Stock options

Real Estate, Canadian Banks and Downside Risks
March 28, 2018
Risk Management

Real Estate, Canadian Banks and Downside Risks

Patrick Ceresna

I want to take a dive into the most passionately debated issue of a correction in Canadian real estate and the impact on Canadian banks.  The general consensus is that over the long-term home prices will continue to rise and the risks directly to the banks are limited as mortgage default risk predominantly sit with the...

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6 years ago
Writing put options on a support level
March 27, 2018
Bullish Outlook

Writing put options on a support level

Martin Noël

As the following graph shows, the share price of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CM) has been trending downward since the beginning of 2018. When markets closed on Friday, March 23, CM was trading at $114.07. But as we can see, a price range of $112 to $114 has represented a support level from which prices surged twice....

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6 years ago
Strike prices and GPS
March 26, 2018
Concepts

Strike prices and GPS

Montréal Exchange

One day I was driving home after work and I received a call from an old friend, Alex. We started talking about the kids and the wife but, eventually, we ended up talking about the markets. Alex has some knowledge of options, but there was one thing that he didn’t understand. He asked me, “How do you know which strike price...

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6 years ago
Evolution, Revolution or Convolution: The Changing Landscape of Exchange Market Structure in North America
March 22, 2018
Concepts

Evolution, Revolution or Convolution: The Changing Landscape of Exchange Market Structure in North America

Alan Grigoletto

Bill Gates once said, “The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” There is some argument as to which nation created the first exchange....

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6 years ago
Buying Put Options to Hedge Shares
March 19, 2018
Protection

Buying Put Options to Hedge Shares

Martin Noël

As the following graph shows, shares in Waste Connections Inc. (WCN) have been rallying since February 6, 2018, when they bottomed out at $81.52. As I write these lines, WCN is priced at $96.67, up 18.58%. The RSI indicator and stochastic oscillator are now in extreme overbought territory. Even though this is not, in itself, an...

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6 years ago
Understanding Credit Spreads and How They Differ from Debit Spreads
March 16, 2018
Concepts

Understanding Credit Spreads and How They Differ from Debit Spreads

Alan Grigoletto

In a previous posting, “Bull Call and Bear Put Spreads, Pairing Option Strategies with Forecasts” we learned how to implement a debit spread for both calls and puts. This week we will examine another form of vertical spreads: credit spreads and how they can be used. Recall that debit spreads are a limited risk transaction,...

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6 years ago
Flying with Condors
March 15, 2018
Volatility

Flying with Condors

Alan Grigoletto

In a recent article we discussed how to get long volatility with the Long Option Straddle. In today’s piece we will discuss another less costly way to buy volatility with the Reverse Iron Condor. Condor strategies are named for the narrow-bodied and broad-winged bird that is primarily found in California. When diagramed, the...

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6 years ago
Reverse Ratio Call Backspread
March 14, 2018
Volatility

Reverse Ratio Call Backspread

Alan Grigoletto

In a previous article, “Bull Call and Bear Put Spreads” investors learned how to construct a simple 1:1 vertical spread. This week we will discuss how a ratio spread can be implemented and the risks and benefits of this strategy. A ratio spread is similar to a vertical spread in that it involves the simultaneous purchase...

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6 years ago
Long Call Neutral Calendar Spreads
March 14, 2018
Neutral Outlook

Long Call Neutral Calendar Spreads

Alan Grigoletto

In previous submissions we’ve discussed put and call vertical spreads, “Bull Call and Bear Put Spreads”. This week Canadian investors will learn how to construct a calendar spread.  The calendar spread is also known as a time spread or horizontal spread. The calendar spread is typically constructed for a neutral outlook...

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6 years ago
A bearish diagonal spread on shares in George Weston Ltd.
February 20, 2018
Bearish Outlook

A bearish diagonal spread on shares in George Weston Ltd.

Martin Noël

As the following graph shows, prices for shares of George Weston Ltd. (WN) have broken below their trough of last September 2017 following a timid attempt at a rebound that lasted four months. Since peaking in January, 2018, WN has followed the general market trend by dropping swiftly, but the rally, which has been anemic, has...

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6 years ago
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