dividend increase Apple Strategy Updated May 7, 2016

by Mike Scanlin

Apple closed at 92.70 on Friday, after having closed the previous week at 93.74. Three of our AAPL strategies had out-of-the-money options expire. We sold new options for each strategy for the May 13 expiration next Friday. We also received a 57 cent dividend on May 5.

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 goalITM weekly covered calls
+ dividends		 2.3%10.9%
24%/year goalITM weekly covered calls
+ dividends		 2.7%11.3%
ATMATM weekly covered calls
+ dividends		 -4.4%4.2%
2% OTM2% OTM weekly covered calls
+ dividends		 -6.3%2.4%
buy and holddividends -8.7%

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
4/29/16 97-strike expired OTM 0.00
4/29/16 sell 91.50-strike May 6 call 2.76 0.38

A few minutes before the close Friday AAPL was trading at 92.60. We rolled the 91.50-strike to next week's 90-strike options to generate 32 cents of premium:

Date Action $ out $ in Time Premium
5/5/16 dividend 0.57
5/6/16 buy 91.50-strike May 6 call 1.10 0.00
5/6/16 sell 90-strike May 13 call 2.92 0.32

Here's the math we used to determine the 90-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 12.32 net call premium + paid divs
dividends yet to be paid 2016 1.14 2 x 0.57
assumed income received 13.46 net call premium + unpaid divs
current stock price 92.60 at the time we rolled
stock price + assumed income 106.06 92.60 + 13.46
income needed by Dec 31 8.82 114.88 - 106.06
weeks remaining 34 in 2016
income needed per week 0.26 8.82 / 34
2016 YTD return 2.3% (106.06 - 1.14 - 102.57) / 102.57

With that, we knew that to get 12% return for the year (which includes unpaid, but expected, dividends) we need 26 cents per week for the 34 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 26 cents of time premium was the 90-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
4/29/16 99.50-strike expired OTM 0.00
4/29/16 sell 93-strike May 6 call 1.68 0.80

A few minutes before the close yesterday AAPL was trading at 92.60 and we let the 93-strike expire OTM. We then sold next week's 91.50-strike to generate 75 cents of premium:

Date Action $ out $ in Time Premium
5/5/16 dividend 0.57
5/6/16 93-strike expired OTM 0.00
5/6/16 sell 91.50-strike May 13 call 1.85 0.75

Here's the math we used to determine the 91.50-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 12.72 net call premium + paid divs
dividends yet to be paid 2016 1.14 2 x 0.57
assumed income received 14.43 net call premium + unpaid divs
current stock price 92.60 at the time we rolled
stock price + assumed income 107.03 92.60 + 14.43
income needed by Dec 31 20.16 127.19 - 107.03
weeks remaining 34 in 2016
income needed per week 0.59 20.16 / 34
2016 YTD return 2.7% (107.03 - 1.14 - 102.57) / 102.57

To stay on track for a 24% return for the year (which includes unpaid, but expected, dividends) we need 59 cents per week for the remaining 34 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 59 cents of time premium was the 91.50-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
4/29/16 106-strike expired OTM 0.00
4/29/16 sell 94-strike May 6 call 1.13 1.13

A few minutes before the close today AAPL was trading at 92.60 so we let the 94-strike options expire and sold next week's 92.50-strike to generate $1.05 of premium:

Date Action $ out $ in Time Premium
5/5/16 dividend 0.57
5/6/16 94-strike expired OTM 0.00
5/6/16 sell 92.50-strike May 13 call 1.25 1.05

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

Item Value Notes
starting capital 102.57 Initial cost of shares
actual income received 5.42 net call premium + paid divs
current stock price 92.60 at the time we rolled
stock price + actual income 98.02 92.60 + 5.42
2016 YTD return -4.4% (98.02 - 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
4/29/16 108-strike expired OTM 0.00
4/29/16 sell 96-strike May 6 call 0.43 0.43

A few minutes before the close today AAPL was trading at 92.60 so we let the 96-strike expire and sold next week's 94.50-strike to generate $0.45 of premium:

Date Action $ out $ in Time Premium
5/5/16 dividend 0.57
5/6/16 96-strike expired OTM 0.00
5/6/16 sell 94.50-strike May 13 call 0.45 0.45

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

Item Value Notes
starting capital 102.57 Initial cost of shares
actual income received 3.54 net call premium + paid divs
current stock price 92.60 at the time we rolled
stock price + actual income 96.14 92.60 + 3.54
2016 YTD return -6.3% (96.14 - 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
5/5/16 dividend 0.57

This strategy's summary when AAPL was trading at 92.60 near the close today:

Item Value Notes
starting capital 102.57 Initial cost of shares
actual income received 1.09 paid dividends
current stock price 92.60
stock price + actual income 93.69 92.60 + 1.09
2016 YTD return -8.7% (93.69 - 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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