SPY dividend capture–June 2010

I bought SPY at 111.64, and sold-to-open SPY 108 June-30 expiration calls at 4.08 for a net investment (debit) of  107.58.     I used the quarterly SPY options because I could go considerably deeper in the money with the calls and still get a premium that is close to the likely SPY dividend for this quarter  (around $0.50).   Schwab does not appear to …

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Last leg of the correction? Time to break the 2010 trendline?

Although recent intra-day lows have crossed the 2010 trendline in the graph below I hallucinated in February we haven’t had a SPY closing yet that has crossed that line (104.87  for  9-June-2010).   My crystal ball has been notably hazy recently, but I’m still thinking this is a correction and not the beginning of a bear market. I continue to be bearish on the prospects …

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Recovering from a correction–six years ago

On June 1st 2004 SPY was well on its way recovering from a 5% correction that started in May.  The jury is still out on whether this year’s 12% correction (based on closing values) is over, or just the beginning of a bear market.   Six years ago we didn’t have the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, and Spain) in financial turmoil, or a big …

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Portfolio action

This morning I  put portfolio B mostly in place (see Three portfolios).  I only put in 50% of the large cap weighting (so it is at 25% of the portfolio, instead of the eventual planned 50%).  Psychologically I have found it is better to ease in a little with significant investments like this—if the market goes up from there you can tell yourself that you …

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