Before implementing a covered call writing strategy, investors need to consider several factors in order to make an informed decision. This final article in a series of four articles on covered call writing will discuss the choice of a strike price for a call option as a compromise between the desired level of protection and...
With interest rates currently at all-time lows, finding ways to generate income in our security portfolios is a challenge. However, the strategy of writing covered call options (WCCO), whether applied systematically or on an ad hoc basis, allows us to generate additional income through the premiums received. This is the third...
Let us say you are willing to sell some securities in your portfolio, or you are considering it. Adopting the covered call writing strategy is like getting paid for making a commitment to sell the securities. This is the second in a series of four articles on covered call writing. It discusses how to use this strategy as an...
Perhaps you would like to start using options, but you do not know which strategy to implement. The simplest and most popular strategy among individual and institutional investors is covered call writing. This article is the first in a series of four articles on covered call writing. It covers the basic features of this...
With interest rates at historic lows, it is unlikely that the Bank of Canada will decide to raise the policy rate anytime soon. But we live in a world that is full of surprises, and things can change quickly. Events with the most unexpected repercussions can and do occur (the current pandemic comes to mind). Who really knows...
The coronavirus crisis seemed to come out of nowhere. It caught retail and professional investors off guard equally. Almost overnight many stocks fell by more than 25%, and although some have managed to recoup their losses over the past few months, many have not. What is an investor to do in such an environment? One could...
Have you ever been in the fortunate position of holding a stock that had rallied a long way, but you were concerned it had gone too far too fast, yet you did not want to sell your position? Or, have you ever thought that the market would go sideways for a while, and you did not expect your stocks to rally? Maybe you have seen...
Just as a follow up to our block trade on Canada Goose Holdings Inc (GOOS) from November 14, 2019, the January 17, 2020 $46 strike call options have expired worthless, since the stock traded out-of-the money at market close. Effectively, we have captured the full option premium of $4.31/share and our cost is now reduced to...
Key facts on covered calls This strategy consists of writing a call that is covered by an equivalent long stock position. It represents a simple way for investors to manage their short-term risk exposure, allowing them to earn premium income (i.e. the money received from writing the calls) in return for part of the stock’s...
Shares in Cogeco Communications Inc. (CCA) were trading at $104.36 at this writing on August 9, 2019, but as the following graph shows, they jumped on July 10 when the company released its latest financial results. After topping out at $107.05 on July 16, prices moved in a relatively narrow corridor of $103.33 to $107.35....