General Motors Co. (GM)

Update 3/15/2022: I exited my bull put vertical options spread on GM, three days before expiration, for a $4.90 debit per contract/share, a loss before fees of $379 per contract. Shares were trading at $41.96, down $11.54 from the entry level.

The Implied Volatility Rank at exit was 75.2, up 18.2 points from the entry level.

I exited because the position was in the money as it neared expiration.

Shares declined by 21.6% over 42 days for a -188% annual rate. The options position produced a 77.3% loss for a -672% annual rate.

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I have entered a short bull put options spread on GM, using options that trade for the last time 45 days hence, on March 18. The premium is a $1.11 credit per contract share and the stock at the time of entry was priced at $53.50.

The Implied Volatility Ratio stood at 57.0%.

Premium:	$1.11	Expire OTM
GM-bull put spread	Strike	Odds	Delta
Puts
Long	45.00	81.0%	15
Break-even	51.11	72.0%	23
Short	50.00	63.0%	31

The premium is 44.4% of the width of the position’s short/long spread. The profit zone covers a 4.5% move to the downside and an unlimited move to the upside.

The risk/reward ratio is 3.5:1, with maximum risk of $389 and maximum reward of $111 per contract.

How I chose the trade. The trade was placed to coincide with GM’s earnings announcement, after the closing bell on the day of entry. The short strikes were set to coincide with the expected move of $2.50 either way, based on options pricing, which gives a price range of $51.08 to $56.08.

By Tim Bovee, Portland, Oregon, February 1, 2022

Disclaimer

Tim Bovee, Private Trader tracks the analysis and trades of a private trader for his own accounts. Nothing in this blog constitutes a recommendation to buy or sell stocks, options or any other financial instrument. The only purpose of this blog is to provide education and entertainment.

No trader is ever 100 percent successful in his or her trades. Trading in the stock and option markets is risky and uncertain. Each trader must make trading decisions for his or her own account, and take responsibility for the consequences.

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Based on a work at www.timbovee.com.