Dennis Austin works for O’Reilly Capital Management and manages endowments and trusts for large clients.
The fund invests most of its portfolio in S&P 500 stocks, keeping some cash to facilitate purchases and withdrawals.
The fund’s performance has been quite volatile, losing over 20 percent last year but reporting gains ranging from 5 percent to 35 percent over the previous five years.
O’Reilly’s clients have many needs, goals, and objectives, and Austin is called upon to design investment strategies for their clients. Austin is convinced that the best way to deliver performance is to, whenever possible, combine the fund’s stock portfolio with option positions on equity.
Given the following scenario: Performance to Date: Up 3% Client Objective: Stay positive Austin's scenario: Low stock price volatility between now and end of year.
Which is the best option strategy to meet the client's objective?
Long butterfly is the choice as this combination produces gains should stock prices not move either up or down, while not producing much in loss if prices are volatile. None of the other positions produce gains should stock prices not move much. The protective put guards against falling prices, the bull call limits losses and gains should prices move, and the 2:1 ratio spread gains should prices move up.
Given the following scenario: Performance to Date: Up 16% Client Objective: Earn at least 15% Austin's scenario: Good chance of large gains or large losses between now and end of year.
Which is the best option strategy to meet the client's objective?
Long straddle produces gains if prices move up or down, and limited losses if prices do not move. Short straddle produces significant losses if prices move significantly up or down. Long Butterfly also produces losses should prices move either up or down. The condor is similar to the long butterfly, although the gains for no movement are not as great.
Given the following scenario: Performance to Date: Up 16% Client Objective: Earn at least 15% Austin's scenario: Good chance of large losses between now and end of year.
Which is the best option strategy to meet the client's objective?
Long put positions gain when stock prices fall and produce very limited losses if prices instead rise. Short calls also gain when stock prices fall but create losses if prices instead rise. The other two positions will not protect the portfolio should prices fall. |