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Covered Calls
Benefits & Tradeoffs
Joe BurgoyneDirector, Options Industry Council
Enhance ETFs with Options Strategies
January 26, 2016 Joe Burgoyne, OIC
www.OptionsEducation.org
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Options involve risks and are not suitable for everyone. Prior to buying or selling options, an investor must receive a copy of Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options.
Individuals should not enter into options transactions until they have read and understood the risk disclosure document, Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options, available by visiting www.OptionsEducation.org. Copies may also be obtained by contacting your broker or The Options Industry Council at One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606. In order to simplify the computations, commissions, fees, margin interest and taxes have not been included in the examples used in these materials. These costs will impact the
outcome of all stock and options transactions and must be considered prior to entering into any transactions. Investors should consult their tax advisor about any potential tax
consequences.
Any strategies discussed, including examples using actual securities and price data, are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes only and are not to be construed as an endorsement, recommendation, or solicitation to buy or sell securities. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
Copyright 2015 The Options Industry Council. All rights reserved.
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Who We Are
About OIC
The Options Industry Council (OIC) is an industry cooperative funded by OCC, the world’s largest equity derivatives clearing organization and sole central clearinghouse for U.S. listed options, and the U.S. options exchanges. OIC’s mission is to provide free and unbiased education to investors and financial advisors about the benefits and risks of exchange-traded equity options. Managed by OCC, OIC delivers its education through the Options Education Program, a structured platform offering live seminars, self-directed online courses, mobile tools, podcasts, webinars and live help. OIC’s resources can be accessed online at www.OptionsEducation.org or via mobile app for iOS.
About OCC
OCC is the world’s largest equity derivatives clearing organization and the foundation for secure markets. Founded in 1973, OCC operates under the jurisdiction of both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Registered Clearing Agency and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a Derivatives Clearing Organization. OCC now provides central counterparty (CCP) clearing and settlement services to 16 exchanges and trading platforms for options, financial futures, security futures and securities lending transactions. More information about OCC is available at www.theocc.com.
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Annual Options Volume,
1973-2015
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 C lear ed C ont ract s, B il li ons6
Options on ETF Annual Volume
2006-2014
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 M il li o n s o f C o n tra c ts7
Slide Presentation
• Options on ETFs • Buy ETF Call
• Buy ETF Put
• Buy ETF Protective Put • Covered ETF Call
• ETF Collar • Conclusion
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What are Options on ETFs?
• Options on ETFs are contracts that give
• the holder the right and the writer an obligation • to buy or sell 100 underlying ETF shares
• at the strike (exercise) price per share • at any time before the expiration date
• Considered equity options • Available on a variety of ETFs
• listed and traded on U.S. options exchanges
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ETF vs. Equity Options
Contract Terms ETF ETF Options Stock Equity Options Underlying Settlement Unit of trade Expiration Last trade Exercise style Trading hours Multiplier Premium Physical 100 Sharesthird Friday of month (standard options) Expiration Friday unless holiday
American 100 1 point = $100
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• Factors
• underlying ETF price • strike price
• volatility of ETF shares • time until expiration • interest rate
• dividends
• Implied volatility
• assumption at which option currently priced
• underlying ETF volatility expected by marketplace • generally lower for index than individual components
• Volatility and time decay affect only time value
ETF Pricing Factors
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Option Pricing Calculator
• Option pricing calculator accessible:
• numerous Web sites
• www.OptionsEducation.org
Example option pricing calculator For illustrative purposes only
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ETF Options vs. Index Options
Physical settlement American-style
Underlying may be bought/sold Smaller strike increments
ETF Options
Cash settlement
Most are European-style No underlying to buy/sell Greater strike increments
Index Options
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• Capitalize on market opinion with long options
• potential for leveraged profits • predefined, limited loss
• Short-term plays on over- or under-performance
• broad market, sectors or asset classes
• With appropriate ETF choice, adjust with one trade
• diversification, asset allocation, correlation
• Hedge portfolio risk or with objective to boost returns
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Optionable ETF Products
• Stocks • Bonds • Commodities • Volatility • International Stocks • Currencies • Fixed Income • And more …16
Commodity ETF’s
• ETF options can be used to invest in commodity markets without having to participate in futures markets
• Commodity ETFs have an advantage over CFTC regulated commodity options due to risk offset in that you can keep them in a securities account rather than a separate futures account
• Sector ETF’s can be used to help diversify a portfolio and also provide volatility trading and risk
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Long Call Short Call Long Put Short Put Long Straddle Short Straddle
Long Strangle Short Strangle Long Call Spread Long Put Spread Short Call Spread Short Put Spread Ratio Call Spread Ratio Put Spread Long Split- Strike Synthetic Call Volatility Spread Put Volatility Spread Collar
ETF options give you options!
Wide variety of strategies are available
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• Investor bullish on an industry sector
• unsure of specific stock to purchase • wants diversified long position
• sector index tracked by ETF “XYZ”
• Decision: buy 1 XYZ call • Possible motivations
• speculation for leveraged upside profits • purchase underlying XYZ shares
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Bullish Investor
• Choice of strike price depends on motivation • In-the-money → more “conservative”
• plan to exercise and buy ETF shares
• At or Out-of-the-money → more “speculative”
• objective: sell call for profit
• More out-of-the-money the more speculative
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Buy Call Example
Not including commissions
• Opinion: bullish on XYZ over next two months • XYZ currently at $75.00
• Action
• buy 1 XYZ 74.00 call
at $2.90
• call in-the-money
• total cost: $2.90 x 100 = $290.00
• Compare to XYZ purchase
• buy 100 XYZ shares at $75.00 = $7,500.00 total
XYZ 74.00 call XYZ 75.00 call XYZ 76.00 call
Available 2-month calls
$2.90 $2.40 $1.90
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+
Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Call at $2.90
Break-even at Expiration:
Strike Price + Premium Paid $74.00 + $2.90 = $76.90 Maximum Loss: $2.90 Premium Paid $290.00 Total Profit Potential: Unlimited –
Not including commissions
0 5 5 BEP $76.90 70 75 80 Long XYZ at $75.00
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Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Call at $2.90
Long 74.00 Call Value at Expiration $80.00 $78.00 $6.00 $4.00 ($2.90) ($2.90) $3.10 $1.10 Long 74.00 CallInitial Cost Profit/(Loss) Total
Not including commissions
XYZ Price at Expiration $76.90 $2.90 ($2.90) 0 $74.00 $72.00 0 0 ($2.90) ($2.90) ($2.90) ($2.90)
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Long 74.00 Call
Profit/(Loss) % Profit/(Loss) Long Call
Long XYZ Profit(Loss)
Per Share
Not including commissions
XYZ Price at Expiration
Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Call at $2.90
vs. Buy 100 XYZ at $75.00
$85.00 $80.00 $8.10 $3.10 279% 107% $10.00 $5.00 13% 7% Long XYZ % Profit/(Loss) $75.00 ($1.90) (66%) 0 0 $70.00 $65.00 ($2.90) ($2.90) (100%) (100%) ($5.00) ($10.00) (7%) (13%)25
Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Call at $2.90
Not including commissions
• Exercise at expiration
• buy 100 XYZ at $74.00 per share
• Net cost paid for XYZ shares
• $74.00 strike + $2.90 premium paid = $76.90 per share • $7,690.00 total
• Risk before exercise
• premium paid always at risk for all long ETF options
• Risk after exercise
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• Investor bearish on broad market
• uncomfortable with risk of any short stock positions • wants diversified short position with limited risk
• broad market index tracked by ETF “XYZ”
• Decision: buy 1 XYZ put • Motivation
• speculation for leveraged downside profits
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Bearish Investor
• Choice of strike price depends on motivation • In-the-money → more “conservative”
• has intrinsic value – less vulnerable to decay
• At or Out-of-the-money → more “speculative”
• all time value – total cost vulnerable to decay
• More out-of-the-money, the more speculative
• need greater move to downside for profit • set expectations accordingly
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XYZ 74.00 put XYZ 75.00 put XYZ 76.00 put
Available 2-month puts
$2.00 $2.45 $3.00
Buy Put Example
Not including commissions
• Opinion: bearish on XYZ over next two months
• XYZ currently at $75.00
• Action
• buy 1 XYZ 74.00 put
at $2.00
• put out-of-the-money
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+
Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Put at $2.00
Break-even at Expiration:
Strike Price – Premium Paid $74.00 – $2.00 = $72.00 Maximum Loss: $2.00 Premium Paid $200.00 Total Profit Potential: Substantial –
Not including commissions
0 5
5 BEP $72.00
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$76.00 $74.00 0 0 ($2.00) ($2.00) ($2.00) ($2.00) $72.00 $2.00 ($2.00) 0 $70.00 $68.00 $4.00 $6.00 ($2.00) ($2.00) $2.00 $4.00Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Put at $2.00
Not including commissions
Long 74.00 Put
Value at Expiration Long 74.00 Put Initial Cost Profit/(Loss) Total XYZ Price
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Buy 1 XYZ 74.00 Put at $2.00
Not including commissions
• Exercise at expiration
• sell 100 XYZ at $74.00 per share
• Net received for XYZ shares
• $74.00 strike – $2.00 premium paid = $72.00 per share • $7,200.00 total
• Risk before exercise
• premium paid always at risk for all long ETF options
• Risk after exercise
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Defensive Investor
• Investor long ETF “XYZ”
• concerned about downside – protection wanted
• Decision: buy XYZ protective put
• 1 put for each 100 XYZ shares owned
• Each protective put
• grants right to sell 100 shares • at strike price until expiration • as long as put is owned
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Defensive Investor
• Upside profit potential on XYZ shares
• unlimited
• less cost of put
• Downside loss on XYZ shares
• limited
• may be sold at strike price upon exercise
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Protective Put Example
Not including commissions
• Opinion: bullish on XYZ
• defensive over next two months
• Long 100 XYZ at $76.00
• XYZ currently at $75.00
• Action
• buy 1 XYZ 73.00 put
at $1.50 • put is out-of-the-money • Total cost: $1.50 x 100 = $150.00 XYZ 72.00 put XYZ 73.00 put XYZ 74.00 put
Available 2-month puts
$1.20 $1.50 $1.95
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+ Break-even at Expiration:
ETF Price Paid + Put Premium Paid $76.00 + $1.50 = $77.50
Maximum Loss:
ETF Price Paid – Break-even for Put $76.00 – ($73.00 – $1.50) = $4.50
$450.00 total
Profit Potential:
Unlimited
–
Not including commissions
0 5
5 BEP $77.50 70 75 80
Buy 100 XYZ at $76.00
Buy 1 XYZ 73.00 Put at $1.50
Long XYZ at $76.00
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Not including commissions
Long 73.00 Put
Value at Expiration Profit/(Loss) Long XYZ Profit/(Loss) Total XYZ Price
at Expiration
Buy 100 XYZ at $76.00
Buy 1 XYZ 73.00 Put at $1.50
$85.00 $80.00 ($1.50) ($1.50) $9.00 $4.00 $7.50 $2.50 $77.50 ($1.50) $1.50 0 $75.00 $70.00 $65.00 ($1.50) $1.50 $6.50 ($1.00) ($6.00) ($11.00) ($2.50) ($4.50) ($4.50)
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• Exercise at expiration
• sell 100 XYZ at $73.00 per share
• Net received for XYZ shares
• $73.00 strike – $1.50 premium paid = $71.50 per share • $7,150.00 total
• Risk before exercise
• limited
Not including commissions
Buy 100 XYZ at $76.00
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Investor Seeking Income
• Investor
• neutral to moderately bullish on ETF “XYZ”
• expects small price range over next few months
• Decision: write covered call
• buy 100 XYZ shares • write 1 XYZ call
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Investor Seeking Income
• Primary Motivation – increase returns
• call premium received and kept
• generates additional income (over any dividends) • trade-off is upside on shares limited by short call
• Call premium’s limited downside benefit
• lowers XYZ shares’ break-even point • reduces cost basis
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Covered ETF Calls
• Call writer’s obligation
• sell XYZ shares if assigned at any time
before expiration
• Long XYZ shares “collateralize” short call obligation
• if assigned shares sold already owned
• Risk is in the long XYZ shares
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Covered ETF Calls
• Write in-the-money call
• defensive and more conservative
• more premium received → more downside protection • less upside profit potential
• Write out-of-the-money call
• aggressive and less conservative
• less premium received → less downside protection • more upside profit potential
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Covered ETF Calls
• Strike price selection
• assess your tolerance for risk
• balance upside profit potential vs. limited protection • pick strike accordingly
• Generally considered “conservative” strategy
• reduces (not limits) downside risk
• Outperforms long XYZ shares
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Covered ETF Calls
• Maximum profit potential if assigned
• limited
• strike price – share price paid + call premium received
• Break-even point
• share price paid – call premium received
• Downside loss potential substantial
• risk is with XYZ shares
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• Opinion: neutral to moderately bullish on XYZ • XYZ currently at $75.00
• Expect XYZ to trade between $73.00 and $77.00 for next 90 days
• Action
• buy 100 XYZ at $75.00
• sell 1 XYZ 77.00 call at $2.10
• A $0.50 dividend is expected before expiration
XYZ 73.00 call XYZ 74.00 call XYZ 75.00 call XYZ 76.00 call XYZ 77.00 call
Available 3-month calls
$3.95 $3.40 $2.90 $2.45 $2.10
Covered ETF Call Example
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+ Break-even at Expiration:
ETF Price – Premium Received $75.00 – $2.10 = $72.90
Maximum Loss:
Substantial
Maximum Profit if Assigned:
(Strike Price – ETF Price Paid) + Call Premium Received
($77.00 – $75.00) + $2.10 = $4.10 $410.00 total
–
Not including commissions
0 5
5
73 77 80
Covered ETF Call Example
Profit and Loss at Expiration
BEP $72.90
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$85.00 $80.00 $10.00 $5.00 ($5.90) ($0.90) $75.00 0 $2.10 $2.10 $70.00 $65.00 ($5.00) ($10.00) $2.10 $2.10 $4.10 $4.10 ($2.90) ($7.90)Not including commissions
Long XYZ
Profit/(Loss) Short 77.00 Call Profit/(Loss) Profit/(Loss) Net XYZ Price
at Expiration
Covered ETF Call Example
Profit and Loss at Expiration
Buy 100 shares XYZ at $75.00 Sell 1 XYZ 77.00 call at $2.10
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Early Assignment for Dividend
• Early assignment possible before dividend
• on or just before ex-dividend date
• You might expect early assignment when
• expiration is relatively near
• dividend greater than call’s time value
• XYZ will pay $0.50 dividend
• ex-dividend date four days before expiration • day before ex-date XYZ is at $78.50
• 77.00 call is at $1.60
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$2.10 $0.50 $2.60 $75.00 3.5% 4.1 14.35%Static Return Worksheet:
Stock Unchanged
Call price less commissions
Plus dividends +
Equals income =
Divided by (ETF price plus commissions) ÷
Equals % income =
Times 365/90 (days to expiration) x
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If-Called Return Worksheet:
Stock though the Strike
Call price less commissions
Plus dividends +
Plus profit from ETF sale ($77.00 – $75.00) +
Equals income =
Divided by (ETF price plus commissions) ÷
Equals % income +
Times 365/90 (days to expiration) x
Equals annualized static return =
$2.10 $0.50 $2.00 $4.60 $75.00 6.1% 4.1 25%
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Covered Call
Nervous About Downside?• In the previous example an investor wrote a covered ETF call
• Position
• long 100 XYZ shares at $75.00 • short 1 XYZ 77.00 call at $2.10
• Time passes
• XYZ increases in price a bit
• investor has downside worries - doesn’t
want to sell shares
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• Collar
• long 100 underlying ETF shares • long 1 put
• short 1 call
• Ratio always 100 shares : 1 call : 1 put
• Call and put generally same expiration month • Call strike price higher than put strike price
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• A collar can be considered two strategies in one
• the 100 ETF shares play a part in both
• On the downside a protective put
• out-of-the-money put is purchased
• right to sell shares at strike price until expiration
• On the upside a covered call
• out-of-the-money call is sold
• upside profit potential limited by short call
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• ETF buyer with unrealized gains wants
• downside protection – long put
• some upside participation – limited by short call
• Key benefits
• put cost fully or partially paid by call premium received • objectives met whether share price up or down
• receive any dividend if not assigned on short call
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• Downside protection needed?
• select appropriate put strike price • consider time frame
• Upside participation on ETF?
• select appropriate call strike price
• be happy with share sale price if assigned
• Balance two factors:
• put premium paid and protection provided – risk
• call premium received and upside potential – reward
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Not including commissions
Net
Debit Put cost more than call premium received
What Does All This Cost?
Buy put – $3.00 Sell call + $2.00
Net debit – $1.00 Net
Credit Call premium received more than cost of put
Sell call + $4.00 Buy put – $1.00
Net credit + $3.00 “Zero
Cost” Call premium received same as put premium paid
Sell call + $4.00 Buy put – $4.00
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ETF Collar Example
• Covered call
• buy 100 XYZ shares at $76.50 • sell 1 XYZ 77.00 call at $2.10
• Convert to collar
• buy 1 XYZ 75.00 put at $1.65
• Position
long 100 XYZ shares currently at $76.50 sell 1 XYZ 77.00 call + $2.10 buy 1 XYZ 75.00 put – $1.65
Net credit = + $0.45
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Conclusion
• Among the benefits ETF shares offer
• diversification and allocation with a single transaction • trade like stock on an exchange
• lower management costs and certain tax advantages
vs. mutual funds
• ETF benefits available to option investors • ETF options are considered equity options
• same pricing factors • similar contract terms
• American-style and physical delivery – unlike
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Conclusion
• ETF options offer flexibility of equity options
• wide range of strategies available
• Why use ETF options?
• bullish or bearish speculation • buy or sell underlying ETF shares • generating additional income • managing portfolio risk
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