any price above $118 today. Back then, it was trading at $122.67. The day is not yet over right now, but AET is trading at $122 with an hour to go until closing, so it seems safe to say that the 23% will be enjoyed by everyone who placed the trade.

Today, I would like to suggest another trade on AET that will end two weeks from today. It will make 40% on . . .

?We are always on the lookout for unusual option prices that might indicate a better-than-usual investment opportunity. I would like to share one of those recent opportunities with you, one I personally acted on and passed on to Terry’s Tips subscribers last Saturday. It involves the venerable insurance company, Aetna.

Terry

An Interesting Short-Term Play on Aetna (AET)

This week, we are looking at Aetna (AET), a health care benefits company. If you check out its chart, you can see that it does not historically make big moves in either direction, especially down:

Today, we set up a new portfolio at Terry’s Tips that I would like to tell you about. It is our most conservative of 9 portfolios. It consists of selecting 5 blue-chip companies which pay a dividend between 2% and 3.6% and which appear on at least two top analysts’ “top 10” lists for 2017. This portfolio is designed to gain 30% for the year, and we can know in advance exactly what each of the 5 spreads will make in advance. For most of these companies, they can fall by 10% over the course of the year and we will still make our 30% gain.

We are also repeating our best-ever offer to come on board before January 11 rolls around.

Terry

How to Make 30% on 5 Blue-Chip Companies in 2017 Even if They Fall by 10%

The spreads we are talking about are vertical put credit spreads. Once you have found a company you like, you select a strike price which

To celebrate the coming of the New Year I am making the best offer to come on board that I have ever offered. It is time limited. Don’t miss out.

Invest in Yourself in 2017 (at the Lowest Rate Ever)

The presents are unwrapped. The New Year is upon us. Start it out right by doing something really good for yourself, and your loved ones.

The beginning of the year is a traditional time for resolutions and goal-setting. It is a perfect time to do some serious thinking about your financial future.

I believe that the best investment you can ever make is to invest in yourself, no matter what your financial situation might be. Learning a stock option investment strategy is a low-cost way to do just that.

As our New Year’s gift to you, we are offering our service at the lowest price in the history of our company. If you ever considered becoming a Terry’s Tips Insider, this would be the absolutely best time to do it. Read on…

This is the time of the year when everyone is looking ahead to the New Year. The preponderance of economists and analysts who have published their thoughts about 2017 seem to believe that Trump’s first year in the oval office will be good for the economy and the market, but not great.

Today I would like to share an option trade I have made in my personal account which will earn me a 40% profit next year if these folks are correct in their prognostications.

Terry

Last week, in one of our Terry’s Tips portfolios, we placed calendar spreads with strikes about $5 above and below the stock price of ULTA which announced earnings after the close on Thursday. We closed out our spreads on Friday and celebrated a gain of 86% after commissions for the 4-day investment. It was a happy day.

This week, this portfolio will be making a similar investment in Broadcom (AVGO) which announces earnings on Thursday, December 8. I would like to tell you a little about these spreads and also answer the question of whether calendar or diagonal spreads might be better investments.

Terry

Comparing Calendar and Diagonal Spreads in an Earnings Play

Using last Friday’s closing option prices, below are the risk profile graphs for Broadcom (AVGO) for options that will expire Friday, December 9, the day after earnings are announced. Implied volatility for the 9Dec16 series is 68 compared to 35 for the 13Jan17 series (we selected the 13Jan17 series because IV was 3 less than it was for the 20Jan17 series). The graphs assume that IV for the 13Jan17 series will fall from 35 to 30 after the announcement. We believe that this is a reasonable expectation.