11/21 – 3;15 p.m. New York time

Outcomes: I entered options positions on CRM and DE and exited share positions on HRL and SIG.

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Shares trades in connection with earnings announcements for acton on Nov. 20: HRL and SIG.

Results: HRL exceeded the Street forecast by a penny, and the price gapped to the upside. SIG, however, published a loss of a magnitude similar to the profit that had been forecast. The price plunged.

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Lowe’s Companies Inc. (LOW)

LOW publishes earnings on Tuesday before the opening bell.

I shall use options that trade for the last time 11 days hence, on Dec. 1.

Implied volatility stands at 27%, which is 2.5 times the VIX, a measure of the volatility of the S&P 500 index.

LOW’s IV stands in the 64th percentile of its annual range and the 76th percentile of its most recent broad movement.

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Dollar Tree Inc. (DLTR)

DLTR publishes earnings on Tuesday before the opening bell.

I shall use options that trade for the last time 11 days hence, on Dec. 1.

Implied volatility stands at 35%, which is 3.3 times the VIX, a measure of the volatility of the S&P 500 index.

DLTR’s IV stands in the 59th percentile of its annual range and the 86th percentile of its most recent broad movement.

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11/20 – 3:15 p.m. New York time

Outcomes:

I entered two new positions today: HRL and SIG. Both are earnings plays using shares as a vehicle.

I rejected two earnings plays based on options: DLTR and LOW.

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U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving Day holiday. The U.K., Japan and Australia will be open as usual.

Two major reports are scheduled during the week, existing home sales on Tuesday at 10 a.m. New York time and durable goods orders on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m.

The Federal Open Market Committee minutes of the Nov. 1 meeting will be published on Wednesday at 2 p.m. The committee maintained its target range for the federal funds rate at 1 to 1-1/4 percent.

Fed Chair Janet Yellen will participate in a panel discussion at the New York University Stern School fo Business, on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m. The event will be streamed live here.
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11/17 – 3:15 p.m. New York time

Today’s outcomes: I exited a shares position on SPLK for a profit, having passed on entering a shares position on SBLK (see below for reasons why).

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Shares trades in connection with earnings announcements for acton on Nov. 16: SPLK. (Another satisfactory prospect, GLOB, is not supported by my platform for these trades, Robinhood Markets Inc.)

SPLK beat the Street earnings estimate, causing shares to rise sharply before the opening bell.

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11/16 – 3:35 p.m. New York time

Outcomes: I entered SPLK as an earnings play using shares. I exited my options-based earnings play on CSCO and shares-based plays on WGL, HP, SFS and STNG.

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Shares trades in connection with earnings announcements for acton on Nov. 15: WGL, HP, SFS and STNG.  I exited all four positions the next day on Nov. 16, HP and STNG for a profit and SFS for a wash. WGL was a loss, but there was no earnings announcement. It was moved forward to Nov. 22 after the closing bell.

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