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...
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....
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...
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....
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...