Summer Earnings Expedition

Summer earnings season is my least favorite by far due to muted volatility across the board. However with a bit of skill, finesse, and duct tape we ought to be able to squeeze a few R out of this one by focusing solely on IV outliers. Before we get to this week’s goodies let me be crystal clear that the one and only way to play earnings is via options – period. So if you do not currently have an options trading account then I recommend you open one with either ThinkOrSwim or TastyTrade.

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Going Nowhere Fast

As anticipated equities have been running in circles this week and barring a major market moving event we most likely will close inside the weekly expected range. With the meat of the summer season still ahead of us the immediate implication for traders is that directional strategies will suffer – unless of course you keep betting on big tech.

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First Rejection

I will be at the hospital early Wednesday to get poked with needles, so I’m posting this ahead of time to keep my hardcore crew entertained. Unfortunately there’s really not too much to add to Monday’s post at this time. As expected we are seeing a lot of gyrations but without any sense of direction. Is that about to change anytime soon? Probably not.

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Enter The Doldrums

Independence Day marks the onset of the summer vacation season, although to a much lesser extent in 2020 due to global travel restrictions. While I’m stuck in the sweltering heat of Spain Tony managed to plot his escape from Chicago to some camping ground near Kern River, CA. I have very nice memories visiting there and one of the main advantages is that Sequoia National Park with its higher elevations and cooler temperatures is only three hours away.

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Big Tech Burns The Shorts

I rarely hazard lofty predictions as most attempts in foretelling the future usually end in tears followed by monetary losses. But having been around the block a few times I do pride myself in recognizing a glaring bear trap when I see one. Which is why I offered this to my intrepid subscribers last Monday:

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Welcome To The Outlier

If you had asked me a few years ago which week of the year would be the highest grossing statistically speaking I would most likely have pointed at late November or December. Well, close – but no cigar. After running the stats I was amazed to realize that the biggest winning week happens to follow one of the quietest of the year during – right during the height of the summer vacation season. What gives?

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The Final Frontier

Thus far week #26 has played out exactly true to form in that it has remained flat as a pancake with a bit of obligatory but listless whipsaw in both directions. If we take a step back and look at the bigger picture it’s also not overly surprising to see things slowing down a bit after a two month long face ripping short squeeze that ended up demoralizing even the staunchest of beartards.

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Just The Facts Kiddo

If there’s one thing I hate more than hospitals it’s wasting hours waiting at the hospital for no apparent reason. I’ll spare you the gory details but if you ever have the choice of departing this mortal coil or the Spanish healthcare system choose death without hesitation. Anyway, this post will be brief but direct in that it’s aimed at the collective silliness I keep encountering in the comment section.

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Mid Year Coin Flip

We’ve almost made it through the seasonal summer solstice sell off, which it shall be known as henceforth since it has a nice ring to it. Week #26 puts us right into the middle of the year and true to form it’s a complete coin flip statistically speaking with a net zero Sharpe ratio and a 50% win/loss rate.

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The Grand Tour

Since Monday equities have literally run a grand tour on our weekly expected move scale. With one session remaining the big question for most professional option traders today is whether or not we’re going to remain in range or if we’re going to close the week outside. The reason for that may not be apparent to most retail traders, so let me enlighten you.
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