Apple Strategy Updated Apr 30, 2016

by Mike Scanlin

Apple closed at 93.74 on Friday, after having closed the previous week at 105.68. All 4 of our AAPL strategies had out-of-the-money options expire. We sold new options for each strategy for the May 6 expiration next week.

To review, we are tracking 4 covered call strategies on Apple for 2016 (we are also tracking a buy-and-hold strategy for comparison):

Strategy Name	Source of Income	YTD Return	vs. B&H
12%/year goal	ITM weekly covered calls + dividends	1.4%	9.3%
24%/year goal	ITM weekly covered calls + dividends	1.7%	9.7%
ATM	ATM weekly covered calls + dividends	-4.8%	3.1%
2% OTM	2% OTM weekly covered calls + dividends	-6.0%	2.0%
buy and hold	dividends	-8.0%

In all cases our initial purchase of AAPL was done at $102.57 on Jan 4, 2016. See the goals for the year and initial option sales here. (definitions for ITM, ATM, and OTM)

12%/year goal - Apple Strategy #1

Prior actions:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
1/4/16	buy 100 shares AAPL	102.57
Q1	13 covered calls 1/4 to 4/1	74.54	70.74	3.13
4/1/16	sell 107-strike Apr 8 call		3.20	0.26
4/8/16	buy 107-strike Apr 8 call	1.56		-0.01
4/8/16	sell 104-strike Apr 15 call		4.80	0.25
4/15/16	buy 104-strike Apr 15 call	5.85		-0.02
4/15/16	sell 105-strike Apr 22 call		5.05	0.22
4/22/16	buy 105-strike Apr 22 call	0.65		0.00
4/22/16	sell 97-strike Apr 29 call		8.90	0.25

A few minutes before the close Friday AAPL was trading at 93.88. We assumed the 97-strike would expire OTM so we sold 91.50-strike options for next week to generate 38 cents of premium:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
4/29/16	97-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/29/16	sell 91.50-strike May 6 call		2.76	0.38

Here's the math we used to determine the 91.50-strike was the right strike to keep us on track for 12%/year:

Item	Value	Notes
starting capital	102.57	Initial cost of shares
Dec 31 goal for 12% return	114.88	102.57 * 1.12
actual income received	10.09	net call premium + paid divs
dividends yet to be paid 2016	1.56	3 x 0.52
assumed income received	11.65	net call premium + unpaid divs
current stock price	93.88	at the time we rolled
stock price + assumed income	105.53	93.88 + 11.65
income needed by Dec 31	9.35	114.88 - 105.53
weeks remaining	35	in 2016
income needed per week	0.27	9.35 / 35
2016 YTD return	1.4%	(105.53 - 1.56 - 102.57) / 102.57

With that, we knew that to get 12% return for the year (which includes unpaid, but expected, dividends) we need 27 cents per week for the 35 remaining weeks in time premium. When examining the choices just before Friday's close we saw the deepest in-the-money option we could sell that provided at least 27 cents of time premium was the 91.50-strike.

24%/year goal - Apple Strategy #2

Prior actions:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
1/4/16	buy 100 shares AAPL	102.57
Q1	13 covered calls 1/4 to 4/1	47.36	46.96	6.39
4/1/16	sell 108-strike Apr 8 call		2.38	0.44
4/8/16	buy 108-strike Apr 8 call	0.56		-0.01
4/8/16	sell 106-strike Apr 15 call		3.00	0.45
4/15/16	buy 106-strike Apr 15 call	3.85		-0.02
4/15/16	sell 107-strike Apr 22 call		3.25	0.42
4/22/16	107-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/22/16	sell 99.50-strike Apr 29 call		6.65	0.50

A few minutes before the close yesterday AAPL was trading at 93.88 and we let the 99.50-strike expire OTM. We then sold next week's 93-strike to generate 80 cents of premium:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
4/29/16	99.50-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/29/16	sell 93-strike May 6 call		1.68	0.80

Here's the math we used to determine the 93-strike was the right strike to keep us on track for 24%/year:

Item	Value	Notes
starting capital	102.57	Initial cost of shares
Dec 31 goal for 24% return	127.19	102.57 * 1.24
actual income received	10.47	net call premium + paid divs
dividends yet to be paid 2016	1.56	3 x 0.52
assumed income received	12.03	net call premium + unpaid divs
current stock price	93.88	at the time we rolled
stock price + assumed income	105.91	93.88 + 12.03
income needed by Dec 31	21.28	127.19 - 105.91
weeks remaining	35	in 2016
income needed per week	0.61	21.28 / 35
2016 YTD return	1.7%	(105.91 - 1.56 - 102.57) / 102.57

To stay on track for a 24% return for the year (which includes unpaid, but expected, dividends) we need 61 cents per week for the remaining 35 weeks in time premium. When examining the choices just before Friday's close we saw the deepest in-the-money option we could sell that provided at least 61 cents of time premium was the 93-strike.

ATM (at-the-money) - Apple Strategy #3

Prior actions:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
1/4/16	buy 100 shares AAPL	102.57
Q1	13 covered calls 1/4 to 4/1	20.18	19.16	17.40
4/1/16	sell 110-strike Apr 8 call		1.04	1.04
4/8/16	110-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/8/16	sell 109-strike Apr 15 call		1.08	1.08
4/15/16	buy 109-strike Apr 15 call	0.85		-0.02
4/15/16	sell 110-strike Apr 22 call		1.21	1.21
4/22/16	110-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/22/16	sell 106-strike Apr 29 call		2.26	2.26

A few minutes before the close today AAPL was trading at 93.88 so we let the 106-strike options expire and sold next week's 94-strike to generate $1.13 of premium:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
4/29/16	106-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/29/16	sell 94-strike May 6 call		1.13	1.13

At the time we rolled, this strategy's summary was:

Item	Value	Notes
starting capital	102.57	Initial cost of shares
actual income received	3.72	net call premium + paid divs
current stock price	93.88	at the time we rolled
stock price + actual income	97.60	93.88 + 3.72
2016 YTD return	-4.8%	(97.60 - 102.57) / 102.57

This strategy is simple to implement and track. Each Friday we either let the option expire (if OTM) and write a new option, or buy the option back (if ITM) and then sell another option right away.

2% OTM (out-of-the-money) - Apple Strategy #4

Prior actions:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
1/4/16	buy 100 shares AAPL	102.57
Q1	13 covered calls 1/4 to 4/1	8.74	8.67	8.00
4/1/16	sell 112-strike Apr 8 call		0.35	0.35
4/8/16	112-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/8/16	sell 111-strike Apr 15 call		0.42	0.42
4/15/16	111-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/15/16	sell 112-strike Apr 22 call		0.45	0.45
4/22/16	112-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/22/16	sell 108-strike Apr 29 call		1.39	1.39

A few minutes before the close today AAPL was trading at 93.88 so we let the 108-strike expire and sold next week's 96-strike to generate $0.43 of premium:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
4/29/16	108-strike expired OTM	0.00
4/29/16	sell 96-strike May 6 call		0.43	0.43

At the time we rolled, this strategy's summary was:

Item	Value	Notes
starting capital	102.57	Initial cost of shares
actual income received	2.54	net call premium + paid divs
current stock price	93.88	at the time we rolled
stock price + actual income	96.42	93.88 + 2.54
2016 YTD return	-6.0%	(96.42 - 102.57) / 102.57

This strategy is also simple to implement and track. Each Friday we either let the option expire (if OTM) and write a new option, or buy the option back (if ITM) and then sell another option right away.

Buy and Hold (For Comparison)

Prior actions:

Date	Action	$ out	$ in	Time Premium
1/4/16	buy 100 shares AAPL	102.57
2/4/16	dividend		0.52

This strategy's summary when AAPL was trading at 105.65 near the close today:

Item	Value	Notes
starting capital	102.57	Initial cost of shares
actual income received	0.52	paid dividends
current stock price	93.88
stock price + actual income	94.40	93.88 + 0.52
2016 YTD return	-8.0%	(94.40 - 102.57) / 102.57

Mike Scanlin is the founder of Born To Sell and has been writing covered calls for a long time.

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