Covered Calls Investor

Blog Posts Moved...

2010-08-29T16:41:00.001-07:00

On Twitter: Follow @cranjangles

On Blogspot: coveredcallsinvesting.blogspot.com

Update Transaction - Multi-Fine Electronix (MFLX)

2010-06-24T10:54:00.003-07:00

This position was rolled forward to August expiration. The new profit/loss info is below:

1/15/2010 -- Sold to Open 1 MFLX February $25 Put @ 1.2324
2/5/2010 -- Bought to Open 1 MFLX February $20 Put @ 0.4101
2/19/2010 -- Stock Bought Due To Option ITM @ $25.10
2/22/2010 -- Sold to Open 1 MFLX April $25 Call @ .2824
4/9/2010 -- Bought to Close 1 MFLX April $25 Call @ .2975
4/9/2010 -- Sold 100 MFLX @ 24.8295
4/9/2010 -- Sold to Open 1 MFLX May $25 Put @ 1.4399
5/7/2010 -- Bought to Close 1 MFLX May $25 Put @ 0.89
5/7/2010 -- Sold to Open 1 MFLX June $25 Put @ 1.37
5/25/2010 -- Bought to Close 1 MFLX June $25 Put @ 2.02
5/25/2010 -- Sold to Open 1 MFLX July $25 Put @ 2.55
6/24/2010 -- Bought to Close 1 MFLX July $25 Put @ 0.72
6/24/2010 -- Sold to Open 1 MFLX August $25 Put @ 1.60

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $23.77
Current Cost Average: $21.13
Commissions (Included In Cost): $39

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (8/20/2010): 27.36%

Current Holdings

2010-06-24T10:54:00.001-07:00

The current holdings of the CCIP as of June 23, 2010 are:

MEMC Electronic Materials - 100 Shares ($12 July CC)

Verizon - 100 Shares & 1 CSP ($32 July CSP, 100 Shares Uncovered)

Marathon Oil (MRO) - 1 $32 August CSP

Discover Financial (DFS) - 100 Shares ($15 July CC)

Multi-Fineline Electronics (MFLX) - 1 $25 July CSP

Sociedad Quimica y Minera (SQM) - 1 $35 August CSP

Linear Technology (LLTC) - 100 Shares ($27 July CC)

Neutral Tandem (TNDM) - 100 Shares ($15 Aug CC)

Abbott Labs (ABT) - 1 $52.50 August CSP

Texas Instruments (TXN) - 1 $23 July CSP

Life Partners Holdings (LPHI) - 1 $17.50 Aug CSP

JC Penneys (JCP) - 1 $23 July CSP

Nucor (NUE) - 100 Shares ($40 July CC)

McGraw-Hill (MHP) - 1 $27.50 Aug CSP

Suncor (SU) - 1 $28 July CSP

A123 Systems (AONE) - 100 Shares ($9 July CC)

Posting to Resume

2010-06-24T10:53:00.001-07:00

After an extended hiatus, posts will resume in the month of July. I will begin with a recap of how the portfolio has fared over the last few months.

Blog Moving to coveredcallsinvesting.blogspot.com

2010-01-02T16:38:00.000-08:00

The blog has been officially moved to coveredcallsinvesting.blogspot.com. I will no longer be making updates to this blog.

Blog Moving

2009-12-08T10:03:00.001-08:00

For all those who have been wondering why there has not been a post in quite a while, it is because I will be moving my blog to a different web address within the next few weeks. As a result I have been busily working on that site, and not posting to this one. I plan to list the new address shortly once I have moved all the posts over.

November Expiration Day

2009-11-22T16:08:00.000-08:00

The Covered Calls Investor Portfolio contained a total of 7 positions with November 2009 expirations, and 10 positions either with a Non-November expiration or no current covered call. The 7 positions with November expiration had the following results:

- 3 positions (MHP, TZA, OCR) closed in-the-money. The calls were exercised and the stock was sold. OCR was established this month, and TZA and MHP was a holdover from the last few expirations. The annualized gain/loss results (after commissions) were:

McGraw-Hill (MHP) => 29.42% (Held Since 8/21/2009)
Direxion 3x Small Cap Bear => 18.7% (Held Since 9/14/2009)
Omnicare (OCR) => 36.51% (Held Since 9/29/2009)

- 4 positions in the portfolio (UNG, AMAT, FLR, JACK) ended out-of-the-money. As is the norm with UNG, it yet again ended OTM.

United States Natural Gas (UNG) - $9.01
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $11.185

I will continue to sell calls against all of my positions in UNG, while I wait for the price of natural gas to rebound. I do realize that this will take quite a while, but I consider this position to be a longer-term covered call position.

Applied Materials (AMAT) - $12.28
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $12.57

This position is one which I plan to hold for quite a well as well. The stock was pushed down as part of the sector downgrade which the semiconductor sector received this week. I believe the stock is still a good holding on a fundamental basis as it recently crushed earnings. I will continue to hold the position and sell a new call.

Fluor (FLR) - $44.32
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $45.37

After reporting lackluster earnings, FLR dropped from about $48 to under $45. Unfortunately, with the market declining in recent days, FLR has not been able to regain any of its lossed, even though it has been bordering on oversold territory for a few days. I will continue to hold the position and sell a new call.

Jack In The Box (JACK) - $18.55
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $19.10

Similar to Fluor, Jack In The Box recently reported earnings, and was obliterated from above $20 to down to $18 due to a dissapointing outlook, even though current quarter earnings beat estimates. I believe the company is still in the midst of moving from a non-franchise to franchise model, and thus will continue to be a turnaround play in the CCIP. I will be selling a new call on the position.

The positions in the portfolio which did not have October expirations include:

United States Natural Gas (UNG)(300 Shares) - December $9 Covered Call, January $13 Covered Call, 1 position uncovered

Intrepid Potash (IPI)(100 Shares) - December $27 Covered Call

MEMC Electronics (WFR) (100 Shares) - Uncovered

Intel (INTC) (100 Shares) - December $19 Covered Call

Applied Materials - 1 December $13 CSP

Gamestop (GME) (100 Shares) - December $24 Covered Call

Verizon (VZ) (100 Shares) - April $31 Covered Call

New York Community Bancorp (NYB) (100 Shares) - April $12 Covered Call

Initial Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (11/19/2009)

2009-11-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

I decided to open another covered call position in UNG, as I believe it has reached a near-term bottom around $8.80. Natural gas prices have been further depressed recently due to the continuing high storage levels as well as the relatively warm fall that the US has been experiencing. As such I think the risk/reward for this position is good. The profit/loss info is below:

11/19/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 8.83
11/19/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG December $9 Call @ 0.38

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $845.00
Commissions (Included In Cost): $5

Downside Coverage (from current price of $8.83): 4.3%
Possible Max Upside: 5.56%

Annualized Max Upside: 67.59%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (11/18/2009)

2009-11-22T15:01:00.000-08:00

This is the other position which I sold the protective put. The performance metrics are below:

7/23/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 13.14
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $13 Call @ 0.88
8/22/2009 -- Call Expired
8/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.25
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.18
9/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.68
9/10/2009 - Bought To Close 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.9
9/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $13 @ 1.29
11/6/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.41
11/18/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.5025

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00
Current Cost Average: $12.235

Downside Coverage: None

Possible Max Upside: 6.24%

Annualized Max Upside: 12.8%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (11/18/2009)

2009-11-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

After UNG passed below the $9 mark, I decided to exit two of my put positions which I bought to further cover a decline in the price of UNG. I will most likely be selling some calls on my UNG positions over the next few weeks even if they have to be longer-term in order to justify the sale. The new profit/loss info is below:

7/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $13 Put @ 1.15
8/21/2009 -- Stock Purchase @ $13
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $13 Call @ 0.60
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG October $8 Put @ .4275
10/16/2009 -- Option Expiration
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG November $12 Call @ .45
11/6/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.41
11/18/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.5025

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Purchase Price: $1190.00
Current Cost Average: $11.185
Commissions (Included In Cost): $35

Possible Max Upside: 6.85%

Annualized Max Upside: 17.60%

Initial Transaction - New York Community Bancorp (NYB) (11/16/2009)

2009-11-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

This position was established as another Long-Term Ex-Dividend (LTEX) position in the CCIP. New York Community Bancorp is a regional bank based in New York which mainly provides mortgages to multi-family dwellings. It has a very low default rate and has consistently paid a dividend (currently at 8.87%). The stock has been stuck between $10 and $12 since the market lows in March. I decided to establish a long-term covered call position including one possible pre-expiration exercise date in February. The new profit/loss info is below:

11/16/2009 -- Bought 100 NYB @ 11.48
11/16/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 NYB April $12 Call @ 0.55

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1093.00
Commissions (Included In Cost): $5

Downside Coverage (from current price of $11.48): 4.8%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At First Ex-Div. Date (2/4/2010): 38.78%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (4/17/2010): 27.90%

Initial Transaction - Verizon (VZ) (11/16/2009)

2009-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

This is another position established with the proceeds from the sale of BMY and MCHP. This position is part of a strategy I call LTEX, which is a Long-Term Ex-Dividend Strategy vs. the STEX, or short-term ex-dividend strategy of which MCHP was an example. The idea with this position is to select a stock which has a high dividend yield, is typically a value stock, and tends to have low volatility (meaning low option premiums). In the LTEX, the goal is to provide multiple points during the holding period, where the stock may be called away (these points being the ex-dividend dates). Verizon was chosen due to its extremely high dividend yield (6.24%), its low volatility, technical support around 28.64, and the fact that it has not participated in the low-quality rally since March. The question may be asked why Verizon vs. AT&T. I chose Verizon because I feel that it has less risk than AT&T. This is due to a variety of reasons including its FiOS, fiber optic television system which has been grabbing up market share better than AT&T's Uverse. Its generally better regarded cellular network, and most importantly, the fact that Verizon does not have to worry about the possibility of losing iPhone exclusivity. The new profit/loss info is below:

11/16/2009 -- Bought 100 VZ @ 30.37
11/16/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 VZ April $31 Call @ 1.08

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2930.00
Commissions (Included In Cost): $5

Downside Coverage (from current price of $30.37): 3.6%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At First Ex-Div. Date (1/7/2010): 39.53%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Second Ex-Div. Date (4/7/2010): 19.04%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (4/17/2010): 21.64%

Initial Transaction - Gamestop (GME) (11/16/2009)

2009-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

On Monday I began to open new CC positions with the proceeds from the sale of BMY and MCHP. This position is one of the more risky positions in the CCIP for the fact that GME will announce earnings in a few days, which is part of the reason for the high option premium. I feel that this risk is warranted however for a few reasons. The first is mainly a technical reason, in that the stock has recently found support around the $24 level, and was also quite a bit oversold recently. Another reason, is that the stock has been "talkd down" by a number of talking heads including Jim Cramer. Many people have cited weakening hardware sales as well as poor new game releases this year. I believe on the other hand, the Gamestop benefits from the weakened economy in its used game sales, which it makes good margins on, as well as the recent release of Call of Duty which broke sales records. For all these reasons I believe Gamestop to be a good holding for the CCIP. The new profit/loss info is below:

11/16/2009 -- Bought 100 GME @ 24.35
11/16/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 GME December $24 Call @ 1.42

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2293.00
Commissions (Included In Cost): $5

Downside Coverage (from current price of $24.35): 5.8%
Possible Max Upside: 4.25%

Annualized Max Upside: 47.01%

Closing Transaction - Microchip Technologies (MCHP) (11/13/2009)

2009-11-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

This position was another in my ex-dividend strategy, which involves creating an ITM covered call position in a company which has an ex-dividend date prior to the expiration date of the option. As planned, the position was called away the last trading day before its ex-dividend date. The final profit/loss info is below:

10/20/2009 -- Bought 100 MCHP @ 26.14
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MCHP November $25 Call @ 1.54
11/13/2009 -- Sold 100 MCHP @ 24.9543

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2460.00

Final Profit: 1.44%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 21.90%

Closing Transaction - Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) (11/13/2009)

2009-11-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

I decided to close this position early, as Bristol Myers was substantially above the $22 strike price of the CC. I had entered this position as a way to continue a similar annualized return to the position I had held in COP which was called away pre-ex-dividend date. As there was essentially no time value remaining in the CC, I closed the position in order to apply the capital elsewhere. The final profit/loss info is below:

10/29/2009 -- Bought 200 BMY @ 22.2025
10/29/2009 -- Sold To Open 2 BMY November $22 Call @ 0.5625
11/13/2009 -- Bought To Close/Sold 200 BMY @ 21.9425

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $4328.00

Final Profit: 1.40%

Annualized Max Upside: 22.18%

Update Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI)

2009-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

As the market continues to think about which direction it wants to go in, the agricultural stocks decided to move higher. As a result I rolled forward my November call position in IPI to December as the stock continues to have pretty high premiums, and has stayed somewhat detached from overall market movements as of late. I think this is a relatively good long term holding as potash companies should be seeing a rebound in demand sometime in the next 12 months as a result of the necessity of their product. Farmers cant go without fertilizer for too long without ill effects. My general rule for rolling a call to the next month is that I must maintain or increase my annualized gain, in this case I kept it almost exactly the same. The new profit/loss info is below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.7
8/26/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $21 September Put @ 0.25
8/31/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.10
8/31/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.50
10/1/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.10
10/8/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 November Call @ 0.70
11/12/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $27 November Call @ 0.71
11/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 December Call @ 1.41

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00
Current Cost Average: $23.46

Previous Max Upside: 11.29%
New Possible Max Upside: 14.07%

Previous Annualized Max Upside:36.14%
Annualized Max Upside: 36.17%

Initial Transaction - Applied Materials (AMAT)

2009-11-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to open a second position in Applied Materials (AMAT). This position is a cash-secured put, which basically means that I have sold the right for someone to sell me 100 shares of AMAT at $13/share at December expiration, if the stock price is below that. The position in Applied Materials was opened as it continues to be at multi-year lows. The company has unfortunately had some negative earnings as of late, but I believe the stock has alot of upside potential in the future due to its work in the semiconductor area (it profits regardless of whose chip is used), as well as the solar area which should benefit from legislation and regulation in the next few years once all of this health care debate is over. The company yields about 2% as noted in my previous position on it. The profit/loss info is below:

11/11/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 AMAT December $13 Put @ 0.55

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: N/A

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 4.23%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 40.64%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG)(3)

2009-11-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

The information regarding this transaction is noted in the previous post on UNG from today. This position is now uncovered, and protected on the downside with a $9 put. The new profit/loss info is below:

6/10/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 14.50
6/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $15 Call @ 0.97
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG July $15 Call @ 0.15
7/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $15 Call @ 0.45
8/22/2009 -- Call Expired
8/28/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG October $10 Put @ 0.65
9/1/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $14 Call @ 0.50
9/2/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 UNG October $10 Put @ 0.95
11/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG January $14 Call @ 0.18
11/6/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.41

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Possible Max Upside: N/A

Annualized Max Upside: N/A

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (2)

2009-11-06T13:38:00.001-08:00

Information regarding this transaction is noted in the previous post on UNG. The performance metrics are below:

7/23/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 13.14
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $13 Call @ 0.88
8/22/2009 -- Call Expired
8/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.25
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.18
9/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.68
9/10/2009 - Bought To Close 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.9
9/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $13 @ 1.29
11/6/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.41

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Downside Coverage: Covered below $9

Possible Max Upside: 2.14%

Annualized Max Upside: 4.39%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG)

2009-11-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

As per the norm, UNG continues to drag down the CCIP at some points, and pull it up at others. UNG has plummeted from the $12 mark it was near at October expiration to near $9.50. As a result I decided to buy some December $9 put protection for all three positions, as well as buying back a January call for one of the positions which will be noted in another post. The new profit/loss info is below:

7/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $13 Put @ 1.15
8/21/2009 -- Stock Purchase @ $13
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $13 Call @ 0.60
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG October $8 Put @ .4275
10/16/2009 -- Option Expiration
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG November $12 Call @ .45
11/6/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG December $9 Put @ 0.41

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Purchase Price: $1190.00

Possible Max Upside: 2.63%

Annualized Max Upside: 6.75%

Dividend - Intel (INTC) (11/4/2009)

2009-11-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

This is simply an update to the Intel position which notes the passing of the ex-dividend date. The new profit/loss info is below:

10/21/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 19.795
10/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC December $19 Call @ 1.14
11/4/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.14

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1865.50

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (12/19/2009): 14.43%

Downside Protection: 6.5%

October 2009 Results

2009-11-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

The month of October was the second negative month for the CCIP. The overall market was essentially flat for the month, though the benchmark SPY ETF was down slightly. Premiums have stayed low, as the VIX has continued to stay pretty low throughout the month. As I have been implementing my new investing strategy over the past month and a half I have noticed some interesting things in the movement of the account. Although I have not been “beating” the benchmark by very much my volatility has been much lower. The average daily move in the CCIP has been 0.7% in the month of October vs. 1.18% in the SPY (the median was also better, 0.69% vs. 1.08%). As one of my goals in the CCIP is to make it a better investment vehicle for those who don’t like to see huge swings in account value, this is very promising. In terms of individual positions, I continue to try to move out of my positions in UNG, and hopefully that will happen in the next few months. At least in this case, natural gas prices can’t go to 0, so my potential loss is not unlimited.

I have also started to track other metrics recently to judge the performance of the CCIP. One of these metrics is to understand the overall “profit yield” in the portfolio. The “profit yield” normalizes the potential returns of each position on an annualized basis to determine an overall portfolio potential annualized return. My goal is to keep this number above 25%, and it currently stands at 28.65%. I will report this number with each monthly update from now on.

The 2009 Since Inception results are as follows:

1. Since Inception Results

CCIP Absolute Return (March 7 through October 31, 2009) = 56.77%

Benchmark S&P 500 (SPY) Absolute Return (March 7 through October 31, 2009) = 48.11%

The CCIP has outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark by a total of 8.66%

November 2009 Next Steps

The month of November is bound to be full of surprises, as it seems that the rally is losing steam. Lately, I have also heard a lot of talk about a head and shoulders pattern beginning to form, which could mean a large drop in the market in the near future. As a result of this uncertainty, I have started moving some of my money into more stable companies, which have strong dividends and are less dependent on an improving economy. As I noted above, my current strategy aims for a portfolio annualized return of 25%, however this is adjusted downwards from where it stood at the beginning of the month, which was 35%.

As of right now, my current strategies for the CCIP include:

Near-month covered calls
Long-term covered calls
Ex-dividend Strategy
Cash-Secured Put Strategy
Put Spread Strategy

The strategy for establishing covered calls positions after November expiration will depend on what positions close ITM at expiration. I will establish new positions based upon my annualized return asset allocation strategy in order to hit an overall portfolio return of 25%.

As always, please post any thoughts or questions you have regarding the CCIP and the posts on the blog.

Question And Answer

2009-11-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

In an effort to encourage more interaction on the blog, I have decided to have a question and answer post once a month. I would like any of the blog readers to please post questions in response to this post that they may have regarding covered calls investing. Additionally, I would like any other covered call investing blog authors to feel free to help answer the questions as well. Hopefully this pilot works out well, and if so, I may expand it to more than once a month.

Initial Transaction - Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) (10/29/2009)

2009-11-04T22:09:00.000-08:00

After my position in COP was called away on October 28, I decided to enter a similar type of return position with a November expiration. This position is in Bristol Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical company which had a place in the CCIP from April until July this year. Since running up to above $22 in July right before expiration, the stock has been relatively flat. I believe that pharmaceuticals offer a unique investment in the healthcare space, as the effect on them from upcoming health care legislation should already be priced into the stock as that section of the bill has essentially been written for months. Additionally, the stock pays a great dividend, and has traded in a relatively tight range for much of the last year. I chose to enter a current month call position as I am considering slightly altering my current strategy to utilize high dividend stocks and slightly ITM or slightly OTM calls. The new profit/loss info is below:

10/29/2009 -- Bought 200 BMY @ 22.2025
10/29/2009 -- Sold To Open 2 BMY November $22 Call @ 0.5625

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $4328.00

Downside Coverage (from current price of $22.2025): 2.5%
Possible Max Upside: 1.52%

Annualized Max Upside: 24.17%

Closing Transaction - ConocoPhillips (COP) (10/28/2009)

2009-11-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

This was an experiment in my covered call investment strategy which I think worked out quite well. The idea with this type of position is to choose a stable company, paying an above average dividend which has pretty good option premiums and sell a longer term call. The purpose of selling a longer term call is to provide multiple "exit points" for the owner of the call you sold. They could call your stock away at the first ex-dividend date, the second ex-dividend date, or expiration (assuming the option is ITM). From a return perspective, I aim for a 10-20% return regardless of when the stock would be called away. For ConocoPhillips this plan worked wonderfully, and the stock was called away on the first ex-dividend date it hit, providing a fantastic 19.42% annualized return over two months. The profit/loss info is below:

8/13/2009 -- Bought 100 COP @ 43.93
8/13/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 COP January $39 Call @ 6.49
10/28/2009 -- Sold 100 COP @ 38.9539

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 3759.00

Actual Gain: 4.04%

Annualized Gain: 19.42%

Update Transaction - MEMC Electronics Materials (WFR) (10/27/2009)

2009-11-04T21:54:00.000-08:00

I decided to do one post for essentially three transactions taking place on two days as it all has to do with the same event. On October 22, WFR released earnings after the market closed which were pretty disastrous. Now, this should not have been a surprise to most, as they had previously stated earnings would be horrible due to plant shutdowns they had during the quarter. However, the stock essentially fell off a cliff at which point I decided to buy back the $16 call I had sold, and sell a $15 November Call, to essentially break even if called at expiration. This was done when the stock was at about $14. Unfortunately, the stock continued to fall, reaching almost $12 at which point I decided to buy back the $15 call, and essentially wait for somewhat of a bounce in order to resell a call. I think the stock was punished more than it should have been, and this opinion was somewhat echoed by an upgrade the stock received simply based on the drop in price. The analyst noted that their target was $15, the stock had fallen almost 20% under that price and was thus undervalued (I consider this to be a smarter analyst than most, as most analysts wouldnt upgrade on such a price decline, even though it makes sense based on the target). I plan to resell a call once the stock gets somewhere above $13.50, hopefully sooner rather than later. The profit/loss info is below:

10/21/2009 -- Bought 100 WFR @ 15.76
10/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 WFR November $16 Call @ 0.81
10/23/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 WFR November $16 Call @ 0.25
10/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 WFR November $15 Call @ 0.40
10/27/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 WFR November $15 Call @ 0.20

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 1495.00

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: N/A
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: N/A

Initial Transaction - Intel (INTC) (10/21/2009)

2009-11-04T21:51:00.001-08:00

After a somewhat premature exit from my positions in Intel, I decided to open a new position as part of my ex-dividend strategy. The company will pay a dividend to shareholders on record November 6, meaning the ex-div date is November 4th. For this position I decided to sell a December call as it would result in a better return if the stock was actually called at the ex-dividend date. It addionally provided added downside protection due to the longer time value. The profit/loss info is below:

10/21/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 19.795
10/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC December $19 Call @ 1.14

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1755.00

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div. Date (11/4/2009): 40.48%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (11/21/2009): 15.75%

Downside Protection: 5.8%

Initial Transaction - MEMC Electronics Materials (WFR) (10/21/2009)

2009-11-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

After a drop in the price of MEMC Electronics Materials, I decided to re-enter a position I had held a few months ago. I have been keeping track of companies which used to be part of the CCIP in order to re-enter positions if the price fell below the original position I had held, but the company still had strong fundamentals. This company is a bit different for the CCIP as it is more of a speculative position, though I think it is necessary to have such things in any portfolio. The company makes silicon wafers for the semiconductor and solar industry, and has had some issues recently with production problems. As a result of that, and the faltering economy, the company has reported negative earnings for the past few quarters. I think the company will be a good growth story coming out of the recession, and I therefore decided to re-establish a position. The profit/loss info is below:

10/21/2009 -- Bought 100 WFR @ 15.76
10/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 WFR November $16 Call @ .81

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 1495.00

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 6.25%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 73.59%

Initial Transaction - Microchip Technology (MCHP) (10/20/2009)

2009-11-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

This position is another in my ex-dividend strategy, which involves creating an ITM covered call position in a company which has an ex-dividend date prior to the expiration date of the option. Microchip Technology is a company which develops and manufactured specialized products for the semiconductor industry. The company has a profit margin of 24% which is much higher than peers, and yields a giant 5.66% which is amazing for a tech company. The company also reported earnings ahead of expectations in August, and based on recent earnings reports from other semiconductor companies, I expect MCHP to report good earnings in November. The company has not yet declared its dividend, but it should be paid in the second week of November based on historical payments. The profit/loss info is below:

10/20/2009 -- Bought 100 MCHP @ 26.14
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MCHP November $25 Call @ 1.54

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2460.00

Potential Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 1.4%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 22.22%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 3.00%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 34.27%

Initial & Closing Transaction - Lockheed Martin (LMT) (10/21/2009)

2009-10-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

As goes the mantra of good investing, you must always invest logically and not emotionally. Unfortunately, I think this is one thing that most people find difficult to do, whether it be selling a position which has fallen precipitously and is no longer a good company, or not selling a position when you have made a lot of money but the company is now overvalued because you are being greedy. In this case it was neither, it was what I consider to be somewhere in between those two issues, and that is selling a position because it took a big hit one day, and though the fundamentals didn't change, it made me jumpy, so I sold it. This position was in Lockheed Martin, and though it only existed for one day, I felt it necessary to put it on the blog as it is a good investing lesson. I mentioned a few weeks ago after my position in LMT was called away at $75 that I would consider re-entering the stock if it fell below $72. The company released lackluster earnings for the latest quarter, and so the stock fell from near $78 down to $73 in one day. I chose to enter at this point in one of my long-term dividend covered call positions, similar to the one I had in ConocoPhillips. The idea here is to sell a fairly ITM call which is at least 3 months in the future, and shoot for about a 10-20% return regardless of whether the stock gets called away at any of the ex-dividend dates or at expiration. Unfortunately, the stock continued to fall the following day underneath $70 which it had not fallen below in quite a while, and I got spooked so I closed out the position. Of course, once I did so the stock rebounded somewhat, but I had already taken my loss. The lesson here is if the company is a good fundamental investment, you should not let a decline scare you away, you should instead consider it an opportunity to purchase more, or in this case possibly buy back the call and wait for a rebound t sell a new one. The profit/loss info is below:

10/20/2009 -- Bought 100 LMT @ 72.76
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 LMT March $70 Call @ 5.80
10/21/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 LMT March $70 Call / Sold 100 LMT @ 65.50

Loss = $135.00

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 66.85

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 4.43%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 10.70%

Initial Transaction - Applied Materials (AMAT)(10/20/2009)

2009-10-29T11:38:00.001-07:00

This position was opened as part of my ex-dividend strategy. The idea here is to sell a call on a stock which be paying a dividend during the next few weeks in hopes that the stock will be called away the day before the ex-dividend date. The position in Applied Materials was opened as it is currently at multi-year lows. The company has unfortunately had some negative earnings as of late, but I believe the stock has alot of upside potential in the future due to its work in the semiconductor area (it profits regardless of whose chip is used), as well as the solar area which should benefit from legislation and regulation in the next few years once all of this health care debate is over. The company yields about 2%, and the ex-dividend date is on November 9. The profit/loss info is below:

10/20/2009 -- Bought 100 AMAT @ 13.39
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 AMAT November $13 Call @ 0.76

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 1263.00

Potential Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 2.46%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 44.92%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 3.01%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 34.32%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (10/20/2009)

2009-10-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

While UNG was still hovering around the $12 mark I decided to sell a $12 call for November, which was below the $13 call I had in October, but at this point Im simply trying to exit UNG at a profit. The performance metrics are below:

7/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $13 Put @ 1.15
8/21/2009 -- Stock Purchase @ $13
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $13 Call @ 0.60
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG October $8 Put @ .4275
10/16/2009 -- Option Expiration
10/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG November $12 Call @ .45

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Purchase Price: $1190.00

Possible Max Upside: 6.04%

Annualized Max Upside: 15.61%

Initial Transaction - Astec Industries (ASTE) (10/19/2009)

2009-10-29T10:03:00.000-07:00

I decided to open a position in Astec Industries, a company which manufactures equipment used in road building. I established this position due to a few key reasons, both technical and fundamental. The stock has been bouncing between $25 and $30 since the beginning of July and has reached a high of $34 this year, and a low slightly above $20 at the March low. As a result I judge a relatively low downside risk, and a much higher possibility of upside. On a fundamental basis, I believe that the company has a few things that has kept the stock price down, but should be figured out in the coming months. The most important of these is that the highway funding bill was not passed this year, and so there is quite a bit of uncertainty about when and for how much that bill will be passed. In my opinion the question is not whether a bill will be passed, but rather when. Additionally, most of the stimulus funding for road construction will be released next year and provide a boost to ASTE's revenues. Lastly, there is a possibility that a second stimulus might need to be passed in the next year which would be more likely to have infrastructure projects as this was not a large part of the original bill, which could add upside. All in all I think the company is a good pick for both the short and long term. Just as a note, the company does release earnings in the next month, which adds additional risk. The profit/loss info is below:

10/19/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 $25 ASTE November CSP @ $0.75

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: N/A

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 3.00%

PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 33.18%

Initial Transaction - Life Partners Holdings Inc. (LPHI) (10/19/2009)

2009-10-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

I decided to re-enter a position in LPHI, as it will be paying a dividend during this expiration month. The stock continues to trade in a pretty tight range between $17 and $18.50. The stock also sports an above average dividend yield of 5%. LPHI is essentially a type of investment fund for wealthy individuals. They purchase life insurance policies in the secondary market for wealthy individuals who continue to pay the premiums and then collect the funds when the underwritten individual passes. This is a relatively morbid business, but it is also one which I believe will perform well in the economic climate. The company has no debt, and is growing rapidly, as such I believe it will continue to be a good holding in the CCIP. I sold a put instead of writing a CC due to the wash rule, as I had previously sold LPHI for a loss. The profit/loss info is below:

10/19/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 $17.50 LPHI November CSP @ $1.10

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: N/A

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 6.29%

PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 69.52%

Update Transaction - Direxion 3x Small Cap Bear (TZA) (10/19/2009)

2009-10-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my post on October 2009 expirations, the put I had sold in TZA was assigned as the current price was below the strike price. The stock managed to stay in the middle of the put spread I had put in place. I decided to sell a lower strike call on the new stock position, as I am neutral to bearish on the overall market at the moment. Since this stock is a triple-leveraged position, it is better to be safe than sorry, as a 5-10% increase in the overall market could wreak havoc on the position. The new profit/loss info is below:

9/14/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 $12.50 Strike Oct Put @ $1.10
9/14/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 $10 Strike Oct Put @ $.25
10/16/2009 -- Stock Bought @12.50
10/19/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 $11 Strike Nov Call @ 1.10

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $11.65

Possible Max Upside: 3.43%

Annualized Max Upside: 18.43%

October 2009 Expiration Day (10/16/2009)

2009-10-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Covered Calls Investor Portfolio contained a total of 6 positions with October 2009 expirations, and 8 positions either with a Non-October expiration or no current covered call. The 6 positions with October expiration had the following results:

- 4 positions (BBY, LPHI, SMS, MRO) closed in-the-money. The calls were exercised and the stock was sold. All of these positions had pretty good returns. SMS was looking as if it wasnt going to close in the money, but it had a pretty big run-up into expiration. The annualized gain/loss results (after commissions) were:

Best Buy (BBY) => 41.84% (Held Since 6/12/2009)
Life Partners Holdings (LPHI) => 61.11% (Held Since 8/31/2009)
SIMS Metal Management (SMS) => 111.05% (Held Since 9/28/2009)
Marathon Oil (MRO) => 31.10% (Held Since 8/24/2009)

- 2 positions in the portfolio (UNG, TZA) ended out-of-the-money. As is the norm with UNG, it yet again ended OTM.

United States Natural Gas (UNG) - $11.57
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $11.7275

This position will be kept, as I believe natural gas prices will eventually rebound. In the meantime, I will continue to sell calls against the three UNG positions which I still maintain. The risk factor in this position is mainly due to the way in which the ETF operates, as current CTFC proceedings have resulted in the company which manages UNG to have to invest in riskier instruments in order to track the price of natural gas.

Direxion 3x Small Cap Bear (TZA) - $11.17
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $11.65

This position is only being used as a hedge in case of a decline in the overall market. I will continue to hold this one position, and sell ITM calls against it. As it only accounts for a small percentage of my total portfolio I am not too worried about a large loss, in case of more large gains in the indices.

The positions in the portfolio which did not have October expirations include:

United States Natural Gas (UNG)(200 Shares) - January $13 and $14 Covered Calls

Intrepid Potash (IPI)(100 Shares) - November $27 Covered Call

ConocoPhillips (COP)(100 Shares) - January $39 Covered Call

McGraw-Hill (MHP)(100 Shares) - November $30 Covered Call

Jack In The Box (JACK) - November $20 CSP

Omnicare (OCR)(100 Shares) - November $22.50 Covered Call

Fluor (FLR)(100 Shares) - November $50 Covered Call

Closing Transaction - Intel (INTC) (10/15/2009)

2009-10-21T14:17:00.001-07:00

I closed both of my positions in Intel on October 15 somewhat by accident, as I had only intended for them to sell if I could gain all of the remaining time value in the sale. Unfortunately, the order was entered incorrectly as a net debit instead of net credit. Luckily, I only lost out on a few dollars in the mix-up. I would be happy to re-enter a position in Intel in the future if it falls back under $20 as I believe the company is solid, and has consistently beat earnings estimates the last few quarters along with having a good yield. The final profit/loss info is below:

Position #1 - October CC

8/24/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 18.92
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC October $18 Call @ 1.50
10/15/2009 -- Bought Call/Sold Stock @ 17.93

Final Profit: 2.63%

Final Annualized Gain: 18.84%

Position #2 - November CC

10/1/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 19.11
10/1/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC November $18 Call @ 1.56
10/15/2009 -- Bought Call/Sold Stock @ 17.88

Final Profit: 1.88%

Final Annualized Gain: 52.79%

Closing Transaction - SPY Call (10/15/2009)

2009-10-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

I decided to close out my SPY call position, as expiration was only two days away, and the SPY would have to rise another 1-2% in order for the call to be in the money. As a result I decided to take the limited time premium that was left. I think that for now I wont be using this strategy anymore, as the timing of the call purchase ended up causing me to just miss out on gains in the SPY. I may use this strategy again in the future when I believe the market is poised for a large bullish move. The gain/loss info is below:

8/24/2009 -- Bought 1 $106 SPY September Call @ 1.35
9/16/2009 -- Sold 1 $106 SPY September Call @ 0.58
9/16/2009 -- Bought 1 $110 SPY October Call @ 0.82
10/15/2009 -- Sold 1 $110 SPY October Call @ 0.55

Total Loss: $104 (Less than0.3% of the total portfolio)

Update Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI) (10/8/2009)

2009-10-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

As I expected IPI rebounded nicely from a low around $22/share. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of time until October expiration and so the premiums for strikes as high as $27 were non-existent. As such, I decided to sell a $27 Nov call. The new profit/loss info is below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.7
8/26/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $21 September Put @ 0.25
8/31/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.10
8/31/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.50
10/1/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.10
10/8/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 November Call @ 0.70

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00
Current Cost Average: $24.16

Possible Max Upside: 11.29%

Annualized Max Upside: 36.14%

Initial Transaction - Fluor (FLR) (10/7/2009)

2009-10-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

After seeing a position opened by the Covered Call Advisor (coveredcalladvisor.blogspot.com) in Fluor, I decided to take a look at the company. When I looked at the company I found some very nice features for a covered call position. The first thing I noticed was the chart which showed FLR oscillating around $50/share for the past 4 months. The second thing that made this a good company for a covered call position was the fact that it paid a dividend. Although small, dividends can add alot to covered call positions. Thirdly, the company is poised to benefit from what I foresee as a rebound in construction of large infrastructure projects over the next few years. Specifically, the recent run-up in oil prices as well as my belief that oil prices will most likely continue to move higher in the long-term would be a boon to FLR as it is one of the larger EPC's which operates in the oil & gas space. For these reasons as well as a recent drop in the share price under $50 I decided to open a CC position. The profit/loss info is below:

10/7/2009 -- Bought 100 FLR @ 47.07
10/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 FLR November $50 Call @ 1.70

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $4537.00

Potential Gain: 9.16%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (11/21/2009): 74.30%

Downside Protection: 3.6%

Closing Transactions - AT&T & The Buckle (T) (BKE) (10/7/2009)

2009-10-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

Both AT&T (T) and The Buckle (BKE) were called away preceding an ex-dividend date as the time value remaining was very small in comparison with the dividend to be paid. The final profit/loss info is below:

AT&T (T)

Transaction History:
Various -- Bought 100 T @ 25.125
2/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T March $24 Call @ 0.895
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T March $24 Call @ 0.3874
4/7/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
4/16/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T May $26 Call @ 0.8126
5/15/2009 -- Call Expired
7/8/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T August $26 Call @ 0.4
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired OTM
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T September $26 Call @ 0.53
9/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T September $26 Call @ 0.34
9/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T October $26 Call @ 0.64
10/7/2009 -- Stock Called Away @ 25.9543

Final Profit: 17.33%
Annualized Final Profit: 28.24%

The Buckle (BKE)

Transaction History:
8/7/2009 -- Bought 100 BKE @ 26.70
8/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BKE $30 September Call @ 0.70
9/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BKE $30 September Call @ 0.15
9/18/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BKE $30 October Call @ 0.85
10/7/2009 -- Stock Called Away @ 29.9542

Final Profit: 16.33%
Annualized Final Profit: 97.74%

Dividend Payment - SIMS Metal Management (SMS) (10/6/2009)

2009-10-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is simply a dividend update for the position in SMS. I actually had forgotten about this dividend payment, even though it was one of the original reasons I found the stock. The new profit/loss info is below:

9/28/2009 -- Bought 100 SMS @ 19.69
9/28/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 SMS October $20 Call @ 0.7
10/6/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.08

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1899.00

Downside Protection: 3.5%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 5.48%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 105.21%

Dividend Payment - Best Buy (BBY) (10/2/2009)

2009-10-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

This is simply a dividend update for my position in BBY. The new profit/loss info is below:

6/12/2009 -- Bought 100 BBY @ 37.54
6/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY July $39 Call @ 1.54
6/12/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 BBY June $35 Put @ 0.6
6/18/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY July $39 Call @ 0.50
6/18/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 BBY June $35 Put @ 1.1
6/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY July $38 Call @ 0.20
7/2/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.14
7/18/2009 -- Call Expired
7/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY August $38 Call @ 0.65
8/12/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY August $38 Call @ 0.6
8/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY September $39 Call @ 1.20
9/15/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY September $39 Call @ 1.52
9/15/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY October $39 Call @ 2.39
9/15/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 BBY October $32 Put @ 0.35
10/4/2009 -- Dividend Payment @ 0.14

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $3660.00

Possible Max Upside: 14.58%

Annualized Max Upside: 41.91%

Update Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI) (10/1/2009)

2009-10-18T13:53:00.000-07:00

After a large decline in the price of Intrepid Potash I decided to buy back the October call in case the price of Intrepid Potash greatly recovered as the expiration date grew closer. I plan to resell the $27 call if the price of IPI recovers. If not, I will most likely sell a November call. The new profit/loss info is below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.7
8/26/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $21 September Put @ 0.25
8/31/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.10
8/31/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.50
10/1/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.70

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00
Current Cost Average: $24.86

Possible Max Upside: N/A

Annualized Max Upside: N/A

Initial Transaction - Intel (INTC) (10/1/2009)

2009-10-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to open another position in Intel after a drop in the price back near $19. It was another position intended to yield between a 10 and 20% annualized return. Intel was going to be releasing earnings in the following few weeks, and I would be glad to own it at the $17.50 cost averaged price. This was also an additional position utilizing the ex-dividend strategy I have described in previous posts. The profit/loss info is below:

10/1/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 19.11
10/1/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC November $18 Call @ 1.56

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1755.00

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div. Date (11/5/2009): 23.77%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (11/21/2009): 16.31%

Downside Protection: 8.2%

Initial Transaction - Omnicare (OCR) (9/29/2009)

2009-10-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

An additional position I opened at the end of September was in a company which I had in the CCIP back in April, and had exited in July. Omnicare is a is a geriatric pharmaceutical services company. The Company operates in two segments: Pharmacy Services and Contract Research Organization Services (CRO Services). The Company provides pharmaceuticals and related ancillary pharmacy services to long-term healthcare institutions. The uncertainty over the health care legislation in Congress as well as difficulty in executing its turnaround plan has caused the company to drop near its 52-week low of around $19. As I believe that regardless of the legislation passed it will bring the company a greater number of beds to be serviced, I thought now was a good time to get back in. However, I wanted to be somewhat cautious so I established an ITM call. The new profit/loss info is below:

9/29/2009 -- Bought 100 OCR @ 22.93
9/29/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 OCR November $22.50 Call @ 1.59

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2134.00

If stock is called at expiration:

Downside Coverage: 6.9%
Possible Max Upside: 5.44%

Annualized Max Upside: 37.44%

Initial Transaction - Jack In The Box (JACK) (9/29/2009)

2009-10-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

At the end of September, I decided to open a new cash-secured put position in Jack In The Box, a California based fast food chain. The company owns both the Jack In The Box burger chain as well as the Mexican fast food restaurant, Qdoba. I decided to open this trade after considering it for about 3 months. Although I have never been to a Jack In The Box, I was introduced to the Qdoba chain in college. This restaurant is similar to another Mexican fast food chain which more people are familiar with, Chipotle. Jack In The Box is different from other fast food chains, in that it changes its menu quite often, in an effort to find menu items that have greater appeal. I chose to invest in the company at this point in time mostly for technical reasons, as it is currently floating above a key point of support at $20. The stock has not closed below this point since the market crashed in March. As such I don't foresee too much downside risk. The new profit/loss info is below:

9/29/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 JACK November $20 Put @ 0.95

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: N/A

Possible Max Upside: 4.75%

Annualized Max Upside: 32.71%

Initial Transaction - SIMS Metal Management (SMS) (9/28/2009)

2009-10-08T11:07:00.001-07:00

This was my first new position after returning from vacation. SIMS metal management is the world's largest metals recycling company and is based on Australia. I chose to open this position in order to further diversify my portfolio with a construction type play, as well as adding some more "international flavor." The options premiums are pretty high for this particular stock, but they are also not very liquid, so it is best to establish a cc by setting a net debit order instead of buying them separately. The profit/loss info is below:

9/28/2009 -- Bought 100 SMS @ 19.69
9/28/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 SMS October $20 Call @ 0.7

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1899.00

Downside Protection: 3.5%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 5.06%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 97.11%

Continuing Transaction - McGraw-Hill (MHP) (9/18/2009)

2009-10-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

McGraw-Hill was another position which was rolled out to another month's expiration. The stock has been on quite a rollercoaster ride since I purchased it. It rose as high as $33, and was promptly demolished after a pending court case was not dismissed regarding its ratings business. As the stock had made a brief rebound, I decided to roll-out the call until November. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/21/2009 -- Bought 100 MHP @ 29.66
8/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MHP September $30 Call @ 0.86
8/24/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.23
9/3/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 MHP September $25 Put @ 0.20
9/18/2009 - Bought To Close 1 MHP September $30 Call @ 0.08
9/18/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MHP November $30 Call @ 1.12

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2890.00

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 7.51%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 29.79%

Closing Transaction - Lockheed Martin (LMT) (9/17/2009)

2009-10-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

As I have mentioned in my recent posts, as I was going to be on vacation the week following options expiration in September, I closed or rolled-out many of my positions the previous week. Lockheed Martin was one of the positions which I closed, after it jumped about 5% at the end of expiration week. I had originally opened the position in Lockheed to capitalize on the dividend, but also because it was a solid company. I would not hesitate to re-open the position of LMT fell back below $75 and I had funds available. The final profit/loss info is below:

8/25/2009 -- Bought 100 LMT @ 74.30
8/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 LMT September $75 Call @ 1.30
8/28/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.57
9/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 LMT September $75 Call @ 3.40
9/17/2009 -- Sold 100 LMT @ 78.32

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 7300.00

Final Gain: 3.41%
Annualized Gain: 54.13%

Continuing Transaction - AT&T (T) (9/17/2009)

2009-10-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

Continuing the trend of rolling positions over to October expirations, I did so on AT&T as it was going to be paying a dividend in October. The new profit/loss info is below:

Transaction History:
Various -- Bought 100 T @ 25.125
2/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T March $24 Call @ 0.895
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T March $24 Call @ 0.3874
4/7/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
4/16/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T May $26 Call @ 0.8126
5/15/2009 -- Call Expired
7/8/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T August $26 Call @ 0.4
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired OTM
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T September $26 Call @ 0.53
9/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T September $26 Call @ 0.34
9/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T October $26 Call @ 0.64

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2512.50
Current Cost Average: $21.75

Downside Coverage (based on current share price, 26.30): 17.3%

Possible Max Upside (if called at ex-div): 17.52%
Annualized Max Upside (if called at ex-div): 28.42%

Possible Max Upside (if called at expiration): 19.21%
Annualized Max Upside (if called a expiration): 29.97%

Continuing Transaction - The Buckle (BKE) (9/17/2009)

2009-10-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

As expiration day was coming to a close I decided to roll forward my position in The Buckle, a premium denim retailer. The stock has made quite the rebound since falling to $26 after a lackluster same-store sales report in July. With the stock approaching $30, I decided to roll forward the September $30 call to October in case of a precipitous decline in the market during the following week while I would be away. Additionally, The Buckle normally pays a dividend in October, and so holding onto the stock for another month would yield additional profit. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/7/2009 -- Bought 100 BKE @ 26.70
8/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BKE $30 September Call @ 0.70
9/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BKE $30 September Call @ 0.15
9/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BKE $30 October Call @ 0.85

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2635.00

Downside Coverage (Current Price of 29.23): 13.95%
Possible Max Upside: 16.32%

Annualized Max Upside: 83.89%

Continuing Transaction - SPY (9/16/2009)

2009-10-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my new strategy which was described in my previous post on the SPY call. I decided to roll it over to an October call. For this call to become appreciating the SPY would have to rise 3% from its current levels (from 107 -> 110). The purchase info is below:

8/24/2009 -- Bought 1 $106 SPY September Call @ 1.35
9/16/2009 -- Sold 1 $106 SPY September Call @ 0.58
9/16/2009 -- Bought 1 $110 SPY October Call @ 0.82

Continuing Transaction - Best Buy (BBY) (9/15/2009)

2009-10-04T08:56:00.001-07:00

It would seem that I always have to be traveling the week before or the week after expiration. This has thus far presented a difficult decision on how to deal with positions that are in-the-money when nearing expiration as the decision has to be made to roll them up and out, or close the position early in order to open a new one. For Best Buy, the decision was made after earnings were announced causing the stock price to drop about 7% from a high of 41 pre-earnings announcement to around 39. With an upcoming dividend, relatively good option premiums, and my continued belief in future earnings potential, I decided to roll the position out at the same strike for the next month, while also purchasing a protective put to guard against a continued drop in the stock as well as a general drop in the market. The new profit/loss info is below:

6/12/2009 -- Bought 100 BBY @ 37.54
6/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY July $39 Call @ 1.54
6/12/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 BBY June $35 Put @ 0.6
6/18/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY July $39 Call @ 0.50
6/18/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 BBY June $35 Put @ 1.1
6/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY July $38 Call @ 0.20
7/2/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.14
7/18/2009 -- Call Expired
7/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY August $38 Call @ 0.65
8/12/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY August $38 Call @ 0.6
8/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY September $39 Call @ 1.20
9/15/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY September $39 Call @ 1.52
9/15/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY October $39 Call @ 2.39
9/15/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 BBY October $32 Put @ 0.35

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $3660.00

Possible Max Upside: 14.19%

Annualized Max Upside: 40.8%

Initial Transaction - Direxion 3x Small Cap Bear (TZA) (9/14/2009)

2009-10-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

For the first time in the CCIP, I will be using an option strategy referred to as a put spread. This is essentially the same concept as a covered call in which you also buy a protective put, however it removes one of the legs of the trade. Instead, you sell a higher strike put, and buy a lower strike put. The perfect outcome is that both puts expire out-of-the-money and you collect the difference in the two premiums. For this particular position, I decided to create a put spread with TZA, which returns 3x the inverse of the daily return of the Russell 2000 index. The idea here is essentially that I believe the market cannot sustain this drive higher forever, and that its due time for a pullback. As such I would like to be hedged against such a pullback, and I think this is a perfect way to do so. It results in a potential profit of 6.8%, and the maximum loss is only 15%. I will most likely be using more of these type strategies with the more volatile positions in my portfolio. The profit/loss info is below:

9/14/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 $12.50 Strike Oct Put @ $1.10
9/14/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 $10 Strike Oct Put @ $.25

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: N/A

Possible Max Upside: 6.8%

Annualized Max Upside: 75.21%

Update Transaction - Marathon Oil (MRO) (9/14/2009)

2009-09-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

As I was going to be on vacation the week after option expiration, I began to roll out positions in my portfolio to October so as to reduce the amount of cash sitting useless the week after expiration. This was the first position to be rolled out as part of this plan. Marathon Oil has stayed in a relatively tight range between 31 and 34 for the past month and a half and I expect it to stay in this range in the near future, as oil oscillates between 65 and 75. Rolling this CSP forward to October does not change the annualized return. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MRO September $31 Put @ 0.70
9/14/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 MRO September $31 Put @ 0.33
9/14/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MRO September $31 Put @ 1.03

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: N/A

Possible Max Upside: 4.52%

Annualized Max Upside: 30.53%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (9/10/2009)

2009-09-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

After a large increase in the share price of UNG in the beginning of September, I decided I had slightly over reacted by selling a $12 call for January, and decided to roll my January CC up to a $13 strike increasing my potential profit from near zero to a respectable number. The performance metrics are below:

7/23/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 13.14
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $13 Call @ 0.88
8/22/2009 -- Call Expired
8/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.25
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.18
9/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.68
9/10/2009 - Bought To Close 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.9
9/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $13 @ 1.29

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Downside Coverage: None

Possible Max Upside: 5.49%

Annualized Max Upside: 11.25%

Update Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI) (8/31/2009)

2009-09-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

Intrepid Potash has been oscillating between about 22 and 26 dollars over the past few weeks, and with the the market continuing to drive higher with no intention of falling back, I decided to roll my IPI call to October at a slightly lower strike in order to hedge my risk as well as increase the risk of the stock being called away at October expiration. The performance metrics are below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.7
8/26/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $21 September Put @ 0.25
8/31/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.10
8/31/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 October Call @ 0.50

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00
Current Cost Average: $24.76

Possible Max Upside: 8.90%

Annualized Max Upside: 41.13%

August 2009 Results

2009-09-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

The month of August was unfortunately the first negative month for the CCIP. The portfolio was dragged down by the horrible performance of UNG which reduced the overall portfolio performance of the CCIP by about 3%. Premiums have continued to decline as the VIX has stayed in a relatively low range which has been helpful to those who wish to cover downside risk by purchasing protective puts, but not for those looking to sell premium. Every once in a while an investment choice does not do what you expect, and this possibility has to always be considered when selecting asset allocation. As I noted in my post on asset allocation within a covered call portfolio it is extremely important not to weight any one of your positions too heavily. Unfortunately, UNG represented about 10% of my overall portfolio, and so its 30% decline substantially impacted overall portfolio performance. The fact that the overall portfolio only dropped slightly was a testament, however, to the successful choices in other parts of the portfolio.

Unfortunately, as well as the under-performance by the CCIP in August, the portfolio has also lost much of the ground it had over the benchmark, S&P 500. Although it is still ahead of the market, its "lead" has been reduced. This brings up an important point regarding a covered call portfolio, as well as the general strategy of the CCIP. It is my intention, not to necessarily consistently beat the market, but instead to provide a constant return of at least 10%. However, this is not to say that I do not want to maximize my possible returns. This is why I have adopted additional strategies to enhance my returns. These include the new ex-dividend date strategy which thus far has been executed 3 times, one of these times being called away successfully at the ex-div date. The second strategy involves purchasing an OTM SPY call in order to participate in additional upside if the market increases substantially over a month.

The portfolio continues to beat the market since its inception (by about 7.5%). The chart below presents the monthly performance of the CCIP for August, as well as the performance of the portfolio since inception.

Portfolio Results

The 2009 Since Inception results are as follows:

1. Since Inception Results

CCIP Absolute Return (March 7 through August 31, 2009) = 54.06%

Benchmark S&P 500 (SPY) Absolute Return (March 7 through August 31, 2009) = 46.54%

The CCIP has outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark by a total of 7.54%

September 2009 Next Steps

The month of September is going to be a real test for the rally's strength. The summer vacation is over, and reality is beginning to set in. Third quarter earnings will start this month, and will ultimately determine the direction of the market. Companies will now have to show that after substantially cutting costs they can start to increase sales.

The CCIP has made a bit of a change of direction as well over the last two months, as I have added additional strategies such as cash-secured puts, OTM calls, and the ex-dividend date strategy. Additionally, I have adopted a new type of allocation strategy which focuses on reducing risk, and centering strategy around specific annualized return goals.

Unfortunately, I will be going on vacation the week after expiration and will not have access to the internet. This obviously makes option roll-over a bit difficult. As a result I will most likely be closing ITM positions on the Thursday prior to expiration, and then opening new positions on expiration Friday. This may result in losing out on about 0.25% of gains, but it is better than missing a week of market action

The strategy for establishing covered calls positions after September expiration will depend on what positions close ITM at expiration. I will establish new positions based upon my new annualized return asset allocation strategy.

As always, please post any thoughts or questions you have regarding the CCIP and the posts on the blog.

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (9/2/2009)

2009-09-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

As I noted in my previous post regarding UNG, it would seem that the bottom has fallen out of natural gas recently. As such, I have decided to focus on simply recouping my losses rather than looking to make a hefty profit. As such I sold a $12 January call which is below my original purchase price. The performance metrics are below:

7/23/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 13.14
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $13 Call @ 0.88
8/22/2009 -- Call Expired
8/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.25
9/2/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG October $14 @ 0.18
9/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January $12 @ 0.68

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Downside Coverage: None

Possible Max Upside: 0.10%

Annualized Max Upside: 0.21%

Initial Transaction - Life Partners Holdings Inc. (LPHI) (8/31/2009)

2009-09-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

This is a new position in the Covered Call Investor's Portfolio. I found this particular stock by doing a scan for stocks which are trading within 30% of their 52-week lows. I then reviewed the stocks which passed this filter for those with greater than 3% dividends. This resulted in about 100 stocks to consider. When I look for a stock to place in the covered call position, I normally want something which is not trading at the high end of its range, because any pullback in the market could result in a drastic pullback in the stock itself. Life Partners Inc., was one of the few stocks which met this requirement. The stock also sports an above average dividend yield of 5%. LPHI is essentially a type of investment fund for wealthy individuals. They purchase life insurance policies in the secondary market for wealthy individuals who continue to pay the premiums and then collect the funds when the underwritten individual passes. This is a relatively morbid business, but it is also one which I believe will perform well in the economic climate. The company has no debt, and is growing rapidly, as such I believe it will be a good addition to the CCIP. I considered selling a $14.50 strike put originally but the premiums had dropped by about 25% over the weekend and so I decided to go with the $17.50 CC instead. The profit/loss info is below:

8/31/2009 -- Bought 100 LPHI @ 17.48
8/31/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 LPHI October $17/50 Call @ 1.51

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1597.00

Downside Protection: 8.6%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 7.04%

PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 54.65%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (9/2/2009)

2009-09-05T16:56:00.001-07:00

The price of natural gas has continued to fall, and UNG has been a massive drag on the CCIP. I dont think anyone expected natural gas prices to continue falling, and the current regulatory issues facing UNG itself are not making things easier. As a result I had purchased a protective put against one of my UNG positions on 8/28/2009, and then sold it on 9/2/2009 after continued downward movement by UNG, as I result I have lowered my overall cost basis. I also sold a January call, as I dont foresee UNG rising very substantially in the near future as it still trades at a premium to its NAV. The new profit/loss info is below:

6/10/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 14.50
6/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $15 Call @ 0.97
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG July $15 Call @ 0.15
7/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $15 Call @ 0.45
8/22/2009 -- Call Expired
8/28/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 UNG October $10 Put @ 0.65
9/1/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG January '10 Call @ 0.50
9/2/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 UNG October $10 Put @ 0.95

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Downside Coverage (from current price): None
Possible Max Upside: 11.6%

Annualized Max Upside: 19.34%

Dividend Payment - Lockheed Martin (LMT) (8/28/2009)

2009-09-04T10:37:00.001-07:00

This is an update to the position in Lockheed-Martin (LMT) which passed an ex-dividend date. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/25/2009 -- Bought 100 LMT @ 74.30
8/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 LMT September $75 Call @ 1.30
8/28/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.57

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 7300.00

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 3.52%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 51.40%

Update Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI) (8/26/2009)

2009-09-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

As the stock market has started to turn downward recently, and China announcing its large purchases of commodities, which have been somewhat artificially driving up commodity prices, some of the commodity players have been falling in price. In order to hedge myself somewhat on the downside I decided to buy a $21 put for protection. The performance metrics are below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.7
8/26/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $21 September Put @ 0.25

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00
Current Cost Average: $25.16

Possible Max Upside: 11.29%

Annualized Max Upside: 80.78%

Initial Transaction - Lockheed Martin (LMT) (8/25/2009)

2009-08-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

To continue my recent ex-dividend date CC strategy, I opened a position in Lockheed-Martin (LMT) an aerospace defense contractor. Lockheed took quite a hit in July after releasing disappointing earnings, and has been stuck around $75 since then. The stock sports a nice 3% dividend and is not generally considered very volatile. The ex-dividend date is a few days after the purchase date, and could present a nice return if called. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/25/2009 -- Bought 100 LMT @ 74.30
8/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 LMT September $75 Call @ 1.30

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 7300.00

Potential Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 2.62%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 319.31%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 3.52%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 51.40%

Dividend Payment - McGraw-Hill (MHP) (8/24/2009)

2009-08-30T09:46:00.000-07:00

For better or worse, MHP was not ITM at close the day before its ex-dividend date. As such the position was not called away, and the dividend was paid. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/21/2009 -- Bought 100 MHP @ 29.66
8/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MHP September $30 Call @ 0.86
8/24/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.23

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2890.00

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 4.57%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 57.49%

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (8/24/2009)

2009-08-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

In what I think is considered by most to be a continued fall of natural gas prices, UNG has become quite the laggard in the CCIP portfolio. On top of the horrible performance of natural gas prices, UNG itself is creating issues by its inability to offer new shares. This is actually a good thing in the short term because it keeps the price of UNG somewhat boosted above actual natural gas prices. Unfortunately, this also creates the possibility that if UNG is able to offer new shares, the ETF could fall 15% to make up for its current premium to NAV. As such, I have adopted a strategy of simply trying to gain as much option premium in the mean time. I expect to be stuck in this position for at least 6 months. The performance metrics are below:

7/2/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $13 Put @ 1.15
8/21/2009 -- Stock Purchase @ $13
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG October $13 Call @ 0.60

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Purchase Price: $1190.00

Possible Max Upside: 15.04%

Annualized Max Upside: 51.32%

Initial Transaction - Intel (INTC) (8/24/2009)

2009-08-30T09:30:00.000-07:00

This position is along the same lines as the position I recently opened in ConocoPhilips. The purpose is not necessarily to provide giant annualized gains (i.e. 50%+) as other positions in the past have, but instead it is intended to provide quality downside coverage, a possible dividend to enhance returns, and a return which would be considered more than enough by many. This position is in Intel, which I have held before in the portfolio, and has been relatively stagnant since I exited the position after they crushed earnings a couple months ago. The profit/loss info is below:

8/24/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 18.92
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC October $18 Call @ 1.50

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: $1747.00

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (10/17/2009): 17.15%

Downside Protection: 7.9%

Initial Transaction - SPY Call (8/24/2009)

2009-08-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

This is part of a new strategy I am enlisting in what is essentially becoming less like a strictly covered call portfolio and more like a hedge fund. But the focus will remain substantially on covered calls. This position is an attempt to deal with an issue that affects most covered calls portfolios, which is the inability to perform as well as the overall market, when the market is rising a substantial amount (more than 4-5%) a month. I feel that the covered call portfolio has and will perform well when the market is decreasing, but it requires a little "pick me up" when the market is on a tear. In order to counter this, I have purchased 1 SPY (an ETF which tracks the S&P 500) call about 4% OTM, in order to give myself additional upside if the market continues its rise, but only risk about .33% of my total portfolio on this endeavor. If the market does not rise more than 4%, stays flat or falls, I only lose about $150. If on the other hand, the market goes up 6% in the month, I will enhance my returns. The purchase info is below:

8/24/2009 -- Bought 1 $106 SPY September Call @ 1.35

Update Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI) (8/24/2009)

2009-08-30T08:45:00.000-07:00

Intrepid Potash has stayed in a relatively tight range since I purchase it at the end of July. Earnings were in line with expectations and they had no real impact on the share price. It is important to note though that IPI has not participated in the overall market gains for the month of august. Due to the longer time period until expiration, I was able to sell a $28 Call as opposed to $27 like the previous month, and still get about a 3% premium. The performance metrics are below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $28 September Call @ 0.7

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00
Current Cost Average: $24.91

Downside Coverage (from current price of $26.27): 5.17%
Possible Max Upside: 12.28%

Annualized Max Upside: 87.90%

Update Transaction - AT&T (T) (8-24-2009)

2009-08-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

As the last 100 shares of AT&T in my portfolio managed to not be called away on friday, I quickly sold another $26 covered call resulting in a guaranteed 2% gain for the next month for this position. I will not re-enter this position as a monthly covered call position in the future, though I may as part of my longer term covered call strategy. The new profit/loss info is below:

Transaction History:
Various -- Bought 100 T @ 25.125
2/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T March $24 Call @ 0.895
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T March $24 Call @ 0.3874
4/7/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
4/16/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T May $26 Call @ 0.8126
5/15/2009 -- Call Expired
7/8/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T August $26 Call @ 0.4
8/21/2009 -- Call Expired OTM
8/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 TSeptember $26 Call @ 0.53

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2512.50
Current Cost Average: $22.05

Downside Coverage (based on current share price, 26.00): 15.2%
Possible Max Upside: 16.28%

Annualized Max Upside: 28.85%

August 2009 Expiration Day (8-21-2009)

2009-08-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Covered Calls Investor Portfolio contained a total of 10 positions with August 2009 expirations, and 4 positions either with a Non-August expiration or no current covered call. The 10 positions with August expiration had the following results:

- 6 positions (T, BMY, FAS, CAL, UNG, PWE) closed in-the-money. The calls were exercised and the stock was sold. Most of these positions had been heavily ITM for quite a while so it was not surprising that they were called away. The only dissapoint in this group was the UNG CSP which was executed resulting in my purchase of the stock for $13. The annualized gain/loss results (after commissions) were:

AT&T => 49.41%
Bristol-Myers => 33.47%
Direxion 3x Financial Bull => 143.08%
Continental Airlines => 75.84%
United States Natural Gas => N/A because put was assigned, resulting in purchase of stock
Penn-West Energy => 37.67%

- 4 positions in the portfolio (UNG, UNG, IPI, T) ended out-of-the-money. AT&T managed to close exactly at its strike of $26 but was not called away.

United States Natural Gas (UNG) - $11.35
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $13.23

This position will be kept, mostly due to the fact that it is currently sporting about a 20% loss, and also the fact that natural gas remains at all-time lows. The only issue with this position is that due to caps being placed on positions in commodity futures, UNG has begun to trade at a premium to its NAV, effectively becoming a closed end fund which means it will not track the price of natural gas very well anymore. As a result it is unlikely I will continue to establish positions in the fund.

United States Natural Gas (UNG) - $11.35
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $11.90

See above for perspective.

Intrepid Potash (IPI) - $25.88
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $25.61

I will continue to hold this position, and sell another call for september. The fundamentals remain strong, and in my opinion the hypothesis surrounding the rebound in potash prices come next year remains to be true.

AT&T (T) - $26
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $22.59

Although I was attempting to exit my positions in AT&T, the covered call managed to not be called away. This isnt a disaster because AT&T still sports an attractive yield, and I can make another 1-2% for next month on it by selling another call.

The positions in the portfolio which did not have June expirations include:

Buckle (BKE) (100 Shares) - September $30 Covered Call

Conoco Phillips (COP) (100 Shares) - January $39 Covered Call

McGraw-Hill (MHP) (100 Shares) - September $30 Covered Call

Best Buy (BBY) (100 Shares) - September $39 Covered Call

Initial Transaction - McGraw Hill (MHP) (8-21-2009)

2009-08-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

After considering a CC in MHP for the past few months, I finally decided to take the plunge due to the passing of an ex-dividend date. This position is being established as both part of my ex-dividend date CC strategy, as well as just being a good covered call position overall. McGraw Hill is most well known for providing textbooks to the masses, but it is also the company behind Standard & Poors. They sport a quality dividend, and have essentially been treading water at $30 per share for months. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/21/2009 -- Bought 100 MHP @ 29.66
8/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MHP September $30 Call @ 0.86

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2890.00

Potential Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 3.81%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 463.09%

Potential Gain If Called At Expiration: 4.57%
PotentialAnnualized Gain If Called At Expiration: 57.49%

Closing Transaction - Marathon Oil (MRO) (8-15-2009)

2009-08-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Unlike the first position I opened to test my new dividend strategy (PWE), for this position (MRO), the plan was successful in that the stock was called away the day before the ex-dividend date. The profit/loss info is below:

8/7/2009 -- Bought 100 MRO @ 30.70
8/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MRO August $30 Call @ 1.07
8/15/2009 -- Sold 100 MRO @ 30.00

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2963.00

Final Profit: 1.25%
Final Annualized Profit: 49.92%

Closing Transaction - Regency Centers (REG) (8-15-2009)

2009-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

The stock was called away the day before its ex-dividend date as it was about 10% ITM. Sadly this was the first CCIP position to ever be sold for a loss. The final profit/loss info is below:

6/22/2009 -- Bought 100 Shares of REG @ 34.025
6/22/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 July $35.00 Call @ 1.41
7/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 July $35.00 Call @ 0.14
7/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 August $35 Call @ 0.49
7/17/2009 -- Bought 1 Put Option Aug $30 @ 1.85
7/17/2009 -- Sold 1 Put Option Aug $30 @ 2.10
7/17/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 August $35 Call @0.4
7/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 August $30 Call @ 1.55
8/25/2009 -- Sold 100 Shares of REG @ 29.995

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $3261.50

Total Profit/Loss: -2.95%

Annualized Profit/Loss: -19.95%

Initial Transaction - ConocoPhillips (COP) (8-13-2009)

2009-08-24T14:26:00.001-07:00

As part of the constant revision of my covered call investment strategy, this position is intended to provide a potential yield of at least 10%, and also have the possibility of being called away at two different points. The stock could be called before the first ex-dividend date, or at expiration. The lowest annualized return is above 10% for any of these scenarios. Additionally, the call being sold is substantially ITM, and relatively far out expiration. Lastly, the stock provides a hefty dividend for both additional protection and income. This position is in ConocoPhillips an integrated oil & gas company which has a hefty 5% dividend. The profit/loss info is below:

8/13/2009 -- Bought 100 COP @ 43.93
8/13/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 COP January $39 Call @ 6.49

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 3759.00

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At First Ex-Div Date (~10/29/2009): 17.85%

Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Expiration (1/16/2010): 14.69%

Downside Protection: 14.4%

Continuing Transaction - Best Buy (BBY) (8/12/2009)

2009-08-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

As I was going to be going on vacation out of the country the following week, I decided to roll this call forward to September, as well as raising the strike price. The new profit/loss info is below:

6/12/2009 -- Bought 100 BBY @ 37.54
6/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY July $39 Call @ 1.54
6/12/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 BBY June $35 Put @ 0.6
6/18/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY July $39 Call @ 0.50
6/18/2009 -- Sold To Close 1 BBY June $35 Put @ 1.1
6/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY July $38 Call @ 0.20
7/2/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.14
7/18/2009 -- Call Expired
7/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY August $38 Call @ 0.65
8/12/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BBY August $38 Call @ 0.6
8/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BBY September $39 Call @ 1.20

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $3660.00

Downside Coverage: 5.57%
Possible Max Upside: 12.75%

Annualized Max Upside: 47.01%

Closing Transaction - Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) (8/13/2009)

2009-08-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

As the market has improved, ANR has skyrocketed to the point where there was essentially no time premium left on it. As a result I decided to exit the position early in order to get some more cash, and also lock in my gains so as to protect myself in case of a pullback. The final profit/loss info is below:

5/20/2009 -- Bought 100 ANR @ 29.26
5/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ 1.24
5/20/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR June $20 Put @ .3
5/21/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ .55
5/22/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $27.50 Call @ 1.45
5/27/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $27.50 Call @ 2.18
5/27/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 1.09
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 0.15
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR $20 June Put @ 0.5
6/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 1.90
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.5
7/9/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.75
7/28/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR $27.5 August Put @ 0.60
8/13/2009 -- Call Bought - Stock Sold @ 29.90

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2926.00

Final Upside: 8.29%

Annualized Max Upside: 35.62%

Initial Transaction - Marathon Oil (MRO) (8-7-2009)

2009-08-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

This position is another example of the ex-dividend date covered call option strategy which I am testing. The idea with these is to purchase a stock a few days before an ex-dividend date, and sell a covered call for the current month which is as much in the money as possible, but will still return at least 1% if called before the ex-dividend date. Marathon Oil is an integrated oil company which participates in all parts of the oil supply chain, both upstream and downstream. The stock has about a 5% dividend yield which will be valuable even if the position is not called away. The profit/loss info is below:

8/7/2009 -- Bought 100 MRO @ 30.70
8/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 MRO August $30 Call @ 1.07

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 2963.00

Potential Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 1.25%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 45.58%

Initial Transaction - Buckle (BKE) (8-7-2009)

2009-08-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

I decided to open a position in a retailer as a way to cash in on the coming turnaround in consumer discretionary spending. Buckle is a medium-priced retailer of mostly denim apparel for teens and young adults. The store focuses mainly on selling jeans, both their own brand, as well as other brands such as rockin' republic and big star are some examples. After releasing same-store sales for July, the stock dropped by about 15%, which allowed a perfect entry point in my opinion. The store has such high expectations that it would have been almost impossible for them to be met in the current economic climate. Same store sales were expected to be 10%, and they only came in at 2% which led to the stock plummet. In my opinion however, the fact that the sales are still increasing are the important part, and the stock also sports a 3% dividend yield which is quite unusual for a growing retailer. As such I decided to establish a covered call position for September. The new profit/loss info is below:

8/7/2009 -- Bought 100 BKE @ 26.70
8/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BKE $30 September Call @ 0.70

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2635.00

Downside Coverage: 2.62%
Possible Max Upside: 13.66%

Annualized Max Upside: 115.97%

Closing Transaction - Mack-Cali Realty (CLI) (8-4-2009)

2009-08-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

This is closing info for my other position in Mack-Cali realty. The profit/loss info is below:

Various -- Bought 100 CLI @ 22.90
2/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.4592
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.1408
4/1/2009 – CLI Dividend @ .45
4/9/2009 – Sold To Open 1 CLI May $22.5 Call @ 2.8925
5/15/2009 – May $22.5 Call Expired
5/18/2009 – Sold To Open 1 CLI June $22.50 Call @ 1.8925
6/19/2009 - June $22.50 Call Expired
7/1/2009 - Dividend @ .45
7/7/2009 - Sold To Open 1 CLI August $22.50 Call @ 1.1425
8/4/2009 -- Bought To Close/Sold 100 CLI @ 22.322

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2290.00

Final Profit: 15.30%

Annualized Max Upside: 34.26%

Closing Transaction - Mack-Cali Realty (CLI) (8/5/2009)

2009-08-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, I had very bad timing in the case of Mack-Cali Realty, in that I sold a call right before the stock decided to jump 35% in three weeks. As a result my remaining positions were both heavily in the money, and I decided to close them out early to free up some cash. The final profit/loss info is below:

Various -- Bought 100 CLI @ 22.90
2/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.4592
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.1408
4/1/2009 – CLI Dividend @ .45
4/9/2009 – Sold To Open 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 2.1426
4/24/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 4.9474
4/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI June $30 Call @ 1.9325
5/7/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI June $30 Call @ 0.60
5/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI June $25 Call @ 1.5926
6/11/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI June $25 Call @ 0.25
7/1/2009 - Dividend @ .45
7/16/2009 - Sold To Open 1 CLI August $25 Call @ 0.9925
8/5/2009 - Bought To Close/Sold 100 CLI @ 24.7019

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2290.00

Final Profit: 27.26%

Annualized Max Upside: 61.42%

Initial Transaction - Intrepid Potash (IPI) (7-30-2009)

2009-08-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

With the economy beginning to turn around in earnest, and the stock market refusing to go through a correction, I decided to take the plunge and start using some of the 30% cash position I have established over the past week or two. The first position I am going to open is in Intrepid Potash (IPI) which is a small potash supplier (otherwise known as fertilizer) to farmers around the world. Potash prices have plummeted over the past year, and similar to natural gas, are most likely about as low as the can go. Potash is also something which cannot be withheld from farming for more than 18 months without having a bad impact on the crop yields. As a result the possibility for a spike in potash demand is very likely over the next year. The only potential problem with this trade is that the market is due for a correction, and IPI is releasing earnings before expiration. As a result I have decided to collar my position, but still get a hefty return if called at expiration. The performance metrics are below:

7/30/2009 -- Bought 100 IPI @ 26.70
7/30/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 IPI $27 August Call @ 1.54
7/30/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 IPI $22 August Put @ 0.45

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2561.00

Maximum Risk: 14%
Downside Coverage: 4.08%
Possible Max Upside: 5.23%

Annualized Max Upside: 83.03%

Dividend Update - Penn-West Energy (PWE) (7-29-2009)

2009-08-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

This is simply an update to this position for a recent dividend update. Unfortunately, the position was not called away before the ex-div so I will be holding it until expiration barring any unforeseen substantial increase in share price. The performance metrics are below:

7/21/2009 -- Bought 100 PWE @ 12.79
7/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 PWE August $12.50 Call @ 0.6
7/29/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.13

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 12.19

Maximum Potential Upside: 3.2%

Potential Annualized Gain: 36.49%

Update Transaction - Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) (7-28-2009)

2009-08-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

After an amazing jump in ANR's share price over the last couple weeks, I decided to buy a protective put to manage my downside risk. One would normally consider this odd, as the ANR has been as much as $4 (~11%) above my covered call strike price, however, there still remained an additional $1 of time premium to be worked out. For this reason, I decided to buy a put as opposed to close out the position completely. ANR has been an extremely volatile stock falling as low as $22 in the past few weeks, and now rising to $34. If ANR does make it to August expiration above $30, then I have decreased by potential gain by about 2%, but greatly lowered my downside risk. The new profit/loss info is below:

5/20/2009 -- Bought 100 ANR @ 29.26
5/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ 1.24
5/20/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR June $20 Put @ .3
5/21/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ .55
5/22/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $27.50 Call @ 1.45
5/27/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $27.50 Call @ 2.18
5/27/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 1.09
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 0.15
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR $20 June Put @ 0.5
6/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 1.90
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.5
7/9/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.75
7/28/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR $27.5 August Put @ 0.60

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2926.00
Current Cost Basis: $27.61

Maximum Downside Risk (due to Put): 0.4%
Possible Max Upside: 8.53%

Annualized Max Upside: 33.12%

Initial Transaction - United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) (7-23-2009)

2009-08-02T10:16:00.001-07:00

I decided to open a third position in UNG, after a brief decline from a recent high around $14. I still believe that natural gas can only stay this low for so long. Please read my previous post for purchase rationalization. I will add one caveat here, that UNG is facing some recent regulatory issues involving capping the amount of natural gas futures it can hold, which has caused the fund to have to invest in more risky ways to track the natural gas price. As a result, I may not acquire any more of UNG until this is figured out. The performance metrics are below:

7/23/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 13.14
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $13 Call @ 0.88

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Downside Coverage: 6.69%
Possible Max Upside: 5.25%

Annualized Max Upside: 66.09%

Closing Transaction - Direxion 3x Financial (FAS) (7-23-2009)

2009-08-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

After FAS had quite a run-up since its reverse split, I decided to exit this position in order to free-up some cash to possibly enter new positions. As has been the case with all of my other FAS positions this one again yielded quite fantastic annualized returns. With the new share price of FAS, I am unsure if I will continue to use it in the CCIP, because any position I held would be about 20% of my total portfolio, which is a little to much exposure for me at the moment. I may try employing a new strategy such as a bullish put spread (selling a put 5-10% below the current price, and buying a put 15-20% below the current price). The final profit info is below:

5/21/2009 -- Bought 100 FAS @ 9.045
5/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 FAS June $10 Call @ 0.86
5/21/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 FAS June $8 Put @ 1
6/19/2009 -- Covered Call & Put Expired
6/22/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 FAS July $10 Call @ 0.5
6/30/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.01128
7/18/2009 -- Covered Call Expired
7/23/2009 -- Sold 100 FAS @ 9.938

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $904.50

Final Profit: 15.4%

Annualized Max Upside: 89.5%

Update Transaction - Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) (7-23-2009)

2009-08-02T09:59:00.000-07:00

After a recent run-up in the price of BMY, I decided to roll my August call down to a lower strike in order to exit the position. Although BMY has provided consistent movement between $19 and $21, it simply does not provide the type of returns I am looking for at this moment. If it is called away at August expiration, I would consider selling a $20 or $21 cash-secured put on it to get back in at a later time as it does provide a very nice dividend yield. The new profit/loss info is below:

4/6/2009 -- Bought 100 BMY @ 20.48
4/6/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BMY April $21 Call @ 0.34
4/17/2009 -- Covered Call Expired
4/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BMY May $21 Call @ 0.65
4/29/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BMY May $21 Call @ 0.11
5/12/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BMY June $21 Call @ 0.55
5/27/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BMY June $21 Call @ 0.18
6/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BMY August $22 Call @ 0.35
7/1/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.31
7/23/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 BMY August $22 Call @ 0.17
7/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 BMY August $21 Call @ 0.32

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2048.00

Downside Coverage (from current price of $20.86): 11.7%
Possible Max Upside: 12.81%

Annualized Max Upside: 33.88%

Inital Transaction - Penn West Energy Trust (PWE) (7-21-2009)

2009-07-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

I decided to continue tweaking my covered call investment strategy by trying something a little different. In the case of Penn West Energy, which is a oil & gas limited partnership, I am attempting to reap the benefits of option premium as well as the ability of a holder of a call option to exercise said option at any point previous to expiration if the current price is above the strike price. My goal in this situation is that the call will be exercised the day preceding the ex-div date, which will yield a relatively high annualized profit, and if it is not exercised then I can close out the position on the ex-div date, and get the dividend for myself. I will continue to attempt such positions as I find them. The performance metrics are below:

7/21/2009 -- Bought 100 PWE @ 12.79
7/21/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 PWE August $12.50 Call @ 0.6

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Cost Basis: 12.19

Potential Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 2.13%
Potential Annualized Gain If Called At Ex-Div Date: 129.75%

July 2009 Expiration Day

2009-07-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

The Covered Calls Investor Portfolio contained a total of 4 positions with July 2009 expirations, and 13 positions either with a Non-July expiration or no current covered call. The 4 positions with July expiration had the following results:

- 3 positions (CLI, COP, GE) closed in-the-money. The calls were exercised and the stock was sold. This was not surprising to me as many of my positions had decreased substantially in July and wouldve had to rally upwards of 10% from their bottoms in the month to hit their strikes. However, these two positions did provide a good amount of cash for investing. Additionally, my cash position had already risen to about 10% of the CCIP by expiration. The annualized gain/loss results (after commissions) were:

Mack-Cali Realty => +112.74%
United States Natural Gas => +88.48%
General Electric => +49.77%

- 1 positions in the portfolio (BBY) ended out-of-the-money. Best Buy has made quite a comeback since its fall after releasing earnings, but still has a ways to go to get back to my cost basis.

Best Buy (BBY) - $36.18
100 Shares with Current Cost Basis of $35.66

This position will be kept, due to the fact that it is the primary electronics retailer in the US, and although some may believe Walmart is beginning to encroach on Best Buy's customers I believe that the consumers are more likely to make big ticket purchases such as new TV's and stereos at a store which is targeted specifically for that application. Although I am of the opinion that Best Buy's employees are not the best when it comes to product knowledge they are significantly better than Walmart. Lastly, the recent Apple earnings show that computers are being purchased, and whether a consumer chooses a Mac or a PC, they can get it at Best Buy.

The positions in the portfolio which did not have June expirations include:

Mack-Cali Realty (CLI) (200 Shares) - No Current Coverage

AT&T (T) (200 Shares) - No Current Coverage

Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) - August $22 Covered Call

Best Buy (BBY) - No Current Coverage

Continental Airlines (CAL) - August $11 Covered Call

Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) - August $30 Covered Call

United States Natural Gas (UNG) - August $15 Covered Call, August $13 CSP

Regency Centers (REG) - August $30 Covered Call

Direxion 3x Financial Bull (FAS) - August $10 Covered Call (Pre-Split)

Update Transaction - Mack-Cali Realty (CLI) (7-16-2009)

2009-07-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is the final covered call to be sold on my position in CLI. If these shares are called away at expiration I will no longer have any position in CLI. It will be a little sad, considering CLI was a large portion of the CCIP when I started it, but all things must come to an end. I wouldnt have a problem reinvesting in CLI however if it fell back down to the $22.50-$23.50 range in the future. The new profit/loss info is below:

Various -- Bought 100 CLI @ 22.90
2/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.4592
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.1408
4/1/2009 – CLI Dividend @ .45
4/9/2009 – Sold To Open 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 2.1426
4/24/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 4.9474
4/24/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI June $30 Call @ 1.9325
5/7/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI June $30 Call @ 0.60
5/7/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI June $25 Call @ 1.5926
6/11/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI June $25 Call @ 0.25
7/1/2009 - Dividend @ .45
7/16/2009 - Sold To Open 1 CLI August $25 Call @ 0.9925

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2290.00

Downside Coverage From Current Price: 13.6%
Possible Max Upside: 16.63%

Annualized Max Upside: 33.72%

Closing Transaction - Direxion 3x Financial (FAS) (7-15-2009)

2009-07-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, FAS underwent a 1-5 reverse split this month, which made the 300 shares i had in my portfolio only 60 shares. This makes it impossible for me to continue selling calls on these positions unless I want to increase my stake. As such, I have decided to attempt to exit my positions in FAS as the call options written on them expire. This is the first of such sales. The final profit info is below:

4/17/2009 -- Bought 100 FAS @ 9.745
4/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 FAS May $8 Call @ 2.65

5/7/2009 – Bought To Close 1 FAS May $8 Call @ 3.55

5/7/2009 – Sold To Open 1 FAS May $10 Call @ 1.95

5/15/2009 – May $9 Call Expired

5/18/2009 – Sold To Open 1 FAS June $11 Call @ 0.95
6/15/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 FAS June $11 Call @ 0.25
6/15/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 FAS July $11 Call @ 0.90
6/22/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 FAS July $11 Call @ 0.35
6/30/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.01128
7/15/2009 -- Sold 100 FAS @ 49.50 (9.90)

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $974.50

Final Profit (%): 34.76%
Final Profit ($): $246.63

Annualized Profit (%): 142.56%

Update Transaction - AT&T (T) (7-15-2009)

2009-07-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

As I have been on vacation for the last week, there will be a barrage of new posts today and tomorrow to update the blog to the most recent activity.

I have decided to start to bite the bullet on some of my positions in the slow-moving high-dividend payers in my portfolio and sell calls which are not that far out of the money, and have relatively low option premiums. I figure I may as well try to make some money off of them while they lag the market, even if it means the position gets called away a little lower than I want it to. I plan to keep the other 100 shares of AT&T uncovered in hope that the stock rises some more, and I can sell a $26 call.

Transaction History:
2/21/2009 -- Additional Stock Purchased -- Bought T @ 23
2/27/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T April $20 Call @ 3.95
3/10/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T April $20 Call @ 2.93
3/10/2009 -- Sold to Open 1 T April $25 Call @ .34
3/13/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T April $25 Call @ .84
3/13/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T April $26 Call @ .39
4/7/2009 -- AT&T Dividend @ .41
4/17/2009 -- Covered Call Expire
4/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T May $27 @ .43
5/15/2009 -- Covered Call Expire
5/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T Oct $27 @ .65

6/1/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 T Oct $27 @ 0.79

6/1/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T June $25 @ 0.4
6/19/2009 -- Call Expired
7/8/2009 -- Dividend @ 0.41
7/15/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 T August $25 @ 0.3

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2300.00

Downside Coverage (based on current share price): 17%
Possible Max Upside: 24.51%

Annualized Max Upside: 49.16%

Update Transaction - General Electric (GE)

2009-07-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to close out my $12 CSP position in GE for two reasons. Firstly, GE has made its way back above $12 for the first time since mid-June, secondly I unfortunately hold this CSP in my brokerage account which has an arcane method of commissions for executing calls. Instead of charging you a simple transaction fee if your call is in the money at expiration, you are also charged a $19.99 fee for call assigning. A bit ridiculous inmy opinion, but I digress. Just as a note, I would personally recommend Zecco or Interactive Brokers for those of you who want to start your own covered calls portfolio but only have between $10,000 and $100,000, as you will find transaction fees can eat a large chunk of your profits.

I will attempt to sell another CSP in GE after they release they're earnings on friday. Most likely with a $12 strike, unless the stock pops or drops in either direction. The current performance metrics are below:

5/27/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 GE June $12 Put @ 0.32

6/1/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 GE June $12 Put @ 0.11

6/1/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 GE July $12 Put @ 0.4
7/15/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 GE July $12 Put @ 0.3574

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Current Put Sale Profit: $25.26

Closing Transaction - Intel (INTC)

2009-07-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to close out my position in Intel a few days earlier after it released a monster earnings report after the market closed yesterday. On top of beating estimates handily the company also gave a better than expected outlook for the latter half of the year. Being that the stock moved 8% on the news, I decided to get out now, since all of the time premium was gone, and I wouldnt be surprised if the market pulls back a little tomorrow, so I wanted to make sure I removed myself from the position. I do however plan to sell a cash-secured put for Intel in august at a strike of $17, if the stock drops back down to the $17.50 range. The final profit/loss info is below:

6/10/2009 -- Bought 100 INTC @ 16.28
6/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 INTC July $17 Call @ 0.44
7/15/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 INTC July $17 Call @ 1.05
7/15/2009 -- Sold 100 INTC @ 17.9927

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1584.00

Final Profit: 6.96

Annualized Profit: 74.73

Update Transaction - Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) (7-9-2009)

2009-07-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

I successfully executed my strategy with ANR, by buying back the August call, waiting for a rise in the ANR share price, and reselling the call. This has essentially netted me an additional 1% gain if the position is called away at August expiration. Although I dont have high expectations of ANR being called away at expiration, I also do not foresee a share price decrease below $20. The new profit/loss info is below:

5/20/2009 -- Bought 100 ANR @ 29.26
5/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ 1.24
5/20/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR June $20 Put @ .3
5/21/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ .55
5/22/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $27.50 Call @ 1.45
5/27/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $27.50 Call @ 2.18
5/27/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 1.09
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 0.15
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR $20 June Put @ 0.5
6/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 1.90
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.5
7/9/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.75

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2926.00
Current Cost Basis: $27.01

Maximum Downside Risk (due to Put): 26%
Downside Coverage: None
Possible Max Upside: 10.67%

Annualized Max Upside: 41.44%

Update Transaction - Mack-Cali Realty (CLI) (7-7-2009)

2009-07-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

I decided to sell another covered call on my position in CLI, leaving only 100 shares uncovered. The market is continuing to show signs of deterioration, and I want to give myself some protection. I am choosing to leave my last 100 shares uncovered just in case CLI manages to make it above $23, in which case I will sell a $25 call on the last 100 shares. The profit/loss info is below:

Various -- Bought 100 CLI @ 22.90
2/23/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.4592
3/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 CLI July $25 Call @ 0.1408
4/1/2009 – CLI Dividend @ .45
4/9/2009 – Sold To Open 1 CLI May $22.5 Call @ 2.8925
5/15/2009 – May $22.5 Call Expired
5/18/2009 – Sold To Open 1 CLI June $22.50 Call @ 1.8925
6/19/2009 - June $22.50 Call Expired
7/1/2009 - Dividend @ .45
7/7/2009 - Sold To Open 1 CLI August $22.50 Call @ 1.1425

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2290.00

Downside Coverage From Current Price: 25.9%
Possible Max Upside: 28.06%

Annualized Max Upside: 56.89%

Update Transaction - Alpha Natural Resources (ANR) (7-6-2009)

2009-07-07T05:49:00.001-07:00

ANR continues to oscillate in a very large range between $20 and $27. As a result, it provides an interesting opportunity to sell calls near the high part of the range, and buy them back near the bottom. As such, when ANR hit $22.50 early in the day yesterday, I decided to buy back my August call, and wait for a bounce in ANR over the next few weeks. I plan to sell the August $30 call again once it gets around $0.80, which I would expect to see after about a 6-7% rise in the ANR stock price. I also still retain the July $20 put to cover my downside in case the stock continues to fall. The new profit/loss info is below:

5/20/2009 -- Bought 100 ANR @ 29.26
5/20/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ 1.24
5/20/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR June $20 Put @ .3
5/21/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR June $32.50 Call @ .55
5/22/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR June $27.50 Call @ 1.45
5/27/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $27.50 Call @ 2.18
5/27/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 1.09
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 June Call @ 0.15
6/16/2009 -- Bought To Open 1 ANR $20 June Put @ 0.5
6/25/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 1.90
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 ANR $30 August Call @ 0.5

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $2926.00
Current Cost Basis: $27.76

Maximum Downside Risk (due to Put): 28%
Downside Coverage: None
Possible Max Upside: Unlimited

Annualized Max Upside: Unlimited

Update Transaction - United States Natural Gas (UNG) (7-17-2009)

2009-07-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

UNG has rebounded substantially in the past few days, and as a result I was able to sell an August $15 call. The new profit/loss info is below:

6/10/2009 -- Bought 100 UNG @ 14.50
6/10/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG July $15 Call @ 0.97
7/6/2009 -- Bought To Close 1 UNG July $15 Call @ 0.15
7/17/2009 -- Sold To Open 1 UNG August $15 Call @ 0.45

The important purchase metrics are below for insight into possible profit and loss (these all include commissions):
Stock Purchase Cost: $1353.00

Downside Coverage (from current price): None
Possible Max Upside: 13.08%

Annualized Max Upside: 66.32%

June 2009 Results

2009-07-04T07:26:00.000-07:00

The month of June continued to leave investors and traders wondering where the market will be by the end of the year. It was the fourth month that the CCIP has been in existence, and it was a real test of whether the portfolio could make money in a sideways market. As I have mentioned many times before successful stock picking is very important when the market is oscillating around the same value for a long time. After oscillating between 880 and 920 in the month of May, the S&P 500 has shifted its bounds slightly higher to between 890 and 950 in June. A somewhat disturbing fact for the overall market, though possibly a good thing for covered calls investors is that after hitting a low of around 25 on June 29, the VIX (a measure of the volatility in the market) rebounded to 28 by thursday. This pop is most likely related to the worse than expected job numbers which came out for June.

In my opinion, the market over reacted the these job numbers. For one, they included all of the auto workers who have been idled since GM entered bankruptcy. Secondly, the unemployment rate itself was better than expected. Lastly, it is unrealistic to assume that this recovery will be straight up; there are going to be blips along the way. Over the next few weeks the market will be driven very much so by the earnings reports which start next week. If earnings are mixed to better than expected I think the market will be ok, if they are mostly below expectations, we may be looking at a move back towards 800 if not 700. So lets hope for everyone's sake that this does not happen.

The portfolio continues to beat the market since its inception (by about 14.5%). The chart below presents the monthly performance of the CCIP for June, as well as the performance of the portfolio since inception.

Portfolio Results

The 2009 Since Inception results are as follows:

1. Since Inception Results

CCIP Absolute Return (March 7 through June 30, 2009) = 46.09%

Benchmark S&P 500 (SPY) Absolute Return (March 7 through June 30, 2009) = 31.51%

The CCIP has outperformed the S&P 500 benchmark by a total of 14.58%

July 2009 Next Steps

The month of July is going to be very interesting for both the market and the CCIP portfolio. As earnings season begins, the market is likely to become much more volatile, which could be an advantage for option premium selling, but also cause wild fluctuations in stock prices. In terms of strategy for the CCIP, it is somewhat centered around a current strategy of selling both near month calls as well as 2-month out calls. About half of the current portfolio is in July calls, while half is in August calls. This will make expiration for July much less difficult in terms of finding new positions, but also makes it so that no additional option premiums will be had for many of the positions. This strategy was born mostly out of the fact that quite a few positions in the CCIP had fallen precipitously and so in order to sell a call above the original purchase price, it had to be done for August rather than July.

For those positions in with options expiring in July, much will depend on if the market declines until expiration, because I may face the same issue when it comes to whether to sell August calls or September calls. One thing which will give a boost to the CCIP this month is dividend payments which will tack an additional 1% onto the performance of the CCIP in July.

The strategy for establishing covered calls positions after July expiration will be as follows, and is similar to the rationale for establishing July calls earlier this month, based on the closing price of the S&P 500 on July expiration, July 17, 2009:

If S&P 500 is between 750 and 850, initial earnings reports have most likely been below expectations and the market is moving towards retesting lows. This will likely result in the sale of September calls for positions expiring in July, and possibly the buy back of calls sold for August. As far as new positions go, if there is any cash, I may sell cash-covered puts to buy in at lower prices if the market continues to decline, but still make money if the market rebounds.

If S&P 500 is between 850 and 950, we have most likely survived the first week of earnings without too much of a hitch, and some of the July covered calls should be called away. In this case I will likely establish either covered calls or cash-secured puts depending on which is positioned to yield a greater result.

If S&P 500 is above 950, we have most likely seen better than expected earnings. This would probably result in all the July calls being called away (maybe not Best Buy), and some of the August covered call positions being substantially in the money, which may result in may closing some of the positions, or rolling them up.