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Backtesting option strategies.

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 Ariel Silahian, Algorithmic trading systems, C#, VB.NET, VBA, c++, derivatives, forex,equities,option strategies,NinjaTrader, metatrader

 Wednesday, June 18, 2014

If you are bullish (short term) , which strategy will give you the best outcome : a) buy an ATM call b) buy an OTM call c) buy a debit spread


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5 comments on article "Backtesting option strategies. "

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 Ariel Silahian, Algorithmic trading systems, C#, VB.NET, VBA, c++, derivatives, forex,equities,option strategies,NinjaTrader, metatrader

 Thursday, June 19, 2014



Thanks for all comments and suggestions

@David, those spread you were suggesting didn't work for me (i also backtested those). And the reason is that the risk/reward was not worth (too much risk), and also too IV dependent...

So, in this specific case for me the best outcome was always to buy OTM calls (or puts if you are bearish)


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 Hugh Thornhill, Trading Systems Operations

 Friday, June 20, 2014



Very bullish is a relative term when buying naked options so buy the in the money call with some time value. OTM call premiums vanish if the stock moves against you.


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 Ashish C., Senior Quality Analyst at Flextrade

 Saturday, June 21, 2014



Buy OTM call & write OTM call(Higher strike price). Also check the OI of particular contract before buying so that you will get clear idea.


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 Tristan VAN EE, Systematic trader at Private fund management

 Sunday, June 22, 2014



It depends on what you want to trade. If you want to trade the underlying directionaly and if your assumption is short term bullish, then you are better off buying the underlying. If you really want to trade options, then you can buy a call ratio for you strategy to have a zero premium. If you want to trade the underlying volatility, then it's a different story: the best solution would be probably to buy an ATM call spread, so that you'll benefit of skew and vol effect when the market rallies to your OTM call, and you'll have to sell stocks at the same time.


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 Patrick O'Brien, Manager at FI Consulting

 Tuesday, June 24, 2014



d) short put.

Assuming you're reasonably good at predicting actual bullish moves, you can do exceptionally well on a risk adjusted basis selling puts ATM or OTM. as others have suggested IV's matter a lot and this strategy would be better at relatively higher IV's. The upside is you're short theta, so a sub 15 day holding period is ok as a fair amount of premium erodes away and is amplified by a bullish move. To the downside theta protects you somewhat, though certainly for a trading strategy, you've got to be more often right than wrong.

Also, short puts require a bit more management and attention since you're also short gamma and your downside is not limited the way it is with the debit call plays you mention in a, b, and c.

the final point (and this is probably the wrong crowd to support such a thing) is that if you are longer-term bullish, the worst that can happen is that you get exercised and now you're long the underlying at a lower price. This type of approach is fairly undisciplined though, so I can't say i condone it.

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