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first 50% profit close

closed my SPX 4300/4310 call spread this morning for 50% profit

opened march 15 at $0.85 credit. closed today at $0.42 debit

net profit: $0.43 per spread = $430 on 10 contracts

held for 9 days. that’s 4.8% return per day on capital at risk

the numbers
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  • entry: march 15, $0.85 credit ($850 collected)
  • max risk: $1,000 - $850 = $150 per spread ($1,500 total on 10 contracts)
  • exit: march 24, $0.42 buyback ($420 paid)
  • profit: $850 - $420 = $430
  • return on risk: $430 / $1,500 = 28.7%
  • hold time: 9 days
  • daily return: 3.2% compounded

fuck yeah

why i closed at 50%
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my rule is close at 50% profit or 2 DTE, whichever comes first

this spread had 5 DTE left (expires march 29) but hit 50% today so i closed

learned this from reading tastyworks research - closing at 50% maximizes win rate and reduces tail risk

could’ve held for more profit but risk/reward gets worse the longer you hold

what went right
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  • opened when IV rank was 48 (elevated volatility = higher premium)
  • SPX stayed below 4300 entire time (never threatened short strike)
  • theta decay worked exactly as expected
  • slippage on close was only $3 (better than my $6 average)

current positions
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still have 2 open:

  • SPX 4280/4290 put spread (march 24 exp) - up 35%, watching for 50%
  • SPX 4320/4330 call spread (march 29 exp) - up 18%, need more time

march stats so far:

  • trades: 5
  • closed: 3
  • wins: 2
  • losses: 1
  • open: 2
  • win rate: 66%
  • net profit: $545

on track for +2.5% month if current positions close near targets

-AK

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